Connecting to Slack using public HTTP endpoint

Please complete this task after your Z ChatOps server is configured and started.

About this task

If you are using HTTP endpoint to receive Slack events, you must enable interactivity and configure the event request URL and the interactivity request URL in your Slack App.

If the IP address of your Z ChatOps server is public, you can use the Chatbot messaging endpoint URL <httpEndpoint.protocol>://<httpEndpoint.hostName>:<httpEndpoint.port><httpEndpoint.basePath> directly, for example, https://zchatops.cn.ibm.com:5001/bnz/api/v1. Otherwise, you must configure your own network firewall or use some proxy servers to make sure that your Slack App of your Slack workspace in public cloud can access the messaging endpoint of Z ChatOps server from Internet. For example, you can use IBM® Secure Gateway to create an externally accessible URL for your locally deployed messaging endpoint on your machine.
Note: You can find the values for protocol, hostName, port, and basePath in the configuration file ZCHATOPS_HOME/config/chattools/slack.yaml. Where,
  • <httpEndpoint.protocol>: the default value is https;
  • <httpEndpoint.hostName>: the host name where your Z ChatOps Chatbot server is installed;
  • <httpEndpoint.port>: the default value is 5001;
  • <httpEndpoint.basePath>: the default value is /bnz/api/v1.

Procedure

  1. Open Slack API in your browser.
  2. Click your Slack App.
    Remember: You must log in your Slack workspace before you can see your App in Slack.
  3. Configure your Slack App.
    1. In the left sidebar of Slack app dashboard, click Features > App Manifest to configure your Slack App.
    2. In the text field, fill in the following manifest:. 
      display_information:
  name: IBM Z ChatOps
  description: IBM Z ChatOps
  background_color: "#302d2e"
features:
  app_home:
    home_tab_enabled: false
    messages_tab_enabled: true
    messages_tab_read_only_enabled: false
  bot_user:
    display_name: bnz
    always_online: true
oauth_config:
  scopes:
    bot:
      - channels:history
      - channels:read
      - chat:write
      - groups:history
      - groups:read
      - im:history
      - im:read
      - mpim:history
      - mpim:read
      - users:read
      - users:read.email
settings:
  event_subscriptions:
    request_url: https://example.com
    bot_events:
      - message.channels
      - message.groups
      - message.im
      - message.mpim
  interactivity:
    is_enabled: true
    request_url: https://example.com
  org_deploy_enabled: false
  socket_mode_enabled: false
  token_rotation_enabled: false
      Note: You should delete the default manifest, and then fill in the manifest above.
      In the manifest, specify values for the following fields:
      • display_information.name: your app name, for example, Z ChatOps
      • display_information.description: your app description, for example, Z ChatOps
      • features.bot_user.display_name: your bot name, for example, bnz
    3. Click Save Changes.
      You will be prompted with a notification that the URL is not verified. You can ignore this notification, and configure the request URL after your Z ChatOps server is configured and started.
      Figure 1. Notification
  4. Configure the request URL for the interactivity for your created Slack App.
    Note: You can do this after your Z ChatOps is configured and started.
    1. In the left sidebar of Slack app dashboard, click Features > Interactivity&Shortcuts.
    2. In the request URL input field, use the Z ChatOps messaging-endpoint URL directly if it is publicly accessible. Otherwise, you must fill in with your public proxy URL that transmits network payload to Z ChatOps web hook URL, for example, https://zchatops.cn.ibm.com:5001/bnz/api/v1.
    3. Click Save Changes.
  5. Configure the request URL for events subscriptions for your created Slack App.
    Note: You can do this after your Z ChatOps server is configured and started.
    1. In the left sidebar of Slack app dashboard, click Features > Event Subscriptions.
    2. In the request URL input field, use the Z ChatOps messaging-endpoint URL directly if it is publicly accessible. Otherwise, you must fill in with your public proxy URL that transmits network payload to Z ChatOps web hook URL, for example, https://zchatops.cn.ibm.com:5001/bnz/api/v1
      Figure 2. Enable events
    3. Click Save Changes.

Results

You have successfully configured your Slack app.