2.6 Configuration

Working with SPM

Using the SPM functionality, organizations can create and publish all Service Offerings throughout the Service Lifecycle, which include the phases of:

Service Items are recorded against the different stages of the Lifecycle and easily accessed through the filter views, available within the Configuration>Items screen:

Consistent with the Lifecycle model used for all Configuration Items (CIs) throughout the application, Service CIs are created using the Service Category template, with a series of Lifecycle States customized to represent the different phases a CI can transition through (i.e., inception, design, implementation, operation or retirement phases).

Within each State of the Service Lifecycle, the relevant Users included in the Service Portfolio Team can be assigned, allowing them to manage Service Item information when the Item is allocated the State.

Using the SPM Functionality

The following outlines how the SPM Team define, analyze, authorize and charter a Service Offering in the system. This is achieved as a Supervisor User with Configuration and Service Level Management privileges enabled.

To begin:

Service Item Costs Tab

The Costs Tab of a Service Item includes information related to the financial and contractual details associated with the Item. The information more specifically related to the Service Item is recorded in the Charges and Revenue fields, as this information allows service and support organizations to calculate the costs of offering a service and if appropriate, recover the costs from the relevant parties.

As with other Item Types, the screen includes general Item details such as:

The Information recorded on the Costs Tab includes:

The figures displayed within the Availability fields are automatically calculated by the application, using the Item Lifecycle as it moves between online and offline States.

Completing the Depreciate Over field allows the application to automatically keep track of the Item depreciation over the specified number of years. The current value of the Item after depreciation is displayed at Depreciated Value. The Audit Date field is used to record the date when the Item was last audited.

Billing Enabled

When Billing is enabled, a Service Level hyperlink is available within the Costs screen. This provides access to the Service Level Agreement details that govern the lifecycle for Requests logged against the Item.

If Invoices are also enabled, an Invoice Number hyperlink is available and when selected, will display the invoice details for the Contract that covers the Item. The Start Date and End Dates stipulate the contract length covered for the Item. It is summarized by the days or hours recorded in the Expires field.

The Contract tab within the Item Information Costs tab summarizes the contract details that cover the Item. Further Contract details can be found within the relevant Contract Number within the Finance>Invoices screen.

Create a Service

To create a new Service, such as Email or Printing, create an Item Type template using the Service Category Template, which has the Service Category option enabled within the Categories tab. As part of the Service Category template, define relevant attribute fields as being Customer Visible, which will display information recorded on the Details tab of the Service within the expanded view of a Service in the Customer Portal.

Then create an Item using the newly created Type template. Within the Details tab of the Service Item, complete the Description to provide information about the Service within the Customer Portal Services tab.

Within the Item Relationship tab, define the underpinning infrastructure of the new Service Item, if relevant.

Managing Service Costs

Users with the Finance Role are able to manage the information related to Service Item Costs. Items created with the Category Template that have the Service Category option enabled, allow organizations to calculate and recover costs for offering services. At the Item Type level, the costs for offering a service can be calculated against multiple service level agreements. Within the Cost Tab of a Service Item, figures based on the Item Type associated with the Item are provided, to allow the support organization to recover costs for providing the Service.

View Service Relationships

Within the Relationships tab of the Item Information screen, a Relationship Map visually displays the connections that have been defined for an Item. All Item Relationships are listed in the Relationships Table beneath the Map. The Relationship Map can display up to 48 Child Items and 16 Parent Items in the one diagram.

The central icon of a Map is a visual representation of the selected Item. Scroll over an Item label to view any information recorded on the Information and Details tabs of the Item. To drill-down through the relationships, click on an Item icon label. To change the focus of the Relationship Map to another Item, click on the Item icon label and the system will request that OK be selected before updating the central node of the Map.

The Relationship Table data displayed at the base of the map can be filtered using the Direction filter view of Parent-Child or Child-Parent.

The map displays the relationship between each Lifecycle State by using different colors to represent the type of Lifecycle State.

The Lifecycle State name can be accessed by scrolling over the Item icon within the Map.

Delete a Relationship:

To remove the Relationship between Items:

Managing the Service Catalog

The portfolio of services offered within an organization can be managed by the Service Portfolio Team.

Items

Configuration Items within the system are referred to as Items. Items have multiple connections with other elements throughout the application, these may include Customers, Organizational Units and Service Level Agreements. The table below outlines how Items interact with other system elements:

An Item record consists of the following attributes:

Options available within the Items screen include:

Filter views that are available within the Configuration > Items screen include:

Bulk Item Update

Item Information

Create an Item

When an Item is created within the system it takes the generic settings of an Item Type and binds them to a Customer or Customers and/or Organizational Unit. The Item information uses the details defined in the Item Type template, however these can be adjusted to suit the requirements of the specific Item.

To create an Item:

1. Select Configuration > Items

2. Click New

   The Item Information screen appears

   

   *Denotes mandatory fields.

   Item	Description
   Item Number*	If the Administrator has set the Item Numbers Editable option in Setup> Privileges> System to Yes, the User will have the option of entering a customized Item number. It may contain numbers and/or letters, and be between 1 and 64 characters in length. As no two Item Numbers can be the same, the User will be prompted to change the value they have entered if it is already in use. If the Item Number field is left blank, the system will automatically create an Item Number. If the Administrator has set the Item Numbers Editable option to No, an Item Number will be generated automatically and cannot be edited.
   Category*	This is auto-filled, based on the assigned Item Type.
   Type*	This is the Item Type that the Item represents. Click the Search button to view the list of available Item Types.
   Team*	This is the Technician Team that will be assigned to support the Item.
   Status*	Select the status from the drop-down options displayed after the Item Type has been assigned.
   Criticality*	Rates the degree of importance of an Item Type within an organization. The 'Impact' of a request is initially pulled from the Criticality of the Item, but can be adjusted within the request Information screen if required. Requests logged through the Customer Portal, use the Criticality of the Item to determine the Priority of the request. (See additional information below.)
   Service Level	Select the Service Level Agreement from the drop-down list, if required.
   Ownership
   Customers	These are the Customers who own the Item. A single Customer, a group of Customers or all Customers in the application can be assigned to an Item. Enter a Customer last name, or leave blank then click the Search button to view a list of all available Customers. Click on the hyperlink for the relevant Customer name or names to assign them to the Item. If no specific Customer is allocated to the Item, it becomes a Global Item and is assigned to Everyone.
   Org Units	These are the Org Units who own the Item. The Item can be assigned to one or multiple Organizational Units. To assign an Org Unit: Enter an Org Unit name, or leave blank then click the Search button to view a list of available Org Units. Click on the hyperlink for the relevant Org Unit name or names to assign them to the Item. NOTE:If Billing is enabled an owner must be assigned to the Item. The owner can be either a Customer or an Org Unit, but only Org Units that have a Primary Contact, will be displayed in the Org Unit Search list.
   Notification
   Method	This field is visible when an active Item moves into an offline State and allows the User to define who (Primary Contact or All Owners of the Item) and how (Email or SMS), Customers will be notified that the Item is not available.

3. Search and select an Item Type

4. Define a support Team for each process

5. Select the Item's Status and Criticality

   (Refer below for further details about Item Criticality.)

6. Assign a Service Level

   If Contracts are enabled for the system, the assignment of an SLA will result in an annual service contract automatically being applied to the Item. If an SLA is not assigned, a Contract can be created for the Item within the Costs tab.

7. Search and select a Customer and/or an Organizational Unit owner

8. Click Next to view the Details tab

Creating Request

To create a request, click Create Request. The Create Quick Request page will be displayed. For more information, see Create Quick Request in the Administration Guide.

Item Criticality

The Item Criticality is used to identify the degree of importance of an Item to an Organization.

When the Incident Priority is set to Derived in the Administrator Setup, the Impact of a request is mapped from the Criticality of the Item associated with the request and then combined with the selected Urgency, which derives the Priority of the request. If required, the Impact can be manually adjusted within the request Information screen. Requests logged through the Customer Portal, use the Criticality of the Item to determine the Priority of the request, which can be manually adjusted by the Technician User.

The following table displays the calculations applied by the system to the Item Criticality, which is mapped to a request's Impact to determine a request's Priority:

The above calculations result in the following Priorities:

The Incident Analyzer, if enabled by the Administrator in Setup>CMS>Incident Analyzer, can apply the Criticality to automatically detect Problems. The minimum Criticality level can also be used to determine which off-line Items are displayed on the Outages pages, when the Outages pages are enabled by the Administrator in Setup>Privileges>System.

Details Tab

Once the basic information for an Item has been completed, additional details can be defined for the Item. The Details tab displays a list of custom fields set for the Item's Category. The information to be completed within this section is configured by the Supervisor when customizing the Item Type templates in Configuration > Categories. Fields marked as Required, must be completed for the Item Details of the Item to be saved successfully.

Clicking Save at the far bottom of the page after the Details tab has been completed, will create the Item and save it to the database.

NOTE:Items can be duplicated at any time by clicking the Duplicate button. A new Item is created with properties that are identical to the original Item (with the exception of the Item Number, as this must be unique and is generated automatically).

Item Description

Content entered in the Description field is made available on the Customer Portal in the expanded information window of an Item. For Service Items included in the Service Catalog tab of the Customer Portal, information about the Service can be included within the Item Description field. The Service Item information can be further defined by completing Item attribute fields that are configured as Customer Visible within the Category Information screen, and therefore also displayed in the Customer Portal.

To add an Item Description, within the Item's Details tab:

1. Click Edit

2. Move to the Description tab

3. Add information in the Description field

   

4. Click Save.

Item Notes

To add Notes to an Item, under the Item's Details tab:

1. Click Edit

2. Select the Notes tab

   

3. Click New

4. Enter details in the Notes field

   

5. Click Save.

   The Note will be allocated an identification number hyperlink for access. It will also be time- and date-stamped.

Item Attachments

To add Attachments to an Item, within the Item's Details tab:

1. Click Edit to display the Attachment tab New button

2. Click New

   

3. Browse and select a file

4. Enter a Description, if required

5. Adjust Private and Public option, if relevant

   Selecting Public will make it accessible on the Customer Portal, when the Item is in a Customer Visible state.

6. Click .

Item Audit Trail

The Audit Trail tab records all changes that are made to fields within the Item Information and Details screens. These entries are made to record all the alterations made to Items and the CMDB.

To view an audit trail entry, under the Item Details tab:

1. Select the Audit Trail tab

2. Click on the identification number hyperlink to display the entry details.

   

Rollback Option

All changes recorded in the Audit Trail can be rolled back to reinstate information recorded against an Item.

To return Item details to previously saved information:

1. Click Edit

2. Select the identification number hyperlink of the entry to be reversed

3. Click the Rollback button

4. Save the Item.

   The Item details will revert to information recorded before an update was made.

Costs Tab

For Users who are not assigned the Finance Role, the Costs Tab displays SLA Details and Item Availability information. Users who are assigned the Finance Role, also have access to the Item's financial and contractual details. The following Item Costs details include:

• Base cost

• Purchase date and related information

• Depreciation data

• Inherited costs

• SLA and Contract details

• Availability statistics

Completing the Depreciate Over field causes the application to automatically keep track of the Item depreciation over the specified number of years. The current value of the Item after depreciation is displayed at Depreciated Value. The Audit Date field is used to record the date when the Item was last audited.

The Financial Costs and Inherited Costs fields allow the support organization to assign costs across related Items and charge Users and/or Organizational Units appropriately.

Financial	Description
Cost	The financial investment made to purchase the Item. This figure is also used when the Delegate Costs is enabled for allocating costs across related Items.
Monthly Cost	The amount invested on a monthly basis to maintain the running of an Item. This figure is also used when the Delegate Costs option is enabled for allocating costs across related Items.
Purchase Date	The date the Item was purchased.
Depreciate Over	Enter the number of years the Item is to be depreciated over, if required.
Depreciated Value	The system calculates the current value of the Item based on the Purchase Date and the number of years the Item is to be Depreciated Over.
Audit Date	Set the date the Item is next to be audited.
PO Number	If Purchase Orders are enabled for the system, the field is visible and automatically populated with the PO number generated by a User within the Finance>Purchase Orders tab, when the Item order was recorded in the system.
Inherited Costs
Inherited Capital	Total infrastructure costs of parent CI's that directly contribute to the cost of the current CI. This figure is derived from all the Cost fields within the Item Information>Costs tab of related Parent Items.
Inherited Ongoing	Running costs of all associated Items that enable the current CI to continue to function. This figure is derived from all the Monthly Cost fields within the Item Information>Costs tab of related Parent Items.
Delegate Costs	To enable cost delegation across the relationship map allowing associated Items to inherit the costs of the current CI, select Yes. This will take the figures from the Cost and Monthly Cost fields for the Item and spread them across related Child Items. Define the technique to be used to evaluate the cost split: Child Count:Costs are split by percentage based on the number of child CI's the costs are being delegated across. User Count:Costs are split proportionally based on the number of users of the child CI's the costs are being delegated across. Custom %: The relationship itself allows for the % cost to be assigned

The figures displayed within the Availability fields are automatically calculated by the application, using the Item Lifecycle as it moves between online and offline States:

Availability
Avg Repair Time	Entries displayed here are automatically calculated based on the average length of time an Item is offline.
Avg Time To Fail	Figures displayed here are automatically calculated based on the average time between an Item being offline.

Billing Enabled

When Billing is enabled, a Service Level hyperlink is available within the Costs screen. This provides access to the Service Level Agreement details that govern the lifecycle for Requests logged against the Item.

If Invoices are also enabled, an Invoice Number hyperlink is available and when selected, will display the invoice details for the Contract that covers the Item. The Start Date and End Dates stipulate the contract length covered for the Item. It is summarized by the days or hours recorded in the Expires field.

The Contract tab within the Item Information Costs tab summarizes the contract details that cover the Item. Further Contract details can be found within the relevant Contract Number within the Finance>Invoices screen.

Create a Contract

Through the Item Costs tab, Contracts with an associated Invoice Number (if relevant) can be generated for an Item, after it has been logged in the system.

To add a Contract to an Item, within the Configuration>Item screen:

1. Select the Item Number

2. Move to the Costs tab

   The Contracts tab is visible in the bottom right corner of the screen

3. Click Edit

   The Add and Delete buttons are made available within the Contracts tab

   

4. Click Add

   (If Invoices are enabled in the system, an Invoice number will be automatically generated and assigned to the Contract).

   

5. Select an SLA from the drop-down option

   The screen will display the SLA details and the Contract Type locked to Per Item.

   

6. Assign the Time period to be covered by the Contract:

   If Subscription is selected, the Start and End Dates are automatically completed by the system, but can be edited if required.

   If Time Limited Subscription is selected, the Support Hours field is displayed and the number of support hours purchased by the Customer should be entered. Also, the Start Date and End Date fields should be completed manually, entering the length of time for the subscription period.

   If Support Hours is selected, the number of support hours purchased by the Customers should be entered.

   If Support Hours by Month is selected, set the number of hours purchased per month and define which day of the month contract is to rollover to start the new month. The Total Support Hours will automatically be calculated based on the Start and End Dates set for the Contract.

   (If a Contract is forward dated with a Start Date set in the future, the Pending Contract status is assigned.

7. Add any relevant Invoice Notes

8. Check the Taxable box, if the Contract is to be taxed

9. Click Save.

   If Invoices are enabled in the system, an Invoice number will be automatically generated for the Contract and made available within Finance>Invoices. Payment will need to be processed by a Finance User before the Contract can be enabled in the system. If invoice payment is required before the contract can be enabled in the system the following Warning message is displayed:

   

10. Click Next

    The Contracts information is only populated after the Invoice has been processed. To process the Invoice, as a Finance User move to the Finance>Invoices tab. Once the relevant Invoice payment has been processed the Contract details will be visible in the Costs >Contracts tab.

    

Requests Tab

This section lists all the requests that have been logged against an Item.

Use the system list filter to display the relevant type of request or task. To expand and view the request in full, select the Task # or Problem Report hyperlink.

Relationships Tab

The Relationship Tab allows Users to view and/or create a Relationship Map for the current Item, with other Items within the CMDB.

The Relationship direction can be defined as:

• Service Oriented - Parent-Child Relationship

• Component Oriented - Child-Parent Relationship

Within each view the Relationship Class can be defined as:

• Hierarchical Relationship

• Connection - an association between the selected Items

For a Service, such as the Email or Web Site Service, it is recommended that the Hardware be defined as the Parent for the Software Items and the Software be defined as the Parent of the Email or Web Site Service.

Create a Relationship

To create a new Item Relationship:

1. Select Configuration>Items

2. Select an Item

3. Select the Item's Relationship tab

4. Click Edit

5. Click New

6. Select the Relationship Direction and Class from the drop-down menus

7. Define the Relationship by selecting a description from the drop-down list

   

   NOTE:If the Relationship Type has the Inherit Parent Ownership option enabled, Child Items that use this relationship will inherit the Parent Item's owners. The ownership will not be editable and no other Parent Item can be assigned to the Child Item. A warning will be displayed if a relationship type has the Inherit Parent Ownership option enabled.

8. Use the Find Item field to locate the relevant Item

9. Click on the Item Number hyperlink to create the Relationship

10. Click Save to default to the Relationship Map view.

Relationship Map

Within the Relationships tab of the Item Information screen, a Relationship Map visually displays the connections that have been defined for an Item. All Item Relationships are listed in the Relationships Table beneath the Map. The Relationship Map can display up to 48 Child Items and 16 Parent Items in the one diagram.

The central icon of a Map is a visual representation of the selected Item. Scroll over an Item label to view any information recorded on the Information and Details tabs of the Item. To drill-down through the relationships, click on an Item icon label. To change the focus of the Relationship Map to another Item, click on the Item icon label and the system will request that OK be selected before updating the central node of the Map.

The Relationship Table data displayed at the base of the map can be filtered using the Direction filter view of Parent-Child or Child-Parent.

The map displays the relationship between each Lifecycle State by using different colors to represent the type of Lifecycle State.

Color
Green Circle	CI is assigned an online status.
Red Square	CI is assigned an offline status.
Blue Triangle	Service CI is assigned a pre-production status.

The Lifecycle State name can be accessed by scrolling over the Item icon within the Map.

To delete a Relationship:

To remove the Relationship between Items:

1. Select the relevant Item within the Configuration tab

2. Move to the Relationships tab

3. Click Edit

4. Select Delete

   A table with the Relationship details is displayed.

   

5. Select the Relationship Direction to display the relevant Relationship table

6. Mark the checkbox next to the Relationship that is to be removed

7. Select Delete

8. Click Done to return to the Item list.

AMIE Item Imports and Relationships

Items with Item relationships that have been imported using the AMIE engine, retain the relationships that exist within the Asset Management Tool. A visible map of the relationships is recorded within the Relationships tab.

AMIE Snapshots Tab

(This tab is only visible when two or more asset management tools are synched within AMIE as configured in Admin>Setup> AMIE tab.)

The Item Information AMIE Snapshots tab displays a list of Snapshots that apply to the Item Information being displayed, and provides a search and remove functionality. Click on the Snapshot Id to view what information was imported from the various asset management tools.

About Snapshots

As different asset management tools may not record the same information for an Item, the most relevant information from different sources can be combined against one Item within the CMDB, by merging snapshots created by the different tools using the Category Map configured for an Item Category.

When the application is configured to synchronize with multiple asset management tools and the automatic Item creation option is disabled in Admin>Setup>AMIE Import, the system creates an image or Snapshot of the asset information which is made available for management within the Configuration>AMIE Snapshot screen for all Items, or viewed within the AMIE Snapshots tab for a specific Item that uses a federated source for Item Details.

The information source that is applied to the fields in the Details tab, is defined in the Federation tab of the Category associated with the Item. Based on the map built in the Federation tab, fields within the Item Details tab are populated when AMIE snapshots are applied to new or updated Items.

Create a New Item Type

To enter a new Item Type:

SLAs and Item Types

When an Item Type is created with a defined SLA, any Item created using this Item Type automatically inherits the SLA. The lifecycle of a request raised against this Item is determined by the SLA milestones. However, it should be noted that the SLA can be adjusted within the Item if it is relevant to do so.

Classification

Category Classifications are used as generic problem classification for sorting requests. These are refined within the Item Type Classification to make them more relevant to the actual Item Type. For example, the Item Type category Hardware needs the Category Classification to be refined differently for hardware Item Types such as desktops and servers. To refine the problem types, Item Type Classifications are used.

Items

The Items tab lists the Items created using this Item Type. Individual Item details can be viewed by clicking on an Item Number. The list of Items can be exported using the Excel button.

Requests

The Requests tab lists all requests that have been created for this Item Type.

Use the Filter to switch between Incident, Problem, Change and Service Requests views. Requests can be viewed from this screen by clicking on the Task# or Problem Report hyperlink. The list of Requests can be exported using the Excel button.

Costs

The Costs tab is only available within the Service Type Information screens and allows organizations to calculate the Break-Even Point (BEP) of a service based on forecasting the number of Customers of that Service. This allows the service organization to account for the per calendar month price of the Service, which is used to calculate the ongoing revenue figures within the Item Costs tab that uses the Service Type template.

Fields

Within the system, service organizations can refine custom fields made available during the request creation process based on the Item assigned to the request. In the Fields tab a User can create custom fields that apply to the Item Type. Therefore, when a request is logged against an Item that uses an Item Type with custom fields configured within the Fields tab, the Fields are made available within the Details tab of the request creation process.

These fields are in addition to the fields created by the Administrator within the Admin>Setup>Custom Fields, which are created for the specific Process, such as Incident, Problem, Change and Service Requests.

To create Field labels within the Type Information screen:

Responses

The Responses tab within an Item Type displays the templates configured within the Item Category>Response tab, which can be used as content for Notes sent for requests received against the Item Category. In addition to saving time for customer responses that are sent on a regular basis, these ensure the service desk responds to issues in a consistent manner, in line with the support organization's policies and protocol. Within the Types>Responses tab, additional Note templates can be configured, that will only be available for requests logged against that Item Type.

The following screen displays a list of default template options available within the Notes tab of a request:

Editing a Manufacturer

Existing Manufacturers can be modified within the Item Type screen.

To edit a Manufacturer:

Creating Custom Field Lists

Lists can be created as a data type option within custom fields across the application. The can be created for Item Category and Item Type custom fields, Classifications for requests and system-wide custom fields activated by an Administrator. Lists allow a User to create a series of entries for a custom field that will appear as a drop-down option list.

Configuration Categories

Within the application the number of Item Categories that can be defined is unlimited. By default the following Categories are included:

Within each Category the Lifecycle and Classifications associated with the Category can be defined.

Categories Tab

The default templates set at the Category level are used to cover a broad range of Item Types. Within each default Category the following have been configured, but can be customized as required:

• The Field Labels that will be available on the Details tab of Items using the Category

• The broadest level of Classifications that are assigned as part of the request creation process.

• The Lifecycle stages an Item will move through from being proposed or ordered to decommissioned

• Template responses that Technicians can use when entering a Note for a request that is assigned an Item that uses a Category.

The following table illustrates how Categories can be represented as Manufacturer Models within the Configuration>Types tab:

Category	Proposed Item Type
Hardware	PCs, Servers, Notebooks
Networking Infrastructure	Routers/Switches, UPS, Cabinets, Racks
Mobile Devices	iPhones, PDAs, Windows MDs
Peripherals	Monitors, External Storage Devices, Docking Stations, Barcode Scanners
Audio Visual	Projectors, Electronic Whiteboards
Printers/Scanners	Printer, Scanner
Digital Cameras	Digital Still, Digital Video, Thermal Image
Software	Operating Systems, Databases, Applications
Service	Email, Website.

The easiest way to create additional Categories, is to duplicate a default Category and tailor it to the organizational requirements.

A Service Portfolio Team can be assigned to the default Service Category by creating the Team within the User>Teams screen, then selecting Edit within the Categories tab of the Service Item Category.

Creating a Category

1. Select Configuration>Categories

   The Item Categories screen appears.

2. Click New

   

3. Enter the name of the new Category

4. Complete the Description

   Content entered in this field is visible when the User scrolls over the Category Name in the Item Category list.

5. Click Save

   The Item Categories screen expands to display the options to upload an Item Category icon and customize Field labels.

NOTE:The Item No. Validation option is displayed, if the Admin>Setup>Privileges>System> Edit Item Numbers is set to Yes

This displays the Input Mask and User Mask fields, which are explained in the Categories Fields table below.

1. Check the Service Category field if the template is to be used for a Service Item

   Ticking this option displays the Portfolio Team drop-down list, ifService Portfolio Teams have been created within the application. This allows Groups within the Service Portfolio Teams to be assigned to the different stages of the Item Lifecycle, and activates Service Catalog Management functionality within the Cost Tabs of Types and Items that use the template.

NOTE:Customers cannot create Items using Item Categories that have the Service Category option enabled

1. Select the icon to be replaced, to change the Icon image for the Item Category

   This icon is used as the generic visual representation of the Item Category in the Relationship Map. This can also be refined at the Item Type level.

   

   Use the to upload a new image or to cancel the upload.

   NOTE:The dimensions of the uploaded icon must be exactly 128 x 128 pixels

2. Customize the Field Labels

   Custom fields are visible in the Details tab of Items that use the Category.

   Click the Field Label link to open it in Edit mode and display the following options:

   Categories Fields	Description
   Category
   Field Label	The name defines what attribute information is to be recorded in the field.
   Active	Indicates if the field will be visible in the Details tab of an Item.
   Required	Indicates if the field is required or mandatory field.
   Customer Visible	Defines if the Customer can see the field within the Customer Portal. If Yes is selected, define if the Customer can edit the field information on the Customer Portal.
   Data Type	Dictates the field's Data Type. The options available include : String - List or Free Text Number Boolean - radio buttons for Yes/No and True/False Date - creates a date field Currency- creates a currency field Hyperlink.
   Style	States the style of the field. eg. String- List or Free Text field.
   Unique Value	When active, the system prevents the duplication of data within the customized field.
   Default Value	Value entered is the default system entry for the field, when the field is not completed manually.
   Input Validation	When enabled the Input Mask and User Mask can be defined. Input Mask : A regular expression to use for data validation of values entered by a User (i.e., Zip/Post Code, telephone no.) User Mask: A "User Friendly" representation of the Input Mask that Customers can understand should it appear in a validation error message.
   Enable Description	When enabled a Description field appears, allowing the User to enter details of what information is the field is expected to capture. These details are accessible next to the custom field on the relevant screen.

3. Click Save to complete the field label configuration

   Continue to customize all fields as required.

4. Define the ordering preference

   The option defined here dictates how the fields appear on the Item Details tab.

   To move a field, select the checkbox beside the field label followed by the to move the label up and down the list. To multi-select fields, tick the checkboxes beside the label name and click to activate or to deactivate the fields.

   The field order can be set to:

   • Alphabetical - the fields will be presented according to the alphabet order of the first letter.

   • System - the fields will appear in the order they are entered into the system.

   • User Defined - the fields can be manually adjusted by the User using the system buttons.

5. Click Save.

   Modify the Category Lifecycle,Classifications, Responses and, if the system is synched with more than one asset management discovery tool the Federated templates, if necessary.

Duplicating a Category

To fast track the creation of an Item Category, each can be duplicated.

To duplicate an existing Category:

1. Select Configuration>Categories

2. Tick the box to the left of the Category name

   

3. Click Duplicate

   A new Category hyperlink is added to the Category list. The new Category will contain the same custom fields, lifecycle and classifications of the original Item Category.

   

4. Modify the new Category as required.

Editing and Configuring an Item Category Template

After an Item Category has been duplicated it can be modified to represent the new Item Category.

To edit a Category:

1. Select Configuration>Categories

2. Click on the appropriate hyperlink

   The screen defaults to the Categories>Categories tab.

3. Click Edit

4. Enter the name of the new Category

5. Complete the Description

   Content entered in this field is visible when the User scrolls over the Category Name in the Item Category list.

6. Click Save

   The Item Categories screen expands to display the options to upload an Item Category icon and customize Field labels.

NOTE:The Item No. Validation option is displayed, if the Admin>Setup>Privileges>System> Edit Item Numbers is set to Yes. This displays the Input Mask and User Mask fields, which are explained in the Categories Fields table at Point 9.

1. Check the Service Category field if the template is to be used for a Service Item

   Ticking this option, displays the Portfolio Team drop-down list, ifService Portfolio Teams have been created within the application. This allows Groups within the Service Portfolio Team to be assigned to the different stages of the Item Lifecycle, and activates Service Catalog Management functionality within the Cost Tabs of Types and Items that use the template.

NOTE:

Customers cannot create Items using Item Categories that have the Service Category option enabled

1. Select the icon to be replaced, to change the icon image for the Item Category

   This icon is used as the generic visual representation of the Item Category in the Relationship Map. This can be refined at the Item Type level.

   

   Use the to upload a new image or to cancel the upload.

NOTE:The dimensions of the uploaded icon must be exactly 128x128 pixels

Version 7.0 will not apply these icons in the Relationship Map, but they will be used in a future release

1. Customize the Field Labels

   Custom fields are visible in the Details tab of Items that use the Category.

   Click the Field Label link to open it in Edit mode and display the following options:

   Categories Fields	Description
   Category
   Field Label	The name of the field.
   Active	Indicates if the field is active.
   Required	Indicates if the field is required or mandatory field.
   Customer Visible	Defines if the Customer can see the field within the Customer Portal. For a Service Category, if it is relevant to display costs or other specific details regarding a Service on offer in the Services Tab of the Customer Portal, then set relevant attribute fields to being Customer Visible.
   Data Type	Dictates the field's Data Type. The options available include : String - List or Free Text Number Boolean - radio buttons for Yes/No and True/False Date - creates a date field Currency- creates a currency field Hyperlink.
   Style	States the style of the field. eg. String- List or Free Text field.
   Unique Value	When active, the system prevents the duplication of data within the customized field.
   Default Value	Value entered is the default system entry for the field, when the field is not completed manually.
   Input Validation	When enabled the Input Mask and User Mask can be defined. Input Mask : A regular expression to use for data validation of values entered by a User (i.e., Zip/Post Code, telephone no.) User Mask: A "User Friendly" representation of the Input Mask that Customers can understand should it appear in a validation error message.
   Enable Description	When enabled a Description field appears, allowing the User to enter details of what information is the field is expected to capture. These details are accessible next to the custom field on the relevant screen.

2. Click Save to complete the field label configuration

   Continue to customize all fields as required.

3. Define the ordering preference

   The option defined here dictates how the fields appear on the Item Details tab.

   To move a field, select the checkbox beside the field label followed by the to move the label up and down the list. To multi-select fields, tick the checkboxes beside the label name and click to activate or to deactivate the fields.

   The field order can be set to:

   • Alphabetical - the fields will be presented according to the alphabet order of the first letter.

   • System - the fields will appear in the order they are entered into the system.

   • User Defined - the fields can be manually adjusted by the User using the system buttons.

4. Click Save.

   Modify the Category Lifecycle,Classifications, Responses and, if the system is synched with more than one asset management discovery tool, the Federated templates, if necessary.

Category Lifecycle

The Lifecycle details the stages of life for a Configuration Item. This allows Items to be tracked from the conceptualization/purchase stage through to being decommissioned/discarded, and can be used to indicate availability levels throughout the Lifecycle.

The States configured here are used within the Item information screen and allow the User to easily see if an Item is at a start or end point of its life, whilst also indicating if the Item is available or not. If an Item is moved to an Offline state, this information is also used on the Outage pages, for easy reference.

By default, the system is installed with some pre-defined Lifecycles, which are displayed with the three types of States:- Previous, Current and Next. Based on the configuration of the Current State, the listings displayed in the Previous or Next column show where an Item can move to from the Current State.

If the default Lifecycles do not match the requirements of the service and support organization, they can be customized. To avoid confusion, it is suggested that the default Lifecycle States be erased completely if they are not relevant to your organization.

Deleting a State

It may be necessary to delete a system default State or a State that is no longer in use. Note that a State cannot be deleted if it has been assigned to an Item.

To delete an unused State:

1. Select Configuration>Categories

2. Click on the Item Category hyperlink

3. Move to the Lifecycle tab

4. Select the Current State link

5. Click Delete.

Item Lifecycle Example

In this example the Item Category Hardware has a Lifecycle State of Arrived. This State is inactive and an entry point. Items assigned this State would not be visible on the Customer Portal.

After this State is assigned to an Item, the next State that the Item can move to is any of the States listed within the Selected States list (i.e., Deployed, Pending Configuration, Pending Test, Pending Deployment or Out for Repair).

Setting up the Lifecycle Status "Arrived"

Assigning the Lifecycle Status of Arrived to an Item with the Category Hardware

NOTE:The Item Status list contains all the States defined as Next States for the Arrived Status.

Classifications Tab

Category Classifications that are used to define and group issues are created within this tab. These are applied to requests that are logged against Items based on the Item Type Category template. The Classifications are also used by the system for proactive Incident analysis when automatically identifying Problems.

Category Classifications are used for generic grouping of issues relevant across all Item Types that use a Category. Supervisor Users can define additional Classifications for specific Item Types, within the Configuration>Categories>Item Categories>Classification tab.

The system is installed with several default Classification Type Categories, which can be edited as required.

Classifications Tab

Additional Classifications can be created for each Item Category, while the system provided Classifications can be renamed or deleted. The Custom facility, when enabled, allows Users to add Classifications during the request creation process.

Creating a New Item Category Classification

To add a new Classification:

1. Select the Classification tab of an Item Category

2. Right-click on the Classifications header

3. Select Create

   

4. Enter the details in the newly created node

   

5. Click outside the text box to commit the entry listing

   

6. Repeat the above process to create all required list entries

7. Move an existing Classification to a new position, if required

   Select the entry, then drag and drop the entry into its new location.

   

8. Click Save.

Creating Sub-Classifications

Classifications can be expanded to include nested Classifications.

To create Sub-Classifications:

1. Right-click the relevant Classification header

   The Create, Rename, Delete and Make Default options are displayed.

   

2. Select Create

   A text box will appear under the Classification.

   

3. Enter the name for the list entry

4. Click away from the text box to commit and save the change

5. Move an existing Classification to a new position, if required

   Select the entry, then drag and drop the entry into its new location

6. The above steps can be repeated until the sub-category list is completed.

   

Renaming a Classification

Any Item Category Classification can be renamed.

To rename a Classification:

1. Right-click the Classification

   

2. Click Rename

3. Edit the field content

4. Click away from the text field to save the change.

Deleting a Classification

To delete a Classification:

1. Right-click the relevant list entry

2. Click Delete

3. Click Done when the Classification Categories are complete.

Responses Templates

The Responses tab within an Item Category allows the Supervisor to define template replies for Notes sent related to requests received against the Item Category. This ensures the service desk responds to issues in a consistent manner, and in line with the support organization's policies and protocol. Additional templates can be configured within the Item Type>Responses tab. These templates are only available for requests related to the Item Type.

The following screen displays a list of default template options available within the Notes tab of a request:

Item Category Types

The Types tab lists all Item Types that have been created using the selected Category.

Federation Tab

(This tab is only visible when two or more asset management tools are synched within AMIE as configured in Admin>Setup> AMIE tab.)

The Federation tab is used to build the Category Map, which allows for information sourced from multiple asset management systems for a single asset to be recorded against one Item in the CMDB. Based on the map built here, fields within the Item Details tab are populated when AMIE snapshots are applied to new or updated Items.

Vendors List

This page can be used to configure the details of suppliers and service providers.

In this page, you can perform the following actions:

Creating a Vendor

To create a new Vendor, perform the following steps:

Edit Vendor Details

Vendor - Service Provider

When a Service Provider Vendor details are saved, a Contracts tab becomes visible. All Underpinning Contracts assigned to a Service Provider are listed within the Contracts tab.

Vendor - Supplier

When a Supplier Vendor details are saved, an Orders tab is displayed. All Purchase Orders for the Supplier are listed within the Orders tab.

Creating Manufacturers

To create a Manufacturer within the Manufacturers tab:

Edit Manufacturer Details

To edit the details recorded within a Manufacturer information screen:

Deleting Manufacturers

To delete a Manufacturer:

Manufacturer details that are not in use in the system can be deleted. To delete one or more Manufacturer records within the Manufacturer list:

Planned Outages

Planned Outages are used to manage Items' proposed unavailability. This is useful for informing Customers and Users about planned changes to infrastructure that may cause an Item to be taken offline or out of service.

If an Item has an SLA with a specified Blackout Period, ideally Outages should be planned to fall within this time. The Blackout Period is an agreement between the Customer and the service provider regarding a period of time when the Customer has no service expectations. This can also be the preferred time for Item upgrades and maintenance without affecting service availability. To access the Blackout Period details for an SLA associated with an Item, create the Planned Outage within the Outages tab of the Item Information screen.

Creating an Outage

To create an Outage, perform the following steps:

Viewing Outages

Planned Outages can be viewed from the Login Page and the Customer Portal, if the Administrator has toggled the Setup > Privileges > System Outages Page option to Yes. This enables the Planned and Unplanned Outage links in the Customer Portal and Login Page.

Customer Portal View

In the Customer Portal the Planned Outages information is accessible in the side bar menu of the Items and Services tab.

To view the Outage details, click the Outage No. link. To close the window, click Done.

Login Page View

Planned Outage information can also be accessed from the Login page, Click the View Outages link to display a complete list of current outages. Select the View Planned Outages link to access planned downtime details.

Planned Outage Page Options

Troubleshooting

In Setup > Privileges > System, ensure that:

In Configuration > Categories and Item Category, ensure that in the Item Life cycle:

For Customer Viewable Outages (Not Public), ensure that:

Item creation in the CMDB

When Item information is recorded in multiple AMIE Snapshots, the Supervisor can merge images into one Item within the CMDB by first conducting a search on key fields such as MAC Address or Network Name for Hardware, or Version Number and Parent Id for Software Items. To maintain relationship data between the Hardware and Software Items (i.e., Parent/Child relationships), the order of Item creation is important. Always create parents first, then children, or in other words, Hardware first then the Software.

After identifying and selecting the relevant Snapshots, by ticking the fields next to the Id#, click the Merge button to display a synthesized Snapshot Detail screen. The information displayed on the Snapshot Detail, and recorded against the Item, is based on the Category Map configured for the Item Category.

If the Control CMS via RFC is enabled in Admin>Setup>Privileges>System, merged or promoted Snapshots are not automatically created as Items in the CMDB, but generate a Change Request that will require approval before the Item is saved in the CMDB. If the option is disabled, when the Save button is selected, the Item is automatically created in the CMDB.

All AMIE Snapshots applied to an Item are removed from the AMIE Snapshot List View, when the list filter is set to display Unassigned Snapshots.

Merging Snapshots

Use the Merge button when multiple Snapshots of an Item are to be stored against a single Item record in the CMDB. Select the related Snapshots by checking the relevant boxes next to the Id Number, and click the Merge button.

Creating Items from Snapshots

Use the Create button to convert a single Snapshot into an Item record in the CMDB. If the Item already exists in the CMDB, the pre-existing details will be updated. If it is a new Item, a new Item record will be created. To promote a single Snapshot into an Item in the CMDB, check the box next to the Id Number, and click the Promote button.

Searching AMIE Snapshots

The search button within the Configuration>AMIE Snapshot screen allows the User to find related AMIE Snapshots using any Item attribute, including the fields created within Item Category templates.

Deleting Snapshots

To ensure that a Snapshot is ignored in future AMIE imports, click the Delete button after checking the field next to the relevant Snapshot Id Number.

Enabling deleted Snapshots

If a search is conducted on deleted or hidden Snapshots, an Enable button becomes available and allows the User to re-enable a hidden Snapshot.