Create and Manage Attributes

This article contains the following topics:

Sometimes, you require more fields to capture information about configuration items in a ticket. Attributes are the fields that are used with configuration items and ticket forms to store more information. You can get detailed information in the ticket by relating attributes to ticket custom fields in the ticket template. To get more information about a configuration item, relate the attributes to CI custom fields in the CI attribute template. You can also relate the CI attribute template to any CCTI (Category, Class, Type, and Item). For example, it is easier to process hardware-related requests if the serial number, purchase date, and warranty data is available.

Similarly, some information is required from the end user who is submitting a ticket. You can get it by creating and relating attributes to the ticket templates and CI attribute templates. You can use the section headers to group the custom fields.

This article only talks about creating the attributes using the Custom Attributes module. The Custom Attributes module lets you create a reusable pool of attributes. These attributes can be used in different forms, like custom field templates for tickets and CI attribute templates. An attribute can be used on multiple CI attribute templates and custom field templates. This feature reduces the need to recreate the same attribute in different forms.

You can create the following types of custom attributes:

You can relate the attributes to configuration items using the Custom Ticket Attribute Templates navigation menu option. You can relate attributes to the ticket templates using the Custom Ticket Attribute Templates navigation menu option. You can use the section headers to group the attributes that appear in a ticket template.                   

The Section Header attribute type is used for grouping custom fields on tickets into sections. You can configure section headers to be used for grouping attributes on a ticket. When creating custom fields for tickets, you can use a section header as a way of grouping related fields. You can then add multiple attributes (custom fields) under the section header.

The Web Service Lookup attribute type is used to display the information that is stored on an external system.  For example, hardware information such as the purchase date and warranty data that are stored on a CMDB tool. You can associate web services with the Web Service Lookup to fetch the information. For more information about configuring web services, see Configure Outbound Web Services. The Web Service Lookup attribute is only available for ticket templates.

The Hierarchical Tree (HT) attribute is used to add field values that depend on each other. You can configure a Hierarchical Tree to add more related information for the ticket. For example, part category, type, part number, and description. The Possible Values text area allows you to add labels for the field values. The Hierarchical Tree attribute allows you to add a minimum of two and a maximum of five values. You can fetch the field values for the Hierarchical Tree from an external data source through bulk upload. For more information about uploading bulk data, see Use the Bulk Process to Import, Update, and Delete data. For information about the Template for Bulk Upload for Custom HierarchicalTree, see Use Bulk Process Templates and Worksheets.

Considerations

Consider the following points while creating attributes:

• You can use the attributes to create templates that add them to tickets and CIs as custom fields.
• You can use the attributes as a matching condition for autoroutes and workflow actions, and approval groups.
• Be careful while modifying an attribute as it could have been used in the matching condition.

• You cannot delete an attribute which is being used on a form.

Create Attributes

Follow these steps:

1. Create Attribute: Navigate to MANAGE> ADMINISTRATION> Tools>  Custom Attributes, and click Create New.

2. Fill in the details. The following fields require explanation:
   Sort Order - Controls the appearance of the attribute in the list. The default sort order for an attribute is 0. If you do not define the sort order, the attributes are sorted alphabetically.
   Attribute Type - Select the type of attribute that you want to create. The attributes with the type Section Headers are used for grouping fields on a form.
   Possible Values - The field is enabled only when the Attribute Type is List, Check boxes, Radio Button, or Hierarchical Tree. The Possible Values text area displays the format for specifying the options and their values.

   For  List Type, Check box Type or Radio button Type, the format is Display_value1~~Stored_value1||Display_value2~~Stored_value2. For example, Success~~1||Failure~~2. 
   For Hierarchical Tree, the format is Label1||Label2||Label3.

3. Click Apply  Changes.  

   Note:When you delete an attribute, it is permanently removed from the system. However, the application does not permit deleting an attribute that is used in any attribute template. When you try to delete such attributes, a message displays indicating that the attribute cannot be deleted.

Add Values to the HT Custom Attribute

Custom attributes can be populated with a set of hierarchical values with a predefined number of levels (Minimum 2 and maximum 5), for example, Level 1> Level2 > Level3. Level 4. To make it more dynamic, you can add the values in the HT custom attribute in a sequential manner. Administrators, Analysts, and Self-service users can add values to the HT custom attribute.

Prerequisites to adding values to the HT custom attribute:

1. Create custom attributes as required. To learn how to create custom attributes, see Create and Manage Attributes. While creating the custom attributes, ensure to select the Attribute Type as 'Hierarchical Tree'. This helps to display the values in the Look-up sequentially, as defined in the Custom Attributes (such as L1||L2||L3||L4).
2. Associate the custom attributes to the required template. To learn more, see Create and Manage Custom Field Templates. Ensure to associate the required Ticket Type, Section Header, and CCTI.

To add Values in the HT custom attribute, do  the following:

1. Create a ticket using the Ticket Center workspace. Ensure the Ticket Type is the same as defined in the Custom Attribute Template.
2. In the Additional Information section, select the Section Header to which you have associated the custom attributes. 
3. Click the Look-up icon to add value/s to the HT custom attribute.

   Clicking the Look-up icon for the Hierarchical tree type field, the following list of hierarchical value sets appears.

   
   
4. To add values, click the + icon. The search texts appear to be editable as shown below:
   
   
5. Type the required attribute name in sequence such as Level1, Level2 and so on. Ensure to type a minimum of 2 attributes.
6. Click the  icon to add the data. You can also click the X to discard the process.
7. Double-click the row to add the information to the ticket. The information appears as shown below:
   
   
   

Predefined Attributes

The following predefined custom attributes are available in the application: