Create and Manage Defined Searches

Serviceaide Intelligent Service Management stores tickets details, events that are related to the ticket lifecycle, and other entities in a database. Users view this information, but as an administrator, you cannot provide access to the database to each user. You can create a defined search to help you resolve this problem.

A defined search is the foundation for creating out-of-the-box reports, charts, and dashboards. A defined search is a SQL query that extracts specific data such as tickets, configuration items, knowledge articles, and organizations. You can create a defined search and can assign permissions to required users and groups. You can also relate a defined search to ticket forms and configuration items. For example, an analyst needs a defined search to list the open incidents or the CIs available to an organization.

Considerations:

• You cannot modify or delete the default defined searches.  
• If you delete a defined search, it is deleted permanently.
• You can create a Category Name for the defined searches that you create.
• You can use alias names for the fields in the query.

To create a defined search, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to MANAGE> ADMINISTRATION> Tools> Defined Searches, and then click Create New.
2. Select one or more forms from the Related To Form drop-down list.
   Note:  A defined search can only query data that is related to the selected forms.
3. Enter the Search Name and Category Name. All of the built-in defined searches are categorized as Default.
4. (Optional) Enter the Sort Order to specify the order in which the defined search is listed on the Defined Searches page.
5. (Optional) Enter a brief description of the defined search in the Help Text field.
6. Use the Source list to specify the table or view from which the defined search queries the data.
7. Construct the SQL query in the Select List field by using the logical operators and database field names.
   Note: SELECT and UNION keywords are not supported. 
8. Enter the Where condition of the search in the Search Conditions field. You can also insert fields from the form. The Field Data To Use lookup displays all the available fields on the selected forms.
9. To define the message when the search condition returns empty results, use the No Match Message field.
10. Click Apply Changes.
11. To validate and view the results of the query, click Preview Results.
12. To specify permissions for the defined search, use the Permissions tab.
13. Click Apply Changes.

You have successfully created a defined search that you can use to create out-of-the-box reports, charts, and dashboards.