You are viewing an old version of this page. View the current version.

Compare with Current View Page History

« Previous Version 35 Next »

Service catalogs allow you to create an ordered structure of internal and external services provided to consumers. The "out-of-the-box" solution contains at least one service catalog for the Self-Service Portal. Customize it and offer your customers the most relevant products. Provide a way to raise incidents and requests in a standardized, enterprise-wide way.

The service catalog architecture implements Record Extended Model principles allowing customizing categories and request templates with minimal effort.

The scheme below illustrates service catalog working principles.

ElementDescription
CatalogA high-level entity that groups all other items such as categories and request models. Catalogs simplify self-service operations for end-users.
CategoryA group of elements that shares some common attributes.
Request ModelA template used to raise requests and other task objects. It can be extended with the Record Extended Model functionality.


To configure a service catalog, please follow a simple procedure:

  1. Create a service catalog.
  2. Create service catalog categories.
  3. Create catalog request models.
  4. Extend request models with record attributes.
  5. Make changes to portal configuration (create and configure portal nodes).

All these steps are described below.

Create a service catalog


A service catalog record is the highest-level entity that groups all other elements (categories, subcategories, items).

Role required: catalog_admin, admin.

To create a new service catalog, complete the steps below:

  1. Navigate to Request Model Catalog → Catalogs.
  2. Create New and fill in the fields.
  3. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply the changes.

Service catalog form fields

FieldMandatoryDescription
NameYSpecify a service catalog name.
DescriptionNSpecify a service catalog description.
ManagersN

Specify authorized users to make any changes to the catalog configuration. You can select more than one user in this field.

Users responsible for managing the catalog should have the catalog_manager role.

Available for UseNSelect this checkbox to display this service catalog on the portal.

You can add translations to the Name and Description fields.

To support multiple service catalogs displayed in a single service portal instance, configure a dedicated node for each catalog. These nodes should define a displayed link to this catalog in the portal header and in the service catalog card of the portal main area.

Otherwise, the created service catalog is not displayed on the service portal and is only accessible via a direct link.

Create a catalog category


A catalog category is an entity that contains request models of a similar subject. For example, you can create a category "IT Assistance" and then create request templates "New Laptop Request", "Equipment replacement" in this category. Thus, this category is a container for these request templates.

The category hierarchy can be multi-level, so you can create an extensive structure by setting up parent-child relationships for the categories.

To create a catalog category, complete the steps below:

  1. Navigate to the catalog record for which you need to create a category record.
  2. In the Related Lists area, select the Categories tab.
  3. Click New and fill in the fields.
  4. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply the changes.

You can also create a catalog category from scratch. To do this, navigate to Request Model Catalog → Categories

Catalog category form fields

FieldMandatoryDescription
NameYSpecify a category name.
DescriptionNSpecify a category description.
OrderNEnter a number to define the category order in the catalog. The categories are sorted in ascending order.
CatalogYSpecify a catalog that this category relates to. If the category is created from the related lists of any existing catalog, this field is automatically populated with the catalog name.
Parent СategoryNSpecify a parent category if you create a multi-level category structure. If a category is created from any other category, this field is automatically populated with the parent category name. If a value is not specified, then this category has the highest level.
ImageNAdd an image for the decoration of a portal category record.
Available for UseNSelect this checkbox to make this category displayed on the portal.

You can add translations to the Name and Description fields.

Note that a category is not displayed within the service catalog in the following cases:

  1. A category does not contain any items or subcategories and is empty.
  2. A user does not meet the user criteria for accessing a category, subcategories, or request models in it. 
    • If all items in a category are not available for a user, a category is also not displayed.

Create a request model


Request models are templates used for creating new request objects. Request models can be extended with the Record Extended Model functionality.

To create a request model, complete the steps below:

  1. Navigate to a category record for which you need to create a request model.
  2. In the Related Lists area, select the Request Models tab.
  3. Click New and fill in the fields.
  4. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply the changes.

You also can create a catalog category from scratch. To do this, navigate to Request Model Catalog → Request Models.

Request model form fields

FieldMandatoryDescription
NameYSpecify a request model name.
DescriptionNSpecify a request model description.
OrderNEnter a number to define the items order in the catalog. Items are sorted in ascending order.
TableYSpecify a table to register incoming requests in it. It can be, for example, the Task table or other tables extending it.
CategoryYSpecify a parent category for this model. If a category is created from a related list, this field is automatically populated with the category name.
Post-Registration ActionN

Select what happens after the request is submitted according to the model. Available options:

  • Remain on this page
  • Redirect on the selected page
URLN

Specify the URL to redirect after request submitting.

This field appears if the Redirect on the selected page option was selected above.

ImageNAdd an image for the decoration of a portal request record.
Available for UseNSelect this checkbox to display the requests based on this model on the portal.
ServiceN

Specify a service which this request model is intended for.

It can be useful for service-based segregation within one service catalog (one request form for the Email service, another one for the Website service, and so on).

You can add translations to the Name and Description fields.

Extend a request model with record attributes


A request models contain a limited set of predefined attributes. You can extend it upon your task requirements.

For example, you need to add a Comment field to the model so that it should map to the Additional Comments field in the record.

To do this, complete the steps below:

  1. Navigate to a request model record that you need to extend with an attribute.
  2. In the Related Lists area, select the Attributes tab.
  3. Click New and fill in the fields.
  4. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply the changes.


You can add translations to the Title field.


Configure a portal


You can implement several service catalogs in your company infrastructure. To bind these catalogs on the Self-Service Portal, set up and configure a dedicated portal node for each catalog.

The "out-of-the-box" solution has a preconfigured portal node that contains all necessary settings. You can use it as a template for your custom nodes.

Portal node configuration

FieldDescriptionOut-of-the-Box value
PortalSpecify a portal this node is created for.

Self-Service Portal
(Path Name: portal)

Page IDSpecify a portal page that contains a catalog template. Service Catalog
(Path Name: sc)
Item Table

Specify a table that contains the catalog items.

Request Model
Item Parent ColumnSpecify a column in the table defined above that contains the information about which category is parent for the items.Category
Category TableSpecify a table that contains the catalog categories.Category
Category Parent ColumnSpecify a column in the category table defined above that contains the information about which category is the parent for others.Parent Category
Category Item ConditionSpecify a condition that must be met to display a catalog category item.

Available for Use is Yes

AND

Order ascending

Category Condition

Specify the condition that must be met to display a catalog category.

You can use a specified category in more that one catalog instance. To implement this, use the is one of operator instead of is. Then specify several catalogs to display a catalog category.

Remember that every catalog instance should have a dedicated portal node as described in this section.

Example:

Catalog is one of Moscow Users, London Users

Catalog is Service Catalog

AND

Available for Use is Yes

AND

Order ascending

Item PageSpecify a portal page that contains a template for the catalog request.Service Catalog Element Page

Set up multiple catalogs


As mentioned above, it is necessary to configure a dedicated node for each catalog. To do this, complete the steps below:

  1. Navigate to Tree Structures → Nodes.
  2. Click New and fill in the fields.
  3. Click Save and Save and Exit to apply the changes.

Node form fields

FieldMandatoryDescription
TitleYSpecify the node title. This field can be populated in any language supported by the platform.
TreeY

Select a previously created tree containing information about the structure.

You can use the "out-of-the-box" tree. It is called Portal Header Menu and is stored in the Tree (simple_tree) table 

ActiveNSelect this checkbox to make the node active or inactive.
OrderYEnter a number to define the node order. The nodes are sorted in ascending order.
General tab
Access criteriaNSpecify the user criteria defining user access to this node (a card or a header element). If no criteria selected, all users are allowed to use this element and its sub-elements as long as the separate criteria do not protect them.
Node typeNSpecify a node type by choosing from the previously created ones.
Nesting levelY

Node nesting level. This field is populated automatically.

This parameter shows on which nesting level this item is located.

ParentN

Specify a parent item if you are implementing a structure with some nesting levels, like this:

Structure
* Parent item 1

** Child item 1

** Child item 2

** Child item 3

* Parent item 2

** Child item 4

** Child item 5

Extra Attributes tab

This tab appears if the used node type has the RE model specified, and the Need URL attribute of the node type is enabled.
URLY

Specify a URL for an item. In this field, you can specify either absolute or relative URL (relative to the current portal referring to the tree to which the current node is assigned):

Absolute URL: https://instance.example.com/portal/profile

Relative URL: /profile

You can add translations to the Title field.

Add translations

In the current version, the Translations related list is not displayed in the Catalog, Category and Request Model forms. However, a translation in the current system language is automatically created for each new record. To add translations into other languages, complete the following steps:

  1. Navigate to System LocalizationSystem Translations.
  2. Open the automatically created translation record. Find it by the record ID or by the translation text.
  3. Enter the required values into the Language and Value fields. Don't save the record.
  4. In the burger menu, click Make a copy. Click OK in the warning window that appears.
  5. Repeat for other languages, if required.

To add translations to a REM attribute, complete the following steps:

  1. Navigate to the REM attribute record you need to translate.
  2. Scroll down to the Translations related list and click New.
  3. Fill in the fields and click Save or Save and exit to apply the changes.
  4. Repeat for other languages, if required.

Access control

You can configure access to either a catalog category or a catalog request model using the User Criteria engine. Thus, you can set flexible conditions and vary catalog items displayed to the audience.

How it works


An administrator defines the access, as described below, to the catalog elements (categories and request models) allowing or denying access for certain audience segments. User criteria are used to separate segments from each other.

When a user navigates to a service catalog, he or she is processed by the User Criteria engine according to the pattern below to decide whether this user is allowed or denied to display the specified catalog elements.

Configure access to a category


To configure a category access, complete the steps below:

  1. Navigate to the category you need to configure.
  2. In the Related Lists area, select the User Criteria tab.
  3. Click New and fill in the fields.
  4. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply the changes.

You can also create a category access configuring record from scratch. To do this, complete the steps below:

  1. Navigate to Request Model Catalog → Category User Criteria.
  2. Click New and fill in the fields.
  3. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply changes.

Category User Criteria form fields

FieldMandatoryDescription
CategoryYSpecify a category to which you need to configure access.
CriterionYSpecify a user criteria record to be met.
For Users by this CriterionN

Specify an access option. Available options:

  • Deny access
  • Allow access

Configure request model access


To configure request model access, complete the steps below:

  1. Navigate to the request model you need to configure access.
  2. In the Related Lists area, select the User Criteria tab.
  3. Click New and fill in the fields.
  4. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply the changes.

You can also create a request model access configuring record from scratch. For this, complete the steps below:

  1. Navigate to Request Model Catalog → Category User Criteria.
  2. Click New and fill in the fields.
  3. Click Save or Save and Exit to apply the changes.


FieldMandatoryDescription
Request ModelYSpecify a request model to which you need to configure access.
CriterionYSpecifyuser criteria record to be met. 
For Users by this CriterionN

Specify an access option. Available options:

  • Deny access
  • Allow access

  • No labels