8 Managing Data Elements

Data elements are specific types of data that you can use in a service in Solution Designer. Feature groups are sets of data elements that you want to use together. The data elements can be defined in the Data Elements application or within CFSs, RFSs, and resources specifications.

Topics in this document

• About Data Elements and Feature Groups
• Creating New Data Elements
• Viewing Data Elements
• Updating Data Elements
• Revising Data Elements
• Deleting Data Elements

About Data Elements and Feature Groups

A data element defines the attributes and properties of services and resources. It is a type of data with particular properties. A data element can be, for example, an ID, a feature, a download speed, or a telephone number.

Data elements are used to:

• Provide metadata that enriches the understanding of the services and resources. This metadata can include information like the data type, units of measurement, allowed values, and more.

• Manage the configuration of services and resources with an accurate representation of how services are configured, which resources are allocated, and what settings are applied.

• Describe the details of the network assets and resources, such as the physical location, capacity, manufacturer, and maintenance history.

• Provide the building blocks for describing the specific details of services, resources, and operations.

Data elements can have the following data element types:

Table 8-1 Data Element Types

Data Element Types	Description
Boolean	Contains true and false values.
Date	Enables you to enter or select date values.
Time	Enables you to enter or select time values.
Date and Time	Enables you to enter or select date and time values.
Numeric	Enables you to enter integers. When Numeric type is selected, you can specify the decimal places that the integer must have.
Text	Enables you to enter alphanumeric text.
Feature Group	Enables you to create a feature group data element. Feature groups are sets of data elements that you want to use together. When Feature Group type is selected, the Data Elements section is displayed. You can select the existing data elements that you want to combine into the feature group and also if it is required.
Hex Binary	Enables you to enter hex binary data. You must enter the minimum values and maximum values as an even number between 0 and 2048.

You can combine data elements into feature groups. You can select existing data elements or create a new data element to combine them into feature group. You can have feature group within a feature group. You can use the same feature group in multiple specifications.

About Control Types

You can define the manner in which run-time application users work with data elements by specifying a control type. The control type is available for elements defined with the following data types:

• Time
• Date and Time
• Numeric
• Text
• Hex Binary

Control types have specific options that define or limit the information stored for the data element:

Table 8-2 Control Types

Control Types	Description
Text Field	Enables users to enter characters. The properties you specify for the text field data element determine what users can enter in the field. This control type is available only for Numeric, Text, Time, Date and Time, and Hex Binary data types.
Dropdown	Displays a list of values. You can define the possible values for the list by selecting the data values such as Enumerations, Entity based, and Query based. This control type is available only for Numeric, Text, Time, and Hex Binary data types.
URL	Displays a URL. This control type is available only for Text data type.
Calendar	Enables users to enter or select date and time. This control type is available only for Date and Time data type.

About Multiplicity

Multiplicity defines the number of instances that the feature group data element can appear in UIM run-time. You use the multiplicity fields to define the data element cardinality. Multiplicity section appears only when you add a data element of type Feature Group as design parameter, Characteristics, data elements, and delivery parameter. You have the following fields in Multiplicity section:

• Minimum: Select a number if you need as many instances in the run-time. Minimum indicates the minimum number of times the data element can appear in the run-time. Selecting the value 1 means that this data element must appear once in this specification instance that is created in run-time.

• Maximum: Select a number greater than Minimum in Maximum. Maximum indicates the maximum number of times the data element can appear in a specification instance in the run-time. Selecting a value means that this data element can appear that many times in this specification instance that is created in the run-time.

• Unbounded: Select Unbounded if there is no specific limit and this data element can appear any number of times in the specification instance. If you want to have at least one occurrence of the data element, select the value 1 in the Minimum field and select Unbounded (no explicit limit). If there is no required minimum number of occurrences, select the value 0 in the Minimum field and select Unbounded.

To make a data element as required in UIM run-time, set Minimum value to 1 and Maximum value to 1. To make a data element as optional in UIM run-time, set Minimum value to 0 and Maximum value to 1.

Creating New Data Elements

You create data elements in the following ways:

• In the Data Elements application, you can create the data elements and feature groups. Define data elements and features here if you want to reuse the data elements elsewhere in the application as design parameters, delivery parameters, and entity characteristics within the same initiative. The data elements and features from the released initiative are available system-wide.

• When defining design parameters, delivery parameters, and characteristics in the Service Specifications application, Resource Specifications application, or in PSR Models application, you can add a previously defined data element or feature group or create new ones. The data elements and feature groups that you create as design parameters, delivery parameters, and characteristics then show up in the Data Elements application.

The existing data elements are available only to those specifications with the same initiative until they are released. Data elements from the released initiative are available system-wide.

To create data elements:

1. Do one of the following:

   • In the Data Elements application, click Create Data Element.

     The Create Data Element page opens.

   • In the Service Specifications or Resource Specifications application, in the Specifications details page, in the Design Parameters tab, create a new or open an existing design parameter and click + Create Data Element in the Data Element field.

     The New data element drawer opens.

   • In the Service Specifications or Resource Specifications application, in the Specifications details page, in the Entity Characteristics tab, create a new or open an existing characteristic and click + Create Data Element in the Data Element field.

     The New data element drawer opens.

   • In the Service Specifications or Resource Specifications application, in the Specifications details page, in the Delivery Policies tab, in the New Delivery Policy drawer, create a new or open a delivery parameter and click + Create Data Element in the Data Element field.

     The New data element drawer opens.

   • In the PSR Models application, in the Configure model step, in the Specification Configuration, expand the Design Parameters, select the specification and create a new or open an existing design parameter and click + Create Data Element in the Data Element field.

     The New data element drawer opens.

   • In the PSR Models application, in the Configure model step, in the Specification Configuration, expand the Entity characteristics, select the specification, click + Create Data Element in the Data Element field.

     The New data element drawer opens.

   • In the PSR Models application, in the Configure model step, in the Specification Configuration, expand the Delivery Policies, select the specification and create a new delivery parameter and click + Create Data Element in the Data Element field.

     The New data element drawer opens.

   The Create Data Element page opens.

2. In the Basic information section, enter the following information:

   • Name
   • ID
   • Data Type
   • Initiative
   • Default Value
   • Description
   • Decimal Places (Available only for Numeric data type)
   • Minimum Characters (Available only for Text and Hex Binary data types)
   • Maximum Characters (Available only for Text and Hex Binary data types)

3. Enter the information in Enumerations section which is available only for the Text, Numeric, and Hex Binary data types.

   1. Enter Name and Value.

   2. Click Submit.

      Enumeration is added to the list and repeat the steps to add more enumerations.

   3. (Optional) Select a Default value from the enumerations list.

4. Enter the information in Inventory settings section.

   You can configure the presentation of data elements in the run-time applications in the Inventory settings section.Table 8-3 describes the fields that you can define in the Inventory Settings section and its availability based on the data type and control type.

   Table 8-3 Inventory Settings Fields

   Field	Use	Data Type	Control Type
   Control Type	Specify the manner in which run-time application users interact with the corresponding data element. The value that you select in this field determines the subsequent options that appear. Text Field Dropdown URL Calendar See About Control Types for more information on control types.	Text Numeric Time Date and Time Hex Binary	NA
   Read-Only	Select to make the data element a read-only field in the run-time environment.	Text Boolean Date Time Date and Time Numeric Hex Binary	Text Field Calendar
   Mask during display mode	Enter a mask to control how text in read-only fields is formatted and displayed in a run-time environment. You use Java regular expressions to define display masks.	Text Time Date and Time Numeric Hex Binary	Text Field
   Mask during edit mode	Enter a mask to control how text in editable fields is formatted and displayed in a run-time environment. You use Java regular expressions to define masks.	Date and Time Hex Binary Numeric Text Time	Text Field
   Minimum Value	Enter a minimum value from which the field values are valid in the UIM run-time environment.	Numeric	Text Field
   Maximum Value	Enter a maximum value to which the field values are valid in the UIM run-time environment.	Numeric	Text Field
   Case	Select the display format for the text when the element appears in the run-time environment. You can format the text using all uppercase, all lowercase, or mixed case.	Hex Binary Text	Text Field
   Enable Search (text)	Select to provide a browse option in the run-time environment, which opens a pop-up window. You can customize the pop-up window as per the requirement. See UIM Developer's Guide for more information on customizing the user interface of pop-up window.	Text	Text Field
   Sensitive	Select to protect the contents of a text or time data element that contains sensitive information. For example, select this option for fields that are used as password fields. If you select Sensitive, Mask during display mode and Mask during edit mode are disabled.	Text Time Numeric Hex Binary	Text Field
   External	If External is set, the URL is opened in a new tab of the browser that UIM is open. If External is not set, the URL is opened within the UIM application page.	Text	URL
   From Range	Select a date from which the field values are valid.	Date Date and Time	Calendar
   To Range	Select a date to which the field values are valid.	Date Date and Time	Calendar
   Data Values	You can dynamically populate the drop-down list by selecting any one of the data values: Enumerations: Enables you to populate the drop-down list with a group of values that do not change. Entity based: Enables you to populate the drop-down list with the names of all entities created from the selected specification. Query based: Enables you to populate the drop-down list with the results of a query that you define. To specify the syntax of the query, select from the Data values list, select JPQL, SQL or USERS. Select JPQL to use JPQL syntax. Select SQL to use SQL syntax. Select USERS to specify a query that populates the drop-down list with all UIM users.	Text Numeric Time Hex Binary	Dropdown

5. (Optional) Populate the drop-down list dynamically using enumerations, entity based, and query based.

   • Populate the drop-down list with Enumerations:

     1. Select the Data Type as Text, Numeric, Time, or Hex Binary.

     2. Select the Control Type as Dropdown.

     3. Select the Data values as Enumerations. This uses the enumerations values specified in the Enumerations section.

   • Populate the drop-down list with Entity Based Specifications:

     1. Select the Data Type as Text, Numeric, Time, or Hex Binary.

     2. Select the Control Type as Dropdown.

     3. Select the Data values as Entity based.

     4. Select Source entity. The Source entity displays all the resource specifications and the location specifications for the initiative that you selected in the Basic information section along with all the released resource specifications and location specifications.

     5. (Optional) Select Parameters from the list. The Parameters lists the data elements that are associated with the selected initiative along with all the released data elements.

     6. (Optional) To enter an additional SQL filter, enter the filter in Enter query here for additional filter.

   • Populate the drop-down list with Query Based Results:

     To populate the drop-down with query based:

     1. Select the Data Type as Text, Numeric, Time, or Hex Binary.

     2. Select the Control Type as Dropdown.

     3. Select the Data values as Query based.

     4. Select Query type as JPQL, SQL, or USERS. The USERS populate the drop-down list with the results of pre-defined query that returns all authorized UIM users.

     5. (Optional) Select Parameters from the list. The Parameters lists the data elements that are associated with the selected initiative along with all the released data elements.

     6. (Optional) Enter a query in Enter query here for additional filter to use in a filtered data query using the selected Query Type. No query is required if you selected USERS.

6. Click Create.

   The data element is created and the newly created data element is listed in the Data Elements page.

Creating Feature Groups

You can also create feature groups when creating the specifications and creating the PSR Models. The features that you create in the specifications or in the PSR models are added to the Data Elements application.

To create feature groups in Specifications and the PSR Models:

1. In the Solution Designer landing page, click the application that you want to work with.

2. Do one of the following:

   • In the Data Elements application, click Create Data Element.

     The Create Data Element page opens.

   • In the Service Specifications or Resource Specifications application, in the Specifications details page, in the Design Parameters tab, create a new or open an existing design parameter and click + Create Data Element in the Data Element field.

     The New data element drawer opens.

   • In the Service Specifications or Resource Specifications application, in the Specifications details page, in the Entity Characteristics tab, create a new or open an existing characteristic and click + Create Data Element in the Data Element field.

     The New data element drawer opens.

   • In the Service Specifications or Resource Specifications application, in the Specifications details page, in the Delivery Policies tab, in the New Delivery Policy drawer, create a new or open a delivery parameter and click + Create Data Element in the Data Element field.

     The New data element drawer opens.

   • In the PSR Models application, in the Configure model step, in the Specification Configuration, expand the Design Parameters, select the specification and create a new or open an existing design parameter and click + Create Data Element in the Data Element field.

     The New data element drawer opens.

   • In the PSR Models application, in the Configure model step, in the Specification Configuration, expand the Entity characteristics, select the specification, click + Create Data Element in the Data Element field.

     The New data element drawer opens.

   • In the PSR Models application, in the Configure model step, in the Specification Configuration, expand the Delivery Policies, select the specification and create a new delivery parameter and click + Create Data Element in the Data Element field.

     The New data element drawer opens.

3. Enter a name, ID, initiative, and a description.

4. Select the Data type as Feature Group.

5. Enter the details in the Data Elements section.

   1. Click Name to select the data elements to combine them into feature group. Name displays all the data elements that are available for the selected initiative and also the released data elements.

   2. (Optional) Select Required?. If you select required, the data element in the feature group is required at runtime.

   3. (Optional) Enter Multiplicity details. Multiplicity is displayed when you add feature group data element. See "About Multiplicity" for more information on multiplicity.

      Note:

      When you edit the multiplicity values, the fields do not appear as editable. However, you can edit the details and click Submit.

   4. Click Submit. The data element is added to the Data elements list for the feature group.

   5. Repeat the steps a to d to add more data elements to the feature group.

6. Do one of the following:

   • Click Create if you are creating a feature group from the Data Elements application.

   • Click Add if you are creating a feature group from the Service Specifications application, the Resource Specifications application or the PSR Models application.

   The feature group is added to the data elements, the design parameters, the entity characteristics, or the delivery parameters.

Viewing Data Elements

You view the data elements from the following applications:

• Data Elements application
• Initiative Items tab in the Initiatives application

To view data elements:

1. In the Solution Designer landing page, click the application that you want to work with.

2. Do one of the following:

   • In the Data Elements application, search for a domain using the following criteria:

     • Data Elements name
     • Type
     • Initiatives
     • Last Updated date

     The data elements result is filtered based on the search criteria.

   • In the Initiatives application, search for an initiative and click the Initiative Items tab in the Initiatives editor page.

3. Click a data element name to view the details.

   A data element drawer appears with the details of the data element.

4. After viewing the details, click anywhere outside the dialog box to return to the data elements details page or the initiatives editor page.

Updating Data Elements

You update the data element details such as Name, Description, Inventory Settings, Enumerations, and Data Elements if the selected data element is a feature group.

To update a data element:

1. Do one of the following:

   • In the Data Elements application, search for a data element.

     The data elements result is filtered based on the search criteria.

   • In the Initiatives application, search for an initiative and click the Initiative Items tab in the Initiatives editor page.

2. Click the data element that you want to view.

3. Click Edit in the data elements drawer and update the name, description, inventory settings,enumerations, and the data elements in case of feature group.

4. Click Save.

Note:

You can't update the data element Type and Initiative.

You can't update the data element's details, if the associated initiative has completed the Advanced Configuration phase.

Revising Data Elements

You revise a data element in the Released status. When you revise a data element, you create a revision of the data element that you attach to an initiative in Definition status. The original data element definition, which is attached to an initiative in Released status, does not change. You can update the details of the revised data elements. When deleting a revised data element, only the current revision is deleted and the data element is reverted to the previously released version.

To revise a data element:

1. In the Solution Designer landing page, click the application that you want to work with.

2. Do one of the following:

   • In the Data Elements application, search for a data element and click to open it.

     The data element drawer opens.

   • In the Initiatives application, search for an initiative, click the data element that you want to revise in the Initiative Items tab in the initiatives editor page.

     The data element drawer opens.

3. Click Revise.

   The Revise Characteristic drawer opens.

4. Select a different initiative in the Definition status and click Continue.

   The data element drawer opens with the newly selected initiative.

5. Do one of the following:

   • Click Edit to modify the name, description, inventory settings, enumerations, and data elements and then click Save. The revised version is saved with the updated details.

   • Click Delete to delete the current revised version. After confirmation, the revised version of the data element is deleted.

Deleting Data Elements

You delete a data element in the data element's results page or in the details page. Deleting a data element or feature group in the Data Elements application deletes it from the system. You can't delete a data element or feature group that is being used in a released initiative or that is referenced by a specification. For example, if a data element is defined as a design parameter of a specification, you can't delete that data element from the Data Elements application.

To delete a data element in the Data Elements application:

1. In the Solution Designer landing page, click the application that you want to work with.

2. Do one of the following:

   • In the Data Elements application, search for a data element.

     The data elements results section is filtered based on the search criteria.

   • In the Data Elements application, search for a data element and click to open it.

     The data element drawer opens.

   • In the Initiatives application, search for an initiative, open the initiative details page, in the Initiative Items tab, click the data element that you want to delete.

     The data element drawer opens.

3. Click Delete.

   The delete confirmation dialog box opens.

4. Click Delete in the confirmation dialog box.

   After confirmation, the data element is deleted if it is not associated with any specifications.

   Note:

   You can't delete a data element:

   • If the data element is associated with any specification.

   • If the associated initiative has completed the Advanced Configuration phase.