Working with Inventory Entities

Removing Child Entities

You can remove a child entity in the Hierarchy section of an entity's Summary page. This is equivalent of going to the child entity's Summary page and removing the child's parent.

You can remove child entities from any entity displayed in the Hierarchy section.

To remove a child entity:

Open the Summary page for an entity from which you want to remove a child entity.

See "Opening Entity Summary Pages" for more information.
In the Hierarchy section, expand the hierarchy to the level of the child you want to remove.
Right-click the child entity that you want to remove, then select Remove.

The entity is removed from the hierarchy.

Related Topics

Adding Child Entities

Adding Parent Entities

You can define for an entity a single parent entity. Adding a parent entity establishes the same relationship as if you had added the current entity as a child from the parent entity's Summary page.

You can select as parent entities only active entities. Also, you cannot add an entity that would create a circular relationship. For example, you cannot add an entity as a parent that is already a child in the same hierarchy. UIM displays an error message if you attempt to add a parent entity in an invalid location.

Not all entities support hierarchies. Summary pages contain Parent sections only when the entity supports hierarchies.

To add a parent entity:

Open the Summary page for an entity to which you want to add a parent entity.

See "Opening Entity Summary Pages" for more information.
In the Parent section, click Associate.
Do one of the following:
- Search for an existing parent entity. See "Searching for Entities" for more information.
- Create a new parent entity. See "Creating Entities" for more information.
In the Search Results section, select the entity you want to be the parent.
Click OK.

The Parent section in the Summary page refreshes to include the entity.

Related Topics

Deleting Parent Entities

Deleting Parent Entities

If you want to disassociate an entity from its parent, you can delete it from the Parent section of the entity's Summary page. This is equivalent to deleting the entity from the hierarchy in the parent entity's Summary page.

To delete a parent entity:

Open the Summary page for an entity from which you want to delete a parent entity.

See "Opening Entity Summary Pages" for more information.
In the Parent section, select an entity to delete.
Click Delete.

The parent entity is removed from the Parent section, and the Associate button is enabled.

Related Topics

Adding Parent Entities

Working with Entity Configurations

You can define configurations for some types of entities. Configurations enable you to record facts about the entity that change over time and maintain a history of successive versions. For example, when you add a new VPN site to an MPLS VPN service, you can create a new version of the service configuration to reflect the change.

The following types of entities can have configurations:

Flow Interfaces
Logical devices
Logical device accounts
Networks
Pipes
Places (of type Site only)
Services

You can add new versions to a configuration as the entity evolves over time. Typically, before you can add a new version, the previous version must have gone through its entire approval cycle and be in Completed status. (You can also cancel a version in In Progress status and then create a new version.) See "Managing Entity Life Cycles" and for more information.

When you create a new version of a configuration, it is initially the same as the previous version, except for the ID, name, and version number. You can make any changes required for the new version.

Configurations are separate entities that are defined by specifications. The specification of the base entity determines which specifications can be used for its configurations. When you add a configuration, you can choose from among the configuration specifications that allowed by the base entity specification.

Configurations include two features not available in other entities:

Configuration items define the content of the configuration. They are arranged hierarchically and display according to the order set up in configuration specification. Some items are included by default in the configuration. Others you must add manually.
Specification options define which types of entities can be assigned to or referenced by configuration items. A configuration item with a specification option includes a list of the specification types that are valid for that item. You choose the appropriate specification for the item, then you assign or reference an entity of that type.

Multiple Pending Configurations

You can have more than one pending configuration for some services. You can have multiple pending configurations, if the functionality is enabled, with pending configurations spread over a period of time for non-network services. So, you can add a new configuration version before the previous version is in Completed status. For multiple pending configurations, you must associate each configuration to a Business Interaction. The multiple pending functionality is enabled depending on a system property for the UIM installation. See "Working with Multiple Pending Configurations" for more information.

Understanding Entity Configurations

See the following topics for more information about working with entity configurations:

Working in Configuration Summary Pages

Entity configurations are displayed in Configuration Summary pages. Configuration Summary pages are similar to entity pages, with two major differences:

The Actions menu contains different commands.
Configuration Summary pages include a Configuration Items section. See "Working with Configuration Items".

Pipe Configuration Summary pages are different from others. See "Working with Pipe Configurations" for more information.

Configuration Summary Actions Menu

The Actions menu in Configuration Summary pages enables you control manage various aspects of configurations, including life cycle, validation, and auto-assignment of resources. These commands are in alphabetical order.

Command	Description
Approve	Select to approve a configuration version. See "Managing Configuration Version Life Cycles" for more information.
Associate Business Interaction	Select to associate a business interaction to a configuration version. The configuration summary must be set in the context of the desired business interaction or this action is disabled. You can use this when you want a configuration version associated to a business interaction, for instance for multiple pending configuration functionality support. This action overrides the start date of the configuration with the effective date and time of the business interaction. See "Working with Multiple Pending Configurations" for more information.
Auto-Configure	When enabled by a ruleset, select to automatically assign resources. See "Assigning Resources Automatically" for more information.
Cancel	Select to cancel a configuration version. See "Managing Configuration Version Life Cycles" and "Canceling a Configuration Version with Multiple Pending" for more information.
Complete	Select to complete a configuration version. See "Managing Configuration Version Life Cycles" and "Completing a Configuration Version with Multiple Pending" for more information.
Create New Version	Select to create a new configuration version. Available only when the previous version is complete. See "Adding Additional Configuration Versions" for more information.
Disassociate Business Interaction	Select to remove a business interaction from a configuration version. See "Working with Multiple Pending Configurations" for more information.
Issue	Select to issue a configuration version. See "Managing Configuration Version Life Cycles" for more information.
Validate	Select to validate the configuration. See "Validating Entities and Entity Configurations" for more information.

Adding the First Version of a Configuration to an Entity

The following procedure describes how to add a new configuration for an entity with no previously defined configurations. See "Adding Additional Configuration Versions" if you are adding a new version for an existing configuration.

To add the first version of a configuration:

Open the Summary page of the entity for which you are creating a configuration.

See "Opening Entity Summary Pages" for more information.
In the Configurations section, click Create. The Create button is active if one of the following is true:
- The configuration entity has no existing configurations.
- The previous configuration version has a status of Completed.
- Multiple pending configuration functionality is enabled and the entity is a non-network service.
The Configuration Information - New Version page appears.
(Optional) Change the automatically generated ID and name.

The default ID and name are based on the ID and name of the base entity with the version number of the configuration added.
(Optional) In the Start Date field, enter or select the date at which the configuration becomes valid.

The field displays the current date by default.
Click Save and Close.

The Configuration Summary page appears.
Specify configuration characteristics and specify configuration item details.

See "Viewing, Entering, and Changing Characteristics" and "Working with Configuration Items" for more information.

Adding Additional Configuration Versions

You add additional configuration versions different ways depending on if you need multiple pending configuration functionality. In all cases, after the first version of a configuration has been completed, you can add versions when the configuration details change.

If multiple pending configuration functionality is enabled, then you can also add additional configuration versions for non-network service entities before the previous version reaches Completed status.

You can create new configuration versions and change their configuration item details in the following ways:

From the Summary or Configuration page when the previous configuration is in Completed status, see "Adding Additional Configuration Versions without Multiple Pending".
From the Service summary page when multiple pending configuration functionality is enabled (for a non-network service), see "Adding Additional Configuration Versions for Services with Multiple Pending".

Working with Multiple Pending Configurations

Adding Additional Configuration Versions without Multiple Pending

Follow these steps if you do not need multiple pending configuration versions.

To add a configuration version:

Do one of the following:
- Open the Summary page of the base entity.
- Open the Configuration page of the previous version of the configuration.
In the Configurations section of the Summary page, click Create or from the Actions drop down, select Create New Version.

The Configuration Information - New Version page appears.
(Optional) Change the name and automatically generated ID.

The ID and name are incremented from the previous version.
(Optional) In the Start Date field, enter or select the date at which the configuration becomes valid. If the configuration version is in the context of a Business Interaction, the Start Date field will take the same value as the Effective Date on the Business Interaction.

The field displays the current date by default.
Click Save and Close.

The Configuration page appears, displaying the values from the previous version.
Change configuration characteristics and specify configuration item details as required.

See "Viewing, Entering, and Changing Characteristics" and "Working with Configuration Items" for more information.

Adding Additional Configuration Versions for Services with Multiple Pending

When multiple pending configurations is enabled, you can add versions for changing the configuration details when:

You want multiple open or pending configuration versions for a non-network service, and
There are no configuration versions, or the preceding configuration is still in progress.
If previous configuration pending version exists, each is also associated to a Business Interaction.
You want multiple open or pending configuration versions on the same day but with different timestamp values.

To add a configuration version:

Select Business Interactions and do the following:
1. In the Business Interaction search page, select Create.
2. Select the desired specification (for example, Service Order).
3. Enter the name as it is required.
4. In the Effective Date field, provide the value of the due date and time or start date and time of the configuration version. This is the date and time when the configuration version becomes valid.
  
  Note:
  If you select a Workflow Template, the system displays current date and time in Effective Date and changes the field as non-editable.
5. Click Save and Continue.
Open the Summary page of the Service entity.
Expand the Configurations section of the Service entity.
In the Configurations section, click Create.

If multiple pending configurations is disabled, the Create button is active only if the previous version is in Completed or Canceled status. After you click Create, the Configuration Information - New Version page appears.

The Configuration page appears, displaying the values from the previous version.
(Optional) Change the name and automatically generated ID.

The ID and name are incremented from the previous version.
The Start Date field defaults to the Effective Date of the associated Business Interaction. If you need to change the date and time, then you must change it on the Business Interaction.

Note:
You can create multiple pending configurations on the same day but with different timestamp values.
Click Save and Close.

The Service Summary is displayed with the new configuration version.
Select the new configuration version.
Change configuration characteristics and specify configuration item details as required.

See "Viewing, Entering, and Changing Characteristics" and "Working with Configuration Items" for more information.

Working with Multiple Pending Configurations

For certain types of services, UIM supports multiple pending configurations where more than one configuration may be in progress at a given time. Multiple pending configuration functionality is only available for non-network services. You determine if a service is a network service by the Network Oriented Service Type attribute setting on the service entity. For network services only one configuration can be in progress at a time.

Multiple pending configuration functionality is enabled with a system property in the system-config.properties file. The default is for the functionality to be enabled. See UIM System Administrator's Guide for information on this property.

You can create an in-progress configuration before or after any existing in-progress configuration when:

The multiple pending functionality is enabled in the system property file.
Each configuration version is associated to its own Business Interaction.
The entity for the configuration is a Service entity and it is a non-network service.

The effective date on the Business Interaction determines the start date and time value for the configuration. You can create configurations before or after a configuration that is in progress, however the start date must always be on or after the current date.

Each pending configuration version must have a different start date and time; no two pending configuration versions can have the same start date and time.

Often, when you change a configuration, it affects other pending configurations to reflect your change. The configuration items include their identifier in the name so you can see the cascading effects in future configurations.

See UIM Concepts for more information.

Adding to or Removing Resources from a Pending Configuration Version

With multiple pending configuration functionality, you can add and remove resources across multiple configuration versions that are in progress. For example, you can create a new configuration version and add a new telephone number. Then, you can add another future-dated configuration, and remove a telephone number. This results in two configuration versions being in progress.

See "Adding Additional Configuration Versions" for information on how to add more than one pending configuration.

Changing the Date for a Pending Configuration Version

With multiple pending configuration functionality, you can have more than one pending configuration version for a non-network service. If it is not associated to a Business Interaction, you must first select or create a Business Interaction and associate it to the service configuration version. To change the date of a pending configuration when the configuration version is associated to a Business Interaction:

Open the Configurations section of the non-network Service entity.
Select the configuration version for the date change.

The Service Configuration Version page appears.
Click the Associated To Business Interaction field value to display the associated Business Interaction entity.

The Business Interaction Summary page appears.
Click the Edit button.

The Business Interaction Information page appears for edit.
Change the date value of the Effective Date field.
Click Save and Close.

The date is changed for the Business Interaction and also for the configuration's Start Date field. To view the configuration, select its ID value in the Business Interaction Items list.

See UIM Concepts for more information.

Canceling a Configuration Version with Multiple Pending

You can cancel a pending configuration version by canceling the associated Business Interaction when multiple configurations versions are pending for a non-network Service.

You can also cancel a pending configuration version that is in between two in-progress configuration versions, provided that no resource assignment changes are made in the configuration version that immediately succeeds the configuration version that you are canceling.

Note:

If a service has multiple pending configurations, you cannot cancel the first service configuration version, regardless of the status of the resource assignments. However, if a service has only one service configuration, then you can cancel that service configuration version.

You cannot cancel a service configuration version on a service that is not in Pending Disconnect status if there are resource assignment changes in the future-dated service configuration version. However, you can cancel a service configuration version on a service that is in Pending Disconnect status, even if resource assignments are updated and are in Pending Unassign status in the future-dated disconnect service configuration version.

To cancel a pending configuration when the configuration is associated to a Business Interaction:

Open the Configurations section of the non-network Service entity.
Select the configuration version that you want to cancel.

The Service Configuration Version page appears.
Click the Associated To Business Interaction field to display the associated Business Interaction entity.

The Business Interaction Summary page appears.
Click the Actions menu, and click Cancel option.

The Business Interaction and the associated service configuration version are canceled.

See UIM Concepts for more information.

Completing a Configuration Version with Multiple Pending

You can complete a pending configuration version by completing the associated Business Interaction when multiple configurations versions are pending for a non-network Service.

If a non-network Service entity contains multiple pending configuration versions, you must first complete the initial version of the pending configuration before completing the immediate succeeding version. For example, if a non-network Service entity contains five configuration versions, you must first complete configuration version 1, and then complete configuration version 2, and so on.

To complete a pending configuration when the configuration is associated to a Business Interaction:

Open the Configurations section of the non-network Service entity.
Select the configuration version that you want to complete.

The Service Configuration Version page appears.
Click the Associated To Business Interaction field to display the associated Business Interaction entity.

The Business Interaction Summary page appears.
Click the Actions menu, and click Complete option.

The Business Interaction and the associated service configuration version are completed.

See UIM Concepts for more information.

Disconnecting a Service with Multiple Pending Configurations

To disconnect a service with multiple pending configurations, you must have the latest service configuration version associated to a Business Interaction. To disconnect a service with one or more pending configurations (when the configurations are associated to Business Interactions):

Open the Service entity that you want to disconnect.
Click the Actions menu, and click Disconnect option.

A new configuration version is created and the service transitions to Pending Disconnect status. The default for the start date of the new configuration version is the date of the latest pending configuration version plus one calendar day.

See "Changing the Date for a Pending Configuration Version" for more information.

Managing Configuration Version Life Cycles

Configuration versions have a life cycle that you can manage either manually or by using rulesets.

Note:

The configuration version status is different from the status of its parent entity.

Command	Transitions from Status	Transitions to Status
Approve	In Progress	Designed
Issue	Designed	Issued
Complete	Issued Pending Cancel	Complete Canceled
Cancel	In Progress Designed Issued	Canceled Canceled Pending Cancel

To change configuration version statuses:

Open the Summary page for a configuration.

See "Opening Configurations" for more information.
From the Actions menu, select the command for the transition you want to make.

The available commands reflect transitions that are valid for the configuration in its current status. After you select a command, the Configuration Summary page refreshes and the configuration version's status is updated.

Opening Configurations

Entities that support configurations have a Configurations section in their Summary pages. This section displays the existing configurations and statuses. Versions that have been completed cannot be modified. You must create a new version to introduce any changes to the configuration.

To open a configuration:

Open the Summary page for an entity.
In the Configurations section, click the version number link of the configuration you want to open.

The Configuration page appears. The hierarchy in the Configuration Items section is collapsed but includes the default selection of configuration items.

Working with Configuration Items

Managing the Configuration Hierarchy Display

Configurations often contain complex hierarchies of configuration items displayed in a collapsible tree view. You an expand and collapse individual lines in the tree view by clicking the triangles next to them. You can also expand and collapse the entire or hierarchy or portions of it.

To expand or collapse the hierarchy as a whole:

Do one of the following:
- In the View menu in the Configuration Items section of a Configuration Summary page, select Expand All or Collapse All.
- Select the highest-level row in the hierarchy, then right-click and select Expand All or Collapse All.
The hierarchy expands to display all configuration items.

To expand or collapse a section of the hierarchy:

In the Configuration Items section of a Configuration Summary page, select a row in the hierarchy.
In the View menu, select Expand All Below or Collapse All Below.

The hierarchy below the select row expands to display all configuration items.

To define the hierarchy and order of configuration items, refer to the configuration specification definition. For instructions on how to define configuration specifications in Design Studio, see the Design Studio Help

Working with Configuration Items

Configuration items define a hierarchy of information about how a configuration is implemented. Configuration items can be used to assign resources to a configuration or to refer to entities that have significance to the configuration. For example, a place configuration for a VPN site can include configuration items for resources that are consumed, such as PE VRF resources and CE service locations. Similarly, a cable TV subscription service configuration could include a configuration item for a reference to an access controller. In this case, the resource is not consumed, it is referenced.

Configuration items can also be used to collect information rather than assign resources. For example, a configuration item in a VPN service configuration could have a characteristic that defines the topology of a VPN service as meshed, hub-and-spoke, or hybrid.

Configuration items can contain other configuration items, so information can be nested to reflect how resources are organized. For example, a configuration item for PE VRF resources can include other configuration items such as route distinguishers, route targets, and protocols.

The selection, arrangement, order, and content of configuration items is defined in the specification for the configuration. The specification defines which configuration items are required, minimum and maximum quantities, the characteristics applied to items, and specification options that enable you to assign or reference resources to configuration items.

If a configuration specification defines a non-zero minimum quantity for a configuration item, that minimum quantity is created automatically when you create the configuration.

The configuration name includes two portions:

The name set up in Design Studio.
The system generated identifier for the configuration item.

Then, you can uniquely identify a configuration item when changes are cascaded forward. These changes can occur from multiple pending configurations. See "Working with Multiple Pending Configurations" for information on this functionality.

See the following topics for more information about working with configuration items:

Adding Configuration Items

When you add a configuration to an entity, the configuration automatically includes the required configuration items in the required quantities. You can add additional configuration items that are defined in the configuration's specification, up to the maximum quantity.

When you add a configuration item that includes specification options, you must assign to the item an entity based on one of the specifications. In some cases where rulesets have been defined, entities are assigned automatically. See "Assigning Entities to Configuration Items" for more information.

To add configuration items:

Open the Configuration page for the configuration to which you want to add configuration items.

See "Opening Configurations" for more information.
In the Configuration Items section, expand the hierarchy until you reach the folder level that is immediately above the configuration item you want to add.
Right-click the folder and select Add Config Item.

The Choose Configuration Items to be Added dialog box appears, displaying a table of configuration items that are valid in this location in the hierarchy.
In the Quantity column, specify quantities for each item you want to add.

You can add quantities only up to the maximum defined for an item. Items that have reached their maximum quantity cannot be added.
Click Add Items.

The Configuration Items hierarchy refreshes to show the new items.

Related Topics

Referencing Entities to Configuration Items

Changing the Entity Assigned to or Referenced from a Configuration Item

Assigning Entities to Configuration Items

When a configuration item is defined for assignment, you use it to select entity to be consumed. You select a specification and then select an entity based on that specification.

UIM can be configured to assign resources automatically. See "Assigning Resources Automatically".

To assign entities to configuration items:

Open the Configuration page for the configuration to which you want to assign resources.

See "Opening Configurations" for more information.
In the Configuration Items section, expand the hierarchy until you reach the configuration item to which you want to assign an entity.
In the Specification column, select the specification of the resource you want to assign. If only one specification is valid, it is automatically displayed.
In the Actions column, click Assign.

The Assign to Configuration page appears.
Do one of the following:
- Search for an existing entity to assign. See "Searching for Entities" for more information.
- Create a new entity to assign. See "Creating Entities" for more information.
- In the Search Results section, select an entity then click OK
The entity you assigned appears as a link in the configuration item. You can click the link to go to the Summary page for the entity.

Related Topics

Referencing Entities to Configuration Items

Changing the Entity Assigned to or Referenced from a Configuration Item

Referencing Entities to Configuration Items

If a configuration item is defined for entity reference rather than assignment, you use it to refer to an entity that has significance to the configuration. You select a specification, then select an entity based on that specification to be referenced by the configuration.

To reference entities from configuration items:

Open the Configuration page for the configuration in which you want to reference an entity.

See "Opening Configurations" for more information.
In the Configuration Items section, expand the hierarchy until you reach the configuration item to which you want to reference an entity.
In the Specification column, select the specification of the entity you want to reference. If only one specification is valid, it is automatically displayed.
In the Actions column, click Reference.

The Reference Entity to Configuration page appears.
Do one of the following:
- Search for an existing entity to reference. See "Searching for Entities" for more information.
- Create a new entity to reference. See "Creating Entities" for more information.
- In the Search Results section, select an entity and click OK
The entity you referenced appears as a link in the configuration item. You can click the link to go to the Summary page for the entity.

Related Topics

Changing the Entity Assigned to or Referenced from a Configuration Item

Assigning Resources Automatically

UIM can be customized to automatically assign resources based on default values. When you automatically assign resources, appropriate configuration items are created and resources automatically assigned to them.

Automatic assignment is enabled by rulesets. See UIM Concepts and UIM Developer's Guide for more information about rulesets. Automatic assignment can take place at the level of individual configuration items or at the level of an entire configuration. Automatic assignment for individual items occurs when you add the item to a configuration (or when it is added as a default item).

To automatically assign resources to a configuration:

Open the Configuration page in which you want to automatically assign resources.

See "Opening Configurations" for more information.
From the Related Pages menu, select Auto Configure.

UIM automatically assigns resources and redisplays the Configuration page. You can see the newly assigned items by expanding the hierarchy in the Configuration Items section.

Related Topics

Changing the Entity Assigned to or Referenced from a Configuration Item

Viewing Tags on Configuration Items for a Specification

Viewing, Entering, and Changing Characteristics

Configuration items can have characteristics that store information about the item. These characteristics are defined in the specification for the configuration. For example, a configuration item for a protocol could include characteristics that define how the protocol is implemented. Characteristics can also be assigned to the configuration itself, at the top level of the configuration item hierarchy.

Characteristics can take several forms:

Text fields
Check boxes
Lists
Calendar fields

You view, enter, and change values for specific configuration items and for the configuration as a whole.

To view, enter, or change characteristics:

Open the Configuration page for the entity for which you want to change, view, or enter characteristics.

See "Opening Configurations" for more information.
In the Configuration Items section, expand the hierarchy until you reach the item that has the characteristics you want.
Do one of the following:
- Edit characteristics for the entire configuration.
  1. Expand a configuration item.
    
    An item called Characteristics appears.
  2. Right-click Characteristics and select Maintain Characteristics.
    
    The Configuration Item Characteristics dialog box appears, displaying all of the item's characteristics and their values.
  3. Edit the configuration as necessary and click Save and Close.
- Edit characteristics for a single configuration item:
  1. Expand a configuration item.
    
    An item called Characteristics appears.
  2. Expand the Characteristics item.
    
    Separate items for all the item's characteristics appear. The value of each characteristic is shown.
  3. Right-click a characteristic and select Edit Characteristic.
    
    The Configuration Item Characteristics dialog box appears, displaying the characteristic value.
  4. Edit the configuration as necessary and click Save and Close.

Viewing Tags on Configuration Items

You can view tags on configuration items.

To view tags on configuration items:

Open the Configuration page for the entity for which you want to view tags.

See "Opening Configurations" for more information.
In the Configuration Items section, expand the hierarchy until you reach the item that has the tags you want to view.

Related Topics

Working with Tags

Viewing Tags

Deleting Tags

Renaming Configuration Items

You can change the names that are automatically assigned to configuration items.

To rename a configuration item:

Open the Configuration page for the configuration that includes the item you want to rename.

See "Opening Configurations" for more information.
In the Configuration Items section, expand the hierarchy until you reach the configuration item you want to rename.
Right-click a configuration item and select Rename Item.

The Rename Configuration Item dialog box appears. You can only modify the portion of the name without the configuration item identifier.
Enter the new name for the item and click Rename Configuration Item.

The configuration item is renamed.

Related Topics

Changing the Entity Assigned to or Referenced from a Configuration Item

Changing the Entity Assigned to or Referenced from a Configuration Item

You can change the entity that is assigned to or referenced a configuration item. You can change resources that were assigned automatically as well as those that were assigned manually.

To change a resource assigned to or referenced from a configuration item:

Open the Configuration page for the configuration that contains the entity assignment or reference that you want to change.

See "Opening Configurations" for more information.
In the Configuration Items section, expand the hierarchy until you reach the configuration item whose assignment or reference you want to change.
In the Actions column, click the Unassign or De-Reference link.

The assigned or referenced entity is removed. You can now assign or reference a different entity.

Related Topics

Referencing Entities to Configuration Items

You can remove configuration items. You cannot remove a configuration item if doing so violates the minimum quantity of the item defined for the configuration.

To remove a configuration item:

Open the Configuration page for the configuration that includes the item you want to remove.

See "Opening Configurations" for more information.
In the Configuration Items section, expand the hierarchy until you reach the configuration item you want to remove.
Right-click the configuration item and select Remove Item.

The configuration item is removed. An error message appears if you try to remove an item that is required by the item's minimum quantity or if you are attempting to remove an item that has an assignment or a reference.

Related Topics

Changing the Entity Assigned to or Referenced from a Configuration Item

Configuration New Page

You use an entity Configuration- New page to create new versions of the entity.

Field	Description
Specification	Select a specification to define the new configuration. Configurations are separate entities that are defined by specifications. The specification of the base entity determines which specifications can be used for its configurations. When you add a configuration, only valid specifications appear as options in this field.
Previous Configuration	Displays the number of the configurations created prior to this version. If you are creating the first configuration version, this value is 0. This field is read only.
Version	Displays the version number of the configuration. This field is read only.
ID	(Optional) Edit the automatically generated ID, if necessary. The ID is based on the ID of the base entity and the version number of the configuration.
Name	(Optional) Edit the automatically generated name, if necessary. The name is based on the ID of the base entity and the version number of the configuration.
Start Date	Enter or select the date at which the configuration becomes valid. The field displays the current date by default.

Working with Configuration Items

Opening Configurations

Validating Entities and Entity Configurations

You can validate some types of entities and configurations. By default, these validations check basic integrity, but the rulesets governing them can be customized. For example, a validation ruleset might ensure that a Service configuration includes resources in the correct quantities. See UIM Concepts and UIM Developer's Guide for more information about rulesets.

To validate an entity or entity configuration:

Open the Summary page for an entity.

See "Opening Entity Summary Pages" for more information.
In the Configuration section, click the version number link of the configuration you want to validate.

The Configuration page appears.
From the Actions menu, select Validate.

UIM validates the entity or configuration and displays any resulting error messages in the upper part of the page. If no problems are found, no messages are displayed.

Working with Visualizations and Diagrams

A number of entities utilize visualizations or diagrams, each for a different purpose. The interface for each, however, is similar.

Service entities include a diagram of the service topology. See "About Service and Service Configuration Topology".
Network entities include a topological view in which you can configure the network. See "Designing a Network in the Network Topological View".
Equipment entities include a visualization feature in which you can configure the equipment's hierarchy of child entities. See "About Equipment Visualizations".
The Topology page includes a diagram of your entire inventory. See "Working with the Inventory Topology".
Pipe and Connectivity entities include visualizations that depict their design and enablement. See "Viewing a Pipe Enablement Visualization" and "Working with the Connectivity Design Visualization".

See the following topics for more information about working with visualizations and diagrams:

About Visualization and Diagram Pages

Each diagram or visualization page has a different purpose and works in a somewhat different way. The basic arrangement of the page is similar for all, however:

A large page or canvas displays the diagram or visualization. The contents of the canvas depend on the page. You can move elements in the canvas. For example, you can adjust the positions of nodes in a network diagram. Automatic layout tools are also available in some cases. See "Changing the Layout" for more information.
A toolbar above the canvas enables you to control the view by zooming, panning, and so on.
An overview section appears to the right of the canvas. This section enables you to move around in the diagram or visualization when zoomed in. See "Using the Overview Section" for more information.
An information section appears below the overview, displaying information and links for the element selected in the canvas. See "Getting Information About Elements" for more information.

Changing the Layout

You can control the layout of elements in diagrams. (You can also move child entities in an Equipment visualization, but the reasons and methods for doing so are different. See "Moving Equipment within an Equipment Hierarchy"). For example, you may want to move the position of nodes in a network diagram to better illustrate their relationships.

There are two ways to change the layout:

By selecting elements, then dragging them to new positions. After dragging elements, make sure to save their positions. If you move a network node, its edges automatically shift to reflect the node's new position.
By clicking automatic layout buttons in the toolbar. Various different layout options are available. When you click a layout button, elements are arranged automatically into a particular kind of layout. The options you can use are described in the Help topics for the Network, Inventory Topology, and Service Topology pages.

Related Topics

About Visualization and Diagram Pages

Using the Overview Section

Getting Information About Elements

Using the Overview Section

The Overview section to the right of the canvas shows a small-scale view of the entire diagram or visualization. You can use the Overview section to orient yourself and to move the view when zoomed in.

To use the Overview section:

Use the Zoom or Zoom In button to zoom in on a portion of a diagram.

The overview displays a rectangle around the portion of the diagram that you have zoomed in on. If you zoom out, the rectangle becomes larger until it disappears when the entire diagram is displayed in the main view.
Drag the rectangle in the overview to another location in the diagram.

The main view of the diagram moves at its current zoom level to the new location.

Related Topics

About Visualization and Diagram Pages

Changing the Layout

Getting Information About Elements

You can get information about elements that you select in a diagram or visualization. When an element represents a resource in your inventory, the information section to the right of the canvas displays the name and ID of the selected element as links. You can click the links to go to the corresponding Summary page.

In some cases, you can also open an entity Summary page by right-clicking an element and selecting Summary Page.

To get information about elements:

In the toolbar, click the Select button.

The cursor changes to a pointer.
Click an element in the diagram or visualization.

The entity name and ID appear in the information section to the right of the diagram.
(Optional) Open the Summary page of an entity by clicking a link in the information section.

The Summary page appears.

Related Topics

About Visualization and Diagram Pages

Using the Overview Section

Changing the Layout

Working with Resource Reservations

Resources can be reserved by an entity or process to prevent them from being used by another entity or process. Any consumable resource entity (except for Pipe entities) can be reserved as long as it:

Is not shareable. If the entity's specification is defined such that the entity can be assigned to multiple entities, the entity cannot be reserved.
Has not been assigned. The Resource Assignment status must be Unassigned.
Is not already reserved. Search results for entity types that can be reserved include a Reservation Type column that displays Shortterm or Longterm when a resource is reserved.
Does not have a Blocked condition that prevents the assignment. Search results include a Condition Type column that shows the conditions applied to an entity. See "Working with Conditions" for more information about conditions.

You can create and search for reservations from the navigation section. Reservations do not have Summary pages, however.

You reserve resources by associating them to a reservation. Each reservation has a single ID no matter how many entities are associated to it. You can add resources to a new reservation that you create in the process of adding the resources. See "Creating New Reservations" for more information. You can also add resources to an existing reservation. See "Updating Reservations" for more information.

Note:

You can remove a resource from a reservation only from the resource's Summary page. See "Removing Resources from Reservations" for more information.

By default, UIM does not check reservations when resources are assigned. As a result, a reserved resource can be assigned to any entity or process.

If UIM is configured to check reservations, it requires that reservations be redeemed before a reserved resource can be assigned. See "Redeeming Reservations" for more information. See UIM Concepts and UIM Developer's Guide for information about enabling reservation checking.

Creating New Reservations

You can create new reservations and add resources to them in the following ways:

From the navigation section. See "Creating Reservations from the Navigation Section".
From the Summary page of a resource that you want to reserve. See "Creating a Reservation from a Summary Page".
From the Search Results section of a search for resource entities. See "Creating Reservations from a Search Results Page".

When you create a new reservation, you specify its type as either Shortterm or Longterm. The type defines the duration of the reservation's validity, unless you supply a specific expiry date. By default, Shortterm is defined as 10 minutes and Longterm as 30 days. These definitions can be changed by modifying rulesets and can be set to different lengths for different types of entities. See UIM Developer's Guide for more information.

Related Topics

Creating a Reservation from a Summary Page

Creating Reservations from the Navigation Section

When you create a new reservation starting from the navigation section, you must specify the resources it reserves. You can update the reservation later to include new resources.

To create a reservation from the navigation section:

In the Inventory - Resources group of the navigation section, click Reservations.
In the Search Results section, click Create.
In the Reservation For Type list, select the type of entity or process for which the reservation is made.

The options in the list vary depending on how UIM is configured. If reservation checking is enabled, this value must be specified during reservation redemption. See "Redeeming Reservations" for more information.
In the Reserved For field, enter text that identifies the agent making the reservation.

If reservation checking is enabled, this value must be specified during reservation redemption. See "Redeeming Reservations" for more information.
In the Reservation Type list, select Shortterm or Longterm.
In the Start Date field, enter the date on which the reservation becomes effective.
(Optional) In the Expiry Date field, enter the date on which the reservation expires.
(Optional) In the Reason field, enter a reason for the reservation.
In Add Resources section, click Resource Type.

A list of entity types appears.
Select the type of resource you want to reserve.

The entity Search page appears.
Do one of the following:
- Enter search criteria in the Search section and click Search to reserve an existing entity. See "Searching for Entities" for more information.
- Click Create in the Search Results section to create and reserve a new entity. See "Creating Entities" for more information.
In the Search Results section, select the resources you want to include in the reservation.
Click OK.

The Reservation page displays a list of resources included in the reservation.
Click Save and Close.

The page refreshes to show a message confirming the creation of the new reservation.

Creating a Reservation from a Summary Page

Creating Reservations from a Search Results Page

To create a reservation from a Search Results page:

Search for the resource that you want to reserve.

See "Searching for Entities" for more information.
In the Search Results section, select the resources you want to reserve.
From the Actions menu, select Add to Reservation.

The Reservation Search page appears.
Click Create in the Search Results section to create a new reservation. See "Creating Entities" for more information.

The Reservation - New page appears. See "Reservation - New Page" for more information about the fields in this page.
In the Reserved For field, enter text that identifies who is making the reservation.

This value must be specified during reservation redemption. See "Redeeming Reservations".
In the Reservation Type list, select Shortterm or Longterm.
In the Start Date field, enter the date on which the reservation becomes effective.
(Optional) In the Expiry Date field, enter the date on which the reservation expires.

If you set a date here, it overrides the Reservation Type setting.
(Optional) In the Reason field, enter a reason for the reservation.
Click Save and Close.

Creating Reservations from a Search Results Page

Creating a Reservation from a Summary Page

To create a reservation from a Summary page:

Open the Summary page for the resource that you want to reserve.

See "Opening Entity Summary Pages" for more information.
From the Related Pages menu, select Reservations.

The Reservation page appears. If a reservation is already shown, you cannot reserve the resource unless you delete the existing reservation. See "Removing Resources from Reservations".
Click Create.

The Reservation - New page appears. See "Reservation - New Page" for more information about the fields in this page.
In the Reserved for Type list, select the type of entity or process for which the reservation is made.

The options in the list vary depending on how UIM is configured.
In the Reserved For field, enter text that identifies who is making the reservation.

This value must be specified during reservation redemption. See "Redeeming Reservations".
In the Reservation Type list, select Shortterm or Longterm.
In the Start Date field, enter the date on which the reservation becomes effective.
(Optional) In the Expiry Date field, enter the date on which the reservation expires.

Define a date here to override the Reservation Type setting.
(Optional) In the Reason field, enter a reason for the reservation.
Click Save and Close.

The list of reservations reappears, now including the reservation you just created.

Creating a Reservation from a Summary Page

Adding an Entity to an Existing Reservation from a Search Results Page

To add an entity to an existing reservation from a search results page:

Search for the resource that you want to reserve.
In the Search Results section, select the resources you want to reserve.
Click Actions and select Add to Reservation.

The Reservation Search page appears.
Search for the reservation to which you want to add the resource.

See "Searching for Entities" for more information.
In the Search Results section, select the reservation to which you want to add the resource.
Click OK.

Updating Reservations

You can update a reservation's type, start date, expiry date, and reason.

To update a reservation:

In the Inventory - Resources group of the navigation section, click Reservations.

The Reservation Search page appears.
Search for the reservation you want to update.

See "Searching for Entities" for more information.
In the Search Results section, click the link for the reservation you want to update.

The Reservation Information page appears.
Update the Reservation Type, Start Date, Expiry Date, and Reason fields, as required.
Click Save and Close.

The Search Results page appears, and a note confirms that you updated the reservation.

Related Topics

Removing Resources from Reservations

To remove a resource from a reservation:

Open the Summary page for the resource that you want to remove from a reservation.
From the Related Pages menu, select Reservations.

A list of the resource's current reservations appears.
Select the reservation from which you want to remove the resource and click Delete.

The list refreshes and the reservation is removed.

Related Topics

The process of allocating a resource that has been reserved is called redeeming the reservation.

If resource reservation checking is enabled, UIM prompts you during resource redemption for the Reserved For and Reserved for Type values that were entered at the time the resource was reserved. If you enter the correct values, the reserved resource is assigned and removed from the reservation. If you enter incorrect values, UIM displays an error message and the resource remains reserved.

If resource reservation checking is not enabled, a reserved resource is assigned without any check.

Note:

Resource redemption is not supported for pipe configurations.

To redeem a reservation:

Select a reserved resource for assignment to a configuration item.

The Redeem Reservation dialog box appears.
From the Reserved for Type list, select the type that was entered when the reservation was created.
In the Reserved For field, enter the text that was entered at the time the reservation was entered.
Click OK.

The resource is assigned.

Related Topics

Reservation - New Page

You use the Reservation - New page to create new reservations.

Reservation Information Section

Field	Description
Reserved For Type	Select the type of entity or process for which the reservation is made.
Reserved For	Identify who is making the reservation.
Reservation Type	Select the length of the reservation, either Longterm or Shortterm. The type defines the duration of the reservation's validity, unless you supply a specific expiry date. By default, Shortterm is defined as 10 minutes and Longterm as 30 days. See UIM Developer's Guide for information about modifying rulesets to define different reservation type durations.
Reservation Number	Displays the reservation number after the reservation has been created. This number is generated automatically, and the field is read only.
Start Date	Enter the date on which the reservation becomes effective.
Expiry Date	If you selected Longterm in the Reservation Type field, enter the date on which the reservation expires.
Reason	Enter a reason for the reservation.

Add Resources Section

Field	Description
Item	Select the type of resource you want to reserve. You can select from existing entities or create new entities. See "Searching for Entities" and "Creating Entities" for more information.
Delete	Select an entity in the table and click Delete to remove the entity from the reservation.

Related Topics

Reservation - Information Page

You use the Reservation - Information page to edit existing reservation information.

Field	Description
Reserved For Type	Displays the type of entity or process for which the reservation is made. This field is read only.
Reserved For	Displays the person who is making the reservation. This field is read only.
Reservation Type	Select the length of the reservation, either Longterm or Shortterm. The type defines the duration of the reservation's validity, unless you supply a specific expiry date. By default, Shortterm is defined as 10 minutes and Longterm as 30 days. See UIM Developer's Guide for information about modifying rulesets to define different reservation type durations.
Reservation Number	Displays the reservation number after the reservation has been created. This number is generated automatically, and the field is read only.
Start Date	Enter the date on which the reservation becomes effective.
Expiry Date	If you selected Longterm in the Reservation Type field, enter the date on which the reservation expires.
Reason	Enter a reason for the reservation.
Item	Select the type of resource you want to reserve. You can select from existing entities or create new entities. See "Searching for Entities" and "Creating Entities" for more information.
Delete	Select an entity in the table and click Delete to remove the entity from the reservation.

Related Topics

Working with Conditions

You use conditions to limit the availability of resources for a particular reason and period of time. You can also use conditions or to cause messages to be displayed when resources are assigned. For example, you can apply a condition to block a particular telephone number from being assigned.

There are three types of condition: Blocked, Warning, and Informational. By default, only the Blocked condition has an effect on the availability of a resource. A Blocked condition prevents a resource from being assigned. For example, if an Equipment entity has a Blocked condition, it cannot be assigned to a service.

UIM can be customized with rulesets to define behavior associated with Warning and Information conditions. See UIM Developer's Guide for more information about rulesets.

See the following topics for more information about working with conditions:

Adding Conditions

You add conditions from a resource's Summary page or from the Search page Search Results section. You can define multiple conditions for a resource, but each condition must have unique reasons and start dates.

See the following topics for more information about adding conditions:

Adding Conditions from a Summary Page

You add conditions from a resource's Summary page. You can define multiple conditions for a resource, but each condition must have unique reasons and start dates.

To add a condition from a resource Summary page:

From the Related Pages menu, select Conditions.

The Conditions page appears, displaying a list of any existing conditions.
Click Create.

The Condition - New page appears.
Enter or select values in the Condition Type, Reason, and Start Date fields.

These are required fields. See "Condition - New Page" for information about the fields in this page.
(Optional) Enter a description of the condition.
(Optional) In the End Date field, enter the last date on which the condition will apply.
Click Save and Close.

The Conditions page displays the new condition.

Related Topics

Adding Conditions from the Search Results Section

You add conditions from a resource Search page in the Search Results page. You can define multiple conditions for a resource, but each condition must have unique reasons and start dates.

To add a condition from a resource Search Results section:

In the navigation section, click the entity for which you want to create a condition.

The entity Search page appears, displaying search criteria for the selected entity.
Search for or create an entity of the selected type.
In the Search Results section, select one or more entity rows.
From the Actions menu, select Add New Condition.

The Condition - New page appears.
Enter or select values in the Condition Type, Reason, and Start Date fields.

These are required fields. See "Condition - New Page" for information about the fields in this page.
(Optional) Enter a description of the condition.
(Optional) In the End Date field, enter the last date on which the condition will apply.
Click Save and Close.

The Condition Type column in the Search Results section is updated to reflect the new condition defined for the resource.

Related Topics

Adding Conditions from a Summary Page

Deleting Conditions

To delete a condition:

In the Summary page of a resource entity, select Conditions from the Related Pages menu.

The Conditions page appears, displaying a list of any existing conditions.
Select the condition you want to delete and click Delete.

The condition is deleted from the list.

Related Topics

Adding Conditions

Modifying Conditions

You can modify the type, description, and end date of a condition.

To modify a condition:

In the Summary page of a resource entity, select Conditions from the Related Pages menu.

The Conditions page appears, displaying a list of any existing conditions.
Click the link for the condition you want to modify.

The Condition - New page appears.
Modify the type, description, or end date.

See "Condition - New Page" for more information about the fields in this page.
Click Save and Close.

The Conditions page displays updated information for the condition you changed.

Related Topics

Adding Conditions

Condition - New Page

You use the Condition - New page to define new conditions for resources.

Field	Description
Condition Type	Select one of the following: Blocked: Select for resources that cannot be consumed because of some administrative reason. This condition prevents users from making assignments to this resource. Informational: Select to provide additional information about the resource. This condition does not affect availability. Warning: Select to supply additional information about a resource. A warning condition does not affect the availability of a resource but can be used to alert users when they use the resource.
Description	Enter a description of the condition.
Reason	Enter the reason for the condition. All reasons must be unique.
Start Date	Enter the first date on which the condition applies. The current day appears by default. When multiple conditions are defined for a single resource, start dates for the condition must be unique.
End Date	Enter the last date on which the condition will apply.

Related Topics

Adding Conditions