Working with the Configuration Items Explorer

The Configuration Items Explorer (CI Explorer) is the CI data visualization tool that enables you to view CIs and their relationships in an easy to understand, graphical manner. In the CI Explorer, each CI is represented by an image that indicates its class name and Instance Name. When a CI is related to other CIs, arrows connect its image to theirs.

The following topics are provided:

• • To view configuration items and their relationships
  • Configuration Items Explorer toolbar
  • To configure the Configuration Items Explorer

To view configuration items and their relationships

When you double-click a CI, you can view the related CIs. You can move from one CI to another to view relationships at all levels for all CIs in BMC Remedyforce.

1. Click the Remedyforce CMDB tab.
2. In the left pane of the CMDB Manager, select the class whose CI you want to view in the CI Explorer.
3. In the right pane of the CMDB Manager, select the CI that you want to view in the CI Explorer.
   To search for a CI, type initial characters of the name of the CI or the full name of the class name in the Search text box and click . For example, to search for Email Service CI, you can type Email or Email Service in the Search text box and click . You can also search using data in the Instance ID, Instance Name, Description, Class Name, Asset #, Token ID, and Serial # fields. If you select a class in the left pane, only the CIs of that class are searched. To search all classes, select the Base Element class in the left pane.
4. Click Launch CI Explorer.
   The CI Explorer opens and displays the CI and its related CIs. Each CI represents a node in the CI Explorer. By default, the CI Explorer displays the number of relationship levels that you have configured for the CI Explorer. For more information, see To configure the Configuration Items Explorer.

5. Double-click the CI whose relationships you want to view.
   The CI Explorer reappears and displays the CI and its related CIs.

   Important

   When you open the CI Explorer for the first time, you must download and install Microsoft Silverlight from the link provided in the CI Explorer.

Configuration Items Explorer toolbar

The following table list the CI Explorer toolbar options.The [confluence_table-plus] macro is a standalone macro and it cannot be used inline. Click on this message for details.
This macro generates standalone content. As a consequence you need to make sure to use a syntax that separates your macro from the content before and after it so that it's on a line by itself. For example in XWiki Syntax 2.0+ this means having 2 newline characters (a.k.a line breaks) separating your macro from the content before and after it.

To configure the Configuration Items Explorer

You can configure the type and color of connecting lines and the number of levels you want to expand the relationships in the CI Explorer.

1. Click the Remedyforce CMDB tab.
2. In the left pane of the CMDB Manager, select the class whose CI you want to view in the CI Explorer.
3. In the right pane of the CMDB Manager, select the CI that you want to view in the CI Explorer.
    To search for a CI, type initial characters of the name of the CI or the full name of the class name in the Search text box and click . For example, to search for Email Service CI, you can type Email or Email Service in the Search text box and click . You can also search using data in the Instance ID, Instance Name, Description, Class Name, Asset #, Token ID, and Serial # fields. If you select a class in the left pane, only the CIs of that class are searched. To search all classes, select the Base Element class in the left pane.
4. To open the CI Explorer and display the CI and its related CIs, click Launch CI Explorer.
5. Click Settings.
6. In the Line Settings tab of the CI Explorer Settings window, perform any of the following actions:
   • From the Expand CI Relationships to levels list, select the number of levels you want to expand the relationships between CIs.
   • In the Relationship section, click the type of relationship that you want to configure.
     For the selected relationship type, configure the following properties:
     • From the Line Direction list, select the direction of the relationship line.
     • From the Line Style list, select the style of the relationship line.
     • From the Line Thickness list, select the thickness of the relationship line.
     • From the Line Color palette, select the color of the relationship line.
7. In the Field Settings tab of the CI Explorer Settings window, perform the following actions:
   1. From the Display Fields for list, select one of the following CI Explorer components:
      • ToolTip – The selected fields and their values appear as a ToolTip when you move your mouse over a node in the CI Explorer. You can select a maximum of five fields for the ToolTip.
      • Label – The selected fields display their values in the label of the node in the CI Explorer. You can select a maximum of two fields for the label of the node.
      • Information Pane – When you select a CI, its linked open incidents, tasks, change requests, or problems appear in the Information Pane. For each open record, its Class Name and Instance ID is displayed by default. The selected fields and their values appear at the top of the Information Pane in the CI Explorer. You can select a maximum of 10 fields for the Information Pane. All the field values that are displayed in the Configuration Item section are hyperlinked to the Instance Editor form of the Configuration Item.
   2. In the Available Fields list, select the fields you want to display and to move the selected fields from the Available Fields list to the Selected Fields list, click the right arrow.
   3. (Optional) To move the selected fields from the Selected Fields list to the Available Fields list, click the left arrow.
   4. Click Save.
8. Click Close.