Adding custom fields to the Asset View

As a Smart IT administrator, you can add custom fields to the Asset View. The recommended process to add a field to the data model in BMC CMDB. However, you can also use Remedy Action Request System forms if the custom fields are not part of the CMDB data model, but are managed by Asset Management. With either approach, complete the process by adding the fields to Smart IT.

To add custom fields to the data model in BMC CMDB

This is the recommended process to add a field to the Asset View.

1. In BMC CMDB, add the custom field to the data model.
2. Perform the CMDB synchornizing process, as described in Modifying views of forms in BMC Remedy IT Service Management applications.
   Make sure to set the Has Asset UI option to Yes.
3. Restart Smart IT.
4. Add the custom field in Smart IT.

Remedy Asset forms to add custom fields

For the Asset view, you can add custom fields to the specific asset type form:

To add custom fields to Asset forms in Remedy Developer Studio

Each type of Asset has a Type-Specific area to which you can add custom fields that are relevant to that Asset type. There is also a Generic area into which you can add custom fields that apply all assets.  In the Screen Configuration, you can add custom fields to the asset view that are part of either  the Generic Area or the Type-Specific Area of the Asset View of the Remedy Action Request System form.

Process overview for adding fields in Remedy Developer Studio

The following image displays an overview of the conditions for making the fields available for customization in the Asset View:

To add a custom field to the Generic Area of Asset View, perform the following tasks:

1. Add the field in the AST:Attributes form.
2. Add the field in the AST:BaseElement form.
3. Add the field to the related asset-specific form.
4. Add the custom field in Smart IT.

To add a custom field to the Type-Specific Area of Asset View, perform the following tasks:

1. Add the field in the AST:Attributes form.
2. Add the field to the related asset-specific form.
3. Add the custom field in Smart IT.

To add a custom field to the AST:Attributes form 

1. Open Remedy Developer Studio in Best Practice Customization mode (the default).
2. In AR System Navigator, double-click Forms under the All Objects option.
3. In the Filtering Options, AST:Attribute for the form name. 
4. Click the form name to open the form.

5. From the pallet appearing on the right side of the form, select the field type from the Data Fields group.

   Note

   Currently, you cannot add the Diary and the Currency field types in the Data Fields group. Additionally, you cannot add the fields types of Display Fields and Composite Fields groups.

6. Drag the field from the palette to the specific area of the form where you want to add the custom field.
7. Modify field parameters as per the field requirements. Check the Field Properties section to set field properties such as permission etc.  For more information about creating fields, see  Creating and managing fields .
8. Save the form. 
   The following message is displayed:
   

   You have specified an id for following fields which is outside the BMC reserved range. Do you wish to continue?
   <Field name>

9. Click OK.
   

To add custom fields to the AST:BaseElement form 

1. In AR System Navigator, double-click Forms under the All Objects option.
2. In the Filtering Options, enter AST:BaseElement as the form name, and click the form name to open the form.
   
   1. Right-click the form.
   2. Click the Add Fields from AST:Attributes option.
   3. In the Add Fields dialog box, select the field that you added from the list and click OK.
   4. Save the form.
      

To add custom fields to the type-specific asset form 

After you add a custom field in the AST:Attributes form, you must add it in the corresponding type-specific asset form of Remedy Action Request System. For example, to add a printer-related field, you must add the field to the  AST:Printer form.

1. In AR System Navigator, double click on Forms under the All Object option.
2. In the Filtering Options, enter AST:Printer as the form name, and click the form name to open the form.
   
   1. Right-click the form.
   2. Click the Add Fields from AST:Attributes option.
      The field that you have added in the AST:Attributes form, appears in the Add Fields dialog box. 
   3. Select the field and click OK.
   4. Save the form.
      

For more information on about the asset-specific forms, see Adding custom fields to your views using Smart IT.

To add the custom fields to Smart IT

After you add a custom field in the Remedy Action Request System forms, you must add the field in Smart IT.

1. Log on to the Smart IT universal client as an Admin user with a fresh session.
2. From the Configuration menu, choose Screen Configuration.
3. Under Asset View, click Refresh Metadata.
4. In Asset View options, click Type-Specific Area, to add a field in the Type-Specific Area or click Generic Area to add a field in Generic Area.
   

   

   

5. For Type-Specific Area, from the Select Asset Type list, select the asset type; for example, Printer.

   Note

   You must select the specific asset type that corresponds to your custom field. For example, if you have added a custom field related to printers in the AST:Printer form, you need to select Printer from the Select Asset Type list. Your added field does not appear if you select another asset type, such as Mainframe, from the Select Asset Type list.

6. From the asset type list, type your custom field name in the Available Fields box, and Search.
7. Click the + sign next to your custom field name to move the field to the Selected Fields section.
8. Click Save.
   The field configuration is updated successfully. Now the custom field becomes available for the related asset.

Troubleshooting changes that are not reflected in Smart IT

In BMC.Core:BMC_Application Class, create a custom attribute that has selection values, and run the Asset Sync UI so that the custom attribute is reflected in the AST forms. In Smart IT, refresh the metadata for Asset View, and add the custom field. In the backend form, if you remove one of the selection values, you can notice that the changes are not reflected in Smart IT. You can still see the removed value even after you refresh the metadata. In Smart IT, to reflect the changes made in the backend form, you must remove the specific custom field, add it again, and then refresh the metadata. Sometimes you might need to restart the Smart IT server.

For additional troubleshooting information, see Smart IT troubleshooting.

Where to go from here

Transferring Smart IT customizations and definitions between servers