Creating application templates and application object templates

Use application templates to supply default values in fulfillment records, so that the fulfillment records are complete and consistent. For example, work order templates are useful in any work order that follows well-defined methods for specific and repeated requirements — such as Installs, Moves, Adds, and Changes (IMAC). When a user requests a service to upgrade office furnishings, the work order template is used to create a work order with predefined company, categorizations, tasks, and assignments — information that is needed to complete the request.

The user's responses to questions and other data mapped from the service request are also used to populate fulfillment records. Values mapped from the service request take precedence over values provided by the application template. For more information, see Creating questions to use with SRDs.

An application object template (AOT) is a container object for an application template. The AOT definition includes the company, application, and application template. 

You can associate application target data with an AOT, and then map that target data to variables defined in the PDT. The mapping enables you to pass data from a service request to the fulfillment application. For more information, see information about PDT variables and data flow in Creating process definition templates.

You must create an application template first, and then associate it with an AOT. Each AOT can include only one application template, and each application template can be included in only one AOT. When you specify an application template in an AOT, the application template is registered with the AOT. Only an unregistered application template can be added to an AOT.

Quick launch and no-template AOTs do not use application templates. No-template AOTs create the fulfillment request without a fulfillment application template.

Before you begin

Before creating the AOTs, make sure to perform the following actions:

• Get SRM Administrator permission.
• Read the Guidelines for designing services.

To create application templates

You create application templates for work orders, incident requests, and change requests within their respective applications:

To create AOTs and register application templates

1. From the Application Administration Console, click the Custom Configuration tab.
2. From the Application Settings list, select Service Request Management > Application Configuration > Define Application Object Template, and click Open.

3. In the Application Object Template form, enter the following information :

   Field	Description
   Locale (optional)	Specify the locale for the application object template. For more information about localizing AOTs, see Localizing AOTs, PDTs, and AIFs. If English is the only locale installed, this field is not available.
   Company	Specify the company connected with this AOT.
   Type	Specify the type of AOT. You can select from the following types: NO TEMPLATE — AOT does not use an application template to create the fulfillment request. You can include target data. Quick Launch — Launches a URL in another window and completes the service request for tracking purposes. Using a quick launch AOT with an SRD does not require approval. Quick launch AOTs do not use application templates. TEMPLATE — AOT uses an application template with pre-defined values. You can include target data. You cannot use this option when you select the Global company.
   Name	Enter a descriptive name of the AOT.
   End User Displayed Name	Enter a name of the AOT for users to appear at runtime in the Request Entry console when you view the Process Details of the service request.
   Summary	Enter a descriptive summary of the AOT.
   App Registry Name	Select BMC Change Management, BMC Incident Management, or Work Order Management. Not all the items that appear in the menu are eligible.
   Template Name	Enter a name for the template. After registering the template, the AOT will be locked to that template. You can select application templates that have not yet been registered.
   Status	Select the status of the AOT.
   URL	The URL field becomes activated when you select the Quick Launch type. Enter the URL needed to launch the window.

4. From the Template Name field, to register an application template with this AOT, click Select.
   When you create an application template (for example, a work order template), you can register it with an AOT. The preset values in the application template are associated with the AOT. When you include the AOT in an SRD, the preset values are used to create the fulfillment requests when the SRD creates a service request.
   Application templates must be created by the registered fulfillment application before you can register them with BMC Service Request Management. 

5. Select an unregistered template from the list, and click Register.
   The application template becomes registered with the AOT when you save your changes.
   Application templates can be registered only once, and you can include only one application template for each AOT.
   If you receive an error message (ARERR 9280), make sure that the server name in the Mid Tier configuration matches the server name used by the CAI application registry.

   Best practice

   We recommend that you use fully-qualified names.

6. Click Add Target Data.
7. From the Available Target Data table, add target data fields to the AOT.
   Add target data based on the design and purpose of the AOT and related PDTs. 
8. In the list of target data, define a default value for the target data in the Default Value field.
   For example, you can configure that the Customer Name field with a pre-populated value ($USER$ ) appears on the SRD. You can also add hidden fields to the SRD, with prepopulated values.
   Even if the target data is not exposed, you should provide default values, so that the correct target data is provided. An attempt to create a work order from the SRD will fail if the required fields do not have the correct values entered (for example, if the Summary field is left empty).
9. In the Exposed field, select Exposed to expose the field to the PDT.
10. Click Save.
    When the Service Catalog Manager associates the AOTs to the PDT, the target associated with the AOT is also associated to the PDT.