Creating the Incident Summary by Assigned Group pod

This procedure contains steps and procedures for creating the Incident Summary by Assigned Group pod and includes the following:

Creating the Incident Summary data view

We create the data view by clicking Data Views in the Pod Builder tool, clicking New on the Data View management dialog, specifying Incident View as the data view name, then by making the following selections in the Data Set screen:

The BMC Remedy AR System database schema name, in our case, ARADMIN.
The table (view) that we created earlier when we prepared the data, INCIDENT_SUMMARY_DAILY.
We select all of the columns in the table.
We apply the SUM function to the NUM_INCIDENTS column so that the pod can calculate the total number of incidents reported on a daily basis. The function name is prefixed to the column name, which is then used as the alias. In the example above, the NUM_INCIDENTS column is automatically assigned the alias SUM_NUM_INCIDENTS. You can keep this alias or update it.

The Incident Summary view is shown below:

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Creating the summary chart

Use the steps in this section to create the summary or “master” chart for the Incident summary by assigned group pod.

Using the Create Custom Pod wizard, we use the Name and Layout pane to specify the pod name (Incident summary by assigned group) and because we know we want to view the summary chart with a breakdown of the data in another chart component, we select the layout type side-by-side layout with a third chart accessible through a chart selector.

The name of the pod should convey the metric or the key performance indicator that the pod visualizes. Use the description field to provide summarized information about the pod.

As a result of this step, we now have a blank pod with three empty chart areas. Each chart area contains buttons at the top that are used to configure each chart. The remainder of this procedure takes us through the steps of creating each of the charts. The blank pod with empty chart areas is shown below.

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In the left chart area, we click the Chart button to specify our chart type. We specify the Stacked bar chart as our chart type for the summary chart since this chart type allows us to see not only the total number of incidents of a particular priority but also the status of the incidents that are categorized in each priority.
In the left chart area, we click the Data button to specify the data used in the chart. Using the Select Data for the Chart pane, we select the data view Incident View then specify the columns Priority and Status as the category, using the up arrow to move the Priority and Status columns up to the top of the list. Since Priority is at the top of the list, “Priority” is used as the horizontal axis label.
We then select the SUM_NUM_INCIDENTS column as the series column so that the calculated number of incidents is displayed on the vertical axis. The completed pane is shown below:
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In the Select Options for the Chart pane, we select the Include optional labels option and specify Incident Priority and Incident Count as the axis titles. Specifying those labels allows us to have more descriptive labels than “Priority” and “Sum_Num_Incidents”. We select the Include a Time Range Selection Component option so that the pod will include a drop-down menu that we can use to display the data for different time ranges. We select DATE_POINT as the field to use for the time range so that the reported date is used in the time range calculation. The completed pane follows:

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For this chart, no pod interaction options are selected since it is the summary, or “master” chart.

Creating the breakdown chart

Use the steps in this section to create the breakdown chart for the Incident Summary by assigned group pod.

From the right-side chart area, we click the Chart button to and select the donut chart from the Select a Chart pane. We specify the donut chart as the chart type. Using a donut chart allows us to display the number of incidents assigned to a particular groups as a percentage of the total number of incidents of a particular priority and status.
Also from the right-side chart area, we click the Data button to specify the data that we want to include in the chart. In the Select Data for the Chart pane, we select the Incident View data view and then select ASSIGNED_GROUP as the category column, using the up arrows to move the ASSIGNED_GROUP column up to the top of the list. We then select the SUM_NUM_INCIDENTS column as the series column so that the number of incidents is displayed for that assigned group. The completed pane is shown below:

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In the Select Options for the Chart pane, we enable the option Include optional labels and specify Incident Breakdown by Assigned Group as the chart title. We select the Include a Time Range Selection Component option so that a time range drop down menu is available for the pod and then we specify DATE_POINT as the field to use for the time range so that the date reported data is calculated for the time range. The completed panel is shown below:

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In the Select Pod Interaction for the Chart pane, we select the option Make this a detail component so that the data displayed in the donut chart can be controlled by what is selected in the summary chart on the left. We select Priority and Status as the data columns from the master (summary) component on which we want the donut chart to be “driven”. The values Priority and Status are populated in the Filter Column column since these are the data columns from this “detail” component that correspond to the columns from the master (summary) component. By default, Priority and Status, respectively, are displayed below the breakdown chart so that we can easily identify the priority and status of the incidents displayed in the donut chart.
The Select Pod Interaction for the Chart pane is displayed below:

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Creating the grid chart

Use the steps in this section to create the grid chart for the Incident summary for assigned group pod.

To enable the grid chart area for editing, we click the Select Chart type icon and select the grid chart from the pop-up menu, as shown below.

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From the grid chart area, we click the Chart button, and in the Select a Chart pane, we select the Data Grid chart type so that the incidents displayed in the summary pod are displayed in a table.
In the Select Data for the Chart pane, we select Incident View as the data view and select Priority, Status, Assigned Group, Reported Date, and Number of Incidents as the columns of data that we want to be displayed in the table. The completed pane is shown below:

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In the Select Options for the Chart pane, select the option Include optional labels and specify Incident Details as the chart title.
So that we have a time range dropdown menu for the pod, we enable the option Include a Time Range Selection Component and then specify DATE_POINT as the field to use for the time range so that the incident reported date data is calculated for the time ranges.

Enable the option Include a Breakdown Selection Component and select Assigned Group. This option adds an Assigned Group drop-down menu to the chart so that we can view the incident details by the assigned group. The completed pane is shown below.

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Finalizing and previewing the pod

Use the steps in this section to perform the following tasks:

add a hypertext link to BMC Remedy Service Desk
assign the pod to a category and a user
add information that explains the pod
make the pod available to users
preview the pod

We click the Pod Options icon located at the top of the pod so that we can create a hypertext link to BMC Remedy Service Desk. Launching the BMC Remedy Service Desk allows us to access the Incident Management interface and locate more information on the incident records. To specify the URL used for BMC Remedy Service Desk installed in our environment, we enable the option Provide URL and enter the following value for the URL:
http://bsmdash100:8080/arsys/shared/login.jsp?/arsys/forms/w23-ce-vm03/HPD
Warning
The value you use for your environment will vary.
The completed Select options for the Pod dialog follows:
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The resulting hypertext link is shown below:

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We assign the pod to the Incident Management pod category by selecting the pod category from the Pod Category list at the bottom of the pod. If you do not specify a pod category, the pod is assigned by default to the first category in the list. You can modify the category assignment at any time.
The category that you specify can be any of the existing categories available with the product, or you can create your own category that is applicable to your workflow. Create a new category by clicking the Custom Pod Categories button at the top of the Pod Builder utility window.

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To add descriptive information about the pod so that others that use the pod can understand the data that they are viewing, we click the Information about this Pod button at the top of the pod. We enter descriptive information, including what each chart shows, the source of the data, how to filter the data that is shown, as well as other information that is useful to other users of this pod.

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Here is the text that we enter into the text box:
Metric:
The total number of incidents split by assigned group.

Description:
The number of incidents viewed by priority and status across various assigned
groups allows you to monitor the workload of the individual groups and ensure
that incidents are getting addressed as quickly as possible.

Sample values for Priority are Critical, High, Medium, and Low. Sample values
for Status are New, Open, Escalated, Closed, Unassigned. Sample Assigned
Groups values are IT, Network Support, Database Support.

For example, a manager can instantly view:
— New, High priority incidents assigned to IT.
— Critical, Open incidents across Network Support and Database Support.

The total number of incidents is viewable by Priority, Status, and Assigned
Group. The incidents can viewed for the following time periods: week to date,
last week, month to date, last month, quarter to date, last quarter, year to
date, and last year.

Selecting a segment in the incident count chart provides the breakdown by
assigned group in the donut chart.

A table view of the data is available in the pod by selecting the chart type
option & choosing the table view.

Details regarding Data:
The incident data is retrieved from the BMC Remedy AR System Server data source
from the HPD_HELP_DESK table.

The incident count is based on the Incident Reported Date.

Launch URL:
You can use the Launch URL icon at the top of the pod to launch into BMC
Remedy Service Desk.
So that the pod is available for the designated user to see in the Pod Catalog in the executive console, we click the option Make Available to Users. We also assign the pod to the roles of IT Supervisor and Service Delivery Manager in the Role Assignment pane.
To preview the pod in the administrator console, we click Preview, and then we select the Year to Date time range selection to view the incident data for that time range. The chart view is shown below, showing the data for the Year to Date time range:

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The donut chart on the right is updated each time we click on a different section of the chart on the left, to show the breakdown, by assigned group, of the incidents included in the segment selected on the left.
The grid view, shown below, shows the details of all of the incidents that are displayed in the summary chart, for the selected assigned group and time range, including the priority, status, assigned group, reported date, and number of incidents. You can select a different assigned group or a different time range from the drop-down menus.
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