Settings to create incidents by using email messages

This topic describes the settings that you can configure to create incidents from email messages. The Incident - Email Settings option in the Remedyforce Administration > Configure Email tile provides these settings. Also, the following guidelines are explained to map fields and templates to the incident that gets created by using email messages:

The following table describes the sections and the options provided in each of these sections:

Guidelines to map email content to Incident fields

Ensure the following in the email message that you send to create incidents in BMC Helix Remedyforce:

If you have not mapped any email content, then the whole email body is saved as value in the Description field.
You can map email content with the incident fields without entering any keyword. If you have mapped the email content to any field on the Incident form without entering any keyword, then the whole information is saved as value in the field. For example, if the Description field of the Incident form is mapped with body of the email message without any keyword, then while creating the incident, the whole email body is copied to the Description field.
If you do not specify keywords and map email body with a rich text format (RTF) field of incidents, images pasted in the email body are displayed in the RTF field of an incident itself.
If you specify keywords and map email body with an RTF field of incidents, images pasted in the email body are displayed in the Files or Notes & Attachments section and not in the RTF fields. The rest of email body is displayed as a plain text.
If you are using keywords, then the keyword is searched in the email message and the information is saved as value in the field. However, if you are using keywords, ensure the following points:
- There should be no text between two consecutive keyword-value pairs.
- BMC recommends that you must have keyword-value pair in different lines.
- There should be no space between the keyword and value.
If you have mapped the email content to any field on the Incident form, then the information is saved as value in the field.
If the mapping contains Email Message, then the whole email content is saved as value in the mapped field.
Ensure that the Date and Date Time format in the email is yyyy-mm-dd and yyyy-mm-dd-hh-mm-ss.
You can use the delimiter only to map email content to the Incident form fields. If you use the delimiter other than for mapping purpose, there can be errors in mapping and failure in creating incident. However, you can also create incidents without using the delimiters.
The following table describes the valid data types for mapping of email content:

Sample email message 1

From: johnSmith@abcCorp.com
To: helpdesk@xyz.com, somebody@gmail.com
Cc: xersus@actec.com, anybody@frog.com
Subject: Game server HDD crashed.
Body:
Game server HDD has crashed.
Game Server down. All APAC users off-line.

In this example, an incident is created by using the information from the received email message.

Sample email message 2

I need help for an issue for which the details are the following:
Config Item##BS1##
Category##Software##
Description##XYZ software not installing, says abc is the problem##

In this email message, Config Item is a keyword and BS1 is the value. In this example, consider that the Config Item keyword is mapped to Configuration Item lookup field on the Incident form.

In this example, if the Subject of the email message is mapped to the Incident Description field, and Category is added as a keyword, then the value of the Incident Description field is Software.

Mapping of keywords is done on the Mapping Email Content to Incident Fields section.

Including prefixes in mapped fields

Prefixes, such as Body:, From:, and so on, are included or excluded from the mapped fields depending upon the status of the Include prefix in mapped fields check box and email content mapping with incident fields. The following table describes if the prefixes are included or not based on the field mapping and the status of the Include prefix in mapped fields check box.

Guidelines to map email content to incident template

When a client sends an email message to create an incident, the template can be applied to the incident along with pouplating the fields of that incident. To map email content to the incident template, you must perform the following configuration:

In the Mapping Email Content to Incident Fields section, configure the Delimiter and Include prefix in mapped fields as shown in the image below.

Use the following syntax:

When the option Create an incident only when the email subject contains is selected.
<text> <delimiter> <delimiter> <keyword1><delimiter><value1><delimiter>...<keywordN><delimiter><valueN><delimiter>

For example,
OPEN CALL ## ## Template##Application Access Request## Impact##LOW##

When the option Create an incident with any email subject is selected.
<delimiter> <delimiter> <keyword1><delimiter><value1><delimiter>...<keywordN><delimiter><valueN><delimiter>

For example,
## ## Template##Application Access Request## Impact##LOW##
The placeholders are defined as follows:

text: The string of words that should match the words provided in the Create an incident only when the email subject contains option. The words must be included at the beginning of the email subject.

delimiter: The symbol selected in the Delimiter field.

keywordN: The keyword provided for a selected field in the Email Keyword field.

valueN: The value provided for a keyword.

Note

You can add a keyword that maps to a lookup field. If you provide a value for that keyword that does not exist in the category of the corresponding lookup field, the record is created with a blank value for that field.

Use cases for email and template mapping

The setting Create an incident with any email subject is enabled.
The client sends an email with the subject as follows.

#### Template##Application Access Request## Impact##LOW## Category##Software##

In this scenario, an incident will be created and the template, Application Access Request, will be applied to that incident. Also, the incident fields Impact and Category will be assigned the values Low and Software respectively.

Note that the template that is mentioned in the email message is applied to the incident only if the template name in the email message is specified in the beginning of either the subject line or any line in the body of that email message. The following use cases describe the valid scenarios where an incident will be created with the specified template name.

Use case	Example
If the subject line starts with the template name enclosed in delimiters	Subject: #### Template##Application Access Request## Impact##LOW## Category##Software## <subject line continues>
If the subject line contains any text just before the keyword, the keyword is not identified and hence the value is not mapped. In order to ensure correct mapping, you must add the selected delimiter twice after the text, followed by the keyword.	Subject: <text> <delimiter> <delimiter> <keyword1><delimiter><value1><delimiter>...<keywordN><delimiter><valueN><delimiter> Subject: Request for Laptop ## ## PRI##3## IMP##MEDIUM## OID##SERVICE DESK##
If the first line of the body starts with the template name enclosed in delimiters	Body: Template##Application Access Request## <body continues>
If a line in the body starts with the template name enclosed in delimiters	Body: <Body line 1> Template##Application Access Request## <body continues>