Configuring BMC HelixGPT chat for BMC Helix ITSM

Important

The features and enhancements in this topic are under controlled availability to select customers.

BMC Helix ITSM leverages the generative AI capabilities of BMC HelixGPT to provide a powerful search experience to the service desk agents. The Full Text Search (FTS)-based global search is augmented with a powerful chat-based search powered by BMC HelixGPT. Instead of manually searching for information from knowledge articles, agents can type in specific questions in BMC HelixGPT chat and get summarized answers.

For example, instead of manually searching for a knowledge article that contains an asset replacement policy, an agent can type in specific questions and get summarized policy information.

Related topics

Use case: Leveraging BMC HelixGPT chat to search for information

Searching-for-information-by-using-BMC-HelixGPT-chat

BMC HelixGPT FAQ

BMC HelixGPT is an answer retrieval service that uses large language models (LLM) to sift through the text in published knowledge articles. BMC HelixGPT uses this text to match the user queries and generates an answer in human-like natural language. BMC HelixGPT provides a conversational user experience to the service desk agents to search for information.

The following diagram depicts the tasks for configuring BMC HelixGPT chat for BMC Helix ITSM:

Workflow_Enable_BMCHelixGPT_Chat.png

To opt for BMC HelixGPT chat, contact your BMC account manager.

After you opt for this capability, BMC Software does the following configurations:

  • Configures the URL of the HelixGPT Assistant service in the HelixGPT-Assistant-Service-URL CCS parameter to enable BMC HelixGPT in your BMC Helix ITSM environment.
    For more information about the HelixGPT-Assistant-Service-URL CCS parameter, see Setting-configuration-parameters-in-BMC-Helix-ITSM.
  • Configures the BMC Helix IT Service Management application out of the box in BMC HelixGPT Manager.

If you want to enable BMC HelixGPT for an on-premise deployment, see Performing the BMC Helix Service Management installation.

Important

 

Supported knowledge providers

For the BMC Helix IT Service Management application, BMC HelixGPT uses the following knowledge articles, by default, to generate responses: 

  • Published knowledge articles from BMC Helix ITSM: Knowledge Management
  • Knowledge articles associated with closed incidents from BMC Helix ITSM

You can also set BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround as a data source for the BMC Helix IT Service Management application instead of BMC Helix ITSM: Knowledge Management. BMC HelixGPT uses published knowledge articles from BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround to generate responses.

 

Before you begin

Make sure you complete the following tasks before you enable BMC HelixGPT chat for BMC Helix ITSM.

Important

If you have already performed these tasks to enable the Ask HelixGPT feature for BMC Helix ITSM: Service Desk and want to use the same AI provider, model, and data sources, then you only need to associate that model with the ITSM Global Chat Skill.

If you have opted for the BMC HelixGPT chat feature but not for the Ask HelixGPT feature, ensure you disable Ask HelixGPT.

For more information about disabling Ask HelixGPT, see Configuring Ask HelixGPT for BMC Helix ITSM.

Product

Task

Reference

BMC Helix Innovation Studio

Ingest data from BMC Helix ITSM: Knowledge Management and BMC Helix ITSM into BMC HelixGPT.

If you have set BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround as a data source for the BMC Helix IT Service Management application, ingest its data into BMC HelixGPT.

BMC HelixGPTManager

Obtain the API key from your AI service provider and configure the AI service provider connection in the BMC HelixGPT Manager administrator UI. 

BMC HelixGPTManager

In BMC HelixGPT Manager, the following skill is provided out of the box for BMC HelixGPT chat:

  • ITSM Global Chat Skill: To generate an answer when an agent asks a question in BMC HelixGPT chat.

A skill is a container for the artifacts that define the conversation flow for user responses.

You must associate the model you want to use with this out-of-the-box skill for the BMC Helix IT Service Management application in the BMC HelixGPT Manager administrator UI.

By default, the Azure OpenAI gpt-35-turbo model is associated with this out-of-the-box skill.

For information about associating a model with a skill, see Updating prompts and skills for consistent and efficient responses from BMC HelixGPT.

BMC HelixGPTManager

Set BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround as a data source for the BMC Helix IT Service Management application.

Perform this task only if you want to use published knowledge articles from BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround instead of BMC Helix ITSM: Knowledge Management to generate the responses.

You need not define search filters for BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround because they are predefined.

Important

By default, BMC Helix ITSM: Knowledge Management and BMC Helix ITSM are set as data sources for the BMC Helix IT Service Management application. 

If you set BMC Helix Knowledge Management by ComAround as a data source, make sure you remove the association of  BMC Helix ITSM: Knowledge Management as a data source for the BMC Helix IT Service Management application.

For information about setting a data source for an application, see Defining knowledge search settings.

 

To enable BMC HelixGPT chat for BMC Helix ITSM

The following CCS parameters are not applicable for global search if BMC HelixGPT chat is enabled:

  • disableTypeaheadInGlobalSearch
  • useARUserPreferenceForLocalization
  • useARUserPreferenceForTimezone

For more information about the CCS parameters, see Setting-configuration-parameters-in-BMC-Helix-ITSM, Supported-languages-and-locales, and Configuring-date-and-time-formats.

Before you begin

On the AR System Configuration Generic UI form, ensure that the URL of the HelixGPT Assistant service is present in the HelixGPT-Assistant-Service-URL CCS parameter of the com.bmc.arsys.server.shared (*) CCS component. If the URL is not present, contact your BMC account manager.

  1. On the AR System Configuration Generic UI form, add the enableHelixGPTGlobalChat CCS parameter to the com.bmc.arsys.smartit (*) component.
  2. Set the enableHelixGPTGlobalChat CCS parameter to true.

 

To set the default mode to global search or BMC HelixGPT chat

After you enable BMC HelixGPT chat, you can set the default mode to BMC HelixGPT chat or global search.

Before you begin

Ensure you have set the enableHelixGPTGlobalChat CCS parameter to true.

  1. On the AR System Configuration Generic UI form, add the helixgptGlobalSearchDefaultMode CCS parameter to the com.bmc.arsys.smartit (*) component.
  2. Set the helixgptGlobalSearchDefaultMode CCS parameter to one of the following options:
    • search: To set the default mode to global search.
    • chat: To set the default mode to BMC HelixGPT chat.

The default value is search.

 

Result: After BMC HelixGPT chat is enabled for BMC Helix ITSM

After you enable BMC HelixGPT chat, you can see the following options:

  • The global search GlobalSearch_without_GPT.pngicon on the BMC Helix ITSM navigation bar is replaced with GPT_Search_Icon.pngindicating that BMC HelixGPT chat is enabled for BMC Helix ITSM.
  • Clicking GPT_Search_Icon.pngdisplays Chat and Search as toggle options. The default mode displayed depends on the default mode you configure, that is Chat or Search.
    A BMC Helix Innovation Studio-based user interface is displayed for Chat and Search.
  • Clicking Chat opens BMC HelixGPT chat.

Global_Search.png

  • Clicking Search opens the global search.
    GlobalSearch_with_GPT_Enabled.png

 

To disable BMC HelixGPT chat for BMC Helix ITSM

  1. On the AR System Configuration Generic UI form, select the com.bmc.arsys.smartit (*) component.
  2. Set the enableHelixGPTGlobalChat CCS parameter to false.

 

Result: After BMC HelixGPT chat is disabled for BMC Helix ITSM

After you disable BMC HelixGPT chat, you can see the following option:

  • The global search GlobalSearch_without_GPT.pngicon is displayed on the BMC Helix ITSM navigation bar instead of GPT_Search_Icon.png indicating that BMC HelixGPT chat is disabled for BMC Helix ITSM.
  • Clicking GlobalSearch_without_GPT.pngopens the global search.
    A classic Smart IT-based user interface is displayed for global search.

Classic_Global_Search.png

 

Troubleshooting

The following table describes the steps you can perform if you encounter the following problems: 

Problem

Resolution

BMC HelixGPTchat does not generate any response.

Make sure you have performed the following actions:

  • Set the correct API endpoint URL and API key for the model you want to use for the BMC Helix IT Service Management application in the BMC HelixGPT Manager administrator UI.
  • Associate the model you want to use with ITSM Global Chat Skill for the BMC Helix IT Service Management application in the BMC HelixGPT Manager administrator UI.
  • Run the data connection jobs for the data sources of the BMC Helix IT Service Management application and make sure that the data sources are indexed. 
  • BMC HelixGPT Manager shows a seed data error when you try to associate another model with an out-of-the-box skill for the BMC Helix IT Service Management application.
  • You cannot link other prompts to an out-of-the-box skill for the BMC Helix IT Service Management application. 

Work around:

  1. Log into BMC Helix Innovation Studio with administrator credentials.
  2. Select the Development mode as Base.
  3. Click Workspace.
  4. On the Workspace page, click the HelixGPT Manager application to open it.
  5. On the Rules tab, click the Protect Seed Data - Skill rule.
  6. On the Edit Edit_Tab.pngtab of the Protect Seed Data - Skill page, expand GENERAL and turn off the Enabled toggle key.

  7. In BMC HelixGPT Manager, associate the model or link the prompt you want to the out-of-the-box skill for the BMC Helix IT Service Management application and save the changes.
    For information about associating a model or linking a prompt to a skill, see Updating prompts and skills for consistent and efficient responses from BMC HelixGPT.

    Warning

    Do not modify any other out-of-the-box configuration.

  8. Open the Protect Seed Data - Skill page and turn on the Enabled toggle key.

Important

If BMC HelixGPT is upgraded, the preceding configuration is overwritten by the out-of-the-box configuration. Therefore, you must perform the workaround steps again after a BMC HelixGPT upgrade.

 

FAQ

BMC HelixGPT chat does not generate any response even after you have done the required configurations

Possible reasons:

  • A relevant published knowledge article does not exist in the knowledge repository referenced by BMC HelixGPT.
  • A relevant published knowledge article exists, but the logged-in user is not entitled to view the knowledge article.
BMC HelixGPT chat shows incorrect or varied responses

Possible reasons:

  • Response generation depends on many factors such as accuracy of the knowledge articles, model, and prompt configuration. Therefore, the generated responses might vary.
  • BMC HelixGPTdoes not use information present in the attached documents of the knowledge articles for generating responses. Hence, if the information is present in an attached document of a knowledge article, the generated response will not contain the information.

If the knowledge article that is referenced to generate the response contains incorrect or hidden malicious content, the generated response will be incorrect. Knowledge approvers must thoroughly review the knowledge articles before approving them.

Tip

If you want to allow knowledge approvers to review the articles in source HTML format, you can set the isCKEditorSourceEditable CCS parameter to true. For more information, see Setting-configuration-parameters-in-BMC-Helix-ITSM.

The following screenshot shows the Source option that is available on the edit knowledge article screen after you enable the isCKEditorSourceEditable CCS parameter:

IncidentScreen_SourceOption.png

Can I access the BMC HelixGPT capability for BMC Helix ITSM with suite licenses?

For information about licensing, see Licensing and pricing for BMC HelixGPT.

Where is the BMC Helix ITSM data stored if I plan to use BMC HelixGPT?

For information about data transportation, encryption, and storage, see BMC HelixGPT FAQ and Security and privacy for BMC HelixGPT.

 

Tip: For faster searching, add an asterisk to the end of your partial query. Example: cert*