Localizing foundation data into the supported languages

Important

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

Localizing the foundation data helps you adhere to the region-specific language compliance requirements and enhances user experience.

For example, if your organization operates across multiple geographical locations, you can localize the foundation data into the supported languages. Users in each location can view the data in the same language as that of their application user interface.

As an administrator, localize the following common foundation data from its base language into the supported languages in the Action Request System (AR) server:

People
Location
Organization
Company
Operational category
Product category
Resolution category

After you localize the foundation data, it is available in localized languages in the service management applications that use the foundation data, such as BMC Helix Business Workflows and BMC Helix ITSM: Change Management. While composing an email message in PWA, you can select the data in your preferred language in the email message.

In the Mid Tier and PWA screens, the out-of-the-box SLM statuses and messages on the SLA progress bar are available in the supported languages. This capability helps you view the statuses and messages in your preferred language while maintaining language consistency with the user interface.

Additionally, you can use the Enable-Data-Translation CCS parameter to view the out-of-the-box SLM goal and milestone values in localized languages in Mid Tier. For more information about the Enable Data Translation CCS parameter, see Setting configuration parameters in BMC Helix ITSM.

If you want to display localized values, such as Full Name, in Action Request System forms, such as User or AP:PreviewInfo forms, you must manually configure the localized values to be pulled from the foundation forms.

Locale forms for foundation data

To localize the foundation data, the following locale forms are provided out of the box for each main form that holds the foundation data:

Foundation data type	Main form name	Name of the locale form
Company	COM:Company	COM:Company Locale
Organization / Department	CTM:People Organization	CTM:People Organization Locale
People	CTM:People	CTM:People Locale
Product category	PCT:Product Catalog	PCT:Product Catalog Locale
Operational category	CFG: Service Catalog	CFG: Service Catalog Locale
Resolution category	CFG:Generic Catalog	CFG:Generic Catalog Locale
Location	CTM:Region	CTM:Region Locale
	SIT:Site	SIT:Site Locale
	SIT:Site Group	SIT:Site Group Locale

Before you begin

Complete the following steps in Mid Tier and Developer Studio before you localize the foundation data:

In Mid Tier, create a report by specifying the Type as AR System and the Form Name of the main form that holds the foundation data. For example, PCT:Product Catalog. Use this report to export the foundation data to an .arx file.
For information about creating a report, see Creating and managing reports from the AR System Report Console.
In Developer Studio, open the locale form of the respective main form, and note the field ID of the Main Record ID field.
For example, to localize the product categorization data, open the PCT:Product Catalog Locale form and note the field ID of the Main Record ID field.

To localize the foundation data into a supported language

You can localize the foundation data into one language at a time.

In Mid Tier, open the main form that holds the foundation data you want to localize. For example, PCT:Product Catalog.
In the fields that hold the foundation data, specify the search criteria to search for the foundation data records you want to localize.
For example, in the PCT:Product Catalog form, select the product categorizations in the Product Categorization Tier 1, Product Categorization Tier 2, and Product Categorization Tier 3 fields.
Click Search to search for the foundation data records.
Click Report.
On the Report Console – <form name> page, select the report you created for exporting the foundation data and perform the following steps:
1. In the Destination field, select File.
2. In the Format field, select AR Export.
3. In the Filename field, specify a file name where you want to export the data.
4. Click Run.
  The foundation data to be localized is exported in its base language to the <filename>.arx file.
Copy the .arx file to the server where the Data Import Tool is installed.
Open the .arx file and update the following details in the file:
1. In SCHEMA, append the text Locale at the end of the form name.
  Make sure the locale form name matches the locale form name of the main form. For example, PCT:Product Catalog Locale.
2. In FIELDS, replace the text Record ID with the text Main Record ID.
3. In FLD-ID, replace 379 with the field ID of the Main Record ID field you noted.
4. In DATA, replace the foundation data in the base language with its localized equivalent.
  You can specify the data only in one language at a time in the .arx file.
Open the Data Import Tool and perform the following steps:
1. From the File menu, select New Mapping.
2. In the Source Data Field field, select the .arx file.
3. In the Source Form Name field, type the name of the source locale form. For example, PCT:Product Catalog Locale.
4. In the Target Server field, select the target AR server.
5. In the Target Form Name field, select the target locale form where you want to import the localized data. For example, PCT:Product Catalog Locale.
6. In the Field Value Mappings area, click Auto Map to map the fields from the .arx file with those on the AR server.
7. Click Add.
8. In the Add Mapping dialog box, select Locale Name in the Field Name field.
9. In the Value field, specify the language in which the foundation data is localized in the .arx file. For example, fr_CA.
10. Click OK.
11. Click Import .
  For more information about importing data by using the Data Import Tool, see Running a data import.

To use localized foundation data in Action Request System forms

Open the Action Request System form in Developer Studio.
For example, open the User form.
On the Definition tab, in the Basic section, select the Enable Data Translation check box.
In the Default User View, select the field for which you want to display the localized value.
For example, select Full Name.
In the Database Properties section, set Data Translation Type to Show Translated Data.
Set the Data Translation Source Form to the appropriate foundation form.
In this case, for the Full Name field from the User form, set the foundation form to CTM:People.
Set the Data Translation Source Field to the appropriate field ID.
In this case, set to 1000000017.
Click Save.

To display the foundation data in localized languages or English only in the consuming applications

After you localize the foundation data, configure the Enable-Data-Translation CCS parameter to define whether the foundation data should be displayed in localized languages or English only in the applications that use it, such as BMC Helix Business Workflows and BMC Helix ITSM: Change Management.

On the AR System Configuration Generic UI form, add the Enable-Data-Translation CCS parameter to the com.bmc.arsys.server.shared (*) component.
Set the Enable-Data-Translation CCS parameter to one of the following values:
1. true: To display the foundation data in localized languages in the applications.
2. false: To display the foundation data in English only in the applications.
  The default value is false.
  For more information about the Enable-Data-Translation CCS parameter, see Setting configuration parameters in BMC Helix ITSM.

Limitations

Localization of foundation data is not supported for English sublanguages, such as en_CA or en_GB.
LIKE operator does not work for the Arabic, Turkish, and Ukrainian languages in the CTM:People form.
The tool tip for the Assignee field does not show the localized Site.
The Company field is not translated in the Create broadcast screen in PWA.
PWA Activities for all ticket types are not fully localized.
Wildcard (%) searches do not work for localized fields, because the partial searches are not returned in search results
Data Management tools (like DMT forms and Excel imports) are not yet aligned with the localization framework.
The following configuration forms can only be accessed or edited in the base language and cannot be modified in other locales:
- Product Catalog Setup
- Approval forms
- Asset and Service Level Management forms
- Generic/Service Catalogs, Company/People/Region, Site/Group forms
Searches or filters created in one language only work in that same language, restricting localization.
Menu fields are translated when forms are localized, even if base language values are preferred
No automatic sync is available when changes are made to the base form. Manual syncing is needed for updates; deletions are handled automatically.
Consoles, such as Overview and Problem Management, don’t support translated data. Use PWA consoles for localized views.
Multi-Form Search (MFS) works only in the base language and doesn't support localized records.
Direct SQL queries ignore localization. SQL actions and APIs return data in the base language, regardless of user settings. SQL menus used in broadcast and mapping forms may not support localization properly.
Email notifications show mixed languages. Email messages might include translated labels but show field values, such as names or locations, in the base language.