General troubleshooting

This topic contains troubleshooting tips for general issues you might encounter in BMC Helix ITSM.

Troubleshooting information for provider action

Refer to the following information if the provider action is not executed.

Issue symptoms

The provider action is not executed. 

Issue scope

The provider action is not executed due to one of the following reasons:

• The back-end filter is not executed.
• Errors occur when fields change during the execution of the provider action.

Resolution

• Filter log: To ensure the back-end filter is executed, check if the Filter log is enabled on AR System servers by navigating to AR System Management Console > AR System Server Group Console > Logs > Logs Management
• Console log: To view the fields that have changed when the provider action is executed, check the Console log. When any expression is executed, the smartit/app/?debug-1 parameter in the URL displays the result in the Console. You can view the browser Console log in Developer Tools by pressing the F12 function key. For more information about AR server logs, see Analyzing logs.  
• Smartit log: To see if there are any provider errors, check the Smartit log.
• BMC Helix ITSM filter: Review the filter created while performing the steps documented in the Configuring provider actions.

Value of keys if the entitlement files has spaces in it

Issue symptoms

The entitlement files do not work as expected.

Issue scope

Any entitlement file that has spaces in the name.

Resolution

Remove spaces before and after string values.

iCloud configuration is not enabled for the provisioning profile

Issue symptoms

Resigning and rebranding BMC Helix ITSM on Apple iOS does not work.

Issue scope

The identifier key to sign into the Apple development portal is absent. 

Resolution

To find the identifier key:

1. Open your BMC Helix ITSM provisioning profile in a text editor.
2. Search for the com.apple.developer.icloud-container-identifiers key.
   The key contains an identifier that you have created under the iCloud containers on the Apple development portal. If the key is not present, see Preparing-to-re-sign-and-rebrand-BMC-Helix-ITSM-on-Apple-iOS. 

Bundle identifier is incorrect for re-signing BMC Helix ITSM on Apple iOS

Issue symptoms

Resigning and rebranding BMC Helix ITSM on Apple iOS does not work.

Issue scope

The re-signing project has an incorrect bundle identifier.

Resolution

Check the bundle identifier mentioned in the configuration tab of the re-signing project. Also, check the bundle identifier in the entitlement files.

The Enterprise account is not being used

Issue symptoms

You cannot re-sign or rebrand BMC Helix ITSM on Apple iOS.

Issue scope

The correct Apple Enterprise Program account is not used.

Resolution

Check your Membership information section in the Apple Developer Portal for your program type information. The Program Type should be Apple Developer Enterprise Program.

The group configuration is not enabled

Issue symptoms

You cannot assign team agent roles to users in your team to use BMC Helix ITSM on Apple iOS.

Issue scope

The group configuration is not enable for assigning roles.

Resolution

1. Open your BMC Helix ITSM provisioning profile in a text editor.
2. Search for the com.apple.security.application-groups key.
   The key should have an identifier that you have created under the App Groups on Apple development portal. If the key is not present, see Preparing-to-re-sign-and-rebrand-BMC-Helix-ITSM-on-Apple-iOS.

BMC Helix Digital Workplace service request is not found in BMC Helix ITSM

Issue symptoms

The BMC Digital Workplace service request is not found.

Issue scope

You searched for the BMC Digital Workplace Catalog service.

Resolution

Search for the service request in the SBE:Request vendor form by service request ID or by name. In the vendor form, % search does not work.

If the service request is not available in the vendor form, the service request does not exist. 

Test connection failure in BMC Helix Digital Workplace service request

Issue symptoms

Test connection with BMC Helix Digital Workplace fails. 

Issue scope

Connection fails in the SBE:ConnectionConfig form of BMC Helix ITSM.

Resolution

To find out the reason for the failure:

Check the arjavaplugin.log file.

OR

Generate a log file for the BMC Helix Digital Workplace service requests.

For more information, see Enabling-and-analyzing-logs.

Session time-out is not working

Issue symptoms

A user session does not time out after the designated time.

Issue scope

This issue occurs for any user.

Resolution

Use the session.timeout CCS parameter to configure the time in minutes. For more information, see Setting-configuration-parameters-in-BMC-Helix-ITSM.

Custom fields that are added to the Asset View are not visible in BMC Helix ITSM

Issue symptoms

You cannot view custom fields in the Asset Console.

Issue scope

You created a required field in the AST:Attributes form and it exists in the AST:BaseElement form as well as in any other asset class (like AST:Printer). Such a field is available for customization only for the Generic Area in BMC Helix ITSM and not for the Type-Specific Area.

Resolution

Ensure that any required field that you created in the AST:Attributes form is either present in all the asset classes or there is a mechanism set up for the default value.

Failure in adding a new style to the Knowledge Template Style

Issue symptoms

The character limit of a new style in a knowledge template is automatically set to 255.

Issue scope

An error occurs when the default limit is crossed.

Resolution

When you add a new style in the Knowledge Template Style, in the Additional CSS Styling, the character limit is set as 255 in the database table column. If the number of characters crosses this limit, the following error message is displayed:

Run the following alter command in your environment to increase the character limit of the style column:

Error on the Update Assignment screen in the Android mobile client

Issue symptoms

In the Android mobile client, Company, Organization, and Groups selections are available on a single Update Assignment screen.

Issue scope

When the chunk size exceeds the value specified in Centralized Configuration, the following message is displayed:

Resolution

To avoid the error, increase the chunk size.

Error while displaying the primary contact for an asset

Issue symptoms

An error is displayed for the primary contact for an asset.

Issue scope

After creating an asset and associating it with a user with any role relationship, if the login ID of the person is removed by using the Change to Non Support or Remove Login ID option in the CTM:People form in Mid Tier, the primary contact field displays the following error on refreshing the asset in BMC Helix ITSM:

Resolution

In Mid Tier, open the CTM:People form, and search for the person whose login ID was removed. Delete the asset relationship from the people profile and add it again.

Error in the incident view widget configuration

Issue symptoms

When you type a search in the Service field, no response is received.

Issue scope

When you remove the Affected Service widget, add the Service member field, save the view, and then open an incident.

Resolution

1. Create a new regular character field (for example, NewDataSetID) on the HPD:Help Desk form.
2. Use this field in the Menu qualification in place of the current display-only field.
3. Add the above field in the Incident View in BMC Helix ITSM, and set the following properties:
   properties hidden=true & set value =‘BMC.ASSET’.

In BMC Helix ITSM, as you have changed the menu qualification to use the new character field, the value needs to be populated by using the active link/filter.

Failure in the first Deployment Application

Issue symptoms

An error occurs when you create the first deployment package.

Issue scope

This issue occurs when you create the first deployment package.

Resolution

Refresh the information and create another package.

The Deployment application stopped

Issue symptoms

The deployment application stopped responding.

Issue scope

The Java version is updated.

Resolution

Use the following steps if the Java version is updated and the Deployment application is stopped:

1. Navigate to the SMARTIT_HOME\Smart_IT\filedeployer\conf folder.
2. Open armonitor.cfg file.
3. Update the JRE path in the armonitor.cfg file.
4. Open the command prompt from this location:
   SMARTIT_HOME\Smart_IT\filedeployer
5. Set the value of the JAVA_HOME environment variable to your JRE installation path.
6. Run the following command to start the Deployment application:
   • (Windows) filedeployer.bat start 
   • (Linux)  filedeployer.sh start

Deployment package failure

Issue symptoms

The deployment package fails.

Issue scope

The file deployer cannot register the Service with AR System, the ARERR 90 error occurs, and the service goes down.

Resolution

Restart the Smart IT file deployer service.

Service request templates are not displayed

Issue symptoms

You cannot view the service request templates.

Issue scope

A logged-in user cannot view the service request templates.

Resolution

To view the service request templates:

• Verify if the user's People record includes a login ID. The Smart Recorder uses the login ID to display available service request templates for that user. For more information about this requirement, see Submitting service requests for customers and Creating service request definitions.
• Verify if the user is entitled to see the service request template. For more information about service request entitlements, see Creating service request definitions.

Activity and Updates feeds do not work in the Solaris environment

Issue symptoms

You cannot view the Activity and Updates feeds in a Solaris environment.

Issue scope

This issue occurs on the Solaris environment.

Resolution

Make sure that the client-server time difference is not more than 10 minutes.

Error when you create an outage in the universal client

Issue symptoms

An error occurs when you create an outage.

Issue scope

The following error is displayed:

Resolution

Make sure that the assignment rules are defined for the company to which the asset belongs.

Accessibility of rich text field formatting in knowledge articles

Issue symptoms

Accessibility users, who create knowledge articles, cannot access the text formatting bar in rich text fields by using the Tab key.

Issue scope

This issue occurs when accessibility is enabled, and users attempt to access the rich text fields by using the Tab key.

Resolution

To access the formatting bar:

1. To navigate to a rich text field, press Tab.
2. Press Alt+F10 to access the formatting toolbar.
3. To navigate to each section of the toolbar, press Tab.
4. Use the arrow keys to access each item in the sections.

Performance issues in the Ticket Console

Issue symptoms

Performance issues might occur intermittently in the Ticket Console.

Issue scope

When you use some filtering options in the Ticket Console, such as All Open, you might experience performance issues.

Resolution

Add more filter criteria.

Table preferences are not saved when you log out or refresh the page

Issue symptoms

Table preferences are not saved when a user logs in or logs out.

Issue scope

The issue occurs in the Progressive Views pages in BMC Helix ITSM.

Resolution

To ensure that table preferences are saved:

• Verify that the pv.enable_save_table_column_state CCS parameter is not set to false.
• Verify that your column metadata is not updated in Developer Studio. Your table preferences are cleared if the metadata is updated.
• Verify that you have not cleared your browser's storage or cache memory.
• Verify that you have not manually updated the local storage. It stores the application-generated preferences.
  The localStorage key format is: PWA.${formName}.${field.formName}.${field.id}.TableColumnState.

For more details, see Field properties, Process commands, and Creating list view tables with customizable columns .

Vertical scrollbars are not displayed in large tables

Issue symptoms

You cannot view vertical scrollbars in large tables.

Issue scope

This issue occurs for all users.

Resolution

To make sure that vertical scrollbars are displayed:

• Verify that the scrollable attribute is added to the table field's customCSSStyle property
• Verify that the table field height is set to a valid pixel value.
  A vertical scroll is displayed if the table data exceeds the configured height. That is, if only one record is present in the table and the height is 500px, the vertical scroll does not appear. If the table record exceeds 500px in height, the vertical scroll is displayed.

For more details, see Field properties, Process commands, and Creating list view tables with customizable columns .

Column preferences are not reset

Issue symptoms

Column preferences are not reset 

Issue scope

Column preferences are reset by clicking Reset preference on the table toolbar or by using the run process and updating the table metadata in Developer Studio.

Resolution

To reset the column preferences:

• Verify that the pv.enable_save_table_column_state CCS parameter is not set to false.
• Verify that the toolbar menu is configured in Developer studio.
• Verify that the local storage is cleared when you click Reset preference.
• Verify that the local storage has no table preferences stored after you run a process. After the run is complete, refresh the page.
• After you make changes to the metadata, refresh the page.    

For more details in Developer Studio, see Field properties, Process commands, and Creating list view tables with customizable columns .

Automated follow-ups for incidents awaiting customer response do not work as expected

Issue symptoms

Automated follow-ups are not sent to customers for incidents awaiting their response.

Issue scope

Automated follow-ups are enabled, and BMC HelixGPT is enabled.

Resolution

To make sure that automated follow-ups work:

• Verify the configuration of the automated follow-up rule.
• Verify the email address of the requester.
• Verify if the IS process to run the automated follow-ups was successfully executed.
• View the IS process filter log for audit details.

Custom fields and actions are not visible on mobile clients

Issue symptoms

Users cannot view custom fields and actions on mobile clients.

Issue scope

If you add a field by using Screen Configuration, the field is not immediately reflected on mobile clients. BMC Helix ITSM is also not auto-refreshed when the URL, provider, or global actions are added or removed by using Screen Configuration.

Resolution

To resolve this issue:

1. On Android devices, complete the following steps:
   1. Press the Back button to exit Smart IT.
   2. Relaunch the application.
2. On Apple iOS devices, complete the following steps:
   1. Press the Home button to run Smart IT in the background mode.
      OR
      Double-tap the Home button and exit Smart IT by sliding it.
   2. After 10 minutes, relaunch Smart IT to refresh the metadata.

Error when you create a problem investigation or known error

Issue symptoms

The following error occurs when you create a problem investigation or known error.

Issue scope

This issue occurs if you make a field required only in the PBM:ProblemInterface_Create form, but not in the related known error and problem forms that share that field.

Resolution

Instead of making a field required in the PBM:ProblemInterface_Create form, make it required through the Configuration screen in Smart IT.

Unable to view and approve change requests that are submitted for approval

Issue symptoms

You cannot view and approve change requests.

Issue scope

You cannot view and approve change requests in the following scenarios:

• You belong to a company, but have received a change request for approval from another company. You do not have permissions to the other company.
• You do not have the hierarchical group permissions to access change requests created by other support groups of the same company that you belong to. (BMC Helix ITSM 9.1 specific)
• You do not have permissions of a change agent, but you were added as an ad hoc approver for a change request.

Resolution

Make sure that the administrator provides you with the following items:

• Permissions of a change agent.
• Access to other companies and the specific support group of those companies.
• Hierarchical group permission to the specific support group of your company. 

Irrespective of the permissions required to approve change requests, you can still approve them through the Approval Server in BMC Helix ITSM.