This documentation supports the 20.02 version of BMC Service Request Management.To view an earlier version, select the version from the Product version menu.

Searching for records by using global search

If you have BMC Knowledge Management installed, you can use the Global search feature. Global search searches across multiple forms for records that match a word or phrase that you type in the search area.

When users contact the Service Desk to inquire about a request, you can use Global search from the IT Home page to search for requests by their ID.

Related topics

Configuring-full-text-search

Navigating-the-BMC-Remedy-ITSM-interface

To use Global search

  1. In the text field to the right of the breadcrumb bar, type your search string and then click the Search icon.
    g_itsm_global_search.gif

  2. Locate the record that you want in the search results table and double-click it.
    The record opens in the viewing area and the system updates the breadcrumb trail with an entry for the record that you opened.

    Important

    As you drill down through the record, each record that you open is also added to the breadcrumb trail.

    If you want to maintain the contents of the search results table to view later, do not change the text in the Search field. If you do change the text, when you click the Search icon to return to the search results table, the search feature runs a new search based on the changed content of the Search field.

  3. To return to the search results table, click the Search icon again.

Limitation

Global search results might include external files that have been registered as knowledge base items. If the search conditions are fulfilled by XML or HTML files that have been registered in this way, the Global Search Results screen appears distorted due to the tags that are used in XML and HTML files. Additionally, the Advanced search link on the search results screen becomes unresponsive.

Asset CIs are not included in the Global Search.

Special characters and boolean expressions in Global search

Global search uses Full Text Search (FTS) to find the search strings in requests and other records. Some characters are used to control the search criteria, as indicated in the following table.

Special character

Results

Example search string

Example results

"

Performs a phrase search on the terms enclosed in double-quotation marks (")

"firewall blocked"

  • firewall blocked her access
  • firewall blocking my access

,

Find requests that contain any of the specified words

  • firewall, blocking
  • "firewall, blocking"
  • firewall blocks access
  • firewall will block access
  • firewall is not working
  • try blocking his access

%

Wildcard to extend the search

You do not need to use a wildcard to extend the search for word stems, such as "ed," "s", and "ing," because word stems are automatically included.

%fire%

  • backfire
  • fire
  • firewall

Important

Searches that start with a wildcard character are not as efficient as searches that use an exact phrase or a trailing wildcard. For example, searching for the term "%block" is less efficient than searching for either "block" or "block%".

You can use use boolean expressions in your search. Boolean operators include parentheses (), AND, OR, and NOT. The boolean operators must be specified in upper case; otherwise, they are treated as search strings.

Boolean operator

Results

Example search string

Example results

AND

Find requests that contain all of the specified words and phrases

firewall AND blocking

  • firewall blocks access
  • firewall will block access

OR

Find requests that contain any of the specified words and phrases

firewall OR blocking

  • firewall blocks access
  • firewall will block access
  • firewall is not working
  • try blocking his access

NOT

Exclude the specified word or phrase

firewall NOT blocking

firewall is not working

()

group expressions

firewall AND (block, allow)

  • firewall blocking access
  • set up firewall to allow access

Global search results reflect both the search terms and the configuration of full text search. Configurable options that affect search results include case sensitivity, the list of ignored words, thesaurus, and stemming. For more information about full text search, see Enabling and disabling full text search.

Work Order form indexed fields

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