Glossary

Last modified on 2023/07/06 12:57


A
Absence
Absence is the reason for the unavailability of an employee. It defines a period during which a Support person is unable to perform an action and is displayed in the calendar of Support persons.

example  Vacation, Meeting, Labor Compensation Holiday

Absence type
The absence type is the reason for the unavailability of employees

example Vacation, Meeting, Labor Compensation Holiday

Access management

Definition

Employee access management enables you to specify the authentication information (login) and authorization information (domains/profiles) for Service Manager users. These users can include corporate employees as well as external service providers.

Access rights
Service Manager access rights are based on:

  • Domains: Access restrictions to Service Manager databases, e.g. test case, production, or Sandbox.
  • Profiles: Access restrictions to Service Manager objects such as menus, screens, fields, filters, views or wizards. 
  • Employee access management: Identification of users authorized to access Service Manager by assigning a login, password and user profile.

Acquisition type
The acquisition type refers to the means by which equipment or licenses are acquired.

example  Purchase, leasing or rental

Action

Definition

An action is an operation that handles a type of processes (incidents, requests, problems) until its final resolution. It is generated through a step of the workflow which manages the process and it is displayed on the calendar.

Action type
This indicates the nature of the action associated with a workflow step.

example  Send Notification, Self Service Approval

Activity
The Activity tab displays a timeline of the list of all actions successively performed to process the current object.

Alert

Definition

Alerts are monitoring agents for key IT activities within the company, e.g. assets, employees, tickets, etc. They can send notification emails and perform actions automatically in the database by running SQL scripts.

Analytical cost allocation

Definition

Analytical cost allocation is used by the IT Department to break down expenses by account in order to compare them with forecast budgets defined at the start of the financial year. You can update data when invoicing order items such as equipment, licenses, consumables or common expenses, or through contract periods.

Anticipated closing
Anticipated closing occurs when an incident or request is closed early, e.g. when a user solves the incident alone.

Application
An application is a software that is referenced in the Software Catalog and associated with an employee.

Application CI
An application CI is a software or software package identified as a strategic component critical to the company's business. Each application CI is monitored in the CMDB and can also be managed in the Definitive Media Library (DML).

example  SAP, expense account, payroll software

Application perimeter
The application perimeter is applicable to catalog entries. It defines:

  • A set of access restrictions for the department and location associated with an employee.
  • A set of overrides or context-specific properties applicable to the employee's location.

Approval

Definition

Certain incidents, service requests and change requests require approval from the recipient before being closed. Approval is given via the Self Service portal, through an approval step in the workflow. It may also include a rating for the quality of service.

Approval manager
The approval manager is the employee in charge of performing approval in a workflow step. This can be the direct manager of the user who reported the incident or submitted the request. It can also be the financial manager, for example.

Archived
A record is archived once its publication end date is reached. Archived records can no longer be selected.

Archived services

Definition

An archived service is a service CIs that is no longer operational and no longer available in the service catalog. All archived services define one of the components in the Service Portfolio that is not communicated publicly to users. 

Asset
The term Assets includes all equipment and configuration items (CI), licenses and contracts

Attribute
An attribute is specific information that differentiates assets, catalog entries, locations, departments, etc.

Auto connection link

Definition

An auto connection link is a shortcut to a Service Manager form for a given object. It enables a third-party application such as Power BI or Excel to open Service Manager and access directly to the  form without having to use menu options or the search field.

Auto-increment field
An auto-increment field is a field whose counter is incremented by one each time certain objects are created, e.g. incidents, service requests, change requests, investment requests, problems, known errors, events, orders, knowledge articles or projects. You can define the format of the incremented number in the Administration menu.

example  Incident ==>  I20190515_0000197, I20190515_0000198, I20190515_0000199 

Availability

Definition

Availability management enables the IT Department to check if the agreements signed with users in terms of availability and service are being fulfilled for each configuration item (CI) over a given period (e.g. week or month).

Availability management

Definition

Availability management enables the IT Department to check if the agreements signed with users in terms of availability and service are being fulfilled for each configuration item (CI) over a given period (e.g. week or month).

Availability target
The availability target is calculated as a percentage of service hours. This defines the availability of a configuration item (CI).

Available field
An available field is a text field in the database. It can contain user-defined data depending on customer requirements. 

  • 6 available fields called AVAILABLE_FIELD_1 to AVAILABLE_FIELD_6 can be completed for each main table in the Service Manager database. 
  • By default, they are not visible in the interface forms.

Available for purchase
The term Available for Purchase is used for assets that can be ordered in the Service Manager financial module.


B

Back Office
The Back Office is made up of teams in charge of managing IT equipment, processing incidents, and providing logistics support. This part of the IT system is not accessible to end users, unlike the Front Office.

Backlog
The backlog is a list of non-closed processes in progress, e.g. incidents, requests, etc.

Bar code
Bar codes are used in a coding system to identify each item of equipment in a unique way.

Baseline
A baseline refers to a snapshot of the CMDB graph at a given time.

Blackout period

Definition

Blackout periods are periods during which configuration items (CI) must not be modified.

Blackout type
This indicates the type of event that justifies the implementation of a blackout period.

example   Year-end or month-end closing

Browsing history
Your browsing history stores the list of the last forms viewed. It is automatically constructed as you browse through Service Manager and is specific to each employee.

Budget (health indicator)
The Budget trend in a project enables project managers to check that the project's reference values are complied with in terms of costs. Its aim is to ensure that adequate budgets are allocated to projects.

Budget allocation
A budget allocation is an estimated budget associated with an internal budget monitoring request. It is defined for each department

Budget renewals (view)
The Budget Renewals view displays the estimated budget for the renewal of equipment and the quantity to be renewed on a monthly or yearly basis. 

Budgetary commitment
A budgetary commitment is the budget allocated by an organization to pay suppliers. It is associated with an order and is used when invoicing.

Business rule

Definition

A business rule is a mechanism used to run processes when an event occurs in an Service Manager database, e.g. when a field is added or modified. You can define it in two steps. First, you declare the business rule. Next, you associate the process that should be run.


C

Calendar of support persons

Definition

The calendar is a tool that give a graphic and chronological representation of the working hours, the absences and actions of users. It is available:

Capacity
Capacity is a specific attribute associated with certain configuration items (CI) and items of equipment, e.g. servers or workstations. It is used to define thresholds in terms of disk space, memory usage, CPU usage, etc.

Cart
The cart enables users to select several services successively and add them to a global service request.

Catalog
A catalog is a group of entries that references models or types of objects. Objects associated with a catalog entry will automatically inherit certain information specified for the catalog entry, namely its attributes.

Category (or Description)
The term Category is used for incidents and problems. The term Description is used for service requests, change requests and investment requests. It indicates the catalog entry to which an object belongs. In the relevant catalog, it determines the workflow in charge of managing the object. 

Change

Definition_TypesOfChanges

Generally, there are three main type of changes:

  • Standard changes that follow a pre-established process in a workflow. These changes are usually implemented through service requests.
  • Emergency changes that require an emergency change advisory board (ECAB) to review and assess resources, costs and risks before implementing the change.
  • Normal changes. These changes do not belong to the two types above and require a change advisory board (CAB) to review and make a decision on the implementation of the change.

Change catalog

Definition

The change catalog lists all types of changes where an intervention presents a more or less important risk or impact on employee activity.

Change request

Definition

A change request is a request made to perform a change, usually for an item managed in the CMDB that may have an important impact on employee activity.

Change type

Definition_TypesOfChanges

Generally, there are three main type of changes:

  • Standard changes that follow a pre-established process in a workflow. These changes are usually implemented through service requests.
  • Emergency changes that require an emergency change advisory board (ECAB) to review and assess resources, costs and risks before implementing the change.
  • Normal changes. These changes do not belong to the two types above and require a change advisory board (CAB) to review and make a decision on the implementation of the change.

CI 

Definition

A configuration item (CI) is an infrastructure component provided by an organization to its customers. It may be an item of equipment (e.g. servers, routers), an application (e.g. SAP, expense account, payroll software) or a corporate service (e.g. Internet access, email system, customer portal).

CI catalog

Definition

The CI catalog lists all models of configuration items (CIs) maintained by the IT service in terms of availability and in terms of offered service to the employees: equipment, application, service...

CI role
A CI role is the role played by a group member as regards a configuration item (CI).

CMDB
CMDB stands for Configuration Management Database. This Configuration Management Database contains information on the main IT system components (configuration items (CI)) and the details of their relationships.

CMDB graph

Definition

The CMDB Graph enables you to view relationships between configuration items, i.e. impacting CIs and impacted CIs, and browse through these interactions.

Collection point
A collection point is a shared folder on the internal network that contains all of the files required for the automatic discovery tool used to collect data. It is associated with a location and a department, if applicable, and must be accessible to all of the workstations and servers to be discovered.

Common expenses catalog

Definition

The common expenses catalog lists all incidental acquisition expenses that can be charged by suppliers in addition to the cost of invoiced equipment, software or consumables.

example Costs for delivery, onsite installation service fee

Command studio

Definition

The Commands Studio is used to configure shortcuts to filters, wizards, services and websites.

Configuration item (CI)

Definition

A configuration item (CI) is an infrastructure component provided by an organization to its customers. It may be an item of equipment (e.g. servers, routers), an application (e.g. SAP, expense account, payroll software) or a corporate service (e.g. Internet access, email system, customer portal).

Connected user list
The Connected User List is a menu that provides a snapshot of the employees connected to Service Manager at a given time.

Consumable
A consumable refers to an element that is not managed as an asset or as a service. Each consumable is associated with a unique entry in the Consumable Catalog. It automatically inherits the attributes of this catalog entry.

example  Mouse, keyboard, cables, TPAM training days

Consumable catalog

Definition

The consumable catalog lists all items that are not managed as asset (e.g. mouse, keyboard or cables), as well as certain provisions (e.g. Application Management training days).

Continual improvement (graphic interface versions 2016 and earlier)
Continual Improvement is a module in Service Manager. It displays dashboards with objects such as trends, reports and pivot tables.
Note: The module is deprecated from version Oxygen onwards. It is replaced by Service Apps that enables you to create advanced dashboards.

Continuity plan
A continuity plan is a plan that should enable an organization to conduct business despite the occurrence of events that may disrupt service significantly. It enables the organization to adopt a strategy to minimize the impact of service disruption.

Continuity plan test type
A continuity plan test type is a type of test that may be run to check the effectiveness of continuity plans.

Contract
A contract is an agreement between a customer and a supplier. It contains the legal obligations of each party.

Contract catalog

Definition

The contract catalog lists all models of contracts related to IT infrastructure: subscription, insurance, maintenance, leasing, ....

Contract inventory

Definition

The contract inventory lists all contracts for the IT infrastructure: subscription, insurance, maintenance, leasing, .... These contracts can be associated with equipment, licenses or other contracts. Effective management requires the monitoring of renewal dates and contract periods. It can be simplified using scheduled alerts that send a warning to users before the expiry of each contract.

Contract periods (menu)

Definition

The Contract Periods menu enables you to view all contract periods that have not yet been invoiced

Contract renewal decision
The Contract Renewal Decision view displays the list of current contracts that must be renewed, by type of decision, i.e. Yes, No, To determine, Under negotiation. 

Cost
The cost is the amount associated with a service. Hourly costs are calculated based on elapsed time while fixed costs are payable irrespective of the time spent.

Cost center
A cost center refers to a meta-department where costs related to services or assets such as equipment, licenses or contracts are charged back based on usage.

Country
A country is a territory where a location, supplier or IT Support group belongs.

Credit note
A credit note issued by a supplier is added to an invoice as common expenses by entering a negative amount.

Critical level
The critical level indicates the level of importance of an item of equipment in the organization. When a ticket related to this item is created, it will automatically increase the urgency. This means that the incident or request must be given priority in processing.

CSS stylesheet

Definition

A CSS stylesheet is a file containing a set of properties used to define the visual layout of an app, i.e. colors, borders, font, etc.

Currency
A currency is a monetary unit used in transactions with suppliers, employees, etc.


D

Data
Data is information stored in a table field.

Database Service Manager
A Service Manager database contains application data associated with an account:

  • 40000: Test case database
  • 50004: Production database
  • 50005: Sandbox database

Deadline compliance
Deadline compliance is an evaluation performed by employees when giving their approval to close an incident/request. Users are asked to give a score based on the speed of the intervention provided by the IT Support team.

Default value

Definition

A default value is the value automatically given to a field if it is not filled when records are manually created or automatically created via data integration.

Definitive media library

Definition

A Definitive Media Library, or DML, is a set of secure storage areas in which an organization's definitive, authorized versions of application configuration items (CIs) (software and software packages) are stored and protected, together with their path.

Delegation
Delegation is a functionality used to redirect actions, namely approval actions, to a third party for a given period of time. The name of the delegated person and the delegation period are indicated in the Employee form.

Department
A department is a subdivision that manages employees and equipment within an organization.

Department directory

Definition

The Department Directory contains a tree structure of all subdivisions managing employees and equipment within an organization, e.g. Sales Division, Sales Services, etc. 

Deployment phase
A deployment phase is one of the steps that occur in a release project.

Depreciation
The depreciation period of an asset, e.g. equipment, software or license, is the breakdown of expenses related to its purchase  over the usage duration. The Depreciation view displays an overview of the depreciation of IT assets.

Depreciation rule
A depreciation rule defines how expenses related to the purchase of assets such as equipment, software or licenses will be broken down over the usage duration.

Description (or Category)
The term Description is used for service requests, change requests and investment requests. The term Category is used for incidents and problems. It indicates the catalog entry to which an object belongs. In the relevant catalog, it determines the workflow in charge of managing the object.

Directory
A directory is a list containing information on different types of objects: employees, groups, suppliers, departments, locations.

Discovery
Discovery is a Service Manager module used to detect, inventory and manage equipment, software and network peripherals.

Discovery agent
The discovery agent is a software program that performs an inventory of IT assets autonomously using the Discovery module.

Discussion

Definition

A discussion refers to information exchanges among Back Office users. This may apply to:

  • Service Manager objects, e.g. Problem no. P170830_000002, Incident no. I170713_000009.
  • Any topic unrelated to Service Manager, such as events, questions or information, e.g. presentation of the latest IT Technologies trade fair, questions on the new iPhone.

DML

Definition

A Definitive Media Library, or DML, is a set of secure storage areas in which an organization's definitive, authorized versions of application configuration items (CIs) (software and software packages) are stored and protected, together with their path.

Domain

Definition

Domains are used to define the Service Manager data that a given employee or user group can access, based on restriction criteria related to locations, departments, types and categories. They act like permanent filters that are applied when users log in to Service Manager.

Draft

DefinitionDrafts

A draft is an incident, a service request or a change request that is saved in the ticket but is not assigned. A draft is usually created when the Technical Support person is waiting for information from the user, or when he is confronted to a large influx of calls.

Drilldown
The drilldown is a functionality used to browse through data in each grouping level of a view, down to the lowest level of data. 

Dynamic variable

Definition

A dynamic value enables you to define a dynamic condition or a constraint for questions based on the results of SQL queries that are run when the variable is called.


E

Edit rights
Edit rights are used to define authorizations for each profile. They enable users to add, modify and delete Service Manager objects and data.

Employee
This refers to all persons working for the organization. This includes internal employees as well as the employees of suppliers and subcontractors.

Employee availability status
This status indicates the availability of employees at a given time. This information appears when assigning an action to a Support person.

example   Absent, Available, Unavailable

Employee directory

Definition

The Employee Directory lists everyone working for the company: internal employees as well as the employees of external service providers and subcontractors. It is used to specify administrative information and display the employee's main Service Manager information, e.g. list of incidents, requests or problems.

Employee notification
An employee notification is one of the communication methods used to contact users.

example  Email, Messenger

Employee number
Employee numbers are used to identify each employee in a unique way because certain employees may have the same last name and first name. 

End of lease returns
End of lease returns include all of the equipment associated with a current leasing contract.

Equipment
Equipment refers to equipment in the IT infrastructure such as workstations, printers, servers, etc.

Equipment catalog

Definition

The Equipment Catalog lists all equipment models available in the IT infrastructure. This includes workstations, printers, servers and network components. They are generally detected using an automatic discovery tool.

Equipment CI
An equipment CI is an item of equipment identified as a strategic component critical to the company's business. Each equipment CI is monitored in the CMDB.

example  Servers, routers

Equipment inventory

Definition

The Equipment Inventory lists all workstations, printers, servers and network components in the IT infrastructure. Data in the Equipment Inventory can be collected automatically using an automatic discovery tool, or entered manually for undiscovered equipment.

Escalation
Escalation means that the current object is transferred to a group or group member belonging to the level immediately above the current level.

Event

Definition

An event refers to a change of state that has an impact on a service or a configuration item (CI). It is not necessarily related to any malfunctioning. It generates a notification or an alert sent to Service Manager by a monitoring tool.

Event catalog

Definition

The event catalog lists all the type of events that can affect a service or a configuration item (CI).

evie
evie refers to a specific type of employee who can send notifications during process steps (i.e. workflow or business rule). These notifications are displayed in the notification bar counter Notification icon - Notifications.png.

Export

DefinitionExport

An export consists of extracting objects e.g. filters, views, etc. from a Service Manager database and then generating an export file. 

External service provider
External service providers are the employees of suppliers or subcontractors. They are listed in the same Employee Directory as Service Manager employees.


F

Favorite
A favorite is a shortcut to a specific combination of a menu, filter and view displayed in List mode.

Field constraint

Definition

A field constraint is a mask that indicates the formalism which is to be respected for entering some information in a field.

  • The constraint forces the user to respect the format, in order to standardize the contents of a table for example.
  • A blocking error message, specific to each constraint, will be displayed if the data entered does not respect the expected defined format.

 

Filter

Definition

A filter is used to extract a subset of data using selection criteria.

Floating license
A floating license, also known as a concurrent license, is a license scheme where all Back Office employees are able to connect to Service Manager, unlike named access.

Folder

Definition

Folders facilitate management of Service Manager internal reporting tools such as alerts, trends or reportings, integration models and the purging of archives. They have been grouped together in a tree structure.

Form (or Section) (data entry screen)

Definition

Forms are used to display information on objects, e.g. incidents, catalog entries, problems, in the Service Manager interface. Open url.png See the description of the Form mode.

You can update forms in the editor if you are an employee authorized to edit them.

Form (set of questions)
A form contains a list of questions to be answered when users submit a service request. We recommend that you use questionnaires instead of forms.

Form presentation
A form presentation is a tool used to modify the appearance of a form in a given context.

  • The main form presentation is displayed by default when the form appears.
  • A conditional form presentation is a variant of the form that is displayed in a different context. It replaces the main form presentation when a specific condition is met.

Forward schedule of change

Definition

The Forward Schedule of Change displays all events related to configuration items (CI), i.e. change requests, projects, release projects and blackout periods.

Front Office
The Front Office, also known as the Self Service Portal, refers to activities performed prior to Service Management. This part of the IT system is accessible to end users, unlike the Back Office. The dedicated interface enables employees to view news articles on the state of the IT network, enter and monitor tickets, access the customized Service Catalog, consult the Problem knowledge base and modify their personal user information.

Full text search

Definition

Full-text search enables you to search for a word or a set of words or an SQL query or in different text fields in the Service Manager objects (incidents, problems, knowledge base, etc.) or in the related attachments via a search engine. Then it presents the results in a list sorted by relevance.

Function
A function is one of the business activities of employees.


G

Gateway
A gateway is a device used to integrate data from third-party products in Service Manager.

example Gateway for integrating LANDESK Equipment, Software and Attribute tables in Equipment and Software Catalogs

Gantt diagram

Definition

The Gantt chart is a visual tool that helps project managers create and monitor their project schedules

  • It is used to define tasks, assign resources, organize tasks in a sequence and monitor progress. 
  • It enables you to include milestones, i.e. reference points, and parent tasks, i.e. extended periods with no resources assigned that contain groups of subtasks.

Geolocation
Geolocation is a procedure used to position a site on a map using its geographical coordinates. Service Manager uses a Google Maps API to locate sites in views for each location using the Google map icon.png icon.

Green IT

Definition

Green IT, also known as responsible digital technology, designates the solutions that enable companies to reduce the carbon impact of their information systems by minimizing CO2 emissions and energy consumption, e.g. geothermal, solar, wind, biomass, natural gas, oil, nuclear, etc.

Group
A group refers to a team of IT Support persons with expertise in specific operations required in the processing of incidents and requests.

Group directory

Definition

The Group Directory lists all teams of IT Support persons with expertise in specific operations required in the processing of tickets. Each member of the Support team is defined as a user and can be associated with several groups.

Group manager
Group managers are employees in charge of assigning actions to members of their group.

Grouping level
A grouping level filters data in a view based on hierarchy. It enables data to be grouped and sorted by level.

GUID
The GUID (Globally Unique Identifier) is the unique identifier assigned to each Service Manager object. It is used when importing and exporting objects. During the import, objects in the database with the same GUID will be replaced. If they do not exist, they will be created.


H

History of changes

Definition

The history of changes permits to keep a record of all updates carried out on certain fields of the Service Manager objects, in order to have a trace the changes of accomplished changes and to follow their development. 

History rule
A history rule indicates the elements to be stored in the history of changes when a field is modified, e.g. modification date, user, previous value, new value, etc.

Holiday
A holiday can be a religious or secular holiday applicable in the country, region or state where the teams in charge of processing incidents, service requests, change requests or investment requests are located.

Holiday list
Each holiday list contains the holidays applicable in the country, region or state where the teams in charge of processing incidents, service requests, change requests or investment requests are located. Holidays are taken into account when applying SLAs, OLAs and UCs, to determine the target intervention date for an incident/request.

Hotfix
The aim of a hotfix, also known as a patch, is to correct a software error in order to solve a problem, e.g. bug or security flaw.


I

Immediate resolution
The terms Immediate Resolution and Quick Fix are used when there is a solution for the incident/request during the Quick Call. The object is immediately closed via an immediate resolution workflow. It is not transferred or escalated.

Impact
The impact indicates the level of importance of the consequences (technical, human, etc.) of an incident, service request, change request or investment request on the overall infrastructure of the organization.

Impact analysis
An impact analysis is used to measure the impact of the unavailability of a configuration item (CI) on all impacted and impacting CIs. This is done using a specific wizard.

Impacted CI
A CI is an impacted CI when its unavailability is due to the unavailability of another CI.

Impacting CI
A CI is an impacting CI when its unavailability leads to the unavailability of another CI.

Import

DefinitionImport

An import consists of uploading an export file and integrating the objects it contains into a Service Manager database.

Inbox
The inbox is one of the email addresses monitored by the Technical Support Agent (TSA). The inbox receives emails from users who want to report an incident or submit a service request or change request to IT Support. It also receives automatically created events for equipment failure or configuration item (CI) downtime.

Incident

Definition

An incident refers to a disruption or degradation in the performance of a service for an item of equipment, a configuration item (CI), an application, etc.. To avoid blocking user activity, the IT Department will try to restore the service within the deadline specified in the SLA/OLA.

Incident catalog

Definition

The incident catalog lists all the types of incidents handled by the IT Department.

Incident template
An incident template is used to create an incident quickly by duplicating it.

Indexing of documents
Indexing of documents is a function used to enable full text search in documents associated with incidents, service requests, change requests or investment requests.

Infotip
An infotip or hint is a message displayed when the cursor hovers over certain elements in the interface.

Input error

DefinitionInputErrors

An input error is an incident, a service request or a change request that is automatically saved, after a user manipulation error in a ticket (e.g. changing the menu without saving or closing the browser) or due to a timeout.

Instance variable
An instance variable is an item of information that is stored while a process is running. It can be reused later on in the same process.

example Store a value calculated by an Internal Update Step and reuse it in an email tag

Integration
Integration is a process that imports data in a Service Manager base from external data sources, such as .csv files or databases.

EasyVista offers numerous integration and interfacing possibilities with third-party systems.

Integration connector
An integration connector is a gateway for integrating external data in Service Manager.

Integration log

Definition

An integration log is a text file generated by the smoScheduler scheduler once an integration model has run. It provides a report on the integration of data in the Service Manager database and displays the list of errors that require corrective action.

Integration model

Definition

An integration model is used to import data from external data sources, e.g. CSV files or databases, to a Service Manager database.

Inventory
An inventory consists of identifying all equipment, software and consumables in the IT infrastructure. It can be performed manually or automatically using a discovery tool.

Inventory anomaly

Definition

An inventory anomaly identifies an item of equipment detected by the automatic discovery tool but that cannot be associated with existing item of equipment referenced in Service Manager.

Investment catalog

Definition

The investment catalog lists all the types of investment requests, corresponding to configurations for equipment, software or consumables that can be ordered in large quantities, in order to plan for the replenishment of stock. 

Investment request

Definition

An investment request is a purchase request that is related to an equipment, software or consumable configuration to replenish stock in anticipation of events such as the arrival of new employees, the replacement of equipment at the end of their life cycle, or the opening of a new agency.

Unlike service requests, these requests are not assigned to recipients.

Invoice

Definition

An invoice may be edited to pay:


J to K

Keyword
A keyword is a word or group of words used to run a search. In Service Manager, keywords are used to run the full text search.

Knowledge article

Definition

A knowledge article is a known error whose status is Knowledge Base.

This can be public (visible to users in the Self Service Portal) or private (only visible to Back Office users), provided that its application perimeter is compatible with the location or department associated with the employee.

Knowledge base status
This status is specific to known errors and is used to identify knowledge articles.

Knowledge prerequisites
Knowledge prerequisites are associated with groups and employees. They are used to restrict access to the knowledge base when a full text search is run. Only users authorized to access knowledge articles will be able to see them.

Known rrror

Definition

A known error describes a workaround solution that solves a malfunctioning temporarily or permanently. It is usually created after the occurrence of a problem that causes incidents. However, it can also be created upstream.

Known error status
This status is specific to known errors and is applicable when a workaround solution is found.


L

Language
Employees can modify their interface language in My Details in the user information zone. When Service Manager is run, the interface appears in the language specified in the Employee form of the logged-in user.

Late
The status of an object is late when its resolution requires more time than initially specified in the SLA. You can access late actions in the notification bar.

LDAP

Definition

LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is a TCP/IP protocol used to run queries in the corporate directory. It is used by applications that run procedures to authenticate users.

License

Definition

A license is a contractual document describing the usage and distribution conditions of a software. It gives the right to use a version of the software on a certain number of workstations. Once this number is reached, a new license or extension must be acquired.

License scheme
The license scheme is the license management method

example  By workstation, by server or by site

License Service Manager

Definition

A Service Manager license indicates the list of menus a company can access and the associated restrictions for a given account, e.g. 40000, 50004, 50005. It takes the form of an encrypted text file.

License usage rules are defined to determine the number of licenses used when users log in to Service Manager and Service Apps.

License type
This indicates the way in which a license is applied to a monitored software in the catalog.

example   Package, SaaS, Upgrade

Life cycle
A life cycle is made up of successive phases in which Service Manager objects are processed, e.g. incidents, requests or problems, during their entire life span.

List of values
A list of values refers to the choice of values displayed in a table.

Loan management (view)
The Loan Management view displays equipment whose status is Lent.

Location
A location is a geographical site where employees, equipment, incidents and requests are located.

Location directory

Definition

The Location Directory contains a tree structure of all geographical locations for employees, equipment, incidents, service requests, and change requests. This includes sites, buildings, floors, offices, etc.

Logistics (menu)

Definition

The Logistics menu enables you to view stocks of assets, i.e. equipment, software or consumables, related to approved and validated service requests, change requests and investment requests that have not yet been processed.


M

Mail components

Definition

Mail components are used to define variable components in emails sent via process steps (workflows or business rules).

  • Any modification made to a mail component element will automatically be propagated to each new email.
  • You can use different mail component templates to format the Send Email steps quickly when a ticket is created, closed or approved.

Mail template

Definition

A mail template is the template of an email stored in a library that users can access when sending an email from a ticket, an action or in certain wizards.

The email will automatically be preloaded with the information defined in the mail template. The aim is to avoid having to write the same email each time. It can also provide a predefined structure to be adapted based on the context.

Main catalog
The Main Catalog is a catalog that enables multi-cart management for service requests.

Main usage
The main usage refers to the type of equipment usage, namely servers, e.g. application server or database server.

Major incident
A major incident is an incident with the highest level of impact. It results in the significant disruption of the organization's activities and affects an important number of employees.
 

Manage finances (view)
The Manage Finances view displays information on equipment purchase.

Manufacturer
The Manufacturer reference table groups the manufacturers of all equipment and configuration items (CI), as well as all software publishers.

Measurement unit
A measurement unit is the benchmark used in object attributes, e.g. assets, incidents, requests, etc.

Mean Time indicators for availability
Mean Time indicators enable the IT Support team to measure the reliability of configuration items (CI) and implement strategies to ensure quick service recovery, i.e. MTBF, MTBSI, MTRS, MTTR.

Menu

Definition

Menus define the main Service Manager themes (Service Operation, Service Transition, etc.). They appear as a list of menu items in the menu pane.

Menu editor
The menu editor is used to configure the menu pane.

Meta-status
A meta-status is a main step in the life cycle of Service Manager objects, e.g. incidents, requests or problems. A meta-status can be broken down into different statuses.

Milestone
A milestone is a reference point used to monitor progress within the project life cycle. No resources are assigned and its duration is null.

Monitored software
Monitored software is software whose license must be monitored. It can be associated with a license, standard build, employee or equipment. To do this, its Monitored box must be checked in the Software Catalog.

MTBF (Mean Time indicator for availability)
MTBF stands for Mean Time Between Failures. It is an availability indicator used to measure the average time between failures of a service.

MTBSI (Mean Time indicator for availability)
MTBSI stands for Mean Time Between Service Incidents. It is an availability indicator used to measure the average time between two service failures.

MTRS (Mean Time indicator for availability)
MTRS stands for Mean Time to Restore Service. It is an availability indicator used to measure the average time required to restore a service.

MTTR (Mean Time indicator for availability)
MTBSI stands for Mean Time To Repair. It is an availability indicator used to measure the average time required to repair a service.

Multi-section questionnaire

Definition

A multi-section questionnaire groups sets of questions together in sections. It is used to:

  • Divide long questionnaires into several pages in order to make data entry easier, more legible and more comfortable for users;
  • Adapt the choice of answers to a question based on the answer to a previous question.


N

Naming rules for exported objects
Naming rules are defined for each file depending on the type of object exported.

example Operation profile exported object ==> File name: Export_200_AM_PROFILE__Operation.exp

Net book value
Net book value, also known as residual value, is the value of an asset in depreciation at a given time. The purchase price is equal to this value added to the depreciation expense. 

News article

Definition

A news article is an occasional item of information that highlights a topical issue: announcement of a critical event, which may generate incidents, communication of an informative message, .... It can be made available to users in the Self Service portal or only to the Technical Support team.

Next user
The next user indicates the employee to whom an item of equipment is pre-assigned.

Normalization

Definition

Normalization is used to convert external source values prior to their integration in the Service Manager database. 

Notification
A notification is an item of information displayed as an icon in the notification bar to alert users of new events.

example  New discussion, New approval to be performed

Notification bar
The notification bar is the icon bar found in the top banner. It displays the number of evie notifications sent during the Send Notification step for processes, the number of actions or approvals to be performed by the employee (Quick Dashboard) and the number of discussions.


O

OLA
OLA stands for Operational Level Agreement. It is a contract between IT Support and service providers. It is used to calculate the target intervention date using the date on which the action was transferred. OLAs are applicable to workflow steps.

Option
An option is an additional service in the Service Request Catalog. It can be provided in addition to the main service.

Order
An order is a transaction made to replenish stock for equipment, licenses and consumables.

Origin
The origin refers to the method used to report an incident, service request, change request, investment request or event to IT Support.

example  Phone, email, Web service

Other parameters
The Other Parameters menu is used to configure the general functioning of Service Manager, modify the behavior of certain wizards and define certain functions.

Override
An override is a set of specific conditions that are applicable to:

  • The department and location of an employee. If these conditions are met, specific conditions will replace the general ones.
  • Questionnaires. If these conditions are met, a new questionnaire will replace the existing one.


P

Parent incident
A parent incident is used when processing major incidents. The principle is to associate all of the incidents related to a parent incident so that the processing of the parent incident will automatically be applied to all child incidents.

Parent query

Definition

A parent query defines a set of standardized data retrieved from a database for working on a given theme.

Parent task
A parent task is an element in a project. It is an extended period that contains a group of subtasks. No resources are assigned.

Participant
Participants are employees who are assigned to project tasks or who may intervene during a project.

Password

Definition

To access Service Manager resources and services, user authentication is required. Secure access is ensured using a login and reinforced when users are required to enter an encrypted password.

  • Passwords are used in certain configuration files and administration tables for employees and integration models. Open url.png See the types of passwords.
  • EasyCrypt is a tool shipped with the Service Manager setup. It must be used for encrypting passwords.
  • You can implement an Employee password policy with constraints for defining passwords. Open url.png See the procedure.

Patch
The aim of a patch, also known as a hotfix, is to correct a software error in order to solve a problem, e.g. bug or security flaw.

Pending deliveries (menu)

Definition

The Pending Deliveries menu enables you to view all orders that have been partially received or not yet received. 

Pending invoices (menu)

Definition

The Pending Invoices menu enables you to view all orders of assets, i.e. equipment, licenses or consumables, that have been partially invoiced or not yet invoiced.

Performance

Definition

EasyVista products may be affected by slowness and performance issues depending on the configuration, user activity, processes with high resource consumption, and miscellaneous programs such as anti-viruses, etc.

A few recommendations can help you optimize your product for better performance.

Pivot table
A pivot table is a type of report in which data is found at the intersection of rows and columns.

Platform account stylesheet
Each of the three accounts on each Service Manager platform has three CSS stylesheets:

StyleSheetsDefinition
  • optimized.css stylesheet: Used to view the entire CSS stylesheet in a structured way.
  • optimized.min.css stylesheet: Contains the same data as the "optimized.css" stylesheet but in a more compact format. This ensures that it will be read faster by Service Manager for optimal performance when displaying pages.
  • customer_optimized.css stylesheet: A stylesheet that can be customized by customers who want to modify the Service Manager graphic interface, i.e. colors and text in the login page, menus, Home page, etc.

Platform accounts

Definition

Each Service Manager platform contains one to three different accounts:

  • Account 40000 (optional): Demo environment which contains a test case database with fake but consistent data on users, equipment, catalogs, projects, etc. This database is used to perform tests, conduct training and run demos using the standard configuration and to check the behavior of wizards and processes.
  • Account 50004: Production environment which contains actual data used on a daily basis by users.
  • Account 50005 (optional): Test environment which contains a sandbox database whith a copy of the production data. This database is used to run tests without affecting the production database or logged-in users.

Platform version
The platform version refers to the version of executables that make up Service Manager services.

Potential savings (view)

Definition

You can access view by selecting Licenses > Potential Savings in the menu. These views enable you to reduce operating costs related to licenses in the IT infrastructure. You can compare the number of licenses with the number of software actually installed, analyze the differences between required and actual configurations, and identify workstations where software has been installed without an authorized license.

Predefined variable
Predefined variables are created by EasyVista. They are used at two levels.

  • In Service Manager, variables are used to specify instructions sent to the technical support agent (AST). Open url.png See the list.

    example  The predefined variable @OPERATION@='UPDATE' indicates to perform an update of the incident. The predefined variable @ASSET@ identifies the equipment code concerned by the incident.

  • In Self Help projects, variables are used to retrieve information on the current step or procedure and the logged-in user. Open url.png See the list.

    example  The predefined variable currentNode.name identifies the name of the current step.

Preimport

Definition

A preimport is a preliminary processing run prior to external data integration in the Service Manager database. It is used to automate the processing to be performed before the integration model. This is done using SQL scripts. Open url.png See the examples.

Presence
The working hours where Support persons are present are periods during which the IT Support team and service providers are available.

Priority
Priority is the speed at which IT Support must process an object, e.g. incident, request or problem. It is automatically calculated based on the urgency and impact of the object. 

Problem

Definition

A problem is a malfunctioning whose cause is unknown and for which there is no immediate or obvious solution.

It is usually opened after identical incidents have occurred for unknown reasons. It results in a diagnosis and investigation to find a workaround solution in order to restore the service as quickly as possible and to ensure that no incident occurs again.

Problem catalog

Definition

The problem catalog lists all the types of problems handled by the IT Department.

Process
A process is a set of actions performed in steps to process specific types of objects, such as incidents, requests and problems in workflows, or related processes in business rules.

Process elements
Process elements refer to objects processed in workflow steps, e.g. incidents, service requests, change requests, investment requests, problems, known errors, events

Process graphic editor

Definition

The graphic editor enables you to define, configure and organize the different steps in each process and map them visually. You can use it for workflows (sequence of manual and/or automatic actions) as well as for business rule related processes (sequence of automatic actions).

Profile

Definition

User profiles are used to restrict the functional scope of Service Manager for a given employee or user group. They are specific to each organization and can, for example, be defined by business line based on employees' tasks.

Progress (health indicator)
The Progress trend in a project enables project managers to check that the project's reference values are complied with in terms of the rate of progress (in percentage). Its aim is to ensure that the rate of progress estimated for tasks is not overly optimistic.

Project

Definition

A project is a group of scheduled tasks to which resources are allocated. Projects managed in Service Manager are IT projects under the responsibility of the IT Department. They are used to plan organizational changes that affect IT systems.

Project hazard
A project hazard is an undesirable or unexpected event that may occur during the different phases of a project. The overall project risk level is assessed by taking into account all of the project hazards.

Project health trends
Health trends enable project managers to anticipate any overrun in terms of budget, time limits, progress and workload, and to make the necessary adjustments. They are displayed in the Project Portfolio.

Project manager
The project manager is in charge of a project. This is the only person authorized to modify project information and edit the Gantt diagram by assigning resources or scheduling tasks.

Project portfolio

Definition

The Project Portfolio shows the weather forecast and dashboards for projects. This is a decision-making tool that helps you assess the quality of each project estimation and adopt a strategy in the event of differences.

Project template

Definition

Project templates allow you to quickly create a project by duplication.

  • The entire project structure will be copied, e.g. tasks, resources assigned, active participants, links to change requests, CIs, etc.
  • The dates for task completion and milestones will be adjusted based on the project start date.

Properties inspector
The Properties Inspector is used to view and define the properties of Service Manager objects, e.g. field properties in forms and wizards, and Service Apps objects, e.g. pages, widgets or menu items.

Purge archives

Definition

The purging of archives is used to clean databases permanently by physically deleting records from tables.


Q

Quality of service
Quality of service is an evaluation performed by employees when giving approval to close an incident/request. Users are asked to give a score based on the quality of the intervention provided by the IT Support team.

Question

Definition

Questions are questionnaire components submitted to employees via workflows. Users are required to answer questions arranged in a specific order so that additional information on an incident, service request, change request, investment request or problem can be obtained. 

Question editor
The question editor is used to configure questions based on their type, e.g. checkbox or list, and customize them depending on the questionnaire's context of use, e.g. display conditions or data entry constraints.

Questionnaire

Definition

A questionnaire is a list of predefined questions that employees are required to answer in a specific order at any step in a workflow. It allows to obtain additional information on an incident, service request, change request, investment request or problem.

Quick call

Definition

You can enter a new incident, service request or change request using a quick call. This is a data input screen for tickets.

Quick creation button (graphic interface versions 2016 and earlier)
The quick creation button is used to add a new object, such as employees, incidents or service requests, using a specific wizard. These buttons appear in the menu pane found in all application screens.
Note: Quick creation buttons have been replaced by quick access commands (slash /) from version Oxygen onwards.

Quick dashboard

Definition

The Quick Dashboard is the area containing counters found in the notification bar. It indicates the number of actions / approvals that the employee, or a member of one of his groups, has to perform. Click each counter to display the list of objects concerned.

Quick fix
The terms Quick Fix and Immediate Resolution are used when there is a solution for the incident/request during the Quick Call. The object is immediately closed via an immediate resolution workflow. It is not transferred or escalated.


R

Recipient
The recipient is the user who experiences malfunctioning issues with an item of equipment or IT software. The recipient and the requesting person are very often the same person. However, the requesting person may report an incident on behalf of another user, who would then be the recipient.

Recycling
Recycling is the action for processing an item of equipment that has reached its end of life. You can define recycling contractors in the Supplier Directory.

Redirection
*Redirection for an action means that the current object is transferred to a group or group member belonging to the same level or to a lower level.

  • In a form, redirection will trigger the display of another form via a link or action button when a specific condition is met.

Reference
References are values for loading drop-down lists and tree structures displayed in forms and wizards. You can define them in reference tables.

Reference table
Reference tables contain values for loading drop-down lists and tree structures displayed in forms and wizards.

Regular expression
A regular expression is a syntax used to enforce a specific data entry format for a field.

Release
A release is a new version of the application.

For release projects, this can be:

  • A delta release: Only certain project components are deployed.
  • A full release: All project components are deployed.

Release (project)

Definition

A release project formalizes the implementation of one or more approved and validated changes related to a given IT infrastructure object.

Release project

Definition

A release project formalizes the implementation of one or more approved and validated changes related to a given IT infrastructure object.

Release project type
This indicates the type of change that initiated the project.

Relevance
Relevance is the level of reliability assessed by the search engine using different factors such as the ratio between the number of words similar to the search keywords and the total number of words in the element, or the number of repeated words, etc.
To avoid displaying less relevant results, the search ignores frequently used words. These are words whose presence exceeds 50% of the form or words that are too short, e.g. the, next, or with.

Renewal management (view)
The Renewal Management view displays the list of contracts that must be renewed, by date and by type of decision.

Repair management (view)
The Repair Management view displays equipment whose status is In Repair.

Report

Definition

A report is used to extract data associated with a menu in real time in order to generate a custom statistical report (in PDF or CSV format, etc.) that is more complex than the reports built using standard filters.

It can also be used as an archive tool or to establish a history of statistical data by storing snapshots of data managed at a given time.

Reporting tools
Reporting tools include trends, reports and alerts.

Reports editor

Definition

The reports editor (smoReportDesigner) is a report generator used to define reports (e.g. work orders, lists, etc.) to be printed using forms and views.

Requalification
Requalification indicates that the category of a ticket has been modified. The ticket must be reassigned to new Support persons and the workflow associated with the new category will be run.

Requestor or requesting person
The requestor or requesting person refers to the user who reports an incident or submits a request to IT Support, directly or on behalf of a third party.

Residual value
Residual value, also known as net book value, is the value of an asset in depreciation at a given time. The purchase price is equal to this value added to the depreciation expense. 

Resource

  • In projects, a resource is the means by which a company can fulfill its production requirements, e.g. manpower, software, hardware or CIs.
  • In REST APIs, a resource refers to an object in a third-party product that is accessible via a URI.
     

REST

Definition

REST (Representational State Transfer) uses the HTTP/HTTPS protocol to access resources thanks to their unique URI. It is used by Web services to perform natively supported operations, e.g. GET (read), POST (write), PUT / PATCH (update), DELETE (delete).

Risk level
The risk level of a project is an evaluation of how likely unexpected events may occur during the project life cycle. It can be broken down into overall project risk and project hazards.

Role

Definition

A role is a dynamic variable used to assign actions to a Support person or Support group (groups / employees) without having to name each of them individually.

Root cause
The root cause is the source of the malfunctioning issue that triggers an incident.


S

Sandbox (account 50005)
The Sandbox database is a copy of the production database. It is used to run tests without affecting the production database or logged-in users.

Scheduled report
A scheduled report is a specific type of report that is scheduled to be run automatically based on a given frequency. Reports can be generated as a PDF or CSV file and are automatically sent by email to a list of recipients.

Scheduled tasks

Definition

Scheduled tasks are run by the Service Manager smoScheduler scheduler. They group all tasks created from integration models, purges and Service Manager internal reporting tools, e.g. trends, alerts, scheduled reports.

Score
Employees may be asked to give a score when giving their approval to close an incident/request. The score can be based on the quality and speed of the intervention provided by the IT Support team.

Script
A script is a VBS or BAT command file used to run different tools in Service Manager such as remote assistance or SCCM explorer. You can configure these files using the Execute Script wizard.

Search engine
A search engine is a tool that uses different SQL functions and algorithms to find words or sentences in text fields in a database. In Service Manager, this functionality is used to run the full text search. Results are displayed in order of relevance.

Search field
The search field is found at the top banner of all forms.

Search studio

Definition

For each meta-object, e.g. Employee, CI or Equipment, you can use the Search Studio to configure the results displayed for predictive entry and the dedicated search results page displayed via Display popup icon.png Search in Grid mode.

  • Meta-objects are associated with a table and the fields of a parent query.
  • Entries in the Search Studio are accessible depending on authorized profiles.

Section (or Form)
A section is an interface component that displays information on a record in a form

Self Service
The Self Service Portal is the Front Office. This part of the IT system is accessible to end users, unlike the Back Office. The dedicated interface enables users to view news articles on the state of the IT network, enter and monitor incidents, access the customized Service Catalog, consult the Problem knowledge base and modify their personal user information.

Self Service portal
The Self Service Portal is the Front Office. This part of the IT system is accessible to end users, unlike the Back Office. The dedicated interface enables users to view news articles on the state of the IT network, enter and monitor incidents, access the customized Service Catalog, consult the Problem knowledge base and modify their personal user information. 

Service
A service offers technical or intellectual expertise. Each service is monitored in the CMDB as a service CI and can also be managed in the Service Portfolio. 

Service Apps app
A Service Apps app is an interface that is accessible in the App Gallery. Each app is made up of content (objects displayed on screen, e.g. pages, widgets, menu items, or charts) and a container (definition of the layout and visual aspect of these objects).

Service catalog

Definition

The Service Catalog is one of the components in the Service Portfolio that is communicated publicly to employees. It lists all configuration items (CIs) with Service type that are operational and released.

Service CI
A service CI is a service that offers technical or intellectual expertise. Each service CI is monitored in the CMDB and can also be managed in the Service Portfolio. 

example  Internet access, email system, customer portal

Service desk operator
The Service Desk operator is an employee who is a member of the IT Support team. This employee:

  • Centralizes incidents and requests that are reported or submitted by phone or email or that are directly entered in the Self Service Portal by the requestor or by the Back Office IT Support team.
  • Enters incidents and requests on behalf of other employees.
     

Service disruption
Service disruption is the unavailability of a configuration item (CI) due to unexpected downtime. You can use indicators to measure the unavailability of different services.

Service hours
Service hours are periods during which the IT Support team or service providers can be reached, or during which configuration items (CI) such as equipment or applications are available.

Service level
The service level groups all criteria to be provided by the service, e.g. contents, methods, stakeholder responsibilities, warranties, desired level of performance, etc.

Service Manager scheduler

Definition

Scheduled tasks are run by the Service Manager smoScheduler scheduler. They group all tasks created from integration models, purges and Service Manager internal reporting tools, e.g. trends, alerts, scheduled reports.

Service pipeline

Definition

The Service Pipeline is one of the components in the Service Portfolio that is not communicated to users. It lists all service CIs that are currently being designed.

Service portfolio

DefinitionServicePortfolio

The portfolio of services refers to a set of benefits managed by a service provider. It consists of three components: 

Service request

Definition

A service request is a request submitted by an employee to the IT Department which will then provide assets or perform services.

Service request catalog

Definition

The service request catalog contains the list of the configuration items (CIs) with Service type provided by an organization to its employees.

Severity
Severity indicates the level of importance of an incident. When a ticket is created, the severity level is assessed by the Service Desk operator based on the information reported by employees.

SHA256
The SHA256 or Secure Hash Algorithm is a hash cryptographic algorithm. It is used to encrypt the employee passwords.

SLA
SLA stands for Service Level Agreement. It is a contract between IT Support and customers. It is used to calculate the target resolution date of a ticket using its Support start date. It is also used to measure the efficiency and responsiveness of the IT Support team and its service providers. SLAs are applicable to workflow steps.

SLAs
SLAs refer to the contractual commitments made by IT Support: SLA, OLA and UC.

SLA availability target
The SLA availability target is an SLA commitment that takes service hours into account to define the availability rate of a configuration item (CI). It is expressed as a percentage.

SLA priorities
SLAs priorities are based on the combination of an SLA and a priority level. They apply to incidents and service requests and according to the ticket priority.

SMO (tools for automating integration)
You can use different tools to automate an integration.
 

  • Definition

    smoBackOffice is the Service Manager scheduler used for running a list of predefined processing such as discovery integration, network integration, preimport processing, purge processing and statistics processing.

Definition

Scheduled tasks are run by the Service Manager smoScheduler scheduler. They group all tasks created from integration models, purges and Service Manager internal reporting tools, e.g. trends, alerts, scheduled reports.

smoReportDesigner

Definition

The reports editor (smoReportDesigner) is a report generator used to define reports (e.g. work orders, lists, etc.) to be printed using forms and views.

smoServer function
A smoServer function is used to perform calculations on Service Manager objects, or retrieve field values and return the results in a variable.

example  getSLADelay ==> Calculate the time interval in process steps; getQuestionResult ==> Return the answer to a question

SNMP
SNMP or Simple Network Management Protocol is a communication protocol that enables network administrators to manage network equipment, supervise and analyze network issues and equipment failure remotely.

SOAP

Definition

SOAP (Simple Object Access Protocol) is a protocol based on XML for exchanging structured information in the implementation of web services. It is used by web services to send messages between remote objects. 

Service Manager can be a provider of SOAP Web services and a consumer of external SOAP Web services at the same time.

Software
Software refers to a group of programs, procedures or rules that run instructions on a workstation.

Software catalog

Definition

The software catalog lists all software available in the IT infrastructure. This includes programs physically installed on a workstation (This is usually automatically identified by a discovery tool using a library that contains the signatures of the most representative market software), programs accessed by users via an application run using a thin client (e.g. Web client or Citrix client), printer drivers, ...

Software detection rule

Definition

A rule for software detection identifies one of the ways by which an automatic discovery tool will detect software on workstations. It can be through the presence of executables, components, registry keys, ...

Software recognition database
The software recognition database contains all of the signatures for IT software that are detected by the discovery tool, e.g. standard market software, customer-specific software or uncommon software.

Standard build
A standard build is an ideal software configuration that can be associated with a workstation based on usage.

Standard build catalog

Definition

The standard build catalog lists all the software configuration (or masters) that can be associated with a workstation based on usage. 

State
States refer to geographical territories in the United States of America. A state may include locations and IT Support groups.

Status
The status is the state of an object at a given time. For equipment, this can be its IT asset status or its state of availability in stock. For a workflow, this can be the progress of an incident/request.

Step
A step is a phase that occurs during a workflow or project.

Stock management (menu)

Definition

The Stock Management menu enables you to manage IT assets by monitoring the entries and exits of assets, i.e. equipment, software and consumables.

Stock shortage
A stock shortage occurs when a product is unavailable and its supplier is unable to deliver all or part of the quantity ordered.

Supplier
A supplier refers to a company that provides assets, services, consumables or employees to an organization.

Supplier directory

Definition

The Supplier Directory contains a tree structure of all companies providing assets, services, consumables and employees to an organization. This includes software providers, equipment suppliers, financial service providers, etc.

Supplier type
This indicates the type of supplier.

example   Software supplier, Hardware supplier

Support agreements
Support agreements are contractual commitments made by IT Support. There are different types of support agreements.

Definition
  • SLAs (Service Level Agreement): They are signed with customers to calculate the target resolution date for an incident, service request, change request, or investment request using its Support start date. SLAs are also used to measure the effectiveness and responsiveness of the IT Department and its service providers.
  • OLAs (Operational Level Agreement): They are signed with service providers to calculate their target intervention date using the date on which the action was transferred to them. They are applied to workflow steps.
  • UCs (Underpinning Contract): They are OLA agreements signed with external service providers.

Support person
A Support person is a member of a group that may play a role in processing an incident, service request, change request or investment request.


T

Tag

Definition

A tag is a predefined dynamic component used in emails. It refers to a field value that is evaluated when the tag is called so that the current value within the context of use is retrieved.

Target intervention date
The target intervention date is the latest date that an action can be processed to ensure compliance with the OLA.

Target resolution date
The target resolution date is the latest date that a ticket can be processed to ensure compliance with the SLA.

Task
A task is an action.

  • In a workflow, it is an unplanned action that must be logged, e.g. remote control.
  • In a project, it is an individual action performed by a participant.
     

Technical support agent

Definition

The Technical Support Agent (TSA) is a monitoring tool that checks emails received in IT Support inboxes. Its role is to convert messages automatically to incidents, service requests, change requests, or events based on the instructions specified in the emails.

Technical support person
The Technical Support person is the employee in charge of intervening if the Service Desk operator is unable to solve the malfunctioning issue that initiated the ticket.

Theme
A theme is a set of menus related to a given process or activity.

Ticket
The term Ticket covers incidents, service requests, change requests, investment requests, problems and events. This can be created via:

  • The SOAP and REST Web services provided by EasyVista. All types of tickets can be created.
  • The Technical Support Agent. Only Incident, Service Request, Change Request and Event tickets can be created.
  • The Quick Call. Only Incident, Service Request and Change Request tickets can be created.
     

Ticket template
A ticket template is used to create a ticket quickly by duplicating it.

Time limits (health indicator)
The Time Limits trend in a project enables project managers to check that the project's reference values are complied with in terms of dates. Its aim is to ensure that task completion dates and project end dates are not overly optimistic.

Time sheet

Definition

A time sheet is a weekly report submitted by each participant who is in charge of performing tasks in a project

Title
The title is associated with employees.

example  Ms, Mr.

Tools
Tools are used to access different context-specific functionalities on screen.

example Edit parent queries, print lists, export data

Transfer
Transfer means that you redirect or escalate an action to another group or Support person.

Trend

Definition

A trend is a key figure related to the company's IT activity for a given period. It is based on directly observable and measurable quantities, or calculated using data.

It can be used as a monitoring tool to measure changes. It can also be used for forecasts and decision-making.

TSA

Definition

The Technical Support Agent (TSA) is a monitoring tool that checks emails received in IT Support inboxes. Its role is to convert messages automatically to incidents, service requests, change requests, or events based on the instructions specified in the emails.

Type
The type is used to group objects based on common characteristics. These objects include assets, services, configuration items (CI), release projects, standard builds, etc.


U

UC
UC stands for Underpinning Contract. It is a contract between IT Support and external service providers.

User
EasyVista identifies two types of users to keep track of Service Manager licenses.

  • Front Office user: These are users whose profile gives them access to only Service Manager My Data and My Department menu entries.
  • Back Office user: These are users whose profile gives them access to additional menu entries beyond My Data and My Department.

Unavailability
Unavailability is a period during which one or more configuration items (CI) cannot be used. These periods appear in the CI Calendar and CMDB graph.

Uniqueness
Uniqueness refers to the principle of assigning a unique value to a table field. This unique value is the identifier. Uniqueness controls are run when a form is saved or when a wizard is validated. An error message will be displayed if there are duplicates.

Unknown software
Unknown software is software detected but not listed in or recognized by the software recognition database in Discovery. Unknown software can be added to this database so that it can be identified in the future, or ignored if monitoring is not required.

UNSPSC
UNSPSC stands for United Nations Standard Products and Services Code. It is a coding system used to classify products, services and CIs in e-Commerce systems. This taxonomy contains a four-level hierarchy with over 20,000 categories.

Urgency
Urgency is a combination of the expected level of effort and the speed required to solve an incident/request.

Usage rights
Usage rights are used to define the list of versions of a given software or other software covered by the last version of the software installed in the IT infrastructure.

User information zone
The user information zone enables logged-in employees to consult and modify their personal user information such as the domain, password, etc.

UTC
UTC is a universal date/time standard based on Greenwich Mean Time. Dates and times in Service Manager are stored in tables in UTC format. They are retrieved to display the time zone associated with the location of the logged-in employee.


V

View

Definition

A view enables you to consult and format the presentation of information, e.g. grouping of data or page layout.

VIP level/VVIP level
The VIP level (Very Important Person) and VVIP level (Very Very Important Person) indicate the level of importance of an employee. When a ticket related to this user is created, it will automatically increase the urgency. This means that the incident or request must be given priority in processing.

Visual alert
A visual alert is used to modify the layout of a field in a view when its value meets certain conditions.


W to Z

Warranty type
This indicates the way in which the warranty is implemented when equipment failure occurs.

example   On site or return to workshop

WBS
WBS stands for Work Breakdown Structure. It is a hierarchical decomposition of the total scope of work to be carried out by the project team to accomplish the project objectives.

Weather forecast
The weather forecast of a project is a visual display of the project's status. The icons displayed depend on the level of compliance with the project's reference values, i.e. the number of project KO.

Web accessibility
Web accessibility refers to the project launched by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). This project includes numerous recommendations on how to make Web contents more accessible to people with disabilities.

Web service
A Web service is an IT component that enables the communication and sharing of data between different applications and systems via the Internet or Intranet without requiring human intervention. Service Manager proposes Web services using the SOAP protocol as well as Web services using the REST protocol.

Wizard

Definition

Wizards enable you to perform business processes using predefined tasks. They are used to perform predefined actions that update the database.

Depending on the context, you can run wizards on selected records in List mode to update all of them, or on a single record in a form.

Workflow

Definition

A workflow is a process that handles a type of tickets, arranged in a sequence of actions performed in steps

There are three main types of workflows: Standard workflows, Immediate solution workflows, Closing workflows. Open url.png See Type of workflows.

Workflow life cycle

Definition

The life cycle of a workflow enables you to view the series of progress actions for the incident, the service request, the change request or the problem it is in charge of. It is displayed at the top of the form as a breadcrumb.
         Life Cycle Workflow - Breadcrumb colors.png

Workaround solution
A workaround solution is a temporary solution used to minimize or eliminate the impact of an incident when no final solution is available.

Workload (health indicator)
The Workload trend in a project enables project managers to check that the project's reference values are complied with in terms of duration. Its aim is to ensure that the durations defined for tasks are not overly optimistic.

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