Definition

EndDefinition

Each discussion:

• Is initiated by an author.
• Remains active thanks to contributors defined based on the discussion's visibility specified by its author, e.g. all users from the current domain, restricted to specific groups, or restricted to a specific department. Ideas are exchanged in the form of replies made in threads.
• Can be closed by its author. This will prevent further exchanges among contributors.
• Can be managed by a moderator authorized to close or delete the discussion despite not being its author.

Users invited to discussions:

• Can view them using two dedicated tabs on the Home page of each module and via a dedicated tab available in forms for Service Manager objects.
• Can follow certain discussions to monitor replies, without contributing to them.
• Are informed of new discussions and new exchanges in followed discussions via a specific icon in the notification bar.

Example

Discussion visibility based on the domain

Domain of the discussion		User A		User B		User C
		Accessible domains
		France; United Kingdom; USA; Entire company		France; Support		Europe
France		Author of the discussion				(via the Europe domain comprising the France domain)
France				Author of the discussion		(via the Europe domain comprising the France domain)
United Kingdom		Author of the discussion				(via the Europe domain comprising the France domain)
Europe		(via the Entire company domain comprising all domains)				Author of the discussion
USA		Author of the discussion
Support		(via the Entire company domain comprising all domains)		Author of the discussion
Entire company		Author of the discussion

Notes

• Access:
  • Only group members with access to discussions can take part in these discussions.
  • The discussions are accessible on any Service Manager object, except User forms.

• Rights:
  • Moderator:
    • Its profile authorizes him/her to manage his/her own discussions (via the Administration > Manage Discussions menu that he/her has access).
    • He/her can close or delete his/her discussions.
  • Author of the discussion:
    • He/her cannot modify the discussion visibility or type once the discussion is saved.
    • He/her can close or delete his/her discussions.
  • Contributors:
    • As long as the discussion remains open, they can modify or delete their replies.
    • They cannot close or delete discussions.

• Display:
  • On the Service Manager Home page:
    • All Discussions tab: These are all of the discussions that logged-in users are authorized to see based on their domain and the visibility of the discussion.
    • My Discussions tab: These are all of the discussions they authored, or those to which they contributed, or those to which they were invited by the author, or those they follow.
  • In the form of an Service Manager object > Discussions tab: These are all of the discussions on the Service Manager object that logged-in users are authorized to see based on their domain and the visibility of the discussion.
  • Using the  icon in the notification bar: This opens the My Discussions tab on the Home page. The counter is automatically incremented:
    • When the discussions you follow are updated.
    • When you are specifically invited to a new discussion created by an author.
  • In an Service Apps app using the Discussion widget.

• Visibility:
  • Each discussion is linked to a location and a department that determine the domains for discussion visibility:
    • Location and department of the Service Manager object in the discussion.
    • Location and department of the author if the discussion is not related to an Service Manager object.
  • The visibility can be:
    • Full: All users in the domain or higher-level domain can access the discussion (Public Mode appears in the discussion header).
    • Restricted to certain groups or users in the domain (Limited Access appears in the discussion header).

• Characteristics of the list of discussions:* When a reply is added to a discussion, the discussion will appear at the top of the list.

  • Discussions are sorted by reverse chronological order.
  • Unread and read discussions are separated in the display. Unread discussions are considered read once they are displayed.
  • The ten most recent discussions are displayed by default. You can click [ DISPLAY MORE ] at the bottom of the list of discussions to see the next ten discussions.
  • Each discussion is identified by an icon specific to its type.

    example  for a Question discussion.

  • Discussions related to Service Manager objects are identified by the icon representing the object. Click the icon to open the related form.

    example  for a Problem discussion.

• When running a search in discussions ( see the procedure):* You can use the AND operator to link keywords.

  • The search is run on discussion headers and replies.
  • The search is run on the full description of keywords.

    example "server" will not display discussions containing the word "servers".

  • The search is not case-sensitive.

    example "apache" will display discussions containing the words "APACHE" or "apache".

Caution

• When you create a discussion unrelated to an Service Manager object and you specify public visibility, you must check your current domain to avoid giving access to users not concerned by the discussion.
• Administrators can access all discussions in the current domain even if restrictions have been defined.
• If you delete a discussion, it will disappear from the log. If you want users to continue viewing the discussion without adding to it, you should use the Close option instead of Delete.
• To avoid displaying too many 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.    See Discarded strings lists (stopwords)

Screen description

Menu access:

• Home page > All Discussions tab and My Discussions tab
• Form of an Service Manager object > Discussions tab
   

(1): Search field for entering keywords.
(2): Field for creating a new discussion.
(3): Discussion thread displaying a photo of the author on the left.
(4): Separation between unread discussions at the top and read discussions at the bottom.
(5): Read and closed discussion displayed on a gray background.
(6): Read and open discussion displayed on a white background.
(7): Allows to see the next ten discussions.

: Icon indicating the type of discussion, e.g. event, question or information.
: Icon indicating the type of Service Manager object related to the discussion.

 next to a reply: Enables the contributor to delete the reply.

: Used to display the list of options for performing an action on the discussion:

• Update (Note: Only available for the author): Used to modify the text in the discussion header.
  • The Update link next to a reply in the discussion enables the contributor to modify the reply.
• Close (Note: Only available for the author and moderators): Used to close the discussion.
  • It will be kept in the log but can no longer be modified. 
  • It will appear on a gray background in the list of discussions.
  • Only its author can reopen it using Reopen.
• Reopen (Note: Only available for the author): Used to reopen a previously closed discussion. 
• Delete (Note: Only available for the author and moderators): Used to delete the entire discussion thread. The discussion will disappear from the log.

Procedures

How to implement discussions

Step 1: Defining the groups that will have access to discussions

1. Select Operation / Transition / Extended CMDB / Project > Directories > Groups in the menu.

2. Select the group you want.

3. Check the Discussion Enabled box.

4. Click .
All of the members in the group will be now able to access discussions.

5. Repeat this procedure for each group.

Step 2: Defining the moderators

1. Select Administration > Access Management > User Profiles in the menu.

2. Select the Administration > Manage Discussions box for the relevant users.

How to create a discussion

Step 1: Creating the discussion
         

1. Click in the What are you working on? field.

2. (optional) Click  to maximize the field.

3. Enter the title of the new discussion.

Cancellation of the creation

• Click .
   

Step 2: Selecting the participants who will be invited to the discussion

1. Click in the the Public - Click to restrict to Groups and Users field.
         

2. Click on each group/user you want.
         

Deletion of a participant

• Click  in the frame.
   

3. (optional) Enter the identifier of the participant for a quick search.

• Group identifier: Name
• User identifier: Name, address, email address, login, job
   

Step 3: Finalizing the creation

1. Select the type of discussion.

2. Click Share.

Modification of the title of the discussion

• Click  next to the new discussion.
• Select the Update option.
• Modify the title.
• Click Save.

How to take part in and follow a discussion

Step 1: Searching the discussion

1. Display the list of discussions.

• Via the Home page > All Discussions tab and My Discussions tab

• Via the form of a  Service Manager object > Discussions tab

• Via  in the notification bar (Note: Only if you are specifically selected for new discussions or if you follow discussions where updates are made)
  My Discussions tab on the Home page will be opened.
   

Step 2: Entering the reply

1. Click the Reply link of the discussion to which you want to contribute.
An input field will be displayed.
         

2. Enter your reply in the dedicated field.

3. (optional) Click  to maximize the field.

4. Click Reply. 

Modification of your reply  (Note: As long as the discussion is open)

• Click the Update link next to the discussion.
• Modify the text of your reply.
• Click Save.

How to follow a discussion you did not author

1. Display the list of discussions.

• Via the Home page > All Discussions tab and My Discussions tab

• Via the form of a  Service Manager object > Discussions tab
   

2. Click the Follow link next to each discussion you want to follow.

Unsubscription of a discussion

1. Click the Unfollow link next to the discussion you want.
The discussion will automatically disappear on the Home page > My Discussions and All Discussions tabs.

How to search in the discussions

1. Enter the relevant keywords in the Search field.
         

2. Press < Enter >.

3. (Optional) Display the older discussions via Display more at the bottom of the list.
 

Cancellation of the filter criteria

• Click  in the search field.
           
  All the discussions will be displayed again.

How to display information on discussions related to an object

1. Move the cursor over the icon specific to the object.
Its reference will be displayed.
         

2. Click the icon.
The object's form will be opened.

How to close /delete a discussion

Note: Only if you are its author or moderator.

1. Click  next to the discussion you want.

2. Select the option you want.

• Close : the discussion will be closed but it will remain in the log.  You can reopen it at any time.
• Delete : the discussion will be closed and it will disappear from the log.
   

Reopening a closed discussion

• Click .
• Select the Reopen option.