Create an External Business Object to Link to External Data

Create a new Business Object to import or link external data. When a new Business Object is created, either import or link external data. If using an existing Business Object, only import data. For more information, see Map an Existing External Business Object to Import External Data.

To create a new Business Object and link or import data:

1. In the CSM Administrator main window, click the Blueprints category, and then click the Create a New Blueprint task.

   Note: If working on a saved Blueprint, open the existing Blueprint.

   The Blueprint Editor opens, displaying the Object Manager in its Main Pane. The Object Manager lists the existing Business Objects.

2. Click (New Object), and then click New External Business Object.

   The External Data Wizard opens.

   

3. Click Next.

   The Import vs. Linked page opens.

   

4. Click Link to data.
5. Click Next.

   The Data Source page opens.

   

6. Select the database connection (External Connection) that was created to connect to the External Database.
7. Click Next.

   The External Table to Map page opens, listing the Tables and/or Views from the External Database.

   

8. Click to select the Table or View to link to.

   Note: If the Table/View is not listed, check the login account and database owner/schema to ensure it has rights to see the data.

9. Click Next.

   The Business Object Type page opens.

   

10. Select the Type of External Business Object to create, either:
    • Major Business Object: A Major Business Object is a stand-alone Business Object that represents a major component of a business. It can exist by itself and have child objects that are part of its composition (using Relationships). Examples include Incident, Problem, Change, Knowledge Article, Customer, Configuration Item, and Service.
    • Supporting Business Object: A Supporting Business Object is a Business Object that exists solely to complement, or support, a Major Object. Examples include Task, Journal, and Approval.
    • Lookup Business Object: A Lookup Business Object is a Business Object that supplies valid values to other Business Objects. More precisely, it stores values for Fields that require constrained selections. For example, the Incident Cause Lookup Object holds values such as Hardware Malfunction, Outage, Permissions, etc.
11. Click Next.

    The Fields to Map page opens.

    

12. Map fields from the Table/View to a field in the new External Business Object:
    • To map all available Table/View fields at once, click Map all fields. The Wizard automatically creates a new Field for each External Table/View field and populates the mapping list.

      Tip: To remove a field: Click to select a field, and then click the Remove button. To edit a field's mapping: Click to select a field, and then click the Edit button.

    • To map one field at a time, click to select individual fields, and then click Add.

      The Map Field from External Table window opens, listing the available Table/View fields.

      

      1. Click to select the external field you want to map.
      2. Select Create new field and type a name for the new field.
      3. Click OK.
13. Click Next.

    The Unique Key and Timestamp Fields page opens. The screen shots show example fields.

    

14. Designate a Unique Key and Timestamp field:
    • Field that Holds Unique Key: Select the field from the View that is deemed as the unique identifier (ex: MachineID or ComputerID).

      Note: There must be a unique ID field for CSM to use the External Table/View. If the Table/View does not have a Unique Key, add one.

    • Last Modified Date/Time: Select the field from the Table/View that is deemed as the last modified date/time field (ex: LastScanDate or date_modified).

      Note: This field is used to import only changed records.

15. Click Next.

    The Read-Only or Updatable page opens.

    

16. Select the radio button to determine if the data should be read-only or if it can be updated in CSM.

    Note: Unless linking to a very simple flat database, usually this integration should NOT be updatable. This CSM connection does not have any knowledge of the application rules for the receiving end of the updates.

    Note: The database login account that was used to set up the External Connection to the External Database must have rights to insert and update this Table/View. Be aware that Views cannot be updated in some databases.

17. Click Next.

    The Search Options page opens.

    

18. Define searching options for the External Business Objects:
    1. Use SQL Server Full-Text Search: Select this check box to enable Full-Text Search.

       SQL Server Note: If the External Database is SQL Server, select the SQL Server Full-Text Search check box to have CSM send full-text queries to the External Database when searches are done. In order to use Full-Text Search, it must be configured in the External Database. Refer to SQL Server documentation for details on how to set up Full-Text Search.

    2. Fields to search: Click Add to select the fields that should display when searches are conducted inside CSM (ex: Quick Search).

       Tip: DBAs might want to set up a database index for these fields in the order specified so that searching is faster.

    3. Select the Search type:
       • Exact match: The search string must exactly match a word or phrase in order for the record to be found. For those familiar with SQL, use the SQL clause:

         where (field = ‘value’)

       • Starts with: This finds records containing words or phrases that start with the search string. This is the recommended selection. For those familiar with SQL, use the SQL clause:

         where (field LIKE ‘value%’)

       • Contains: This returns records that contain the search string. This is slower than the other two options. If the database table contains millions of records, then do not use this option. For those familiar with SQL, use the SQL clause:

         where (field LIKE ‘%value%’)

19. Click Next.

    The Name and Description page opens.

    

20. Provide a Name for the External Business Object.

    Note: The internal name is always the name of the Table or View from the External Database. By default, the display name is the same. If the Table/View name matches an existing CSM Business Object, alter the name to ensure the name is unique. If the name is not altered, external data cannot be imported to the Business Object.

21. (Optional) Type a Description for the External Business Object.
22. Click Next.

    The Summary page opens.

    

23. Click Finish.

    The Business Object's Properties window opens, displaying current (and editable) properties, including a:

    • External Data page: View/edit the field mappings, unique ID, and last modified date/time fields.
    • External Search page: View/edit external search options (if defined).
    • Search Results page: Displays the Full-Text Search and quick search (if defined).
    • Database page: Read-only because the Table/View actually resides in another database.
24. Click OK to close the Properties window.
25. Create Forms and Grids for the External Business Object just as a new CSM Business Object.
26. (Optional for Supporting Objects) If needed, create a Relationship between the newly created Supporting Objects and the Major Object they support.
27. Publish the Blueprint (File>Publish Blueprint) to commit the changes, or save the Blueprint (File>Save Blueprint) to continue making other changes.