Open a record using Database Manager

The Service Manager Database Manager utility runs in two modes, standard and administrative.

• In standard mode, behavior is determined by whatever security you have in place. Request Management, for example, uses Request security while the standard database uses Format Control. In standard mode, an administrator does not necessarily see all options. Options that are potentially troublesome for Service Manager, mass-updates, regenerating keys, and so on, are kept out of sight to prevent accidental use.
• Administration Mode is similar to root privileges on Unix systems. Administration Mode is powerful, in that you can make changes that affect Service Manager as a whole. In Administration Mode, (with the Administration Mode check box selected), a System Administrator will have rights to ALL options unless a different displayscreen is used based on the value of the Administration Mode check box.

  The value of the Administration Mode check box affects which displayscreen is used for certain files. The link file will use the link.view displayscreen when Admin Mode is disabled and db.view when Admin Mode is enabled. The globallists file will use the global.view displayscreen when Admin Mode is disabled and db.view when Admin Mode is enabled. When Admin Mode is enabled for the link and globallists files, the SysAdmin no longer has access to the Select Line and Rebuild Global List options respectively.

Note: Do day-to-day administration in standard mode.

Two capability words control whether a user administrator can use standard or administrative mode.

• Users with the SysAdmin capability word defined in their operator file will see the Administration Mode checkbox.
• Users with the AlwaysAdmin capability word defined in their operator file will be in Administration Mode by default.

To open a record using Database Manager:

1. Click Tailoring > Database Manager.

   Note: Alternatively, you can open Database Manager from the command line, by typing db, and then pressing Enter or clicking Execute Command.

2. Select a form or file by typing the name of a form in the Form field or the name of a file in the Table field.

   If one or both fields are left blank, the record list returns all records that match your criteria.

3. Click Search.

4. Enter your search criteria. For example, you can enter known information in key fields, such as names of operators, names of devices, or incident numbers.

   Note: Executing a search that includes a field that is not fully keyed slows response time.

5. Click Search.

   • If found, a record that matches your criteria opens.

   • If more than one match is found, a record list opens.

     For multiple returns, click a record from the record list to display it.

     To update the record, edit the record and then click Save.

Note: A device is also referred to as a Configuration Item (CI).

Related topics

Record retrieval