Use > UCMDB Modules > Reports

Reports

The Reports module in the UCMDB Browser provides a method of displaying the data from views in a report format. The Reports module is divided into two sections:

  1. ClosedReports Dashboard

    The Reports dashboard is divided into two sections:

    • Basic Reports

      Basic reports list the CIs for a main and related CI type that you select. Each thumbnail includes:

      • The Report's name
      • The Report's icon
      • The Report's description
      • The Report's labels

      Hovering your mouse over a Basic report allows you to access the following:

      • Execute Report
      • Delete Report
      • Edit Description
      • Labels

      You can create Basic reports in the UCMDB Browser.

      Note You must be assigned the permission to create views and queries in UCMDB in order to create basic reports in the UCMDB Browser.

    • Topology Reports

      This section displays the 20 most visited topology reports. Each thumbnail includes:

      • The Report's name
      • The Report's icon
      • The Report's description
      • The Report's labels

      Hovering your mouse over a Topology report allows you to access the following:

      • Execute Report
      • Labels

      Every view defined in the Modeling Studio in UCMDB has a corresponding topology report. UCMDB Browser reports are based on one of the following:

      • Pattern views - A pattern view is based on a particular TQL query that defines the structure of the view. When the view is displayed or refreshed, the Modeling Studio queries the CMDB for all elements that fit the query, and automatically updates the view with those elements.
      • Templates - A template is a view that is based on a reusable pattern view (template) and has defined parameters which are saved as part of the template. The view displays only those CIs and relationships that satisfy the query definition and the conditions of the template. You cannot schedule this type of report or change its parameters in the UCMDB Browser.

      The report settings are defined in the view definition in Report mode in the Pattern View Editor. For details, see "Pattern View Editor" in the Modeling section of the UCMDB Help. You cannot create Topology reports in the UCMDB Browser.

  2. ClosedReports Right Panel

    The right panel allows you access the following features:

    • Search Reports field

      Note In the Reports module, the search field acts as a filter for the reports.

    • CATEGORIES- LABELS switch

      ClosedUse the Labels view

      In the Labels view of the Reports module, you can quickly locate a group of reports that have certain labels. UCMDB administrators can manage the labels and assign labels to reports.

      To switch to the Labels view, click the CATEGORIES-LABELS switch at the top-right corner in the Reports tab. The right pane then lists all the labels.

      The Labels view works in the following manner:

      • If you do not select any label, the left pane displays all the reports.
      • If you select one or multiple labels, the left pane only displays the reports that have one of the selected labels.

      When a label is assigned to a report, the report icon shows the label name at the bottom. When a report has multiple labels and the icon cannot contain all the label names, a icon appears. You can click this icon to view all the labels assigned to the report.

      ClosedUse labels to group reports

      Administrators can use labels to group related reports.

      Create a label:

      1. In the Reports tab, switch from the Categories view to the Label view.
      2. Click Create New Label.
      3. Enter the label name, and then click Create New Label +.

      Rename or delete a label:

      1. In the Reports tab, switch from the Categories view to the Label view.
      2. Click Manage Label. The Manage Label dialog box appears.

      3. Perform the following actions to rename or delete a label:

        • To rename a label, click Rename, enter the new label name, and then click Save Changes.
        • To delete a label, click Delete.
      4. Click OK.

      Assign labels to a report:

      1. In the Reports tab, point to the report that you want to label.
      2. Point to Labels in the context menu, and then click one or multiple labels in the label list that appears.
      3. Move the mouse out of the context menu.

      Note You can assign labels to a topology report only when the topology report appears under the Topology Reports section.

      Remove labels from a report:

      1. In the Reports tab, point to the report.
      2. Point to Labels in the context menu, and then clear the checkboxes before the assigned labels.
      3. Move the mouse out of the context menu.
    • Expand button
    • Collapse button
    • Refresh Reports button
    • View Scheduled Reports button
ClosedCreate a basic report
  1. In the Basic Reports section of the Reports module, click . The Basic Report Wizard opens.

  2. Enter a name (and optional description) for the report, and click Next.

    Note  

    • The name cannot contain the following characters: , ; & = @ % / \

    • The description will appear in the report icon and at the top of the generated report.

      You can edit the description after you create the report. To do this, point to the report, and then click Edit Description from the context menu.

  3. Select the main CI type that you want to appear in the report, and then click Next.

    To quickly locate a CI type, you can filter the list of CITs by entering a text string, or click one of the favorite CI types above the list.

  4. (Optional) Select an attribute condition for the main CIT (including an operator and value) that you want to appear in the report. To add additional attributes, click [+] Add attributes. Click Next to select a related CI type.

    Note  

    • When you select the first attribute condition for the main CI Type, if the attribute selected is Display Label and the operator is Like case insensitive, after you save the report, these selections will be removed from the attribute conditions list and the value you added will be displayed in the Name field.
    • When you use the Contains operator, the different values added to an attribute should be separated by comma. This is because the Contains operator supports only one value in the UCMDB, and in the UCMDB Browser the different values that are added to an attribute are split into multiple conditions.
    • When you use the In operator, the different values added to an attribute should be separated by comma.

  5. (Optional) Select a related CI type, and then click Next.

    To quickly locate a CI type, you can filter the list of CITs by entering a text string, or click one of the favorite CI types above the list.

    You can only include one related CI type in a report. If you click more than one related CI type, the last item you clicked is the one that will be included in the report. To clear this field completely, click Deselect.

  6. (Optional) Select attributes for the related CI type (including an operator and value) that you want to appear in the report. To add additional attributes, click [+] Add attributes.

    Note  

    • When you use the Contains operator, the different values added to an attribute should be separated by comma, and listed in one field. This is because the Contains operator supports only one value in the UCMDB, and in the UCMDB Browser the different values that are added to an attribute are split into multiple conditions.

    • When you use the In operator, the different values added to a string attribute should be separated by comma, and listed in one field.

  7. When you are finished, click Save.
ClosedCreate a report from search
  1. On the main search page, click Advanced Search.

  2. Select the main CI type that you want to appear in the report, and then click Next.

    To quickly locate a CI type, you can filter the list of CITs by entering a text string, or click one of the favorite CI types above the list.

  3. (Optional) Select an attribute condition for the main CIT (including an operator and value) that you want to appear in the report. To add additional attributes, click [+] Add attributes. Click Next to select a related CI type.

  4. (Optional) Select a related CI type, and then click Next.

    To quickly locate a CI type, you can filter the list of CITs by entering a text string, or click one of the favorite CI types above the list.

    You can only include one related CI type in a report. If you click more than one related CI type, the last item you clicked is the one that will be included in the report. To clear this field completely, click Deselect.

  5. (Optional) Select attributes for the related CI type (including an operator and value) that you want to appear in the report. To add additional attributes, click [+] Add attributes.
  6. Click Search.
  7. In the left pane, click Select Attributes for Report. The Select Attributes for Report dialog box appears.
  8. (Optional) select the specific attributes that you want to be included in the report.
  9. Click Apply and go to Reports.

  10. (Optional) Perform the following steps if you want to save the report for later use:

    1. Click Save Report .
    2. Enter a report name and optional description, and then click Save.

    The report is added to the basic reports.

ClosedOpen a report

Note To open a report, you can either select the report, or click the Execute Report option that appears when you hover the mouse over the report.

  1. In the Reports tab, select the basic report to open.

  2. Click Execute Report

The following actions are available in an opened report:

  • Delete Report

    Note Delete Report action is available only for the basic reports.

  • Save Report
  • Select Attributes for Report
  • Schedule Report
  • Exports Results
  • URL to Report

The following features help you quickly locate an item in the opened report:

  • Expand All: Click this button to expand all Related CIs.

  • Collapse All: Click this button to collapse all Related CIs.

  • Search Results: Type the keyword in this field and then press Enter to search within the generated report.

    Note The search is performed only on the Display Label field.

You can change the order of the columns in a report by dragging them to the desired position.

ClosedGenerate a report

Note You can generate only the template-based topology reports.

  1. In the Reports tab, select the template-based topology report that you want to generate.

  2. Click Generate Report .

    The content of the report is generated according to the template that is specified in UCMDB. You can specify parameters for the included CIs that will be included in the generated report. To return to the default parameters, click Reset parameters to default .

The following actions are available in a generated report:

  • Generate Report
  • Reset parameters to default
  • Save Report
  • Select Attributes for Report
  • Schedule Report
  • Exports Results
  • URL to Report

The following features help you quickly locate an item in the generated report:

  • Expand All: Click this button to expand all Related CIs.
  • Collapse All: Click this button to collapse all Related CIs.

  • Search Results: Type the keyword in this field and then press Enter to search within the generated report.

    Note The search is performed only on the Display Label field.

ClosedEdit a report
  1. In the Reports tab, select the basic report that you want to edit.

  2. Do one or more of the following:

    • To change the main or related CI type, click the name of the existing CI type.
    • To change attributes, click Edit attribute conditions next to the main or related CI type.
  3. When you are finished, click Save .
ClosedDelete a report
  1. In the Reports tab, select the basic report that you want to delete.
  2. Click Delete Report . A confirmation message appears.

  3. Click OK to delete the report.

Note To delete a report, you can also hover the mouse over the report and click the Delete Report option.

ClosedSelect content to be displayed in a report
  1. In the Reports tab, select the report (basic or topology) that you want to configure.

  2. (Optional) Select Attributes for Report to select the specific attributes that you want to be included in the report.

    You can select attributes from the tabs that represent the CI Types in the selected report.

    • To include all attributes in the report, click .
    • To include a specific attribute in the report, select it in the left pane and click .
    • To remove a specific attribute from the report, select it in the right pane and click .
    • To remove all attributes from the report, click .

  3. In the Attribute Order tab, select an attribute and use the up or down arrows to change the display order in the report.

    Note Starting with UCMDB Browser 4.13, the attribute order is kept as it is defined by its owner in the UCMDB UI.

    However, if a user changes the order in UCMDB Browser and saves it, the new order will be kept for the user who changed it (the changes are saved in the user preferences).

  4. When you are finished, click OK.
ClosedSchedule a report
  1. In the Reports tab, select the basic report or pattern view-based topology report that you want to schedule.
  2. Click Schedule Report .

  3. Enter the following information:

    Field Description
    Recipients

    Enter the email addresses to which the report should be sent. If there is more than one recipient, separate the entries with semicolons.

    Starting with UCMDB Browser 4.14, the administrator has to add every domain name you need to use to a list of allowed domains. (For example, mydomain.com.)

    To add a domain name to the list of allowed domains, follow these steps:

    1. In UCMDB, go to Administration > Infrastructure Settings Manager > UCMDB Browser settings.

    2. In the Name column, choose Scheduled Reports trusted email domains for UCMDB Browser.

    3. In the Value column, enter the needed domain name. If there is more than one domain required, separate the entries with semicolons. For example, mydomain.com; mydomain1.com.

      To allow all the domains to be used, in the value column enter ; (semicolon).
    Templates Select one of the available templates from the drop-down list. A predefined text message appears in the Email content field.
    Email subject Enter the subject line of the email.
    Email content

    Enter the text that will appear in the body of the email.

    Note If you select an existing template, a predefined text message appears in the Email content field. You can either leave it as it is, or modify it.
    Select report formats Select one or more of the formats (XML, XLS, XLSX, PDF, or CSV) of the attachments that will be included when the report is sent. By default, all formats are included.
    Select action to perform

    Select one of the following options:

    • Save to disk

      In Administration > Infrastructure Settings Manager > UCMDB Browser Settings> Scheduled Reports Save Folder for UCMDB Browser setting, specify the destination folder for the exports of the scheduled reports. The full path name must be specified, beginning with the drive letter (absolute path).

      Note  

      • The destination folder is on the UCMDB Browser machine, not on the local (user’s) machine. The report will be saved in the sub-folder named after the user who scheduled the report.
      • After changing the default value, you must log in again in UCMDB Browser for the change to take effect.
      • If a path is not specified, the Save to Disk option will be grayed out.
    • Send email. The report will be sent by email.
    Repeat

    Select the frequency at which the report will be generated:

    • Once. The report will be sent at once, with no delay.
    • Interval. The report will be sent at a specific interval. You must specify the interval in minutes (0-59 minutes).
    • Hourly. The report will be sent once per hour. You must select the minute (0-59 minutes).
    • Daily. The report will be sent once per day. You must select the hour (0-23 hours) and minute (0-59 minutes).

    • Weekly. The report will be sent once per week. You must select the hour (0-23 hours), minute (0-59 minutes), and day of the week.

    • Monthly. The report will be sent once per month. You must select the day (1-31), hour (0-23), and minutes (0-59 minutes).

      Note If you select 31 as the day for the report to be sent, it will be sent only in months that contain 31 days (that is, only 7 times per year). To schedule reports to be sent on the last day of the month, use the Cron scheduling option.

    • Cron. You can use a Cron expression to schedule a job. For more information, see "Cron Expressions" in the Data Flow Management section of the UCMDB Help, or http://quartz-scheduler.org/documentation/quartz-2.x/tutorials/crontrigger.

    Exclude weekends

    Select this checkbox to prevent the report from being sent on weekends.

    To specify the days of the week that are weekend days, in UCMDB, go to Administration > Infrastructure Settings Manager > UCMDB Browser Settings and set the Days of the weekend setting.

  4. When you are finished, click OK.

How to create an email template

As an administrator, you can save the email content as a template, and then other users can reuse it at any time.

To create an email template:

  1. Enter the text that will appear in the body of the email.
  2. Enter the name in the Template name field.

  3. Click the Save button.

    The newly created template is added in the Templates drop-down list.

    Note  

    • You can delete a template by clicking the Delete button.
    • You can also update an existing template, by modifying the text message, and then clicking the Save button. The email content of the reports that are already scheduled will not be updated.

Specify the maximum number of templates that can be created

By default, the number of templates that can be created is limited to 100. To modify the value, follow these steps:

  1. Go to JMX Console > UCMDB:service=Settings Services > setSettingValue.
  2. In the name field, enter ucmdb_browser.number_of_allowed_templates.

  3. In the value field, enter the value of the maximum number of templates that you want to be created.

  4. Click Invoke.

Specify the maximum number of allowed emails that can be sent

By default, the number of emails that can be sent per second by an user is limited to five. To modify the value, follow these steps:

  1. In UCMDB, go to Administration > Infrastructure Settings Manager > UCMDB Browser settings.
  2. In the Name column, choose Number of allowed emails.

  3. In the Value field, enter the value of the maximum number of emails that you want to be sent per second by an user.

  4. Click Save.

  5. Log out from UCMDB Browser, and then log in again for the change to take effect.

    Note The change takes effect according to the time set in one of the following settings:

    • Time for which information in the Browser cache is valid
    • Time for which UCMDB Settings in the Browser cache is valid

    For more information, see "Settings affecting overall system operation".

How to use Extended Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (ESMTP)

Starting with UCMDB Browser 4.15.1, the email transfer mechanism uses Extended Simple Mail Transfer Protocol (ESMTP), which allows you to send emails to a server that requires secure connection.

To send an email using ESMTP:

  1. In UCMDB, go to Administration > Infrastructure Settings Manager > Mail Settings.

  2. Configure the following mail settings as described in the table below:

    Activate TLS/SSL connection

    If SMTP server requires secure connection via TLS/SSL then the value should be True, and UCMDB client properly configured. For instructions on how to configure UCMDB client, see "How to Configure the UCMDB Mail Server" in the Administer section of the UCMDB Help.

    Else if SMTP server accepts non-secure connection, the value should be changed to False.
    SMTP server Enter the address of the SMTP server.
    SMTP server port Edit the SMTP server port. The default value is 25.
    The username of SMTP server

    Enter the user name of the primary SMTP server. If no authentication is required, leave this filed empty.
    The password of SMTP server Enter the password of the primary SMTP server. If no authentication is required, leave this filed empty.

  3. Go to UCMDB Browser, and then follow the steps described in the "Schedule a Report" section.

Caution If SMTP server requires secure connection via TLS/SSL but the Activate TLS/SSL connection setting is set to False, the email is not sent and the following error message appears after 10 minutes: "An error has occurred, check server logs". If this happens, set the Activate TLS/SSL connection setting to True.

ClosedView all scheduled reports

  1. In the Reports tab, do one of the following:

    • Click View Scheduled Reports to see all scheduled reports.
    • Select a report and click Schedule Report . Then click View Scheduled Reports to see the reports that are scheduled for the selected report.

    The list of scheduled reports is displayed.

  2. Select one of the following:

    • Mine. Displays all scheduled reports for the currently logged-in user.
    • All. Displays all scheduled reports, grouped by user.
ClosedExport a report
  1. Select the report (basic or topology) that you want to generate.
  2. Click Export results .
  3. Select the desired export format (XLS, XLSX, CSV, PDF, or XML). The report is exported in the selected format.

  4. Click Open, Save, or Cancel.

Note  

  • You can cancel the export of a report by clicking the button. The cancel button remains active while the export is in progress, even if you navigate to another module. Thus, you can cancel the export when you return to the respective report in the Reports module.
  • In the reports that are exported to XLS, XLSX, and CSV, the ' character is added in front of any CI attribute name that begins with one of the following characters: @ + - =.
ClosedLink to a report
  1. Select the report (basic or topology) to which you want to link.
  2. Click URL to Report .

  3. Select one of the following:

    • Copy URL. Opens the URL to Report dialog box. Select the URL and click Control+C to copy the link to the clipboard.

      To send reports from other Micro Focus applications, use the following URL formats:

      • For pattern-based reports:

        <domain>/ucmdb_browser.jsp#report=<ReportName>;tab=reports

      • For template-based reports:

        <domain>/ucmdb_browser.jsp#report=<ReportName>&<param1>=<value1>&<param2>=<value2>&<paramn>=<valuen>;tab=reports

      Note The ‘tab=reports’ section may appear either before or after can be before or after report.

    • Email link. Opens an email that contains a link to the report.

Send Help Center feedback