Object Explorer Option

You can attach objects or files from Windows applications to the following entities in vFire Core:

  • Call
  • Request
  • Task
  • Bulletin
  • Knowledge
  • CMDB item
  • Person
  • Organization
  • Contract
  • Script

The Attach Object to Task window has two additional options: Task Objects and Request Objects. Selecting Task Objects displays all the objects attached to the current task. Selecting Request Objects displays all the objects attached to the request. You can link a request object to the current task using the toolbar button.

Attaching an Object

Before you start

To attach an object to a CMDB item, CMDB Item Object Update must be selected in the CMDB Items tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To attach an object to a person record, Person Object Update must be selected in the People tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To attach an object to an organization, Organization Object Update must be selected in the Organization tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To attach an object to a location, Location Object Update must be selected in the Locations tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To attach an object to a contract, Contract Object Update must be selected in the Contracts tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To attach an object to a subscriber group, Subscriber Group Object Update must be selected in the Subscriber Groups tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To attach an object to an agreement, Agreement Object Update must be selected in the Options tab of your SLM Security Role.

To attach an object to a knowledge entry, Object Update must be selected in the Options tab of your Knowledge Management Security Role.

To attach an object to a call, Object Update must be selected in the Options tab of your IPK Management Security Role.

To attach an object to a change calendar, Change Calendar Object Update must be selected in the Shared tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To attach an object to a task, Task Object Update must be selected in the Tasks tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To attach an object to a request, Request Object Update must be selected in the Requests tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To attach an object to a bulletin, Object Update must be selected in your Bulletin Board Security Role.

  1. Display the <Entity> Details window, if it is not already on screen.
  2. Select if necessary to view the details in edit mode.
  3. Select the Object explorer option. This normally appears within the Data group. Scroll up to locate the group, and expand it if necessary.
  4. The Attach Object to <Entity> window is displayed. From here, you can do any of the following, using the buttons on the toolbar:

    5. To return to the <Entity> Details window
    To upload a file
    To upload an image
    To download a file
    To open an attachment

    To delete an attachment

    You must have Object Delete selected in the relevant entity's security role to access this option.

  5. Select the button.
  6. From the Open dialog box, navigate to the folder containing the file, and select it before selecting Open.
  7. The Upload Object window is displayed. Complete the details as follows.

    8. Title

    		 The name of the file you are attaching.

    This is completed with the file you selected in the previous window. Overwrite with another name if you wish it to be seen under a different title by people viewing the entity.
    Version The version number of the file. This can also be overwritten if necessary.
    Description Provide an appropriate description of the object you are adding to the entity in the Description field. Depending on your system settings, this field may be plain text or allow html formatting.

    The description will be displayed in the Attach Object to <Entity> window if Object Version Control for an entity is enabled in the CMDB Settings, , Configuring the Bulletin Board or Configuring IPK Settings, depending on the details screen you are updating. If Object Version Control is not enabled, you will be able to specify a description but the description will not be displayed.

    Visible in Self Service Portal Select to make the description of the object viewable to users via the Self Service Portal (the object itself will always be visible on the Portal).

  8. Select to upload the file. The details are displayed in the Attach Object to <Entity> window .
  9. Data and Object in the Explorer pane change color, although you may not be able to see this while Object is still selected. The file is displayed in the Upload/Download browse table.
  10. Once the object has been uploaded, analysts with the appropriate permissions can do any of the following:

    11. To check the object out
    To check out and execute the file
    To check the file back in

    To cancel the check out

    You must have Object Version Control selected in the CMDB Settings, Configuring the Bulletin Board or Configuring IPK Settings, depending on the entity.
    To view the history of changes to the uploaded object

  11. Select from the toolbar or at the top of the Explorer pane to return to the Details window.

Attaching an Image

Before you start

To attach an image to a CMDB item, CMDB Item Object Update must be selected in the CMDB Items tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To attach an image to a person record, Person Object Update must be selected in the People tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To attach an image to an organization, Organization Object Update must be selected in the Organization tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To attach an image to a location, Location Object Update must be selected in the Locations tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To attach an image to a contract, Contract Object Update must be selected in the Contracts tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To attach an image to a subscriber group, Subscriber Group Object Update must be selected in the Subscriber Groups tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To attach an image to a call, Object Update must be selected in the Options tab of your IPK Management Security Role.

To attach an image to a change calendar, Change Calendar Object Update must be selected in the Shared tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To attach an image to a task, Task Object Update must be selected in the Tasks tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To attach an image to a request, Request Object Update must be selected in the Requests tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To attach an image to an agreement, Agreement Object Update must be selected in the Options tab of your SLM Security Role.

To attach an image to a knowledge entry, Object Update must be selected in the Options tab of your Knowledge Management Security Role.

To attach an image to a bulletin, Object Update must be selected in the Bulletin Board Security Role.

  1. Display the <Entity> Details window, if it is not already on screen.
  2. Select if necessary to view the details in edit mode.
  3. Select the Object explorer option. This normally appears within the Data group. Scroll up to locate the group, and expand it if necessary.
  4. Capture a whole screen by pressing the [Print Screen] key on your keyboard.
  5. Select .
  6. In the Upload Object dialog box, complete the details.

    7. Title

    		 The name of the file you are attaching. (This is grayed out for screenshot images.)
    Version The version number of the file. This can also be overwritten if necessary.
    Description Provide an appropriate description of the image. Depending on your system settings, this field may be plain text or allow html formatting.

    The description will be displayed in the Attach Object to <Entity> window if Object Version Control for an entity is enabled in the CMDB Settings, , Configuring the Bulletin Board or Configuring IPK Settings, depending on the details screen you are updating. If Object Version Control is not enabled, you will be able to specify a description but the description will not be displayed.

  7. Select from the toolbar or at the top of the Explorer pane to return to the Details window.

A bitmap (BMP) screen dump may be quite a large file (a few megabytes), depending on your screen resolution and color depth. If it is larger than the maximum file size permitted in your system, paste it into a graphic editing program (such as Microsoft Paint) and crop it to a smaller size before uploading it.

Viewing Attached Objects

Before you start

To view an object attached to a CMDB item, CMDB Item Object View must be selected in the CMDB Items tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To view an object attached to a person record, Person Object View must be selected in the People tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To view an object attached to an organization, Organization Object View must be selected in the Organization tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To view an object attached to a location, Location Object View must be selected in the Locations tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To view an object attached to a contract, Contract Object View must be selected in the Contracts tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To view an object attached to a subscriber group, Subscriber Group Object View must be selected in the Subscriber Groups tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To view an object attached to an agreement, Agreement Object View must be selected in the Options tab of your SLM Security Role.

To view an object attached to a knowledge entry, Object View must be selected in the Options tab of your Knowledge Management Security Role.

To view an object attached to a call, Object View must be selected in the Options tab of your IPK Management Security Role.

To view an object attached to a change calendar, Change Calendar Object View must be selected in the Shared tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To view an object attached to a task, Task Object View must be selected in the Tasks tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To view an object attached to a request, Request Object View must be selected in the Requests tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To view an object attached to a bulletin, Object View must be selected in the Bulletin Board Security Role.

  1. Display the <Entity> Details window, if it is not already on screen.
  2. Select if necessary to view the details in edit mode.
  3. Select the Object explorer option. This normally appears within the Data group. Scroll up to locate the group, and expand it if necessary.
  4. The Attach Object to <Entity> window is displayed, showing the objects currently attached to the item.

  5. If a Windows Event Viewer file (*.EVT) is uploaded, you can view it by selecting it and then double-clicking on it. The file will be displayed in the Windows Event Viewer.

Downloading Attached Objects

You can download a linked object from the database to your computer. If you want to update the object, follow the steps described in Updating Attached Objects.

Before you start

To download an object attached to a CMDB item, CMDB Item Object View must be selected in the CMDB Items tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To download an object attached to a person record, Person Object View must be selected in the People tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To download an object attached to an organization, Organization Object View must be selected in the Organization tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To download an object attached to a location, Location Object View must be selected in the Locations tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To download an object attached to a contract, Contract Object View must be selected in the Contracts tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To download an object attached to a subscriber group, Subscriber Group Object View must be selected in the Subscriber Groups tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To download an object attached to an agreement, Agreement Object View must be selected in the Options tab of your SLM Security Role.

To download an object attached to a knowledge entry, Object View must be selected in the Options tab of your Knowledge Management Security Role.

To download an object attached to a call, Object View must be selected in the Options tab of your IPK Management Security Role.

To download an object attached to a change calendar, Change Calendar Object View must be selected in the Shared tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To download an object attached to a task, Task Object View must be selected in the Tasks tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To download an object attached to a request, Request Object View must be selected in the Requests tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To download an object attached to a bulletin, Object View must be selected in the Bulletin Board Security Role.

  1. Display the <Entity> Details window, if it is not already on screen.
  2. Select if necessary to view the details in edit mode.
  3. Select the Object explorer option. This normally appears within the Data group. Scroll up to locate the group, and expand it if necessary.
  4. In the Attach Object window, highlight the file and select .
  5. Select the location (on your computer) where you want to save the object and save it.
  6. Select from the toolbar or at the top of the Explorer pane to return to the Details window.

Updating Attached Objects

Before you start

To update objects attached to a CMDB item, CMDB Item Object Update must be selected in the CMDB Items tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To update objects attached to a person record, Person Object Update must be selected in the People tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To update objects attached to an organization, Organization Object Update must be selected in the Organization tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To update objects attached to a location, Location Object Update must be selected in the Locations tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To update objects attached to a contract, Contract Object Update must be selected in the Contracts tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To update objects attached to a subscriber group, Subscriber Group Object Update must be selected in the Subscriber Groups tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To update objects attached to an agreement, Agreement Object Update must be selected in the Options tab of your SLM Security Role.

To update objects attached to a knowledge entry, Object Update must be selected in the Options tab of your Knowledge Management Security Role.

To update objects attached to a call, Object Update must be selected in the Options tab of your IPK Management Security Role.

To update objects attached to a change calendar, Change Calendar Object Update must be selected in the Shared tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To update objects attached to a task, Task Object Update must be selected in the Tasks tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To update objects attached to a request, Request Object Update must be selected in the Requests tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To update objects attached to a bulletin, Object Update must be selected in your Bulletin Board Security Role.

 

When a linked object is updated outside vFire Core, the button will be highlighted in red. Click Update to update the existing object with the changed version. To update an object within vFire Core, take the following steps.

  1. Display the <Entity> Details window, if it is not already on screen.
  2. Select if necessary to view the details in edit mode.
  3. Select the Object explorer option. This normally appears within the Data group. Scroll up to locate the group, and expand it if necessary.
  4. The attached objects are displayed in the Upload/Download table. Select the object you want to update, and then select or if you want to run the file as well as saving it.
  5. Complete the details in the Check Out Object window, and then select .
  6. Using the Save As dialog box, navigate to the folder in which you want to store the file, and save it. A small paperclip in a red box to the left of the object in the Upload/Download table indicates that it is currently checked out. You can also see the name of the person who checked it out, and the date and time it was checked out.
  7. Make the necessary changes in the relevant application, saving the updated version in the same file location.

    8. You must save the object in the same directory from which it was opened. Saving it in a different directory will result in vFire Core treating this object as a new object thereby causing the object to lose version control for previous edits.

  8. Return to the Attach Object window in vFire Core, and select .
  9. Add a Check In Comment in the Uploading Object window if necessary, and select .
  10. In the Open dialog box, confirm the file, and then select Open. The paperclip icon disappears from beside the object and the Checked Out fields are cleared.

Cancelling a Checkout

There may be occasions when an object attached to a call, task, request or item has been checked out for a long time, or needs to be recalled. In such cases, you can cancel the checkout and restore the object to its last checked-in state.

Before you start

To cancel the checkout of an object attached to a CMDB item, CMDB Item Object Cancel must be selected in the CMDB Items tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To cancel the checkout of an object attached to a person record, Person Object Cancel must be selected in the People tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To cancel the checkout of an object attached to an organization, Organization Object Cancel must be selected in the Organization tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To cancel the checkout of an object attached to a location, Location Object Cancel must be selected in the Locations tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To cancel the checkout of an object attached to a contract, Contract Object Cancel must be selected in the Contracts tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To cancel the checkout of an object attached to a subscriber group, Subscriber Group Object Cancel must be selected in the Subscriber Groups tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To cancel the checkout of an object attached to an agreement, Agreement Object Cancel must be selected in the Options tab of your SLM Security Role.

To cancel the checkout of an object attached to a knowledge entry, Object Cancel must be selected in the Options tab of your Knowledge Management Security Role.

To cancel the checkout of an object attached to a call, Object Cancel must be selected in the Options tab of your IPK Management Security Role.

To cancel the checkout of an object attached to a change calendar, Change Calendar Object Cancel must be selected in the Shared tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To cancel the checkout of an object attached to a task, Task Object Cancel must be selected in the Tasks tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To cancel the checkout of an object attached to a request, Request Object Cancel must be selected in the Requests tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

Tocancel the checkout of an object attached to a bulletin, Object Cancel must be selected in your Bulletin Board Security Role.

  1. Display the <Entity> Details window, if it is not already on screen.
  2. Select if necessary to view the details in edit mode.
  3. Select the Object explorer option. This normally appears within the Data group. Scroll up to locate the group, and expand it if necessary.
  4. The attached objects are displayed in the Upload/Download table. A small paperclip in a red box to the left of the object in the Upload/Download table indicates that it is currently checked out. You can also see the name of the person who checked it out, and the date and time it was checked out.
  5. Select beneath the table. In the Cancel Check Out dialog box, give details of the reason for canceling the checkout and select .
  6. The previous version of the object is restored in the Upload/Download table.

Deleting Attached Objects

Before you start

To delete an object attached to a CMDB item, CMDB Item Object Delete must be selected in the CMDB Items tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To delete an object attached to a person record, Person Object Delete must be selected in the People tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To delete an object attached to an organization, Organization Object Delete must be selected in the Organization tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To delete an object attached to a location, Location Object Delete must be selected in the Locations tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To delete an object attached to a contract, Contract Object Delete must be selected in the Contracts tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To delete an object attached to a subscriber group, Subscriber Group Object Delete must be selected in the Subscriber Groups tab of your Configuration Management Security Role.

To delete an object attached to an agreement, Agreement Object Delete must be selected in the Options tab of your SLM Security Role.

To delete an object attached to a knowledge entry, Object Delete must be selected in the Options tab of your Knowledge Management Security Role.

To delete objects attached to a call, Object Update must be selected in the Options tab of your IPK Management Security Role.

To delete objects attached to a change calendar, Change Calendar Object Update must be selected in the Shared tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To delete objects attached to a task, Task Object Update must be selected in the Tasks tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To delete objects attached to a request, Request Object Update must be selected in the Requests tab of your Workflow Management Security Role.

To delete an object attached to a bulletin, Object Delete must be selected in the Bulletin Board Security Role.

  1. Display the <Entity> Details window, if it is not already on screen.
  2. Select if necessary to view the details in edit mode.
  3. Select the Object explorer option. This normally appears within the Data group. Scroll up to locate the group, and expand it if necessary.
  4. The objects that are currently attached to the item are displayed. Select the one you want to remove and then select .

Object Explorer Option Toolbar Buttons

The following toolbar buttons are displayed on the Attach Object to <entity> windows:

Select To...

Attach an existing object (such as a word processing document, a text document, or an image file).

Attach a captured screenshot, without using a screen capture program, to a call, request or task.

Download

Open the attached file

Launch an attached object in its appropriate application.

For example, highlighting a Microsoft Word document and clicking Execute will automatically open the attached object in Microsoft Word. You can also execute a file by double-clicking on it in the object window.

Permanently delete an uploaded object and all its revisions.

This is only displayed on Task Details windows.

Link a request object to the current task. When you attach an object to a task, it is automatically linked to the request. Therefore, objects from multiple tasks are linked to the request. You can link an object attached to a different task or attached to the request to the current task.

This is only displayed on Task Details windows.

Unlink a request object that is linked to the current task.