Adding Filters to the Service Catalog

You can enhance the searches available from the Service Catalog by adding filters that allow users to refine their searches and to narrow the list of items that they see on the page. The Service Catalog in the Self Service Mobile portal lists service requests, such as requests for software, computers, or email, similar to what a user would see in Service Manager. A default filter category is available to filter searches when using the Self Service Mobile portal. Users can combine filters to create their own searches. This section describes how to use the different types of searches and how to create filters.

About Searching in the Service Catalog

Creating a New Filter Search

Creating a Search with Default and Customized Filters

About Searching in the Service Catalog

You can use two types of search or filter by category to find a service request. You can search by:

Search field: Enter text to search for a service request by a word or phrase in its title or description.

Searches field: Lists pre-configured searches based on filters. Select a search from the drop-down list to find matching service requests.

Category filter: Looks for a service request based on one or more filter categories selected by a user.

Creating a New Filter Search

The Service Catalog provides a selection of default filter searches, but you can also create your own filters.

For a filter search to appear in the Service Catalog, it must be based on the ServiceReq template. There are two parts to creating a new filter search for the Self Service Mobile portal Service Catalog:

Creating Filters and Setting Filter Criteria, describes how to create the filters and set the filter criteria.

Enabling the Filter Search in the Self Service Mobile portal describes how to enable the filter search criteria in the Self Service Mobile portal.

Creating Filters and Setting Filter Criteria

Administrators must set up the filters from the Configuration Console in Service Manager. You should have a clear idea of the types of filters you want to create. It is helpful to name both the Condition (or category) and the Filters so that they are easily identifiable by your users. Setting up a Cost filter is used as an example in the following steps:

Selecting or Adding the ServiceReqTemplate Business Object

Adding a Filter Condition to the ServiceReqTemplate Business Object

Adding a Filter Criteria to the Filter Condition

Selecting or Adding the ServiceReqTemplate Business Object

1.From the Configuration Console, click Build > Search Tools > Filter Searches to display the Filter Searches workspace.

2.Do one of the following:

If the ServiceReqTemplate business object is already available, click it to open the Edit Business Object Filter: ServiceReqTemplate# workspace.

Add the ServiceReqTemplate business object by doing the following:

a. Click Add.
b. From the Business Object drop-down list, select ServiceReqTemplate.
c. Click Save.

3.Click Back to return to the the Filter Searches workspace.

4.Click ServiceReqTemplate to add or edit its filters.

Adding a Filter Condition to the ServiceReqTemplate Business Object

From the Edit Business Object Filter: ServiceReqTemplate# workspace, do the following:

1.Click Add Filter. The application displays the Condition Filter dialog box.

2.Enter a condition name. The name should describe what the condition does. The application displays this condition name as a category in the Self Service Mobile portal.

3.Enter text in the Condition Help field. This text becomes a tool tip.

4.Click Save.The application displays the new filter condition in the ServiceReqTemplate list.

ServiceReqTemplate List

a. Add Filter. To add a filter condition.
b. Toggle. To turn the filter condition ON or OFF.
c. Delete. To delete the filter condition.
d. Criteria labels.
e. Criteria controls.
f. Add another filter criteria. To add a filter criteria to the condition.

5.Click Save.

Adding a Filter Criteria to the Filter Condition

Do the following from the Filter Condition list:

1.Click Add filter criteria. The application displays the Filter Criteria dialog box.

2.Enter a label. The label is a name that describes what the criteria does. Be as specific as possible so that users understand the intent of this search filter.

3.From the Control drop-down menu, choose Checkbox.

This control selection specifies how the filter is displayed in the Self Service Mobile portal. Using a checkbox control allows users to check or clear the filter, especially when enabling the Self Service Mobile portal for mobile devices. The type of control that you choose also affects the available expression choices. Other choices available are None, Calendar, Pick List, and Textbox but they are not appropriate for the Self Service Mobile portal.

4.Complete the expression by choosing items from drop-down lists. Also see About Expressions. The cost filter example seen below is constrained to find service requests that cost less than $200. You can add additional AND or OR expressions as required.

Cost Filter Example

a. AND OR. To add additional AND OR expressions to a filter criteria.

5.Click Save. The new filter criteria appears under the filter condition.

6.When you are done adding filter criteria, click Save. The new filter search appears under Everything Else in the Filter Search list.

New Filter Search

a. User-defined searches appear here.
b. Search condition.
c. Business object.

To create another filter condition, do so under the ServiceReqTemplate business object. Do NOT click the add icon above the Filter Searches list. The resulting searches would use a different business object that does not work in the Self Service Mobile portal or Self Service roles.

Enabling the Filter Search in the Self Service Mobile portal

Viewing and Implementing the Filter Switch

Setting up the New Filter Search

Viewing and Implementing the Filter Switch

1.Access the Self Service Mobile portal. See Accessing the Self Service Mobile portal.

2.Change your role to administrator.

3.Click the customize application icon .

4.Click Service Catalog to open the Service Catalog.

Setting up the New Filter Search

1.Click the Enable Filters drop-down list.

Enable Filters Drop-Down List

2.Look for the items whose names match the filter condition that you created in Adding a Filter Condition to the ServiceReqTemplate Business Object.

3.Check item to enable it. In the example above, Cost is the new item. If you created multiple items, you can check them all or check only the ones to enable. The new filter search appears below the Category part.

4.Click Save to save your changes.

You can also enable or disable all parts in the Service Catalog or drag them to a new location. See Working with Template Blocks in the Self Service Mobile Portal.

Creating a Search with Default and Customized Filters

There are two ways to create a search:

Combining Criteria from Different Conditions: When you create a search by combining criteria from different conditions, the application assigns an AND operator. For a service request to appear in the workspace, it must meet the criteria from both conditions.

Combining Criteria from the Same Condition: When you create a search by combining multiple criteria from the same condition, the application assigns an OR operator. For a service request to appear in the workspace, it must meet just one of the criteria.

Follow these steps to create a new search:

1.Access the Self Service Mobile portal. See Accessing the Self Service Mobile portal.

2.Click the customize application icon .

3.Click Service Catalog.

4.Click the add icon to add a new default search to the Searches field.

5.In the Search Name field, enter a name for the new search. The name should relate to what the search looks for.

6.Check any boxes under Category or any other condition parts that you created.

7.Click Save. The application adds the new saved search to the Search list. Services that do not meet the search criteria disappear from the workspace.

Service Catalog

a. Saved Searches drop-down list
b. Text Search field
c. Default filter search criteria
d. User-created search condition
e. User-created search criteria