CMDB Intelligent Search and Usage
Overview:
Intelligent search is tailored to the CMDB, searching only through the CMDB Class hierarchy tables, CIs and their relationships. It leverages NLQ (Natural Language Query) in a search string to query for CIs along with its class in the CMDB, refer to Natural Language Query to learn more about NLQ. CMDB Intelligent Search feature is integrated into CMDB Workspace search by default.
Note: Supported only on English language instances as of Yokohama.
Use Case Scenario:
Searching CIs or a set of CIs along with its relationship has been tedious in the native UI and the main goal of intelligent search is to simplify the search requirements for CI owners or Agents involved in IT operations, ensuring the ease of use, At times it is required to build complex queries or reports to manage day to day activities.
For example: If a CI owner wants to see the list of CIs owned by him, it is simplified with this intelligent search reducing the no. of clicks or navigation.
Benefits:
- Improved User Experience
- Optimized performance
- Reduced time and effort
- No additional skills required
- CMDB Admins can effectively manage the searches
Intelligent Search in Query Builder - is integrated with the CMDB Query Builder in the NOW Platform, it is controlled via a system property glide.cmdb.query.nlq.activated, which is set to TRUE by default. Intelligent search for CMDB lets you use Natural Language processing in the CMDB Query Builder to find CIs and their relationships.
Performance:
- Queries can span multiple CMDB classes and involve many CIs that are connected by different relationships.
- Intelligent Search converts search string into a query that the CMDB can run, ensuring the ambiguities are resolved with tables names and/or relationship types.
- CMDB query is dynamically constructed while we type into the search box and spell checker is applied as necessary.
Managing & Handling Search Queries:
Sample Searches: Sample searches are stored in NLQ Sample Search(sn_cmdb_ws_nlq_sample_search) table. The list contains of more common searches that are more difficult to construct seuch as searches that involve App Servies for example. CMDB Admins can modify a sample search bu directly editing its record in the NLQ Sample search table.
Use Synonyms: NLQ Synonym(nlq_synonym) table is pre-populated with synonyms for natural language strings for CMDB table and column names. This table can be used to match natural language search words to the CMDB query language. For example: "Window Server' has synonyms such as 'windows server', 'server' and ''virtual machine instance'. You can use this table to create your own synonyms as well to improvise search query.
CMDB Implicit Relationships: You can help intelligent search to find more results by defining some of the relationship between classes as implicit relationships. This can be useful in queries that involves service offering and application services. NLQ Admins can create and manage implicit relationships by navigating to All-> NLQ-> Implicit Relationships.
Enabling CMDB Intelligent Search on Global Search:
Pre-requisite: Ensure the Intelligent Search feature is enabled in the platform.
Release Compatibility: Washington DC +
While CMDB Intelligent Search is already available on the CMDB Workspace, this needs a bit of configuration to have it enabled on the Global Search. After you ensure the Pre-Requisite is in place, follow the below steps.
- Go to Search Profiles under “Search Experience”, refer to the below picture,
- Look for Next Experience Search Configuration and edit the record,
- Go to the Related List Genius Results and Click the UI Button Link Existing.
- Search for NLQ in the “Genius Result Configuration” field and enter the Order field with 1 or a least order number
- Once you hit submit, it redirects back to the form and appears as shown in the picture below.
- Now go to Global Search field search for any “CI Class”, for example in the below screenshot I have searched for “Linux Servers”
- Here is the result of the CMDB intelligent search result from the Global Search.
Useful Resources:
1. Get to know the CMDB Workspace
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