SCSM Apps

Install: Notify Analyst

Overview

The Cireson Notify Analyst app takes the headache out of configuring Work Item assignment notifications to an Analyst and Support Group. This app provides an intuitive interface to configure Work Item assignment notifications by simply specifying which email Template you would like sent on assignment.

The Action Log Notify app has been rolled into the free version of Notify Analyst. You should not have both apps installed.

Please ensure you have a Product Key and the Cireson Licensing installed before installing this app. If you do not have a Product Key for your environment, please request this through our portal request offering. Please read more about Cireson Software Licensing here. You can use Notify Analyst without a Product key and you will be using the free version if you do.

Note: A Product Key is designed for use with a specific environment only.  If you require additional Product Keys for use with TEST/DEV/STAGE environments, you can request these through our portal request offering.

Using Notify Analyst without a License

If a product key is not present in the Cireson Licensing app, or the Cireson Licensing App is not installed, or the license has not been renewed or validated, it is still possible to use the free version of Notify Analyst. 

The features that are available in the free version of Notify Analyst are as follows:

  • Incident Settings
    • Notification Template to use for Assignment changes
      • Do not send a notification if work item is no longer active
  • Service Request Settings
    • Notification Template to use for Assignment Changes
      • Do not send a notification if work item is no longer active
  • Action Log Notify
    • Trouble Ticket Analyst Comment Log Template
    • Trouble Ticket User Comment Log Template
    • Work Item Comment Log Template (Service Request)

Installation and configuration instructions remain the same when using the unlicensed version vs the licensed version

Prerequisites

First, make sure to right-click the downloaded Asset Management Import zip file, select Properties, and check the 'Unblock' box.  Then click OK.

Copy the following DLL’s to your Service Manager installation folder (C:\Program Files\Microsoft System Center 2012\Service Manager) on your Service Manager Management Server from the Authoring Tool installation folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft System Center 2012\Service Manager Authoring\PackagesToLoad):

  • Microsoft.ServiceManager.WorkflowAuthoring.ActivityLibrary.dll
  • Microsoft.ServiceManager.WorkflowAuthoring.Common.dll

Note: To use AD group names that don't match your support group names, the Console Tier Mappings app should be used.

Step 1: Configure Active Directory

In order for the Notify Analyst app to understand which Analysts are associated with which Support Groups, it must match the Incident “Incident Tier Queue” List (for Incident Management) and “Service Request Support Group” List (for Service Request Management) specified Support Groups with Active Directory (AD) Global Groups populated with the relevant AD Accounts. As an example, let’s say you have the following Support Groups listed within the SCSM Incident “Incident Tier Queue” List:

If you want the Notify Analyst app to send an e-mail notification to Analysts that are a part of the assigned Support Group, there must be a matching AD Global Group (see note in Prerequisites section regarding the Cireson Console Tier Mappings application if you wish to use AD group names that are different) populated with each relevant AD account: 

In this example, if an Analyst were to assign an Incident to the Support Group "Service Desk", the Notify Analyst app would send an email to all members that are apart of the matching Service Desk Global Group:

Step 2: Install Notify Analyst App

To install the Notify Analyst app, import the provided licensed Management Packs (MP) into SCSM and copy the provided “Cireson.Assignment.Workflows.dll” to the Service Manager installation directory. To complete this installation, perform the following steps: 

  • Navigate to Administration\Management Packs
  • Select “Import” on the Tasks menu
  • Import the provided Management Pack labeled “Cireson.Assignment.Console.mpb”

  •   Import the provided Management Pack labeled “Cireson.Assignment.Workflows.xml”:

  • Copy the provided “Cireson.Assignment.Workflows.dll” to the Service Manager installation folder:

Step 3: Configure Notify Analyst app

After importing the Notify Analyst app, you will need to configure the application settings within the Administration section of the SCSM Console. To complete the configuration, perform the following steps:

  • Navigate to Administration \ Settings
  • Select “Cireson – Notify Analyst Settings” and select “Edit” in the Tasks menu 

General Settings

Optional, number of milliseconds (0-120000) to pause workflows before proceeding - Pauses the workflow, should be set for large environments to stagger workflow processing

Skip assignment notifications where analyst assigned to self - Disables notification if Analyst assigns Work Item to themselves

For activity in-progress notifications, send notification even if self-assigned - Send a notification even if the activity was self assigned

Skip Support Group notification for analyst if already assigned to that analyst - Disables notification to Analyst if Work Item assigned to a Support Group the Analyst is a member of

For Support Group changes, do not process AD Groups matched to Support Groups if the AD Group is not mail enabled (the AD Group address is not used for notifications) - Disables Support Group notification if the AD Group is not mail enabled. If a group is mail enabled, the primary SMTP address of the group is never used to send notifications. Each member of the group must be processed separately to check options and their SMTP addresses are used to send.

For Support Group changes, do not send a notification if the Work Item is assigned to an analyst - Disables Support Group notification if the item is assigned to an analyst

Workflow log path (accessible from Workflow Server, only required for debugging) - Optionally specify a log file path for debugging the tier notification workflow

Incident Settings

Notification Template to use for Assignment changes - Select the notification template to be sent when the Work Item is assigned

Do not send a notification if work item is no longer active - Disables notification e-mail for Resolved and Closed Incidents

Workflow is enabled - Enables workflow for assignment changes

Notification Template to use for Support Group changes - Select the Notification template to be sent when the Work Item is assigned

Enable Create Workflow - Send email notification to Support Group when Work Item is created

Enable Update Workflow - Send email notification to Support Group when Work Item is updated

Ignore default Support Group on create - Disables notification to Support Groups when Incident is initially created. The support group is defined in the Service Manager console under Administration -> Settings -> Incident Settings -> General -> Default Support Group.

 

Service Request Settings

Notification Template to use for Assignment changes - Select the notification template to be sent when a Work Item is assigned

Do not send a notification if work item is no longer active - Disables notification e-mail for Completed and Closed Service Requests

Workflow is enabled - Enables workflow for assignment changes

Notification Template to use for Support Group changes - Select the Notification template to be sent when the Work Item is assigned

Enable Create Workflow - Send email notification to Support Group when Work Item is created

Enable Update Workflow - Send email notification to Support Group when Work Item is updated

Ignore default Support Group on create - Ignores notifying the default Support Group (can be selected). When setting this option, you will also need to select a default support group via the dropdown menu. The support groups are defined in the "Service Request Support Group" list in the Service Manager console.

Action Log Notify Settings

Trouble Ticket Analyst Comment Log Template - Used for when an Analyst adds a comment to an Incident (Notifies the Affected User)

Workflow is enabled - Enabled "Trouble Ticket Analyst Comment Log Template" workflow

Trouble Ticket User Comment Log Template - Used for when a User adds a comment to an Incident (Notifies the Assigned to User)

Workflow is enabled - Enabled "Trouble Ticket User Comment Log Template" workflow

Work Item Comment Log Template (Service Request) - Used for when a User or Analyst adds a comment to a Service Request (Notifies the Assigned to User)

Workflow is enabled - Enabled "Work Item Comment Log Template" workflow

Problem Settings

Notification Template to use for Assignment changes - Select the notification template to be sent when a Work Item is assigned

Do not send a notification if work item is no longer active - Disables notification e-mail for Completed and Closed Service Requests

Workflow is enabled - Enables workflow

Change Request Settings

Notification Template to use for Assignment changes - Select the notification template to be sent when a Work Item is assigned

Do not send a notification if work item is no longer active - Disables notification e-mail for Completed and Closed Service Requests

Workflow is enabled - Enables workflow

Notification Template to use for Support Group Changes - Select the notification template to be sent when a Work Item is reassigned

Enable Create Workflow - Send email notification to Support Group when Work Item is created

Enable Update Workflow - Send email notification to Support Group when Work Item is updated

Release Record Settings

Notification Template to use for Assignment changes - Select the notification template to be sent when a Work Item is assigned

Do not send a notification if work item is no longer active - Disables notification e-mail for Completed and Closed Service Requests

Workflow is enabled - Enables workflow

Manual, Review, Dependent, Sequential and Parallel Activity Settings

Notification Template to use for Assignment changes - Select the notification template to be sent when a Work Item is assigned

Skip Notification if Activity Status is not In-Progress - Do not notify if activity is not In Progress

Notification Template to use when Activity status becomes In-Progress - Select the notification template to be sent when a Work Item moves to In-Progress

Workflow is enabled - Enables workflow

(Review Activity Only) Notification Template to use when Reviewer is added -  Select the notification template to be sent when a Reviewer is added to a Review Activity

Reminder Settings

Enable this workflow to send analysts recurring reminders of their currently active Work Items 

- Daily, on a specified schedule

- Frequency, on an interval

Notification email subject - Subject of email

Reminders will be sent to the members of this AD Group - AD Group to send reminder email

From Address (leave blank for default, incorrect permission will cause failure) - From e-mail address

Process Support Groups for unassigned items and include in notification emails - Include Work Items not assigned to an Analyst but Assigned to a Support Group the Analyst is a member of

Include Failed Work Items - Include Failed Work Items in the reminder email

Include Cancelled Work Items - Include Cancelled Work Items in the reminder email

Workflow is enabled - Enables workflow

Cireson Portal URL - If installed, provide the URL of the Cireson Portal

Step 4: Using the Notify Analyst app

Following the configuration of the Notify Analyst app, the application will initiate assignment emails to the assigned Analyst when an Incident or Service Request is assigned or reassigned. The assignment workflows will run in the background and automatically send email notifications.

Note: If the same template is used on the workflow it can cause duplicate emails to be sent out.