Searching and Inquiring


Overview

Tasks

Included with

Tivoli Problem Management

Overview

Types of searches

This help topic covers the techniques you can use to find information in Tivoli Problem Management. Depending on your level of expertise, you can perform several types of searches:
  • Simple Inquiries: You can construct simple inquiries in any Inquiry dialog box. You do not need any special technical skills to perform these searches. To perform an inquiry, you provide Tivoli Problem Management with an example of the data for which you are looking.
  • Text Inquiries: You can create text inquiries to search for words or phrases in problem solutions or descriptions. This feature is provided by IBM Intelligent Miner for Text. If it is installed, you can perform text inquiries in any Inquiry dialog box.
  • Advanced Searches: If you are familiar with SQL, you can create advanced searches in any Search dialog box.

With few exceptions, both simple inquiries and advanced searches find the same information.

Inquiry and Search dialog boxes vary in appearance, depending on the data for which you search and the database table where it is stored.

  • The boxes in an Inquiry dialog box correspond to the database fields (columns) of the database table you are searching. You do not need to know the specific names of the database tables; the data entry boxes use "plain language" labels to help you.
  • In a Search dialog box, you use a list of the database fields to define search criteria. To use Search dialog boxes, you need to know the names of the database fields and the operators used to build the search criteria.

Inquiry and Search dialog boxes

Inquiry and Search dialog boxes vary in appearance, depending on the data for which you search and the database table where it is stored.
  • The boxes in an Inquiry dialog box correspond to the database fields (columns) of the database table you are searching. You do not need to know the specific names of the database tables; the data entry boxes use "plain language" labels to help you. See Creating a simple inquiry.
  • In a Search dialog box, you use a list of the database fields to define search criteria. To use Search dialog boxes, you need to know the names of the database fields and the SQL operators used to build the search criteria. See Performing an advanced search.

Examples used

This help topic describes the use of the Inquiry and Search dialog boxes by using two "typical" dialog boxes:

Tasks

Performing a simple search

The Inquiry dialog box is designed for people who want to query the database, but who are not familiar with SQL.

You search for records that are of the same type as those appearing in the dialog box where you choose the Inquiry button. For example, if you choose Inquiry in the Work with Common Problem dialog box, a Common Problem Inquiry dialog box appears where you can search for Common Problem records.

How Inquiring Works

Use any or all of the boxes on an Inquiry dialog box to describe the records you want to find. When you send your inquiry to the database, Tivoli Problem Management links all your search criteria together to describe the record(s) you want.

For example, if you specify "Dallas" as the location and "hard drive" as the component for which to search, Tivoli Problem Management searches for records where the location is "Dallas" and the component is "hard drive." Only records that match both of these criteria are included in your results. The more boxes you complete, the more restrictive your query is, and the more precise your results.

Tip: The more information you specify in an Inquiry dialog box, the fewer records Tivoli Problem Management must search and the faster you get a result.

Creating a simple inquiry

To create a simple inquiry:
  1. Open any dialog box where an Inquiry button appears.
    For example, open the Work with Hot News dialog box.
  2. Choose Inquiry.
    Result: An Inquiry dialog box appears. Its title and appearance vary depending on the dialog box from which you open it.
  3. To narrow the search, specify identifying information in the available boxes.
    Wildcards: You can use any combination of characters and wildcards in your entries. You can use the following wildcard characters:
    • A question mark (?) substitutes for a single character. For example, S?ASH matches SMASH but not SPLASH.
    • An asterisk (*) substitutes for a single character or a string of consecutive characters. For example, M*E matches MIKE and MOOSE
    • Type an equal sign (=) in the first position in any text box to make the search non-case-sensitive.

    Tip: If you leave all the boxes empty, then your search will find all records of the type covered by this Inquiry dialog box: all Hot News records or all Common Problem records, for example. Depending on the size of your database, it can take a long time to complete such an inquiry and results might not be helpful in solving a specific problem.

  4. Choose OK.
    Result: The dialog box from which you chose Inquiry appears and displays any matching records. If no matching records are found, then the dialog box is empty.
    Note: Typically, only the first 200 matching records are displayed. Your system administrator determines the number of records to be displayed.

Specifying a range of values

In many Inquiry dialog boxes, you can also specify a range of values as search criteria. For example, in the Hot News Inquiry dialog box, you can specify a range of values in the Starting ID and Ending ID boxes.

If you specify... then these records match...
starting and ending values any of the values in the range.
starting value only a value equal to or greater than the starting value.
ending value only a value equal to or less than the ending value.
nothing any value.

Searching for text

Occasionally, you may want to search for a word or phrase that occurs in a problem description or solution. You can search for matching solutions and problems by typing the text in the Solution or Description box in the Inquiry dialog box. In addition, you can use IBM Intelligent Miner for Text to find better results, faster.

Using IBM Intelligent Miner for Text

If IBM Intelligent Miner for Text is used at your site, you can use it from the following locations:

  • Common Problem Inquiry dialog box
  • Error Message Inquiry dialog box
  • Hot News Inquiry dialog box
  • Solutions Inquiry dialog box

If the Use Text Index check boxes are available, you can use IBM Intelligent Miner for Text to search for text in a problem description or solution.

If the Use Text Index check boxes are not available, check with your system administrator. IBM Intelligent Miner for Text may be in the process of being updated, in which case it will be available shortly.

Note: If you do not have IBM Intelligent Miner for Text available at your site, follow the procedure for Creating a simple inquiry. In this case, there are no special guidelines for searching for text in a problem description or solution.

Building a Text Inquiry using IBM Intelligent Miner for Text

IBM Intelligent Miner for Text requires a special syntax to find text. Depending on your familiarity with this syntax, you can use either of the following methods to build a text search in an Inquiry dialog box:

  • If you are familiar with IBM Intelligent Miner for Text syntax, you can use it to type your search text directly in the Description or Solution boxes. For a reference of the syntax, see IBM Intelligent Miner for Text Syntax.
  • If you are not familiar with IBM Intelligent Miner for Text syntax, you can use the Text Inquiry buttons. A dialog box appears that helps you formulate your text inquiry. The correct syntax is automatically applied for you. The following instructions guide you through the process of building a text inquiry.

To search for text using IBM Intelligent Miner for Text:

The Work with Solution dialog box is used as an example in these steps.

  1. In the Solutions Inquiry dialog box next to the Description box or the Solution box, choose Text Inquiry.
    Note: You can repeat Step 1 through Step 4, performing the instructions once for the Description box and once for the Solution box, if you want to search for text in both boxes.
  2. In the Text Inquiry dialog box in the Search Terms box, type the text for which you want to search.
    Note: Separate terms with spaces or commas. Do not use the words AND or OR as separators. For example, if you want to search for problem descriptions containing the words computer and graphics, type computer,graphics as your search terms.
  3. From the Search Options list, do one of the following:
    • Select Match All Terms (AND) to match all terms specified in the Search Terms box.
    • Select Match Any Term (OR) to match only some of the terms in the Search Terms box.
  4. Choose OK.
    Result: The Solutions Inquiry dialog box appears. The search parameters from the Text Inquiry dialog box appear in either the Description or Solution box, depending on the button you chose in step 1.
  5. Complete any other search information in the Solutions Inquiry dialog box, then choose OK.
    Result: The Work with Solution dialog box appears and displays all matching records. If no matching records are found, the dialog box is empty.

IBM Intelligent Miner for Text Syntax

If you prefer, you can type your search text directly in the Description or Solution boxes using IBM Intelligent Miner for Text syntax. The following table lists the key elements of IBM Intelligent Miner for Text syntax.

Term Description
CONTAINS Use CONTAINS to search for text that contains a certain word or words. For example, to search for the word window, type:

CONTAINS 'WINDOW'

Multiple words Use these operators (only the symbols, not the text) to separate multiple words in a CONTAINS sub-clause or WHERE clause. For example, to search for a description containing the word banana or the words apple and fruit flies, type:

CONTAINS 'BANANA'| 'APPLE' &
'FRUIT FLIES'

Operator Meaning
& and
| or
~ not
Multiple sub-clauses Use these operators to separate multiple sub-clauses within a WHERE sub-clause. For example, to search for a description containing the words window or view that also contains the word close, but not the word open, type:
CONTAINS 'WINDOW' | 'VIEW' AND 
'CLOSE' & ~ 'OPEN'
Operator Meaning
AND and
OR or
NOT not
Proximity To search for words while considering their proximity, you can specify the maximum number of characters separating them. For example, to find descriptions that mention closing a window, you might type:
CONTAINS 'WINDOW' WITHIN 20
CHARACTERS OF 'CLOSE'
Wildcards Use the % wildcard to search for occurrences of text that may vary slightly in the way it was typed. For example, the following search would retrieve the words window, windows, and windowing:
CONTAINS 'WINDOW%'

Or you can use underscore (_) to substitute for any single character. For example, the following search would retrieve the words window, and winnow:

CONTAINS 'WIN_OW'

Performing an advanced search

Tivoli Problem Management provides the Search dialog box for users who are familiar with SQL. This dialog box is used to perform sophisticated queries and to change the sort order of the items that appear in the dialog box from which it is opened.

The Search dialog box enables you to search for records that are of the same type as those appearing in the dialog box from which you open the Search dialog box. For example, if you choose SQL in the Work with Hot News dialog box, a Search dialog box appears and displays only the database fields for the tables used to store Hot News records.

To define an SQL query:

  1. Open any dialog box where an SQL button appears.
    For example, open the Work with Common Problem dialog box.
  2. Choose SQL.
    Note: The field names in the Select Rows Where and Order By lists in the Search dialog box vary with the kind of records for which you are searching. Otherwise, all Search dialog boxes are similar.
    SQL Clauses: An SQL query can contain several clauses. Each clause represents a criteria for matching records. For example, a clause might be all records created after June, 1997. You add clauses one at a time, using the buttons and boxes in the Select Rows Where section. Repeat Step 3 through Step 7 to add the necessary clauses.
  3. From the Column list in the Select Rows Where section, select a column (field) name.
  4. From the Operator list, select an operator.
  5. In the Value box, type a value.
    Follow these rules when completing the Value box.
    • You can use these wildcards:
      • A question mark (?) substitutes for a single character. For example, S?ASH matches SMASH but not SPLASH.
      • An asterisk (*) substitutes for a single character or a string of consecutive characters. For example, M*E matches MIKE and MOOSE
    • If you use the % or the * wildcards, you must use either the LIKE or the NOT LIKE operator.
    • Type = in the first position to make the search non-case-sensitive.
    • Specify dates in the proper date format for your system, such as MM/DD/YYYY.
    • Specify times in HH:MM:SS format. Use military time.

    The value completes the query clause. For example:

    EVENT_BEGIN_TIME > 04/04/1998

    Where EVENT_BEGIN_TIME is the column name, > is the operator, and 04/04/1998 is the value.

  6. Choose Apply.
    Result: The search criteria is added to the list.
    Tip: You can type your search criteria, if you prefer. Be careful if you do this. There is no error-checking and an incorrect query yields incorrect results.
    Warning: If you type the search criteria directly into the list, do not include the SELECT statement. Tivoli Problem Management automatically inserts this for you when it sends the query to the database.
  7. If you want to add another clause to your query, choose either the And or Or button, as appropriate. Repeat Step 3 through Step 7, as necessary, until you specify all the clauses in the query.
    Otherwise, continue with step 8.
  8. If you want to remove a search clause, select the search clause and choose Remove above the list of clauses.
    Otherwise, continue with step 9.
  9. If you want to set the order in which the records are sorted, from the Order By Column list, select a field name and choose either Ascending or Descending.
    Otherwise, continue with step 11.
  10. If you want to remove a sort order selection, select the sort order selection and choose Remove under the list of sort order selections.
    Otherwise, continue with step 11.
  11. Choose OK.
    Result: The dialog box from which you chose SQL appears and displays the matching records. If no matching records are found, then the dialog box is empty.