Configuring Action Groups


Overview

Tasks

Included with

Tivoli Service Desk

Overview

What action groups do

Action groups are collections of related system actions. Action groups define which system actions are available to the users and groups assigned to a profile. Action groups also control which .kb files are parsed and loaded at run time. Only the .kb files referenced in the main .kb file of each action group are parsed and loaded. Each profile contains one or more action groups.

Using action groups

You can assign any action group to any profile to grant access to specific system actions for designated users and groups.

System-defined action groups

The action groups included with Tivoli Service Desk are composed of groups of system actions that are interdependent. For this reason, and because adding system actions to an action group may require customizations, system-defined action groups cannot be modified.

Tip: You can modify an action group copied from a system-defined action group. See Copying an action group.

Note: System-defined action groups are indicated by the System Defined check box on the System Actions tab. When you select a system-defined action group, the System Defined check box is automatically selected.

Custom action groups

For customizations, it is best to create your own main .kb file and an action group that contains your custom routines.

Tasks

Adding an action group

Create an action group when you want to add custom routines to Tivoli Service Desk.

To add an action group:

  1. In the Profile Configuration dialog box, choose the Action Group tab.
  2. Choose Clear.
  3. In the Name box, type the name you want to assign to this action group.
    This is a short, descriptive name by which an action group is identified in Tivoli Service Desk.
  4. In the File box, do one of the following to indicate the name of the main .kb file for this action group:
    • Type the name of the .kb file. You do not need to include the .kb extension; this is assumed.
      Example: custapp
    • Choose the Browse button to select the appropriate .kb file from the Action Group File Selection dialog box.
      Note: This main .kb file and any .kb files referenced in its USES chain must be stored in a directory in the SAIPATH environment variable.
  5. Under the System Actions list, choose Add.
    Note: Multiple system actions can be assigned to one action group.
  6. In the Choose System Action dialog box, select one or more system actions and choose Select.
    Tip: See Selecting from a list for information on selecting multiple system actions.
    Note: The Choose System Action dialog box lists all the system actions defined at the System Actions tab of the Profile Configuration dialog box. If the required system action is not in this list, add the system action at the Systems Actions tab. For more information, see Adding a system action.
  7. Under Action Group, choose Add.

Copying an action group

Copy an action group when you want to base a new action group on an existing action group. You can copy any action group, even system-defined ones.

To copy an action group:

  1. In the Profile Configuration dialog box, choose the Action Group tab.
  2. From the Action Group list, select the action group to copy.
  3. In the Name box, type the name you want to assign to this action group.
  4. Under Action Group, choose Add.
    Result: The name of the main .kb file and assigned system actions are saved as part of the new action group. To make changes to this action group, see Editing an action group.

Editing an action group

You cannot edit any of the system-defined action groups supplied with Tivoli Service Desk. You can edit only the action groups that you create. For these groups, you can:

To edit an action group:

  1. In the Profile Configuration dialog box, choose the Action Group tab.
  2. From the Action Groups list, select the action group you want to edit.
    Result: The current action group name, main .kb file name and included system actions appear in the corresponding boxes in the Action Group tab.
  3. Make any necessary changes in the Name and File boxes.
  4. Do one of the following:
    • If the information in the System Actions list is correct, go to the next step.
    • To add a system action, under the System Actions list, choose Add. In the Choose System Action dialog box, select one or more system actions and choose Select.
      Note: Multiple can be assigned to one action group. See Selecting from a list for information on selecting multiple system actions.
    • To remove a system action, from the System Actions list, select a system action and choose Remove.
  5. Choose Save.

Deleting an action group

You remove an action group from Tivoli Service Desk by deleting it. You can delete only the action groups that you create. You cannot delete any of the system-defined action groups supplied with Tivoli Service Desk.

Caution: If you delete an action group that is assigned to a profile, the action group is immediately removed from the profile.

To delete an action group:

  1. In the Profile Configuration dialog box, choose the Action Group tab.
  2. From the Action Groups list, select the action group you want to delete.
    Result: The action group name, main .kb file name, and included system actions appear in the corresponding boxes in the Action Group tab.
  3. Choose Delete.