Managing Configuration Items › CA CMDB Data Maintenance › Extending CA CMDB › Constructing a New Attribute Framework

Constructing a New Attribute Framework

If none of the existing class or family structures match your requirements, you can start over with a minimum set of new attributes. This requires construction of a new extension table and other supporting structures.

Before using the CA CMDB administration interface to define a new CI family based on a new extension table, use the Web Screen Painter Schema Designer to create the new extension table.

To use the new extension table, you must also create new HTMPL forms for:

CA CMDB supplies templates that you can use to build these HTMPL forms. The following sections provide more detailed information about what is required.

Note: For Web Screen Painter Schema Designer procedures, consult the "Customizing" chapter of the CA Service Desk Implementation Guide and the Customize Database Schema section of Web Screen Painter online help.

To use the new framework in the CA CMDB user interface, define the following:

The procedures for defining new families and classes can be found in the previous section.

Create a New Extension Table

Before you can define a family based on a new extension table, you must update the database with the new table and also update the CA CMDB schema with information about that table.

To create an extension table

  1. Using the Web Screen Painter Schema Designer, define the new extension table and extension name.
  2. Save and publish the new extension table.

Note: WSP Schema Designer automatically creates the logging trigger in CA CMDB.

Continue to the next section to create the CI Detail page.

Create a CI Detail Page

A CI Detail page is required to support attribute display for CIs that are associated with a new extension table.

To create the CI detail page

  1. Using the Web Screen Painter Schema Designer, click File, New and create a form based on detail_extension.template.
  2. Save this new form as detail_extension.htmpl, where extension is the name of the extension table.
  3. Follow the instructions listed in the file, replacing the ***EXTENSION*** string with the name of the new extension table (defined previously).
  4. Save the file with all changes.

The CI Detail page includes two attribute sections:

Continue to the next section to Create the CI Attributes Tab.

Create a CI Attributes Tab

The Attributes tab displays the family-specific attributes for a CI.

To create the Attributes tab

  1. Using the Web Screen Painter Visual Editor, click File, New and create a form based on nr_cmdb_extension_tab.template.
  2. Save this file as nr_cmdb_extension_tab.htmpl, where extension is the name of the new extension table.
  3. Follow the instructions listed in the file, replacing the ***EXTENSION*** string with the name of the new extension table (defined previously).
  4. Save and publish the file with all changes.

Continue to the next section to populate the Attributes tab.

Add Attributes to Forms

After Web Screen Painter Schema Designed has been used to create a new attribute in an extension table, that attribute must be added to any form that is used for display or update. For new family-specific attributes, the only form that must be changed is the Attributes tab named nr_cmdb_extension_tab.htmpl, where extension is the name of the extension table. This form must be edited to include any new attributes.

To edit an attribute form

  1. Using Web Screen Painter Visual Editor, click File, Open to access the appropriate form.
  2. Drag and drop the new attribute(s) on the form.

    Note: CA CMDB-provided forms do not lend itself to editing using the Web Screen Painter Visual Editor, so use the Web Screen Painter text editor on the Source tab.

  3. Save and publish the form.

If you have not yet created a metadata form, continue to the section Create a Metadata Form. To define metadata for a new attribute on the form, continue to the section Create Metadata.

Create a Metadata Form

A new extension table requires its own metadata form to define column headings and Standard CI information for Versioning.

To create the metadata form

  1. Using the Web Screen Painter Visual Editor, click File, Open to access cmdb_metadata_extension.template.
  2. Save the file as cmdb_metadata_extension.htmpl, where extension is the name of the new extension table.
  3. Follow the instructions listed in the file, replacing the ***EXTENSION*** string with the name of the new extension table (defined previously).
  4. Save and publish the form with all changes.

Continue to the next section to populate the metadata form.

Create Metadata

Metadata includes information about attribute column headings and Standard CI information that the Versioning feature requires.

Important: Metadata requires careful planning to ensure correct data in Snapshots, correct titles in Versioning, and successful Standard CI comparisons.

To create metadata

  1. Using the Web Screen Painter Visual Editor, click File, Open to access cmdb_metadata_extension.htmpl, where extension is the name of the extension table.
  2. Following the instructions listed in the form, copy and modify the indicated row for each attribute in the new extension table.

    Note: The following attributes, although required, do not need metadata:

  3. Save and publish all changes.

If you are adding metadata to an existing CA CMDB family, audit changes will be displayed correctly on the Versioning tab. However, if you are defining metadata for a new extension table, you must have a new family and class for your attributes; for more information, see Adding a New CA CMDB Family or Class.

The structures for your new extension table are now in place. To define a new family for your attributes, continue to Define a New CI Family.