Its transparent for the ones writing a simple AR System report from Tools / 
Reporting but for the ones writing Crystal Reports they see the database names 
and not the field labels.



Thanks
Peter Lammey
ESPN IT Client Architecture and Automation
860-766-4761



________________________________
From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
On Behalf Of Pierson, Shawn
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 5:22 PM
To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG
Subject: Re: What's a bug anyway? (Kind of a rant...)

**
Actually, that's one of my favorite examples of inconsistency in ITSM.  I don't 
think it's because the same person created all of those fields, I think it 
suffers the same problems any other large, long-lasting ARS application does.

So to further your complaint, the Change Manager's database name is "CAB 
Manager ( Change Co-ord )"
The Change Assignee's database name is "ASCHG"
The Change Implementer's database name is "ChgImp"

You have all different naming conventions used for each set of fields, and it 
gets even worse when you talk about company information for those too.  The 
Change Manager's company is called "Company3", not to be confused with "Support 
Company" that somehow references the Requester (which may not even be a part of 
any support group) and I'm not aware of a Company2 field.

On the bright side, it keeps us employed, and those names are mostly 
transparent to the end users.  Just don't let them have SQL access to the 
database...

Shawn Pierson

From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
On Behalf Of Lammey, Peter A.
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 3:55 PM
To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG
Subject: Re: What's a bug anyway? (Kind of a rant...)

**
The naming conventions used for many of the fields on the various ITSM forms is 
terrible from what I have seen.
The worst is the CHG:Infrastructure Change form where there are fields such as 
ASCHG, ASLOGID, ASGRP.

The developers for these applications really should have been more privy to 
better naming standards and better naming conventions than that.

I have been constantly having to assist users that are trying to writeup 
Crystal Reports and other ad hoc Remedy AR System reports on what fields to add 
to their report or as part of their Report criteria who struggle with figuring 
out what fields they would need.


Thanks
Peter Lammey
ESPN IT Client Architecture and Automation
860-766-4761


________________________________
From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
On Behalf Of Grooms, Frederick W
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 4:43 PM
To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG
Subject: Re: What's a bug anyway? (Kind of a rant...)
**
If it is a Join form I think the fields should be renamed

WorkLog Submitter, Incident Submitter, WorkLog Create Date, Incident Create 
Date, ...

Not having the ITSM app I couldn't tell you if that would break anything, but 
that approach is our normal design for Join Forms here

Fred

________________________________
From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
On Behalf Of Wheeler, Dylan
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 3:29 PM
To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG
Subject: Re: What's a bug anyway? (Kind of a rant...)
I could think of a few instances where you would want to have all those fields 
though. You want to see who submitted a incident as well as who submitted the 
worklog. When the incident was created in the same report as when the worklog 
entry was submitted. Granted, it could be presented in a lot better fashion :)

Why not create a defined report for them to run? I know it doesn't fix the 
problem but it's a workaround for now.

As to your problem, like you said, you are the advocate for your client. I 
would report it even though you know they'll come back with either "Works as 
designed" or a bug report number that probably wont get fixed for 5 years since 
it's not a critical bug. You are not a BMC employee so it's not on you to get 
it fixed. Once you report it and get the feedback to give to your client your 
role is fulfilled.

Alternatively, you could compile a list of the problems and present them to 
your client. I've worked for clients that were down to earth and as long as you 
have a workaround that lets them do what they need to do they don't sweat the 
small stuff. Anything that doesn't have a workaround and that they don't blow 
off as not effecting their job you report.

That's my 2 cents anyway.

-------------

Dylan Wheeler
Production Control Analyst Principal
IT Operations
Downey Savings & Loan Association, F.A.
Email: [EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
-----Original Message-----
From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList) [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] 
On Behalf Of William Rentfrow
Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2008 1:11 PM
To: arslist@ARSLIST.ORG
Subject: What's a bug anyway? (Kind of a rant...)
I'm torn whether or not to report some things to BMC as bugs.

For example, in IM 7.x the form HPD:Search-Worklog is an OOB join form that is 
used in the "Advanced Search" functionality from the Incident Nav Bar (when you 
are in an actual Incident).  This allows you to search a join form of Work Log 
entries + Incident Info.

Here's the problem - if you are on the Mid-tier and do a search and then select 
multiple results list items and choose the "Report" button you get dumped to 
the standard (ad hoc) report console for the web.  The field selection list in 
there shows all fields from the Join form (including those not displayed in any 
of the views).

That gives us multiple entries for fields like Submitter, Submit Date, etc etc 
etc  (all the usual suspects).

Knowing how Remedy works I'd expect this - but I still would call it a bug.  
It's definitnly an interface design error.  However, if I reported every 
instance of this in the application I suspect it would run in to the hundreds 
of occurrences.

On the other hand I'm pretty much obligated to report it as a bug since I am 
advocating for my customer and this makes the report interface unusable.  They 
do not know which field to use in the report.  Since they are interested on 
reporting on all Work Log entries for a particular problem, including the 
submitter and the Work Log Submit Date they legitimately can not tell which is 
which.  And since they only have web access they can't exactly go check other 
than through trial and error.

What do YOU do with this sort of problem?


William Rentfrow
Principal Consultant, StrataCom Inc.
[EMAIL PROTECTED]<mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
701-306-6157 C
  __Platinum Sponsor: www.rmsportal.com ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" html___
________________________________
Please consider the environment before printing this e-mail.
__Platinum Sponsor: www.rmsportal.com ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are" html___
Private and confidential as detailed 
here<http://www.sug.com/disclaimers/default.htm#Mail>. If you cannot access 
hyperlink, please e-mail sender. __Platinum Sponsor: www.rmsportal.com ARSlist: 
"Where the Answers Are" html___

_______________________________________________________________________________
UNSUBSCRIBE or access ARSlist Archives at www.arslist.org
Platinum Sponsor: www.rmsportal.com ARSlist: "Where the Answers Are"

Reply via email to