Search Configuration

The global search allows you to search for information by keywords, parts of words and phrases.

Before sending a query to the database, the search engine obtains the available search groups, as well as the portal URL, if specified. Within each group, when a search query is executed on the tables included in the search group, it is checked against access control rules (ACL), and then searched against the search indexes. Thus, the search request is processed and its results are displayed only for the fields available to a specific user.

To index table columns, follow the steps below:

1. Create a search group.
2. Create a search table.
3. Configure search indices.

You can also configure the portal search for the self-service portal users with the Search Groups settings.

caution

• The search is performed only if there is at least one record in the Text Search Group (ts_group) or Text Search Table (ts_table) tables.
• If a Text Search Table (ts_table) is not created for a table, the search is not performed in it.

Create a text search group

The search groups are intended to categorize tables in which the search is performed.

To create a search group, follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to System Settings → Text Search Groups.
2. Click New and fill in the fields.
3. Click Save or Save and exit to apply the changes.

Search Group form fields

Field	Mandatory	Description
Name	Y	Specify the name of the group displayed in the search results panel.
Portal	N	Select a portal to make the search group available to its users. The search group will only be available on the selected portal. To make the search group available in the agent interface, leave this field empty.
Order	N	Enter an integer to set the relative position of the group in the search results panel. Groups are displayed in ascending order.
Description	N	Add a description of the search group.
Active	N	Select this checkbox to make the group available and visible to users in the search results panel.
Opened by default	N	Select this checkbox to make the group expanded by default in the search results panel.

Create a text search table

Search tables specify data sources for text search indexing. Within the groups, these tables also collect search results, determining their categories.

To create a search table, complete the steps below:

1. Navigate to System Settings → Text Search Tables.
2. Click New and fill in the fields.
3. Click Save or Save and exit to apply the changes.

Text Search Group form fields

Field	Mandatory	Description
Name	Y	Enter the name of the table displayed in the search results.
Table	Y	Select a source table of data indexed for search. The text search tables only include the data in the source table, but not its child tables. You need to create a separate text search table for each of them.
Search group	Y	Select a search group in which the table will be displayed in the search results panel.
Displayed fields	N	Select the table fields to display in the search results if the values in those fields match the search queries. If this field is empty, all fields with the Full text search attribute enabled that match the search query will be shown in the search results.
Subinfo fields	N	Select the table fields that will always be displayed in search results.
Filter	N	Use the condition builder to limit and sort the search results.
Order	N	Enter an integer to set the relative position of the table in the search group. The tables are displayed in ascending order.
Active	N	Select this checkbox to make the search table available and visible for the users in the search results.

Default group configuration

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The following text search groups are configured in the "out-of-the-box" solution.

Agent interface search groups

= Tasks:

• Change Request
• Change Task
• Incident
• Incident Task
• User Query
• Service Request
• Requests Task
• Problems
• Problem Tasks

= People & Companies:

• Employee
• Company

= CMDB:

• Configuration item

= Configuration:

• Business Rule
• Client Script
• UI Action
• ACL
• Script Include
• Notification Rule
• Dynamic Filter Option
• Scripted Related List
• Widget
• System Property

= Knowledge Base:

• Articles

Self-service portal search group

= Tasks:

• ITSM Tasks

= Knowledge Base:

• Article

Configure a search index

The Search Indices (sys_search_index) table contains values of the indexed columns. These values are used for the global search. The records in this table are automatically created when a new record is created in a table containing an indexed column. Empty fields are ignored.

caution

You cannot read, create or delete records in the Search Index (sys_search_index) table. Only users with the admin role can read the Search Index (sys_search_index) table records. 

To index a column of a table, do the following:

1. Navigate to System Settings → All Columns.

2. Find the required column in the list and open it.

3. On the record form, select the Full text search checkbox.

   caution

   If the column is of the Reference type, ensure that the Display by ref checkbox is selected. If not, select it. Otherwise, the column values will not be indexed.

4. Click Save or Save and exit to apply the changes.

As a result:

• All existing records are indexed.
• All new records will be indexed when they are created.

Search Index form fields

Field	Description
Record	The ID of the record that contains the indexed field.
Table	A reference to the table that contains the indexed column.
Column	A reference to the indexed column of the Table.
Text	The text value of the indexed field.