Relations between objects
You can create relations between objects in ALVAO Asset Management that describe various relationships between objects (configuration items). For example, relations can define which elements of the IT infrastructure are involved in the delivery of a particular IT service. You can then use the resulting graph to assess the impact (impact analysis) of incidents, problems and changes in the IT infrastructure.
For an overview of the relations between an object and other objects, see the graphical map on the page Objects - Object - Relation map.
You can create and edit relations directly in the map, or automated via the REST API included in the ALVAO Asset Management Enterprise API module.
When an object is moved to the Recycle bin or the Discarded assets folder all its relations are automatically removed.
Types of relations
The relation type specifies the nature of the relationship between two objects in relation. The following system relation types are available:
| Relation Type | Description | Categories (system cannot be removed) |
|---|---|---|
| Related to - Related to | General relation - object A is related to object B. | system |
| Is used - Uses | For example, UPS "UPS1" is used by server "SERVER1". Looking from the other side: the server is using the UPS. Thus, the correct functionality of the server depends on the functionality of the UPS. Use this type of relation to define chains of dependencies between infrastructure elements going from the basic elements to complex end IT services. This type of relations is recommended for analyzing the impact of outages and changes in IT infrastructure. | system |
| It is superior to - It is inferior to | Relations of this type are determined by the object's position in the object tree and do not appear on the Relations tab. | system |
| Hosted - Is hosted | For example, the physical server "SERVER1" hosts the virtual server "VM1". The virtual server "VM1" is hosted by the physical server "SERVER1". | custom |
| It is backed up - Backups | For example, the backup copy "Db1.bak" backs up the "Db1" database. Looking from the other side: Database "Db1" is backed up by backup copy "Db1.bak". | custom |
If the above types are not enough, create custom relation types in Administration - Asset Management - Object relation Types.
User permissions
Only authorized users can work with relations according to the following table:
| Role | View the Map of relations | Adding, editing and removing relations | Manage relation types |
|---|---|---|---|
| Asset Management administrators | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Relations managers | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Relations readers | Yes | No | No |
| Asset Management readers | No | No | No |
| Asset managers | No | No | No |
| Software license managers | No | No | No |
| Software and hardware scan managers | No | No | No |
| Accountant | No | No | No |
The right to View relations and Relations map tabs means that the user can see the Relations and Relations map tabs, respectively, of the selected object, and all its relations (even relations to objects to which has no rights) on it.
Custom fields
You can store additional information in relations between objects using relation custom fields. Each relation type can have different custom fields. Custom field values can be mandatory, i.e, require entering a value.
To create relation custom fields:
- Go to Administration - Custom fields. Use the New field command and enter the field attributes. Choose the
NodeRelationCustvalue in the Table field. This way, create as many custom fields as you need. - Go to Administration - Asset Management - Object relation types.
- Choose a relation type and use the Edit command to add previously created custom fields to the relation type.
- You can enter custom field values while adding a new relation or editing an existing one on the Objects - Object - Relations tab.