ADD
1) Link the fields to the domain (predefined lists)
2) Bind the fields to Conditional Expressions (to change attributes according to the state / state of the object)
3) Link the fields to the encoding (to do nice things!)
4) Copy values from other documents (i.e. get values on the purchase order invoice)
Add the attribute in the database configuration
The database configuration is used to make changes to the underlying database directly from Maximo. The application includes functionality to:
1) Create new Maximo objects and modify existing ones that could be mapped to the database tables.
2) Manage the attributes within these objects that could be mapped to the database attributes.
3) Manage database indexes
4) Manage relationships with other Maximo objects
Changes to this application could have adverse effects on the system and therefore should be tested in a test environment before replicating on a live system.
The following steps describe how to add an attribute to an existing object:
1) From the Go to menu, select System Settings> Platform Settings> Database Settings
2) In the List tab, find and select the object to which you would like to add an attribute. Object names are always assigned to objects that exist in the database.
3) Select the Attributes tab
4) Click the New Row button
5) Add the following details:
For. Attribute: the internal name to use for the new field.
B. Description: it is used to describe the use of the field to users and it will appear on the contextual help screen.
vs. Type: the type of field that can include:
I. ALN – Alphanumeric
ii. UPPER – Uppercase
iii. YORN – Boolean value Yes / No
iv. DATE – Date value
v. DATETIME: datetime value
saw. INT – Integer
D. Longitude: the length of the field
me. Required: if users can leave the field blank
F. Title: the description of the field that will be used on the screen
gram. Domain: a link to an existing list of value from which the user can select
h. Default value: the value that will be added to the field when a new instance is created; the user can change it later.
6) Save the record
After the record is saved, Maximo knows that the new field is waiting for configuration, but this change will not be mapped to the database until the database configuration routine is run.
Enter administrative mode
In order to run the setup routine directly from the Maximo application, the system must be switched to administrative mode. Administrative mode means that only specific users, usually those in the administrator groups, will be allowed to log in, and logs off all other users and not all remote connectivity (so it will only allow the login through server).
Enabling administrator mode will log all users out of the system and should therefore be used with due care.
Administrative mode also suspends all cron jobs and listens for them running.
Administrative mode can be activated from the Database Configuration application. To activate this:
1) Click the List tab of the Database Settings application
2) From the Select Action menu, select Manage Administrator Mode.
3) Click Activate administrator mode. Depending on your system configuration, you may be asked to enter your password and the reason.
4) Periodically click the Update Status button. When the system is in administrator mode, you will receive a message indicating this.
The system must be configured in administration mode with the user having access to the system when in administration mode, otherwise the user will be logged out.
Configure the database
When the system has been successfully configured in administrator mode, the next step is to configure the database. The database configuration routine maps changes made to the Maximo Database Configuration application to the database.
Warning: Before proceeding with this step, be sure to back up the database. This can be used to revert to the previous state if there are problems with the database configuration.
This can be done by:
1) Click the List tab of the Database Settings application
2) Make sure the message ‘Do you have a current backup?’ the checkbox is checked
3) Click the Start Database Configuration button. Depending on your system configuration, you may be asked to enter your password and the reason.
4) Click the Update Status button periodically. This will look for the current status of the process and display it on the screen. Once the process is finished, you will be given a message stating it.
Add the attribute to the application
At this point, the attribute has been added to the database, but is not yet available for users to interact with. In order for users to be able to use the new field, it must be added to the corresponding application. This can be done through the Application Designer application in Maximo. This can be done by following these steps:
1) From the Go to menu, select System Settings> Platform Settings> Application Designer
2) In the List tab, find and select the application you want to modify.
3) This will take you to the workspace tab which will display a WYSIWYG copy of the application that can be modified using the selections in the toolbar menu.
The functions circled from left to right are:
i) Control palette – used to add new controls to the application, including text boxes, sections, and tables
ii) Control properties: used to modify the properties of the currently active control.
4) Open the control palette by clicking the first button circled above.
5) Drag the text box to the place in the application where you want to add the newly created field
6) Once added to the right place, use the Control Properties dialog to define the details of the new field
7) In the dialog box, the following are the most important fields:
I. Label: the value that is displayed next to the field, when the default value is not used
ii. Attribute: the name of the attribute created in the database application.
iii. Search: any search to attribute to the field (use DATELOOKUP for date fields and VALUELIST for fields linked to Maximo domains)
iv. Input mode: specify if the field is read-only or required
8) When done, save the application and test the application directly in Maximo.
Warning: changing an application should be done when there are no users in that application. If someone is using the application, the user could log out of the system without warning, causing a loss of work.
Before making changes to an application, be sure to check out the application. This can be done through the Application Designer application by following these steps:
1) From the Go to menu, select System Settings> Platform Settings> Application Designer
2) In the List tab, find and select the application you want to backup
3) On the Workspace tab, click Export application definition.
This will export the selected application to an XML format that should be saved and saved safely in case you need to revert to a previous version of the application.
Remember: turn off administrator mode after all changes are completed to allow users to re-log in.