Metasolv Custom Data Fields

Overview

•Three major tools for customizable data fields

Value Labels

User Data

Custom Attributes

•Comparison of these three tools

•Typical Uses•Extending the value

Value Labels

Value Labels

•Where they’re found:• Product Specification/Product Catalog

(therefore, PSR only)

• Used to gather order-entry data about a product

Value Labels

Product Spec Product Catalog Item

Value Labels

Value Labels•Examples

As defined…

As seen on the PSR…

Value Labels•Features

Value Labels

Value Labels

User Data

User Data•Where they’re found:

User Data

•How they work

• Created against the specific area you’re trying

to cover

• Used with Categories to produce Lists

• Appears against the specific item designated

(Circuit, NetLoc, etc.)

User Data

•How they work

•Column Name: Unique, Uppercase only

•Data Type: Number, Decimal, Varchar2 (Alphanumeric), Date, and Dropdown

•Category & Type: Used to create dropdown values

•Relationship: For use with Categories, provides list validation

•Value for Existing Rows: Fill in values for existing items

•Label: Display label (can be changed)

•Visible: Used to hide a field you no longer want to use

•Required: Marks a value as required (not effective)

User Data

•Dropdowns are Lists or Table references

using User Data “Categories” Dropdown as a List Dropdown as a Table reference

User Data

•Examples

PSR User Data

Circuit User Data

Network Location User Data

User Data

User Data

Custom Attributes

Custom Attributes•Where they’re found

Custom Attributes

Custom Attributes

•How they work

CA Utility

• Create CA’s

• Associate CA’s to elements

Custom Attributes

Custom Attributes

Custom Attributes

Custom Attributes

Custom AttributesOrdering Dialog

Connection Design

Custom Attributes

Bandwidth Allocatin Report

Components

Custom Attributes

Comparison of Features

Negative AttributePositive Attribute

Comparison of Features

Negative AttributePositive Attribute

Comparison of Features

Negative AttributePositive Attribute

Typical Uses

Extending the Value

•Each tool has a limited “reach” within the application

•These limitations can be overcome to a degree by

customizations -

• Custom Validations

• Gateway Events

• Custom Extensions

Extending the Value - Example

Extending the Value - ExamplePSR User Data (Order-level data)

PSR Order Custom Validation

1 - Copy order-level data from PSR to Trunk Group(s) and Trunk Circuit(s) User Data2 - Copy SI Value Labels for Trunks Groups to Trunk Group(s) and Trunk Circuit(s) User Data

Task Completion Custom Validation (CKTID Task)

3 - Copy order-level data from PSR to Circuit(s) User Data4 - Copy SI Value Labels for Circuits to Circuit(s) User Data

PSR Value Labels (Serv Item-level data)

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Conclusion

•Not one solution for all problems

•Each solution has strengths and weaknesses

•It would be desirable to work with Oracle to

• Extend one solution application-wide

-or-

• Build better integrations between

solutions