The release of the new version of SBM users had to wait for a long time - almost a year, unless we take into account the small update of December 2017 with corrections of the most annoying errors. What is interesting appeared in the new version? Let's figure it out.
New SBM Administrator Interface
Once, very, very long time ago, about 8 years ago, Serena architects very poorly chose Adobe Flash as the development platform for the administration utility. Yes, at that time Adobe Flash was at the peak of popularity, and the collaboration promised many advantages. But the wheel of history turned in a different direction, and Adobe Flash slowly disappeared from the IT technology scene. And the SBM admin interface has remained on Flash for many years, which noticeably complicated the work with SBM.
And now, in version 11.4, the interface is completely redesigned for HTML5. Along the way, engineers revised and improved navigation through the modules, gave access to statistical reports on the use of the system by users, the project tree is now shown in its entirety, not just the current node, and much more.
New Task Scheduler
It would seem, what a simple and useful thing - task scheduler. Literally, each of our customers has a need to run various scripts, programs, and call web services based on some regular schedule. But for some reason, this function was not provided in SBM. In projects, we had to customize notifications in a special way, which can not only send letters, but also launch programs, and use standard operating system tools, and to do this, write special wrappers to launch web services.
Now it's all in the past, because SBM has its own normal scheduler, which can:
- Run SBM –SBM ModScript or SBM AppScript scripts
- Run web service - SBM Application Engine Web service
- Send mail - Email messages
- Call REST requests – REST service call using data sources defined in the SBM Composer development environment
- Raise event - launch orchestration modules (sbm orchestration workflow written in BPEL language) via event
Setting up user navigation in WorkCenter
WorkCenter - an alternative, more modern user interface, has been vigorously and successfully developed in recent years. What is there just not! And custom dashboards of information indicators, and reports on user actions, and calendar views, and access to the report manager, and a custom Kanban interface, and typical Agile reports for developers on backdoors, or burning tasks. Everything is great. Just forgot that not all users need these functions, and the ability to customize the navigation bar for themselves was not.
Now this unfortunate misunderstanding is resolved. The privilege has been added, whether the user can set up the panel categories for himself, or the administrator will make these settings for him.
New reports of the system administrator
To be honest, the need to see how SBM works, how efficiently, which applications on the platform are used more often, which less often, which reports are more popular, and which less, seems to me somewhat contrived. SBM server works, works, works, and no one complains. For years. Everyone is so accustomed to it that they log into the logs only in order to debug new functions of their business applications. And here we are offered these new features:
- Statistics on the number of installed applications on the platform, usage time, number of users working in applications
- What applications are most in demand by the number of entries and the duration of the sessions
- What orchestration modules are executed most often and how fast
- Which applications run reports more often, how much time they run
- What reports in applications are most in demand, how quickly they work
- Which users are most active, in which applications, which reports launch, which orchestration modules launch
Custom forms for anonymous posting
As you remember, only last year in SBM anonymous opportunity appeared, i.e. without authorizing the user in the system, creating records, for example, the same incidents or service requests, or requests for calculating the cost of the insurance policy. We drew your attention to this essential functionality for a business, where there is a need to process incoming requests from any users or clients, and not just those for whom user profiles are created. However, there were also restrictions that did not allow making the input form really convenient and interactive - only the fields from the base section, attachments and notes.
Now, for anonymous users, you can additionally set up a convenient custom form of anonymous creating records, conveniently arrange any fields, hang scripts, and so on.
Search settings in WorkCenter
As you know, in the search results by ID or by keyword, until now only two fields were shown - Number and Title - system attributes ID and Title. So accustomed to this, that they did not dream of anything more. Now users can customize the list of attributes that they would like to see in the search results. It is so amazing that I can not believe it. Previously, we had to use for this web report designer - create a report, throw in the required fields, set the field values in the filters - Query at Runtime. New search features make you review your list of favorite reports.
Running SBM ModScript from the orchestration module
A new type of script (language and features) SBM ModScript appeared relatively recently, and gradually developers are integrating scripts written in a new language into all interfaces more and more closely. In this version, the SBM API was updated, and in the BPEL editor for writing orchestration modules, it became possible to call the script through the settings of the RunModScript call action.
Since SBM ModScript is much more powerful and more flexible than the old SBM AppScript, and in particular, can run commands from the operating system, this opens up interesting possibilities for expanding the capabilities of the orchestration engine. Take note!
Additional less significant changes
SBM Work Center
- Search by archive items
By changing the context in the search settings, the user can search for records that were transferred to the Archive .. - Backlog search
Added the ability to search for entries in backlog according to the lists of Candidates and Adopted in the sprint.
Reports
- Excel file name when uploading contains report name
- 3D graphic reports
Previously analytical graphical reports of Distributions, Durations, Trends formed flat 2D charts. Now you can add volume to graphics - 3D. - Multi-field support in Extended distribution reports.
You can use the values of such field types as Multi-Selection, Multi-Relational and Multi-User in the section Group Rows by in the reports.
It also became possible to render HTML from values of Memo type fields, through the XML description for the field.
Administration Tool
- Event Log Management
Added the ability to clean the old log entries on a certain date, setting up a regular cleaning procedure for old records. - Remove old versions of applications.
Added function to remove old versions of applications from the integrated version control system. - Local settings for the beginning of the week.
The setting applies to all pop-up calendars. Now we can regularly tell the system that our week starts on Monday, not Sunday.
Summary
Version 11.4 is more than worthy to install. The update process, as always, is reliable and simple - we download the update, install it on the server, and in the configuration utility, launch the database update process.