Last updated on 21 May 2021
This glossary is a collection of useful and accessible definitions of terms used in ServiceDesk Plus Cloud. Where applicable, information on where the term may be used and the feature that uses it is provided for a better context.
A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z
A #
Active Directory #
Technology used for user management, authentication, and device management in Windows Domains networks.
Activities #
Activities list the requests and tasks from home, requests, problems, changes, projects, milestones, and releases of the logged-in technician.
AD Authentication #
An Active Directory service used to authenticate users, devices, and services in Windows Domain networks.
Additional Fields #
User-defined fields that are used to capture extra information in templates and forms.
Announcements #
Announcements are company-wide messages or information from the help desk that are displayed on the Home Page of the self-service portal.
API #
Application programming interface (API) is used to integrate various applications and facilitate sharing of data between them. With API, ServiceDesk Plus Cloud operations can be accessed from other applications or web services.
Approver #
A user who approves a request, change, project, release, solution, or purchase orders.
Asset #
Any resource or capability that contributes to the delivery of the business service.
Asset Components #
Asset components cannot function on their own and are grouped with assets. They can be classified as IT components or non-IT components.
Asset Depreciation #
Asset Depreciation is the decrease in product value over time.
Asset Replenishment #
A built-in indicator that notifies configured technicians when the asset count in-store falls below the set limit.
Asset State #
Asset State denotes the different states of assets in the organization.
Attributes #
Attributes are data elements that describe the characteristics of CIs under a CI Type.
B #
Backout Plan #
A contingency plan to be implemented in case change technicians decide to back out of the change.
Backup Approver #
Technician configured to execute approval actions in the absence of a technician with approval permission.
Backup Technician #
Technician configured to be assigned requests in the absence of the actual technician.
Backup Technician Chart #
Tabular view of technicians, their leave records, and the corresponding backup technician for a given period.
Barcode/QR Code #
Unique digital identification codes consisting of unique alphanumeric characters that store information about assets in ServiceDesk Plus Cloud.
Base Currency #
The domestic currency of the organization. All costs and prices are represented in base currency.
Broadcast #
Broadcast is a feature used by administrators or technicians to send out important/emergency messages to all technicians. These messages are displayed as desktop, push, or bell notifications.
Business Rules #
Rules set up exclusively to organize incoming incident/service requests and perform actions such as delivering them to groups, assigning status, and other request parameters.
Business Views #
Business views allow users to view and manage saved relationship maps from one place.
C #
Category #
The topmost level in grouping of requests. Each category has sub-categories and items.
Calendar View #
Calendar View displays the schedule of various changes, releases, and maintenances in weekly and monthly calendars.
Canned Widgets #
Requester portal widgets that are built-in to ServiceDesk Plus Cloud. Technicians can render canned widgets to the requester portal from Setup.
Change #
A planned activity that could affect IT services. Change usually involves addition, modification, or removal of an asset, service, or infrastructure within an organization.
Change Advisory Board #
A designated group of technicians or users to assist the Change Manager in assessing, scheduling, and prioritizing changes.
Change Custom Function #
A user-defined function that can be added to Change Custom Triggers to perform various changes-related actions.
Change Risk #
Indicates how critical it is to implement a change to ensure that the users are well-informed of it.
Change Roles #
A set of roles that define access permissions in the Change module.
Change Stages #
A directional classification to manage and track the progress of various activities and functions in changes. The available change stages are submission, planning, CAB evaluation, implementation, UAT, release, review, and close.
Change Status #
Change status shows the current state of the change in the organization.
Change Type #
Change types are used to classify changes typically based on importance or priority.
Checklist #
A to-do list of essential steps to be completed to verify whether the change/release implementation is completed with all requirements fulfilled.
Child Contract #
Contracts dependent on the parent contract are called child contracts.
Child Task #
Tasks dependent on the parent task are called child tasks.
CI Type #
Configuration item types (CI types) denote the broad classification of different entities under which the CIs are categorized.
Closure Rules #
A feature used to select mandatory fields that technicians must fill while closing requests, problems, changes, releases, purchase orders, or tasks.
Closure Code #
Closure Code denotes the reason behind closing a request, change, or release.
Comments #
Comments allow project members belonging to different ranks to communicate and raise notifications to each other.
Configuration Items #
Configuration items (CIs) refer to all significant entities in an IT environment such as hardware, software applications, documents, business services, and people.
Connections #
An authentication mechanism to connect your ServiceDesk Plus Cloud account with external applications via custom functions.
Contracts #
A legal maintenance agreement between an organization and its third-party vendors. Contracts maintain proper functioning without any major downtime due to bad maintenance of the assets owned by the organization.
Contract Type #
Contract type denotes the different types of contracts that can be added in the application.
Conversations #
A thread containing all the communication within an incident, service, or change request.
Cost Center #
Cost center refers to individual departments or a group of departments that are budgeted and tracked for the cost, income, and allocation.
Credential Library #
A repository that stores the credentials used in various asset-related operations.
Custom Actions #
Automated workflows that are triggered when a business rule/trigger is executed. You can configure notifications, field updates, tasks, custom functions, and webhooks as custom actions in ServiceDesk Plus Cloud.
Custom Configurations #
Custom configurations are a type of custom module used to store extra information and accessible only via Setup.
Custom Fields #
Additional fields that can be configured with templates to capture extra information.
Custom Functions #
DELUGE-based functions that allow users to manipulate data within ServiceDesk Plus Cloud and other external applications.
Custom Menu #
Action menus built by users to perform custom actions within ServiceDesk Plus Cloud and other third-party applications. Custom menus can be added to request, change, and asset details page.
Custom Modules #
Modules designed by users from scratch to collect and store additional data that cannot be stored in any of the built-in modules.
Custom Reports #
Reports that can be custom-created by technicians. Custom reports are of four types: Tabular Reports, Matrix Reports, Summary Reports, and Scan Reports.
Custom Scripts #
Customized scripts used to modify the application's behavior and UI.
Custom URL #
An alternate URL for the organization portal that can created using verified domains.
Custom Views #
Custom Views filter the data displayed based on the specified criteria.
D #
Dashboard #
A graphical display of real-time information of the help desk, problems, changes, assets, and projects consolidated and arranged in a single view for easy monitoring.
Data Archiving #
Data Archiving backs up requests regularly based on predefined criteria.
Data Enriched Language for the Universal Grid Environment (DELUGE) #
A scripting language bundled with ServiceDesk Plus Cloud to convert complex functional workflows and automate processes. Using Deluge scripting, users can build custom functions, which can be invoked from Business Rules, Triggers, and Request Life Cycle to manipulate data within ServiceDesk Plus Cloud and external applications.
Delegation #
An efficient way to run help desks in the absence of technicians/approvers by reassigning the requests to available users.
Departments #
Departments are site-specific and configured with departmental roles.
Domain Scan #
Domain Scan is a scanning method based on WMI protocol that scans all the Windows machines in a domain or workgroup.
Downtime #
Downtime refers to the period when a service will be unavailable due to a change or release implementation.
Downtime Schedule #
Downtime scheduling allows technicians to plan in advance the time during which the related services/assets will be unavailable while implementing a change.
Downtime Type #
Downtime type classifies downtimes based on their impact on the services when a release is underway.
Drill Down Analysis #
A scrutinized analysis of requests by breaking down the data in terms of time period and request properties.
E #
Encryption at Rest (EAR) #
Encryption at rest (EAR) is a feature that encrypts columns in the database to secure user data.
ESM Directory #
The ESM directory lists application-wide configurations applicable across instances. An OrgAdmin can do the following operations from the ESM Directory: New Service Desk Instance creation, User Management, User Authorization, and Organizational-Level configuration.
ESM Portal #
The ESM portal is a central console that provides users access to various services and service desk instances within the organization.
F #
First Call Resolution #
First call resolution (FCR) is a key performance indicator to show whether the customer's problem or inquiry was resolved in the first call.
First Response Time #
The first response time refers to the time taken to respond to a request for the very first time after it was logged.
Form Rules #
Rules are used to create dynamic request forms based on user input. Form Rules are executed on requests and changes during request form load, field change, or form submission.
G #
Gantt View #
Gantt View displays the schedule summary of projects/project tasks cumulatively and individually as a bar chart. It presents the different phases and various activities that occur in the project's work breakdown structure.
GDPR #
General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a European regulation that requires businesses to protect their user's personal data from misuse. GDPR is applicable to organisations operating within the EU and organizations outside of the EU that provide goods or services to EU citizens/residents.
GL Code #
An alpha-numeric string of characters recorded with financial transactions to track, identify, and classify entries for accounting purposes.
Global Search #
Global search allows users to search for any information across all modules in the application.
Global Variables #
Global variables store information that you can reference and invoke in notifications and webhooks using custom actions.
H #
Help Desk #
Help desks deliver a variety of IT services in an organization. They serve as a single point of contact for any requirement, issue, or assistance end users need to access technology services.
I #
Impact #
A measure of the business criticality of an incident based on the number of people or systems affected.
Impact Details #
A detailed explanation of the the positive and negative impact a problem/ change/release will have before and after implementation.
Incident/Issue #
An unplanned interruption to an IT service or reduction in the quality of an IT service that disrupts normal business activity and requires the attention of the help desk. It could be classified as a low, medium, or high-risk event.
Incident Catalog #
A ready-to-use collection of predefined templates of incidents/issues.
Incident Request #
An unplanned interruption to an IT service or reduction in the quality of an IT service that affects normal business activity.
Instance #
An instance is a service desk created specifically for a business function like IT, HR, or Facilities to manage their service desk operations.
Instance Types #
The types of service desks built-in ServiceDesk Plus Cloud - IT, HR, and Facilites.
IT Assets #
IT Assets possess an IP address and are reachable on a network.
J #
Junk Notification Filter #
Junk Notification Filters prevent unwanted notifications from being sent to users when an information email reaches the help desk.
K #
Kanban View #
Kanban view displays the entities (activities, requests, and project tasks) as organized boards. It provides detailed information about the workload in an entity at one glance.
Knowledge Base #
An up-to-date searchable repository of solutions for commonly encountered issues and previously recorded issues.
L #
LDAP #
Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) is a protocol used to import users from a user directory.
Level #
Level indicates the complexity of a request and helps in the proper assignment of requests to the corresponding technicians based on their experience.
License Alert Banner #
The License Alert Banner displays the number of days before which the existing license (or the trial version) will expire.
Life Cycle #
A request/problem resolution process with built-in guidance for the help desk technicians to establish a directional flow, minimize scope for human errors and provide privileged (role-based) access to status transitions.
List View #
A compact, tabular view that allows users to create and manage entities in a module.
Live Chat #
Live Chat enables users to interact with technicians. It is available on the lower-right corner of the self-service portal.
Local Authentication #
Authentication based on the user's application credentials.
M #
Mail Server Settings #
Mail server settings are used to configure incoming and outgoing email settings so that requesters and technicians can send and receive emails.
Maintenance #
Maintenances help schedule and manage periodic maintenance activities by auto-generating maintenance activities as requests and assigning them to the designated technician.
Milestone #
A milestone marks a significant event in a project. It is used to group project tasks to establish relationships between them and define task dependency.
Mode #
Modes refer to the paths in which incident/service requests can be submitted and tracked in the application.
N #
Navigation Menu #
An UI element used to access various modules and tabs present in ServiceDesk Plus Cloud. The navigation menu is present on the top or right-side of the application window.
Network Scan #
Network scan discovers devices in the networks present in the organization.
Non-IT Assets #
Non-IT assets do not have an IP address.
Notes #
Notes are used to document small pieces of additional information based on your observations in the conversation tab of various modules.
Notification Rules #
Notification rules define conditions under which the application must trigger notifications to stakeholders, technicians, and other users.
O #
OAuth #
OAuth is a standard authorization protocol that provides delegated access to a protected resource by using web tokens instead of passwords.
Operational Hours #
Operational hours define the standard working days and hours of technicians.
Organization Roles #
Roles configured at different hierarchical levels of the organization to build in the approval processes of service requests and to check service level agreements (SLAs) escalation.
P #
Page Scripts #
Page Scripts are used to customize the UI elements and functionalities in the application, page-wise.
Parent Contract #
A contract on which one or more contracts depend is called the parent contract.
Parent Task #
The first task in the sequence on which other tasks depend is called the parent task.
PII/ePHI #
Personally identifiable information (PII) or electronic Protected Health Information (ePHI) within the application such as user name, social security number, insurance details, or racial or ethnic data.
PO Approver #
Users configured to execute approval actions on purchase orders.
Priority #
Priority defines the importance that is to be given to the request.
Priority Matrix #
Priority matrix helps determine the priority of a request automatically based on impact and urgency.
Probe #
Probes are applications installed on a network to fetch device and software details of the assets present in the network and update the data to ServiceDesk Plus Cloud application.
Problem #
A problem is an unknown cause of one or more incidents.
Problem Request #
A problem request is raised to resolve an underlying cause of one or more recurring incidents.
Product #
Products refer to commodities purchased by the organization.
Product Type #
Product type is the high-level categorization in grouping products.
Profile Picture #
Profile pictures are user-customizable images that serve as an identity. It appears on the upper-right of the self-service portal.
Project #
A change request is broken down into smaller workable sub-parts called projects. It is essentially a set of tasks organized to accomplish a common goal. To work on a project, a user must be assigned a project role.
Project Members #
Any user with an assigned project role.
Project Overview Map #
A map presenting a bird's eye view of the project. It provides an overview of the entire project with its milestones and tasks representing clearly the different layers existing within the project.
Project Role #
Unique roles assigned to the project members for efficient project management. Different roles have different levels of access or permission to the project.
Project Type #
Project types are used to classify projects based on the goals they are trying to meet.
Proxy Settings #
Proxy settings configure the proxy server to establish a secure connection between the organization and other servers.
Purchase Order #
An official document issued by a purchaser to a seller confirming purchase details, including items, quantities, type, and price.
Purchase Request #
Purchase requests serve as a record in documenting the organization’s approval process of a purchase proposal prior to the issuance of a purchase order.
Q #
Query Reports #
Reports generated by executing SQL queries to get information from the application database.
Quick Actions #
Quick Actions lists options to add new forms and actions related to scheduler, tasks, reminders, asset-groups, and requests. It serves as an instant alternative to performing actions and can be accessed from any page in the application.
Quick Incident #
An instant mode to create a new incident.
R #
Records #
The information relevant to the custom module is collected and stored as records.
Region #
Region refers to various geographic locations where an organization has its branches.
Relationship Map #
The relationship map displays dependencies between CIs and requests, problems, and changes raised for the associated CIs in a map layout.
Relationships #
Relationships denote the link between two CIs that identifies the dependency or connection between them.
Relationship Type #
Relationship types show how CIs are interconnected and interdependent with other CIs. Relationship type is expressed twice, one as relationship type and the other as inverse relationship type.
Release #
The process of delivering a set of authorized changes to IT services in a controlled environment.
Release Request #
A release request is raised to plan and execute authorized changes and service releases. Release requests can be executed with or without associating with a change request in the application.
Release Roles #
A set of roles that defines access permissions in the Release module.
Release Schedule #
Pre-plan the release schedule for executing the change in the change planning stage. The release schedule dates are reflected in the submission stage of the release request that is created in association with the change.
Release Stages #
A directional classification to manage and track the progress of various activities and functions in releases.
Release Status #
Release status shows the current state of the release in the organization.
Reminder #
A digital substitute for sticky notes or post-it notes that helps remember the tasks for a particular day.
Reports #
A set of preset help desk, problem/change, and asset information generated from the data available in the application.
Request Catalog #
A ready-to-use collection of incident and service request templates.
Request Collaboration #
Request collaboration enables a technician to stay aware of other technicians working on a request simultaneously.
Request Type #
Request types are used to classify requests typically based on the requester's need such as incident request service request or request for information.
Resolution #
Resolution is added by technicians to service and incident requests when they are fully or partially resolved.
Resource Management #
Resource management provides an overview of the distribution of all tasks, across all resources and technicians. It helps track resource load and plan, manage, and deploy the right resources to the right tasks.
Roadmap #
Roadmap provides an overview of what users can expect from ServiceDesk Plus Cloud in future releases.
Roles #
Roles are a set of permissions that enables each technician in accessing the help desk tool to execute specific tasks in the application.
Rollout Plan #
The plan to implement the change/release in phases or as a whole.
Root Cause #
The underlying reason that led to a series of incidents. The root cause is an element or factor, when removed, restores normalcy and prevents the problem from recurring.
S #
SAML Authentication #
Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML) brings an easier alternative to conventional sign-in methods by exchanging authentication and authorization data between two entities, namely an Identity Provider (IdP) and a Service Provider (SP).
Scan Scripts #
Self-scan scripts scan the standalone machine where it is run and can upload the scan result to probe machine or to ServiceDesk Plus Cloud.
SCCM #
System Centre Configuration Manager (SCCM) integration facilitates inventory management while promptly updating the asset data from SCCM to ServiceDesk Plus Cloud.
Scheduled Reports #
Reports that can be configured to run based on a specific schedule/cycle.
Scheduler #
A schedule calendar displaying the number of open requests, problems, changes, tasks, and reminders for groups/technicians in a given month.
Scheduled Scan #
A type of scan that can be used to discover assets at a set regular interval.
Self-Service Portal #
A portal that enables users to raise requests, find solutions, manage projects, and interact with technicians.
Service Catalog #
A ready-to-use collection of predefined templates that lists all available IT services, across the organization.
Service Categories #
Service Category is a comprehensive list of IT services provided by the organization to end-users. Each service has a classified group of service items that can be made available to specific user groups.
Service Desk #
The point of communication between service providers and organization’s users.
Service Items #
Service items are further categorizations of service sub-categories.
Service Level Agreements #
A service level agreement (SLA) is a contract between a service provider and a customer. SLAs define the time within which technicians must respond to and resolve requests.
Service Packs #
Service packs track hotfixes, security/periodic updates, fixes, or enhancements to a software on scanning workstations and updates the software details in ServiceDesk Plus Cloud.
Service Request #
A formal communication that is used to request any service from the help desk. Unlike incidents, service requests are not used for things that affect normal business activity.
Service Request Editor #
A user, apart from the technician, who has permission to add additional information to a service request.
Service Tags #
A unique number given to assets by manufacturers.
Site #
Sites classify the various branches of an organization present in the same region. They provide control over ITAM processes across the organization from a single console.
SmartView #
SmartView popup allows you to access and manage different types of records, including requests, changes, problems, projects, assets, contracts, and releases directly from the dashboards and scheduler
SNMP Configuration #
SNMP configuration allows technicians to map Object IDs (OIDs) to SNMP device attributes, which have so far been reserved to the database.
Software Compliance #
Software compliance tracks purchased and installed software licenses to ensure software license compliance.
Solution #
A brief description of the process or steps undertaken to resolve the problem.
Spam Filter #
Define the criteria to filter junk mails and prevent request creation from the junk mails.
SSL Certificate #
A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificate is signed by a valid Certificate Authority (CA) that enables applications to run on HTTPS.
Standalone Audit #
Standalone audit scans workstations and servers that are not part of any domain/network by installing a script in the device.
Status #
Status indicates the level of progress of a request.
Status Comments #
Status comments are prompted when technicians edit the status of a request, change, or release. Technicians enter status comments to state the reason for altering the request, change, or release status.
Support Groups #
Support groups denote the classification of technicians so that incoming requests are categorized and distributed based on the technicians' expertise. Support groups can also restrict a technician's access to requests, sites, or configurations.
Survey Reports #
The summary details of the survey results can be generated as survey reports.
Surveys #
Surveys interact with end-users to capture feedback about the service provided. In ServiceDesk Plus Cloud, surveys are coupled with intuitive reporting.
Symptoms #
A descriptive note on minor defects or malfunctions that help identify the problem in future.
System Log #
System log viewer is a repository of log details such as errors, exceptions, and events in the application.
T #
Tags #
Keywords that are used to group similar types of requests.
Task #
A discrete piece of work or activity that can be done in a project.
Task Dependency #
A logical relationship between tasks that is used to define the order of completion of each task.
Task Trigger #
Task trigger sequences tasks to be executed automatically and ensure that child tasks are executed only upon the completion of the parent task.
Task Type #
Task types are used to categorize similar tasks based on the activity, time taken, related module, or more.
Technician #
The help desk team responsible for handling requests raised by the employees of the organization.
Technician Auto Assign #
Assign requests to technicians automatically using the round robin or load-balancing models.
Technician Availability Chart #
The technician availability chart displays a matrix view of technicians, along with the number of open requests assigned to them and their availability for a given month.
Template #
A ready-to-use form with auto-populated fields that is available for various tasks, projects, issues, and service requests. Users can use templates to save time and effort spent in creating the forms from scratch.
Template View #
Template view displays entities in a module as an extensive list where crucial information is displayed as fixed columns, while further information can be viewed under the entity subject.
Time Elapsed Analysis #
Time elapsed analysis displays SLAs defined for the request and tracks the time spent by support groups/technicians individually and cumulatively in resolving the request, and the intervals between various statuses.
Timesheet #
Timesheet displays the time spent by project members individually and cumulatively on various tasks of the Project.
Topics #
Solutions are grouped into topics and subtopics for efficient management.
Triggers #
Conditions under which predefined actions must be performed on requests, changes, releases, assets, or CMDB within or outside the application.
Type #
Type is a subdivision of product types that is classified into Asset, Components, and Consumable.
U #
Urgency #
Urgency defines the necessary speed at which an incident must be solved.
URL Widgets #
URL widgets refer to web pages or intranet resources embedded as a widget in dashboards using the URL.
User #
A user denotes a requester, technician, or administrator.
User Groups #
A classification of all ServiceDesk Plus Cloud users (requesters) within the organization. User grouping restricts everyone from accessing all service items, solutions, announcements, and templates.
V #
Verified Domains #
Verified Domains refer to domains whose ownership is confirmed. Domain verification is necessary to verify the validity of the domain and its users. You can customize verified domains per your requirements.
W #
Webhooks #
Webhooks are used to invoke third-party URLs or API to communicate with ServiceDesk Plus Cloud. Webhooks can be used to transfer information between ServiceDesk Plus Cloud and other applications.
Web Tabs #
Web tabs are a type of custom modules that is used to collect, store, view, edit or delete records. Web tabs are accessible from the navigation menu.
Widget #
Widgets are interactive UI elements that can be embedded in the application's dashboard.
Windows Agent #
Windows agent is an application that helps in fetching hardware and software information and to take remote control of the device in which it is installed.
Workaround #
A temporary solution to a known error that minimizes or eliminates the impact of an incident or problem.
Workflow #
A sequential process that defines various actions to be performed on a change/release based on the status of each change/release stage.
Worklog #
A common platform where technicians can log the time spent in resolving a request, problem, or task.
Worklog Timer #
A timer to track the time spent (by a technician) on a request.
Worklog Type #
Worklog type is used to classify the different modes of work input from technicians.
Workstation/Device Scan #
Workstation/device scan is used to scan a newly added workstation/device added to a network instead of scanning the entire network.
X #
XLS Files #
An extension of spreadsheet files created by spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel. XLS files are used to import data in ServiceDesk Plus Cloud.
Z #
Zia #
Zia is a continuously learning AI assistant that can be trained to help automate various service desk tasks.
Zia Chatbot #
An AI-powered chat box that users can interact with to fetch details or perform simple tasks in ServiceDesk Plus Cloud application.
Zia Widget #
Zia chatbot embedded as a widget in intranet or business websites that enables users to perform help desk related tasks without accessing ServiceDesk Plus Cloud.