Troubleshooting Screens: The Screen's Dead Zone

Dead Zone, DeadZone, Fields, Screens Troubleshooting

Each ASM Screen contains a Dead Zone and any field or element that has been deleted can be found there. The dead zone can be found in the raw HTML of your screen.

Purpose of the Dead Zone

This is a section in the HTML of your screen where deleted fields and elements are placed. While it makes restoring fields previously deleted easy, it servers a more important purpose: The Dead Zone hangs onto fields so that should you delete a necessary system field (one required by any script), the screen will still function and load correctly.

The content of the Dead Zone can sometimes cause issues if you have

  • deleted a field the system needs for scripting and also cleared it from the dead zone, or alternatively,

  • Re-added a deleted field back to your screen so that it exists multiple times on the same screen (in the main "Live" body of the screen and also in the Dead Zone) with potentially different values.

A few real-world examples:

Example #1:

The Type Tier is deleted, and then subsequently removed from the dead zone meaning there is no type tier on the screen at all. When you attempt to load the screen, the javascript that looks at the type tier of the screen fails with an error because the reference cannot be found.

In this scenario, we would put the type tier back on the screen and if it is not being used, set the default type tier value on the template, and then hide the field instead of deleting it.

Example #2:

The Request Title is deleted from the Request screen after it had data in it. It is in the dead zone. You later add Request Title back to the screen but now the text in the field is repeated every time you click save. This is because the Script that reads the title is seeing 2 versions of the same field and concatenating the data in both fields.

In this scenario, we would take the Request Title out of the dead zone because it is on the "live" portion of the screen.

Example #3

You have deleted several fields with Show/Hide Rules from your screen, but after some time, you have re-added the fields and configured new rules. Your rules are not working and there is no apparent reason why.

In this scenario, we would clear the deleted field references along with the rule references from the dead zone so that the only ones given consideration when the scripts run, are the active rules against those fields.

Alternatively, where you have deleted a system field and wish it to remain deleted (not recommended), it must stay in the dead zone. System fields must either be on the screen in the "live" sections or parked in the dead zone.

Troubleshooting Screens By Clearing the Dead Zone

Before You Start

PLEASE DO NOT ATTEMPT this procedure if you are not familiar with HTML and have had sufficient training in the use of ASM Screen Designer. For assistance with the dead zone, please contact Alemba Support and we will be happy to do this work for you.

Often, when screens are behaving in unexpected ways, we clear this dead zone to resolve the issue. In fact, its one of the first things you should try when you can not find any other reason for your screens doing things they should not be doing!

However, you must use caution when clearing the dead zone. The Dead Zone hangs onto fields so that should you delete a necessary system field requires by any script the screen uses, the screen will still function and load correctly. These fields must remain in the dead zone or on the main body of the screen.

If a required System Field has been deleted from the screen, it will also appear in the dead zone. These fields must not be cleared from the dead zone unless you add them back to the main body of the screen.

Best Practice

If you do not want a system field, rather than delete it, simply "Hide" the field instead, or alternatively, create a "System Fields" collapsable section on your screen and place all the System field into this section that you do not want displayed. Then, you can simply hide the whole of the section.

To Clear the Dead Zone

If a required System Field has been deleted from the screen, it will also appear in the dead zone. These fields must not be cleared from the dead zone unless you add them back to the main body of the screen. See ASM System Fields for the Screen Set you are working with: Calls, Requests, Tasks, CMDB Items, or Approvals.

When performing this action, always save a copy of the original screen as a backup.

  1. You can see the screen's HTML by exporting your screen using the "Save As" button.

  2. Access the Raw HTML

  3. Locate the Dead Zone:

 <div id="ieDeadZone" iwzoneid="ieDeadZone" style="display: none;">

  1. Select and clear the content that exists between this tag: <div id="ieDeadZone" iwzoneid="ieDeadZone" style="display: none;">

  2. and this tag: <script name="DynamicJScript" id="DynamicJScript"></Script>

Alternatively, clear only the problem elements

  1. Save the Raw HTML

  2. In Core Screen Designer, Import the newly cleaned screen by using the "Load From" button

  3. Select the updated screen

  4. Load it into Core

  5. Click Save to save the changes

You may not see observable changes right away if you are using replication, for example, or until a IIS reset is completed. For Cloud clients, this replication (where enabled) and cleanup process is automatic and occurs daily.

System Fields that Should Remain Attached to and On the Screens

The fields called out below should not be deleted from your screens, but they can (in most cases) be hidden should you elect not to use them.

Call Screen System Fields

Please Note: The format below is DB (database) ID/Typical Display name and label. Labels can be reconfigured and could be different in your system. Always compare the Field's DB ID.

  1. USER_REF/User

  2. CLIENT_COMPANY_REF/Organization

  3. SERVICE_REF/Service

  4. ITEM_REF/CI

  5. REF_COMPOSITE/Problem Type

  6. CALL_PRIORITY/Priority

  7. URGENCY_REF/Urgency

  8. IMPACT_REF/Impact

  9. PROBLEM_DESC/Description

  10. WORKAROUND_DESC/Workaround Description

  11. SOLUTION_DESC/Actions&Solutions

  12. PUBLIC_HISTORY/Visible in Self Service Portal

  13. Copy Update to Child Calls check box (System Field, no DB Name)

  14. The whole of the Time and Expenses Section

    • Action Type

    • Action Start

    • Action End

    • Estimate Time

    • Expenses

    • Time Spent

  15. Action Buttons at the Bottom of the Screen

    • Buttons can be relabeled

    • Buttons can be hidden (do not hide 'Save' or 'Submit' buttons)

Request Screen System Fields

  1. REQUEST_TITLE/Request Title

  2. REQUEST_REF/Ref

  3. ORDER_ITEM_QUANTITY/Service Order Item Quantity

  4. REQUESTOR_REF/User

  5. The Whole of the Type and Priority Section

    • Type

    • Priority

    • Risk

    • Target Date

    • Imp Start

    • Imp End

  6. CLIENT_COMPANY_REF/Organization

  7. REQUEST_SERVICE_REFS/Linked Services

  8. REQUEST_ITEM_REFS/Linked CIs

  9. REQUEST_DESC/Description

  10. HISTORY_DESC_HTML_EDITOR/Actions&Solutions

  11. PUBLIC_HISTORY/Visible in Self Service Portal

  12. ACTIVITY_REF/Action Type

  13. Action Buttons at the Bottom of the Screen

    • Buttons can be relabeled

    • Buttons can be hidden (do not hide 'Save' or 'Submit' buttons)

Task Screen System Fields

  1. REQUEST_TITLE/Request Title

  2. REQUEST_REF/Ref

  3. REQUEST_DESC/Description

  4. The Whole of the Task Information Section

    • Task Title

    • Order

    • Task Priority

    • Task Type

    • Task Phase

    • Planned Start

    • Target Date

    • Auto Calculate Target Date

    • Recalculate Dependent Tasks

    • Planned Time

    • Work Start

    • Work End

    • Resource Managed

    • Resource Allocated

    • Duration

    • Skills

  5. TASK_DESC/Task Description (This is often used to form the body of emails the task sends)

  6. Manage CMDB Transactions

  7. REQUEST_SERVICE_REFS/Linked Services

  8. REQUEST_ITEM_REFS/Linked CIs

  9. HISTORY_DESC/Action

  10. PUBLIC_HISTORY/Visible in Self Service Portal

  11. HISTORY_REF/Action Type

  12. FORWARD_DATE_/Action Start

  13. END_DATE_/Action End

  14. ACTION_TIME/Action Time

  15. HISTORY_EXPENSE/Expenses

  16. Action Buttons at the Bottom of the Screen

    • Buttons can be relabeled

    • Buttons can be hidden (do not hide 'Save' or 'Submit' buttons)

Approval Screen System Fields

  1. REQUEST_TITLE/Request Title

  2. REQUEST_REF/Ref

  3. REQUEST_DESC/Description

  4. The Whole of the Task Information Section

    • Task Title

    • Order

    • Task Priority

    • Task Type

    • Task Phase

    • Planned Start

    • Target Date

    • Auto Calculate Target Date

    • Recalculate Dependent Tasks

    • Planned Time

    • Work Start

    • Work End

    • Resource Managed

    • Resource Allocated

    • Duration

    • Skills

  5. TASK_DESC/Task Description (This is often used to form the body of emails the task sends)

  6. Manage CMDB Transactions

  7. REQUEST_SERVICE_REFS/Linked Services

  8. REQUEST_ITEM_REFS/Linked CIs

  9. HISTORY_DESC/Action

  10. PUBLIC_HISTORY/Visible in Self Service Portal

  11. HISTORY_REF/Action Type

  12. FORWARD_DATE_/Action Start

  13. END_DATE_/Action End

  14. ACTION_TIME/Action Time

  15. HISTORY_EXPENSE/Expenses

  16. CLEAR_APPROVAL_COMMENTS/Clear Approval Comments on Activation

  17. Action Buttons at the Bottom of the Screen

    • Buttons can be relabeled

    • Buttons can be hidden (do not hide 'Save' or 'Submit' buttons)

  18. For User Approval Tasks, the whole of the Recipient Section

    • Select Users

    • Defer

    • Forward to Recipient Set on Template

    • Forward to Recipient on Activation

    • Forward to Last Forward to Recipient

    • Forward to Last Recipient

CMDB Item System Fields

  1. TITLE/Title

  2. ASSET_REF/Ref

  3. VERSION/Version

  4. NEXT_ENTITY_TYPE/Type (CMDB Item Type)

  5. CLASS_REF/Class

  6. MANUFACTURER_REF/Manufacturer

  7. MODEL_REF/Model

  8. MANU_SERIAL_NO/Serial Number

  9. EXISTENCE_TYPE/Baseline Checkbox

  10. TEMPLATE_IND/Template Checkbox

  11. PUBLIC_IND/Self Service Portal (Viewable/Searchable on the SSP)

  12. The whole of the User and Location Section

  13. The Whole of the Criticality and Status Section

  14. DESCRIPTION/Description

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