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Set Up Knowledge Base Module

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Introduction

After installing the Knowledge Base module, you need to incorporate it with Case Management Studio. This page walks you through the recommended incorporation steps.

This guide provides the minimum incorporation steps required to utilize the full functionality of the Knowledge Base module, including:

Implementers are free to customize the security, display names, and other aspects of the application to best suit their needs.

Before performing these incorporation steps, ensure that your system meets the required prerequisites

System Prerequisites

This section details the prerequisites your system must meet to incorporate the Knowledge Base module.

  • Appian platform running version 25.3 or greater.
  • A supported version of MariaDB as a business data source.
    • Note: Instructions below are for MariaDB databases. For use with other databases, the SQL script must be modified to fit syntax requirements.
  • A supported web browser.
  • Imported Case Management Studio Base application version 2.0 or higher, which includes the following application containers:
    • CMGT Case Management Studio Base (CMGT)
    • CMGT Control Panel Generated Objects (CMGT)
    • CMGT Add-On - Knowledge Base Module

Step 1: Add the Knowledge Base custom configuration in Control Panel

To make the Knowledge Base module accessible to users, it must be integrated into the Case Management Control Panel. These steps walk you through adding a custom configuration, which registers the Knowledge Base as a new, navigable section within the Control Panel. This ensures your users can easily find and manage knowledge base resources across all case types from a central location.

  1. Login to the target environment, then navigate to Appian Designer.
  2. Navigate to CMGT Case Management Studio Base application.
  3. Search for and open CMGT_ControlPanel.
  4. Select Custom Configurations.
  5. Click ADD CUSTOM CONFIGURATION and complete the following fields:
    • Display name: Knowledge Base (translation set)
    • Icon: book
    • Web Address Identifier: knowledge-base
    • Cases Location: Select Across all Case Categories and Case Types
    • Interface: CMGT_KB_ControlPanel_KnowledgeBas

    • Rule Input: selectedCaseTypeUuid

      cms_cp_add_custom_configuration

  6. Click SUBMIT.

Step 2: Configure the Add Resource action in CMGT_CFG_CaseType record

This section provides steps for adding an Add Resource action to the Case Type record, allowing you to create a seamless workflow for capturing valuable information as it emerges. This ensures that the Knowledge Base remains a dynamic and growing asset, continuously enriched with real-world insights from active cases.

To configure the Add Resource action:

  1. From the CMGT Case Management Studio Base application, search for and open the CMGT_CFG_CaseType record type.
  2. Go to Actions and click CONFIGURE NEW ACTION MANUALLY to complete the following:
    • Display name: Use expression
      • Add Resource (translation set)
    • Key: addResource
    • Icon: plus
    • Dialog Height: Full
    • Dialog Width: Wide
    • Process Model: Select CMGT_KB_Resource_AddUpdate

    • Context: pass rv!identifier to selectedCaseTypeUuid.

      cms_configure_ra_manually

    1. Click DONE.
  3. Navigate back to Appian Designer.
  4. Navigate to the CMGT Add-On - Knowledge Base Module application.
  5. Search for and open the CMGT_KB_ControlPanel_KnowledgeBase interface.
    1. In Expression mode, locate the following comment: /*Add resource record action*/.

    2. Add the following code snippet after the comment.

      cms_add_resource_ra_code

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      /*Add resource record action*/
            a!recordActionItem(
              action: 'recordType!{82aa3b28-94c2-4d3c-a403-bb813bd76155}CMGT_CFG_CaseType.actions.{a12be3e7-b8fe-4642-acd5-04d64d22502c}addResource',
              identifier: ri!selectedCaseTypeUuid
            ),
  6. Click SAVE.
  7. Search for and open the CMGT_KB_ResourcesCardDisplayWrapper interface.
    1. Repeat Steps 5a-6.

To maximize the utility of the Knowledge Base, its resources must be readily accessible to users where they work—within the case summary. This section details how to add a Related Resources tab to the Case Summary view. This configuration allows case workers to quickly reference relevant articles, best practices, and other resources without navigating away from the case, promoting efficiency and informed decision-making.

To add the Related Resources tab:

  1. Navigate back to the CMGT Case Management Studio Base application. 1 . Search for and open the CMGT_Case_RelatedContent interface and switch to Expression mode.

    1. In local!tabs, add a!map() as shown:

      cms_case_related_content_updates

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           a!map(
 name: 'translation!{14c1c83b-aaa2-409a-90bc-9183790b91e5}CMGT_KB_Translations.{a98a659f-7d68-4139-9d93-6de366e7c867}Resources',
 tabCount: rule!CMGT_KB_QR_GetResourceDetailsForCaseSummary(
 triggerRefresh: ri!triggerRefresh,
 case: ri!case,
 returnType: "TOTAL_COUNT"
 ),
 showTabCount: true()
 )

    2. In the a!match() statement in the a!cardLayout, include CMGT_KB_RelatedResourcesSummary, and pass in the necessary parameters

      cms_update_if_statement

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            a!match(
          value: local!activeTab,
          equals: 1,
          then: rule!CMGT_Case_RelatedCaseSummary(
            brandingMap: ri!brandingMap,
            allRelatedCaseMap: local!allRelatedCaseMap
          ),
          equals: 2,
          then: rule!CMGT_Case_RelatedEntitiesSummary(
            brandingMap: ri!brandingMap,
            relatedEntities: local!relatedEntities
          ),
          equals: 3,
          then: rule!CMGT_KB_RelatedResourcesSummary(
            brandingMap: ri!brandingMap,
            triggerRefresh: ri!triggerRefresh,
            case: ri!case
          ),
          default: {}
        )

    3. If you already added custom related content, then add logic to display the resource in the existing a!match() logic.

Step 4: Extending the Resource Type (Optional)

To support organization-specific needs, you can extend the Knowledge Base module by configuring custom resource types for external content management systems (e.g., SharePoint), external links or multimedia content. This is an optional customization you can perform for the Knowledge Base module to enable the association of related content to specific case types. This provides case workers with access to reference materials, aiding them in their work on those cases.

To effectively extend the module with new resource types, you must first understand the fundamental components required for each type. This will ensure a seamless integration, proper indexing, and appropriate display within the Control Panel and Case Management Studio. By default, the Knowledge Base module supports two resource types:

  1. Document: Files uploaded to the system (PDF, JPEG and PNG).
  2. Text: Plain text or rich text content.

Resource Type definitions

This section provides guidelines for extending and configuring new resource types through the Control Panel. Performing these steps will enable you to successfully incorporate a variety of information resources into the Knowledge Base, enhancing its utility and breadth and supporting your business and team needs.

To customize a new resource type, define each of the following:

  • Identifier: Unique key for the resource type.
  • Metadata Schema: Information needed for indexing and retrieval.
  • Integration Logic (If needed): Connector or API logic for fetching/displaying the resource.
  • UI Representation: Controls how the resource will appear in the Control panel and Workspace.

Database changes

This section outlines the necessary database changes required to configure a new resource type in the Knowledge Base module. These modifications are crucial for correctly identifying documents as a specific resource type, storing their metadata, and establishing the appropriate relationships within the Knowledge Base.

As we walk you through the steps, we'll use Sharepoint as an example of an external content management system you can configure a custom resources type for. You'll perform these same configuration steps to create a custom resource type for other external content management systems.

Create a SharePoint resource type

Follow the steps in this section to create a SharePoint resource type.

To modify the Identifier:

  1. Navigate to your database and add a new entry in the CMGT_KB_CFG_RESOURCE_TYPE table to associate a SharePoint document.
    1. In the Add Resource dialog, complete the following fields:
      • RESOURCE_TYPE_ID: 3
      • LABEL: Share Point Document
      • ICON: link

  2. Run the following script in the database:

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       INSERT INTO `CMGT_KB_CFG_RESOURCE_TYPE`
   (`RESOURCE_TYPE_ID`, `LABEL`, `ICON`, `CREATED_BY`, `CREATED_ON`, `MODIFIED_BY`, `MODIFIED_ON`, `IS_ACTIVE`)
   VALUES
   (3, 'SharePoint Document', 'link', NULL, NULL, NULL, NULL, b'1');
  3. Navigate to Appian Designer, then the CMGT Add-On - Knowledge Base Module application.
  4. Search for and open the CMGT_KB_CFG_ResourceType record type, then select the Sync Options tab.
  5. Click START FULL SYNC.

To modify the Metadata Schema:

  1. In your database, create a new CMGT_KB_SHARE_POINT_DOCUMENT table with the following fields: Refer-CMGT_KB_RESOURCE_TEXT
    • DOCUMENT_ID
    • TITLE
    • SITE_URL
    • OWNER

  2. Run the following script in the database:

    sail CREATE TABLE `CMGT_KB_SHARE_POINT_DOCUMENT` ( `DOCUMENT_ID` INT(11) NOT NULL PRIMARY KEY AUTO_INCREMENT, `TITLE` VARCHAR(255) NULL DEFAULT NULL, `SITE_URL` VARCHAR(4000) NULL DEFAULT NULL, `OWNER` VARCHAR(255) NULL DEFAULT NULL, `RESOURCE_ID` INT(11) NULL DEFAULT NULL UNIQUE ) AUTO_INCREMENT=1; sail

    cms_create_new_database_table_kb

Create a new CMGT_KB_SharePointDocument record type

Follow the steps in this section to create a new record type for the SharePoint Document resource type.

To create a new record type:

  1. From Appian Designer, navigate to the CMGT Add-On - Knowledge Base Module application.

  2. From the ALL OBJECTS view, click NEW > Record Type.

    cms_new_record_type_object

  3. In the Create Record Type dialog, complete the following fields:
    1. Name: CMGT_KB_SharePointDocument
    2. Display Name (Plural): _SharePointDocuments
    3. Description: Synced record for SharePoint documents
  4. Click CREATE.
  5. Open the new CMGT_KB_SharePointDocument record type and select CMGT_KB_SHARE_POINT_DOCUMENT for the Data Source - DB Table.
  6. Click SAVE.

Add a new relationship in CMGT_KB_Resource

Next, you need to add a new sharePointDocument relationship to the CMGT_KB_Resource record.

To add a new relationship:

  1. Navigate back to the CMGT Add-On - Knowledge Base Module application.
  2. Search for and open the CMGT_KB_Resource record and update the following fields:
    • Record: CMGT_KB_SharePointDocument
    • Relationship Type: One to One
      • Field: resourceId

Integration logic

This section outlines the necessary integration logic required to connect the Knowledge Base module with SharePoint. By establishing this connection, the system can retrieve valuable document metadata and preview links directly from SharePoint, and store these references in the CMGT_KB_SHARE_POINT_DOCUMENT database for easy access and management.

Complete these steps if applicable.

  1. Use a connected system integration to connect with SharePoint.
  2. Fetch the document metadata and preview links.
  3. Store the reference in the CMGT_KB_SHARE_POINT_DOCUMENT database.

Object changes

This section outlines the necessary object changes required to customize the Knowledge Base Module. These modifications ensure that new resource types, such as SharePoint documents, can be effectively added, displayed, and managed within the system, enhancing its overall flexibility and utility for diverse knowledge resources.

  1. Navigate back to the CMGT Add-On - Knowledge Base Module application.
  2. Search for and open the CMGT_KB_Resource_RecordAction_AddUpdate interface.
    1. In the local!resourceTypeMap, add the new resource type.

    2. Define the input fields for the new resource type and call them in this input form.

      cms_kb_resource_type_interface_update

  3. Click SAVE.
  4. Search for and open the CMGT_KB_DisplayResource interface.
    1. In a!match() for the respective resource type, add a readonly display logic for the fields to be displayed.
      • Note: You can add an Open in SharePoint link or add logic to view the document.

      cms_update_displayresource_interface

  5. Click SAVE.
  6. Search for and open the CMGT_KB_SingleResourceDisplay interface.

    1. Add logic to display the new SharePoint document resource type as shown:

      cms_update_single_resource_display_interface

  7. Click SAVE.
  8. From the ALL OBJECTS view, click NEW > Expression Rule.
  9. In the Create Expression Rule dialog, complete the following fields:
    • Name: CMGT_KB_Resource_Summary_SharePointDocument.
    • Description:
    • Save As: CMGT_KB Rules & Constants
  10. Click SAVE.
  11. Open the CMGT_KB_Resource_Summary_SharePointDocument rule object and add an Open in SharePoint link or add logic to view the document to the rule.

    1. In the CMGT_KB_Resource_Summary_Wrapper rule call the CMGT_KB_Resource_Summary_Document interface as shown:

      cms_kb_resource_summary_wrapper_updated

  12. Click SAVE.
  13. Search for and open the CMGT_KB_RelatedResourcesSummary interface.

    1. Add logic to display the relevant icon.

      cms_kb_related_resources_summary

  14. Click SAVE.

Next step

Now that you have set up the Knowledge Base module, you can start creating and publishing knowledge resources your teams need to reduce the case resolution time and improve consistency across your organization.

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