Relationship Type Management

Overview

Relationship types define the kinds of associations that can be established between Configuration Items, describing how one CI is connected to another.

Key Concepts:

• CI Type: Defines "what it represents", such as Application, Computer, Database, etc.
• Relationship Type: Defines "how it connects", such as Depends On, Runs On, Contains, etc.
• Valid Link: Defines which CI types can establish which relationship types, configured in the "Valid Links" tab of CI Type Management

Example:

• The relationship type Runs On defines the semantic meaning of "a runs on b"
• A valid link configures "the Database type can connect to the Computer type via the Runs On relationship"
• An actual instance: Database "MySQL-01" --Runs On--> Computer "Server-01"

What this module can do for you:

• View system predefined relationship types (e.g., Depends On, Runs On, Contains, etc.)
• Create custom relationship types
• Edit or delete custom relationship types
• Import and export relationship type definitions

Interface Layout

The Relationship Type Management page uses a list + detail two-tier structure: the list page displays all relationship types in a table, and clicking any row opens an independent detail page for viewing and editing.

List Page Fields

Column	Description
Display Name	The translated display name for the current language (e.g., Runs On); falls back to the English display name when no translation exists
Name	The unique identifier of the relationship type (e.g., r_runs_on)
Description	The translated description for the current language
Type	Label: blue "Built-in" indicates system predefined; gray "Custom" indicates user-created

Toolbar Buttons

Button	Description	Action
Add Relationship Type	Create a new relationship type	Click to open the creation dialog; saves immediately after filling in
Delete (batch)	Batch delete selected relationship types	Enabled after selecting at least one row; built-in types are automatically skipped
Export	Export selected relationship types as JSON	Enabled after selecting at least one row; supports multi-select export
Import	Import relationship types from a JSON file	Click to open the import dialog; supports "overwrite existing" option

Row Actions

Action	Description
Click row	Opens the relationship type detail page (where you can edit display name, description, etc.)
Delete (inline)	Delete the relationship type; built-in types cannot be deleted

How to Use

View Relationship Types

1. Browse all relationship types directly on the list page (name, display name, description, built-in/custom)
2. Click any row to open the detail page for complete information

Search Relationship Types

Use the search box above the list page:

1. Enter the relationship type name in the search box
2. The list automatically filters to show only matching relationship types
3. Clear the search box to restore all relationship types

Create a New Relationship Type

1. Click the "Add Relationship Type" button in the list page toolbar
2. Fill in the relationship type information in the popup dialog:
   • Name: Unique identifier for the relationship type (must start with a letter; only letters, numbers, and underscores allowed; max 100 characters)
   • Display Name: Display name for the relationship type (max 100 characters)
   • Description: Description of the relationship type's purpose (optional, max 500 characters)
3. Click "Save" to complete creation

Edit a Relationship Type

1. Click the relationship type to edit on the list page to open the detail page
2. Modify the Display Name or Description in the detail page (Name is the unique identifier and cannot be modified)
3. Click the "Save" button in the detail page to submit changes

Delete a Relationship Type

Single deletion:

1. Find the custom relationship type to delete on the list page
2. Click the "Delete" button on that row
3. Click "OK" in the confirmation dialog

Batch deletion:

1. Check multiple custom relationship types to delete on the list page
2. Click the "Delete" button in the toolbar
3. Click "OK" in the confirmation dialog (if any built-in types are selected, they will be automatically skipped with a notice)

warning

• Only custom relationship types can be deleted. The "Delete" button is disabled for built-in types, and they are automatically skipped during batch deletion
• If the relationship type is already used by existing valid links, it cannot be deleted (the system will reject and notify)

Export Relationship Types

1. Check the relationship types to export on the list page (supports multi-select)
2. Click the "Export" icon button in the toolbar
3. The system downloads each relationship type definition as a separate JSON file

Import Relationship Types

1. Click the "Import" icon button in the list page toolbar
2. In the popup dialog, click the upload area and select the JSON file to import (only .json files accepted, max 1 file)
3. To overwrite existing relationship types, check the "Overwrite existing relationship types" checkbox
4. Click "Confirm Import" to complete the operation

Built-in Relationship Types

The system provides the following built-in relationship types:

Name	Display Name	Description
r_depends_on	Depends On	Functional dependency relationship, used for fault impact analysis
r_runs_on	Runs On	Indicates that software/application runs on a specific platform or system
r_contains	Contains	Physical or logical containment relationship
r_member_of	Member Of	Cluster membership or organizational affiliation relationship
r_hosts	Hosts	Physical host or container platform hosting of upper-layer resources
r_connects_to	Connects To	Network connection relationship
r_provides	Provides	Relationship for providing services, resources, or supplies
r_consumes	Consumes	Consumption or usage relationship
r_located_in	Located In	Physical location relationship
r_owns	Owns	Ownership relationship
r_manages	Manages	Management relationship

Strong Dependency Relationships

Certain relationship types have a "strong dependency" characteristic, defining mandatory attachment relationships between CIs. Some CIs (such as databases, disks) must be attached to other CIs to be created and cannot exist independently.

Purpose of the Attached CI attribute:

• Attached CI (attached_to) is a system attribute defined on the root CI type
• It records the ID of the CI that the current CI is attached to
• It is automatically set by the system when creating a strong dependency relationship and cannot be manually modified after creation

Supported strong dependency relationship types:

Relationship Type	Attachment Direction	Description
Runs On (r_runs_on)	Forward	The source CI is attached to the target CI. For example: a database instance is attached to a computer or database cluster
Contains (r_contains)	Reverse	The target CI is attached to the source CI. For example: a disk is attached to a computer

Usage Notes

Each CI type can define multiple strong dependency relationships in its "Valid Links" configuration. For example, Database can define both Runs On Computer and Runs On Database Cluster, meaning that when creating a database instance, you must select an instance of one of these types as its attached CI.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is the difference between relationship types and valid links?

A:

• Relationship Type: Defines the semantic category of "how to connect" (e.g., Depends On, Runs On), managed centrally in this module
• Valid Link: Defines which CI types can be connected by which relationship type (e.g., "Application type can connect to Computer type via Depends On"), configured in the "Valid Links" tab of CI Type Management

Q: Why is the "Delete" button grayed out for some relationships?

A: The "Delete" button is disabled for built-in relationship types; only user-created custom relationship types can be deleted. During batch deletion, if any built-in types are selected, they will be automatically skipped with a notice.

Q: Will deleting a relationship type affect existing data?

A: Before deletion, the system checks whether any valid links are using the relationship type. If so, the deletion will be rejected with a notification. Please remove all valid links that depend on this relationship type before deleting.

Q: How do I use relationship types with CIs?

A: In the "Valid Links" tab of CI Type Management, select the relationship type to use to establish connections between CI types. See CI Type Management - Valid Links for details.