Configuration Explorer
The Configuration Explorer is the primary way to understand how configuration is organized in tSM.
It presents configuration as a catalog of configuration items grouped by ConfigType, enriched with package and installation metadata, and connected to the editor of the selected item.
The Explorer is not just a screen. It represents the overall concept of how tSM configuration is:
- grouped into business-oriented domains
- discovered across many entity types
- deployed using packages
- tracked after installation
This page introduces the overall concept. Detailed behavior is described in dedicated pages:
- ConfigType — business taxonomy and grouping
- Installed Package — environment-side tracking and drift
- Change Sets — story-level change tracking
- Configuration Lifecycle — packaging, deployment, and tooling
Core idea
tSM configuration is created in many different entity types, for example:
- forms
- processes
- scripts
- registers
- listings
- notifications
To make this manageable, each configuration item belongs to a ConfigType. ConfigType provides the business taxonomy that answers:
- what area this configuration belongs to
- which team owns it
- which other items belong to the same area
- which package scope should include it
This makes ConfigType the common grouping key for navigation, packaging, auditing, and administration.
Grouping model
The conceptual grouping model is:
ConfigType
-> EntityType
-> Configuration Item
Example:
SDWAN
Ordering
Forms
SiteSetupWizard
OrderHeader
Processes
SDWANProvision
This structure separates two concerns:
- ConfigType groups by business domain or capability
- EntityType groups by technical configuration kind
As a result, administrators can browse one domain and still see all configuration types that belong to it.
For detailed ConfigType rules and attributes, see ConfigType.
Deployment model
Configuration is typically moved between environments using packages. ConfigType is used to define the scope of a package — which items belong to it — so it serves as both a navigation aid and a practical deployment boundary.
After a package is installed, an Installed Package record tracks exactly what was deployed and whether the environment has drifted.
For the full packaging and deployment story, see Configuration Lifecycle.
Operational tracking
After a package is installed, tSM can track:
- which package last installed a configuration item
- whether the item still matches the installed state
- whether the item was modified after installation
- which ConfigType subtree contains changed or missing package-managed items
This allows administrators to work not only with the current configuration, but also with its deployment history and drift status.
Installed Package tracking gives the environment-side operational view. ConfigType gives the grouping and navigation view. The Configuration Explorer combines both.
User interface model
The Explorer uses a strict two-pane layout:
LEFT = Smart configuration tree
RIGHT = Context editor
The left side provides structured navigation through:
- ConfigType nodes
- EntityType nodes
- configuration item nodes
The right side displays the context of the selected node:
- ConfigType summary
- EntityType contents
- configuration item editor
This makes navigation fast and keeps the mental model simple.
Screen layout
Configuration Explorer
==============================================================================
Configuration Tree | Configuration Editor
---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------
★ Favorites | Form: SiteSetupWizard
|
▾ SDWAN | ConfigType: SDWAN.Ordering
▾ Ordering | Package: SDWAN
▾ Forms | Installed Version: 1.4.0
SiteSetupWizard ⚠ SDWAN | Drift: Changed
OrderHeader ✓ BSS |
| [ Configuration editor ]
▾ Processes |
SDWANProvision ✓ SDWAN | [Save] [Compare] [History]
|
▾ BSS |
▾ ProductCatalog |
Navigation in the tree
The left pane displays a smart configuration tree.
Nodes may represent:
| Node type | Description |
|---|---|
| ConfigType | Capability or configuration domain |
| EntityType | Configuration type, for example Form, Process, Script |
| Item | Individual configuration object |
Users typically navigate in this order:
- Expand ConfigType
- See available entity types and counts
- Expand one entity type
- Select a concrete configuration item
This gives users one catalog that spans many configuration technologies without flattening everything into one list.
An entity type with many items shows them in pages of 1,000; Show … more at the end of the list reveals the next page. The tree loads at most 10,000 items of one entity type, and a warning icon on the node tells when there are more. When you search or filter by Change Sets, the limit covers the whole result, and the result count tells when the tree shows only the first items. The list on the right always has all of them.
Item metadata in the tree
Configuration item nodes can display key metadata directly in the tree, for example:
SiteSetupWizard ⚠ SDWAN
OrderHeader ✓ BSS
ValidateOrder ✓ Infra
Typical metadata shown next to the item:
- drift indicator
- latest package
- package version in tooltip
- owner team in tooltip
- last modified information in tooltip
This lets users understand the state of the item before opening the editor.
For the source of package and drift information, see Installed Package.
Favorites
Favorites allow users to bookmark frequently used nodes.
Favorites can reference:
- ConfigType nodes
- EntityType groups
- configuration items
They appear at the top of the tree and behave exactly like normal navigation targets.
This is especially useful in environments where administrators repeatedly work in the same few domains and forms.
Change Sets
The Explorer shows which Change Sets an item belongs to.
- The Change Set column lists the Change Sets of each item with its change type (Created, Updated, Deleted).
- An entity deleted in an open Change Set is shown, marked Deleted in Change Set, when you filter or highlight by its Change Set, until the Change Set is closed or abandoned. It cannot be opened.
- Select items and use Add to Change Set or Remove from Change Set. Deleted items are not added.
Tree filter
The filter button above the tree narrows the tree:
- Change Sets — pick Change Sets, or turn on Follow the active Change Set from the top bar. The choice offers your own Change Sets and those shared with you, open or in review; change its status filter to pick closed or abandoned ones. When you follow the top bar, the field shows the followed Change Set.
- Configuration types — selected types including their subtypes.
- Highlight only — keep the whole tree and only mark the Change Set items. Items get a dot, folders show how many Change Set items they contain, and deleted items are struck through. Configuration types still filter the tree. The marks refresh by themselves shortly after you save a change into a highlighted Change Set and when you open another page.
- Group by Change Set — when filtering by Change Sets, each selected Change Set with matching items becomes a top-level node with its own items and their count. An item that is in several Change Sets is shown under each of them, and selecting a node lists its items only for that Change Set. Not available with Highlight only.
Without Highlight only, the tree and the list show only the Change Set items; use the refresh button to update the tree. You can remove the Change Set filter in the list. Active filters are shown as chips under the search box, and your choice is remembered.
Typical usage
Browse configuration by solution area
Explorer
-> SDWAN
-> Ordering
-> Forms
-> SiteSetupWizard
Investigate package drift
Explorer
-> navigate to ConfigType subtree
-> look for warning indicators
-> open item
-> compare current and installed state
Review package-managed configuration after deployment
Open ConfigType subtree
-> filter items installed by package
-> inspect changed or missing items
Configuration beyond tSM
The Configuration Explorer is the primary in-app interface for browsing and editing configuration. The full configuration lifecycle — versioning, packaging, transferring, and deploying configuration across environments — is handled by external tooling (tSM Studio, tSM CLI, CI/CD pipelines).
For details on the full lifecycle, tools, and workflow examples, see Configuration Lifecycle.
Best practices
Use ConfigType consistently
Every configuration item should belong to the correct ConfigType. This is the basis for navigation, packaging, and reporting.
Keep package scope aligned with ConfigType
Whenever possible, package scope should follow business or capability boundaries already expressed by ConfigType.
Use the Explorer for discovery
The Explorer is the recommended way to understand how configuration is distributed across domains, entity types, and packages.
Use detailed pages for exact behavior
This page explains the concept. Detailed rules and lifecycle behavior are documented in ConfigType, Installed Package, Change Sets, and Configuration Lifecycle.
Summary
The Configuration Explorer brings together three important concepts:
- ConfigType for grouping and navigation
- packages for deployment between environments
- installed package tracking for operational visibility and drift evaluation
It gives administrators a single, structured way to browse, understand, and edit configuration across the system while preserving the underlying ownership of each configuration entity.