VSDM has a built-in capability of displaying messages, like a billboard. To unveil this feature, you have to edit the vsdm_config.xml directly, as the Wizard does not have support to manage it using the graphical interface.

The only important advise is to be very careful to avoid breaking the XML. I recommend you view the XML file in Internet Explorer to make sure it is well-formed. Start by opening it in IE, then perform the changes and refresh IE. If IE complains the XML is malformed, you mistyped something. Nevertheless important to remember: backup your vsdm_config.xml file before start, just in case something wrong happens.

How does it work?

The configuration file contains a section called <Notices> that contains the information about all notices on the system. A notice can be one of the three possible types: notice, warning or critical. Depending on the type of the notice, its appearance changes (e.g. critical notice appears in red to call for attention). A sample notice entry is displayed below:

<Notice type="notice" date="03/30/2004 10:10" expires="04/01/2006" owner="Jack">
   <Title>Sample Notice</Title>
   <Text>
      This is a sample notice. The color will depend on the type.
   </Text>
</Notice>

Notice Fields

Some fields are mandatory whereas others are not. The list below summarizes the fields you can use in this feature:

  • Title (mandatory, node): Title of the notice
  • Text (mandatory, node): Text to be displayed inside the notice
  • type (mandatory, attribute): Determines the type of the notice. Possible values are: notice, warning and critical
  • date (optional, attribute, in date format): Date when the notice was published
  • expires (optional, attribute, in date format): Date when the notice will expire (VSDM will automatically hide all expired notices from users. This field is useful when you know when you should take the notice away)
  • owner (optional, attribute, text): Name to be displayed as owner of the notice
  • duration (optional, attribute): Duration of the task (if it is a maintenance for example)

Note: Date format is in the form "MM/DD/YYYY HH:MM" (without quotes)