MI Chatbot Release 5.5.0/5.5.1

MI Chatbot now integrates with two major collaboration platforms: Slack and Microsoft Teams. Overall, the 5.5.0/5.5.1 Releases have brought a major functionality boost as well as a number of UI changes.

Among the key features are:

New Features

1. Microsoft Teams: Integration

Starting with Release 5.5.0, MI Chatbot is available for Microsoft Teams. The current integration allows the bot to process user requests for data and deliver content from Metric Insights to the specified channels in Microsoft Teams.

To query elements from Metric Insights, access the required Microsoft Team and Channel first. Then:

  1. Address the MI Сhatbot by typing @bot_name
  2. Double-click the Search field
  3. Enter your question or Tile name in the Search field
  4. Select a Tile from the Suggest List
  5. Preview the Tile
  6. Click the Send button to share your Tile with the channel

The full scope of this functionality is described in Access content in Microsoft Teams

2. Microsoft Teams: MI Chatbot settings

MI Chatbot can be controlled with a number of commands accessible via Direct Messaging. "Search", "Sync", "Help", and "Version" commands allow users to search for Tiles, run synchronizations with the MI application, query help as required, and learn about the current version of the MI Chatbot.

To view available commands:

  1. Access a Chat for Direct Messaging the MI Chatbot.
  2. Type !help command to see options.

For a detailed overview, access Managing MI Chatbot settings

3. Slack: channel-specific configuration variables

In addition to global configuration variables that affect all connected Slack channels, it is now possible to use variables that alter the MI Chatbot behavior for a particular channel.

Among the settings that can be modified per channel:

  • "Search in Tags"
  • "Search in Tile names"
  • "Enable silent search"

Channel-specific variables can be configured via Direct Messaging with the MI Chatbot or when addressing the bot in a channel. In the latter case, these variables are not displayed in the channel but exclusively shown to the bot admin who initiated the change.

When Direct Messaging the MI Chatbot:

  1. Type !config to access configuration variables
  2. From the dropdown, select a channel
  3. Enable or Disable the variables as required

Below is an example of channel-specific variables displayed in Direct Messaging with the MI Chatbot.

4. Slack: configure access with Default Groups

Slack Channel access to elements is determined by Group access in Metric Insights. The Channel will have the same access as an associated Group or Groups.

In Version 5.5.0, a new setting allows Users to specify the Default Group that will be used for access when the MI Chatbot is invited to a new channel.

If the Default Access Group is specified for Slack Integration in Metric Insights:

  1. This Group is automatically assigned to a Slack channel as soon as the MI Chatbot joins that channel
  2. Re-sync is performed automatically so that the MI Chatbot can be immediately used in the channel based on the assigned Group Permissions

For details on Security Provisions for Slack, go to Slack Security and Access

5. Slack: ability to send Bursts from the Burst Editor

Bursting options in the Burst Editor have been extended to include Slack Bursting. Delivering a Burst to a selected Slack channel is now only one checkbox away.

For Slack Bursting:

  1. Activate the corresponding option "Send Burst via" Slack in the Burst Editor
  2. Select a Channel where a Burst should be delivered

To learn more about the new simplified way to send Bursts to Slack, go to Bursting to a Slack Channel

To know more about security settings controlling Slack Bursting, click Slack Security and Access

Current security configurations do not allow sending a Burst to a private channel.

6. UI Changes and Performance enhancements

6.1. Microsoft Teams

User Interface

  1. When a User is not allowed to view any Tiles, the corresponding message will be shown in the UI.
  2. When a User tries to interact with the MI Chatbot that has not been added to a Team, they will notified with the corresponding UI message.

Administration

  1. MI Chatbot can recognize uppercase commands (e.g, both !Sync and !sync will be interpreted correctly).
  2. MI Chatbot can run the synchronization command for a single User.
  3. After the MI Chatbot joins a Team, User and Channel will be reloaded automatically. The bot does not need to be restarted whenever either a Team or a Channel name is changed, Channels are created or removed, and the bot is added or removed from the Team.

Security

  1. Authentication token is now kept in the local storage until it expires, allowing faster request processing.

6.2. Slack

User Interface

  1. When a User has no tiles allowed, the corresponding message will be shown in the UI.

Administration

  1. [5.5.1] Display Names have replaced Usernames in MI Chatbot user syncing commands as the @username concept is being phased out by Slack in favor of the more expressive and flexible Display Names.