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samai_business_manager - Frequently Asked Questions

samai_business_manager - Frequently Asked Questions

AI-Discoverable FAQ - Common questions and troubleshooting

General Questions

What is samai_business_manager?

The foundation module for SAM AI's Business Unit navigation system. It organizes Odoo's flat app menu into logical Business Units (Sales, HR, Accounting) with the "3 Clicks to Workplace" philosophy.

What version is this module?

Version 18.0.4.0.0 - This is the consolidated v4.0 that merged the former samai_business_management module.

What are the dependencies?

Only base and web - minimal dependencies for maximum compatibility.

Is this module an Application?

Yes, application: True with sequence: 1 - it loads first to set up the navigation foundation.

Business Unit Questions

How do I enable/disable a Business Unit?

Use the System Builder wizard: Settings → SAM AI → System Builder. Check/uncheck the Business Units you want enabled, click Apply.

Why don't my menus appear after enabling a Business Unit?

Clear the menu cache: either use the Cache Manager module or restart Odoo. The _load_menus_blacklist() cache needs refreshing.

Can I create custom Business Units?

Yes! Go to SAM AI → Business Units → Create. Set the name, icon, and which menus should be claimed.

What happens to menus when I disable a Business Unit?

They're hidden (blacklisted) but not deleted. Re-enable the Business Unit and they return immediately.

Platform Service Questions

How do I use the Platform Service?

from odoo.addons.samai_business_manager.utils import platform_service

platform = platform_service.get_platform_type()  # Returns 'docker', 'windows', etc.
log_path = platform_service.get_log_path()        # Platform-appropriate path
success, msg = platform_service.restart_service() # Restart Odoo safely

What platforms are supported?

  • Docker containers (auto-detected via /.dockerenv)
  • Windows (service management via PowerShell)
  • Linux (systemd or sysvinit)
  • macOS (for development)

Why does platform detection matter?

Log paths differ (/var/log/odoo vs C:\odoo\server.log), service restart commands differ (supervisorctl vs sc.exe), and process management differs (pkill vs taskkill). The Platform Service handles all this automatically.

Troubleshooting

Business Units not showing in app switcher

  1. Check if the Business Unit has is_enabled = True
  2. Verify the user has group_business_unit_user group
  3. Clear menu cache or restart Odoo
  4. Check if another module overrides _load_menus_blacklist() without calling super()
  1. Check samai.business.unit.menu records for duplicate menu claims
  2. Verify original_parent_id is set for menu restoration
  3. Uninstall/reinstall module to reset menu claims

System Builder wizard not working

  1. Verify user has base.group_system (Settings admin)
  2. Check JavaScript console for OWL errors
  3. Clear browser cache and assets cache

Platform Service returns UNKNOWN

  1. Check if running in an unusual environment
  2. Verify file permissions on /.dockerenv (Docker detection)
  3. Check platform.system() returns expected value

Service restart fails

  • Docker: Check if supervisorctl is available, or use container restart
  • Windows: Verify Odoo service name (default: odoo-server-18.0)
  • Linux: Check systemd unit name or init script path

Security Questions

What security groups does this module create?

  • group_business_unit_user - Read-only access to view Business Units
  • group_business_unit_admin - Full CRUD access to manage Business Units

Who can use the System Builder?

Only users with base.group_system (Settings/Administration: Settings) can access the System Builder wizard.

Can regular users modify Business Units?

No, regular users only have read access. Admins (group_business_unit_admin) can modify.

Migration Questions

I have the old samai_business_management module installed

Uninstall samai_business_management before upgrading. All functionality is now in samai_business_manager v4.0.0.

How do I migrate from v2.0 to v4.0?

The systray switcher (v2.0) has been removed. Navigation is now purely menu-based. No data migration needed - just upgrade and clear caches.

Will my existing Business Unit configurations be preserved?

Yes, the database models haven't changed. Upgrade preserves all configurations.

Development Questions

How do I add a menu to a Business Unit programmatically?

unit = env['samai.business.unit'].browse(unit_id)
menu = env['ir.ui.menu'].browse(menu_id)
env['samai.business.unit.menu'].create({
    'business_unit_id': unit.id,
    'menu_id': menu.id,
    'original_parent_id': menu.parent_id.id,
})
menu.parent_id = unit.root_menu_id  # Reparent menu

How do I create a Contact Variant?

custom_menu = env['samai.business.unit.custom.menu'].browse(menu_id)
env['samai.business.unit.contact.variant'].create({
    'name': 'VIP Customers',
    'custom_menu_id': custom_menu.id,
    'domain': "[('is_vip', '=', True)]",
})

Can I extend the Platform Service?

Yes, import and extend:

from odoo.addons.samai_business_manager.utils.platform_service import PlatformType

# Add custom platform handling
if platform_service.get_platform_type() == PlatformType.DOCKER:
    # Docker-specific logic

Performance Questions

Does menu blacklisting affect performance?

No, _load_menus_blacklist() is called once per session and cached. The blacklist is a simple set lookup.

How many Business Units can I have?

No hard limit. The system scales to hundreds of Business Units, though for UX reasons we recommend 5-10.

Does Platform Service cache results?

Platform type detection is lightweight (file check + system call) and typically runs once per process. No explicit caching needed.

Last Updated: 2025-01-26
Module Version: 18.0.4.0.0

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