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Service Desk Administrator Guide, Version 5.3 7 1 Setting up Your K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk This guide pro
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Dell KACE K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk Administrator Guide Release 5.3 Revision Date: May 13, 2011
© 2004-2011 Dell, Inc. All rights reserved. Information concerning third-party copyrights and agreements, hardware and software warranty, hardware replacement, product returns, technical support terms and product licensing is in the Dell KACE End User License agreement accessible at http://www.kace.com/license/standard_eula
Contents 1 Setting up Your K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk
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About this chapter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Required hardware and software . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Understanding Service Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 About your own Service Desk . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Planning your Service Desk implementation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Setting up users and accounts for your Service Desk to use . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Creating a new KACE_User in LDAP to read other LDAP accounts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Default Service Desk roles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 To create the Service Desk Staff role . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 To create an “All Ticket Owners” label . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 To authenticate your users . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 To test the authentication . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Importing user >Visit Dell KACE! You can include images by using src. For example,
4.
(Optional) Click Browse to add an attachment.
5.
Click Save.
The K1000 Management Appliance assigns the article an Article ID and displays it on the Knowledge Base Articles List page. You can also create a new Knowledge Base article from the comments in a Ticket by clicking the Create KB article button on the Ticket Detail page. To see how the article appears to your users on the Service Desk, click on the article’s title, and then click the User URL on the Edit Article page.
Editing and deleting Knowledge Base articles You edit or delete articles from the Knowledge Base tab.
To edit an existing Knowledge Base article To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
Click Service Desk > Knowledge Base tab.
2.
Select the linked article title. The Knowledge Base: Edit Article page appears.
3.
Click the Edit link to update the article details.
4.
Modify article details, and then click Save.
To delete a Knowledge Base article To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
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Click Knowledge Base, or click Service Desk > Knowledge Base.
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2.
Select the check box beside the article, and in the Choose Action menu, click Delete Selected Item(s).
3.
Click OK to confirm.
You can also delete articles from the Edit Article page.
Extending the Service Desk session timeout period By default, the K1000 Management Appliance logs out all users after one hour of inactivity (Session Timeout). This time period is restarted every time you direct the appliance to interact with its server, such as reloading the current page, saving changes, or moving to a new page. If the Session Timeout period expires, any unsaved changes are lost, and you are presented with the K1000 Management Appliance login screen again. The Session Timeout period applies to all K1000 Management Appliance interface screens. However, only the Service Desk screens have countdown timers to remind users of the time limit. The K1000 Management Appliance General Settings: Session Timeout option controls this time period. See the Administrator Guide for instructions on changing this setting.
Creating Service Desk processes Processes track major tasks that require multiple tickets to complete. If you have repeated major tasks or processes of this nature, you can save the process to use as a template. For example, a new hire process might require the following tickets:
•
Facilities determines an office space and provides furniture.
•
IT sets up phone service.
•
IT acquires a computer and the appropriate software.
•
IT sets up a network connection and provides a user name.
•
Human Resources handles employment paperwork.
The child tickets in a process don’t have to have the same owner, category, or due date. You can make specific selections for each task instead of one value that is best for most of the tickets in a process. When you want to create a parent/child ticket relationship for a specific issue, see Setting up parent/child ticket relationships, on page 82.
To add a new process To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
Go to Service Desk > Configuration > Processes.
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The Processes page appears. 2.
Select Choose Action >Add New Item from the menu. The queue’s Service Desk Configuration page appears.
3.
Specify the following information:
Name
Enter a name that describes the overall process, for example, New Hire, Employee Termination, Office Move.
Description
A description of the overall process.
Display to all Users
If you want to allow all of your users to see this process, leave selected. If you want to only let particular users to see it, clear the check box.
Enable
Click this check box to enable the process.
4.
Click Save. You need to create the parent ticket before you enable the process.
5.
Click Create Parent... to create the parent ticket for the process.
6.
If you have created queues, select the appropriate queue. You can use different queues for the parent and child tickets. If you don’t have multiple queues, this selection isn’t offered. If you are interested in dividing work into queues, see Expanding your Service Desk by adding ticket queues, on page 59.
7.
Complete the parent ticket on the New: Parent Ticket page. Most entries are similar to regular tickets. You don’t have to use the same category, owner, and so on with the parent as you use for the child tickets. The Due Date Offset reflects when you need to have all related tasks completed, but this offset is not enforced on the child tickets.
8.
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If an Approver has been enabled on your Service Desk, you can require approval to open or close a ticket.
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For information on requiring approvals, see Requiring ticket approvers, on page 86.
9.
Click Save & Create Child.
10. On Edit: Child Ticket page, enter a title for the child ticket. 11. Leave Stage as 1. If you create additional child tickets that need to be handled sequentially, you can change the Stage value on any ticket. 12. Continue making selections for the child ticket. The Category, Owner, and Due Dates, for example, can differ from the parent ticket. 13. Click Save or click Save & Create Child to create more child tickets.
To enable the process To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page.
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1.
When you have created the necessary child tickets, on the New Child Ticket page, click Save and Process. You can also select the process by going to Service Desk > Configuration > Processes, and selecting the process name.
2.
The Process Configuration page appears.
3.
Click Edit Mode and click Enabled.
4.
Click Save.
To delete a process To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration.
2.
On the Service Desk Settings: Control Panel page, select Processes.
3.
On the Processes page, select the name of the process. The Process Configuration page appears.
4.
Click Edit Mode, and click Delete.
5.
Click OK in the confirmation window.
To use a process To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. If processes are not already setup, add them. See To add a new process, on page 55. 1.
Go to Service Desk > Tickets, and click the
icon on the Tickets page.
2.
On the New page, select a process.
3.
Select the appropriate details and the date for your situation. If the process has more than one stage, tickets at later stages are not created till the tickets at earlier stages are completed.
4.
Click Save. When a user files a ticket for a process, you can see the parent/child relationship in the ticket list:
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Expanding your Service Desk by adding ticket queues The steps you followed in Chapter 1: Setting up Your K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk, starting on page 7, and Chapter 2: Managing and Maintaining Your Service Desk, starting on page 39, created a single ticket queue in your Service Desk. Queues are listed on the Service Desk Queues page. Each queue is a self-contained set of Service Desk tickets, each with its own unique set of characteristics and settings, such as statuses, categories, and so on. In many cases, a single queue is all an organization requires to function effectively. Because queues cannot be copied or cloned, every queue requires additional administrative overhead. Two queues require twice the administration effort that one does. You only need to add new queues of Service Desk tickets if:
•
You have different sets of tickets with completely different needs. For example, if you use tickets for typical Service Desk tasks such as fixing computer problems, and you also use tickets to keep track of problems with your organization’s fleet of automobiles. The data recorded and staff skills required for those two sets of tickets are different enough that you probably want to use separate queues for them.
•
If your service desk staff are only assigned to a specific set of tickets. For example, if your organization has offices in different cities, and each location has a Service Desk Staff dedicated solely to that location, the administrative overhead of adding additional queues for each location may be worth it. If your Service Desk Staff works across those locations however, a single queue is probably sufficient.
You can add as many additional queues as your organization requires. For details on adding a queue, see To set the default Service Desk queue, on page 61.
Managing multiple queues You can choose to view all tickets in all of your queues. For details, see To set the default Service Desk queue, on page 61.
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You can move Service Desk tickets from one queue to another. For details, see Moving Service Desk tickets from one queue to another, on page 63. Queues cannot be copied.
To add a new queue To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. If you expect to move Service Desk tickets from one queue to another, be sure to set up the queues with the same values (especially the CUSTOM fields). Otherwise, data from the old queue is altered to match the new queue. 1.
Go to Service Desk Configuration > Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
Select Choose Action Add New Item from the menu.
The New Queue page appears.
3.
Fill in the Name, Email Address, and Alt. Email Address for the new queue. See Creating and configuring email accounts for your appliance, on page 29, for information on the email addresses to use. Each new queue must use its own unique email addresses. The K1000 Management Appliance confirms this before allowing you to save the new queue.
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You now need to setup your new queue the way you did during initial Service Desk setup in Chapter 1: Setting up Your K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk, starting on page 7. This includes: •
Picking a new group to own these tickets.
•
Creating new roles for the ticket owners.
•
Creating a new label for the ticket owners.
•
Configuring your ticket default settings, new fields, and email messages.
See Chapter 1: Setting up Your K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk, starting on page 7 for details.
To delete a queue To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. Be sure you want to delete the data in a queue, including associated tickets and processes, before you delete the queue. This action cannot be undone. 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration > Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
Click a queue name.
3.
The the Service Desk Configuration page for the queue, click Edit Mode.
4.
Click Delete.
5.
In the confirmation window, click OK.
To set the default Service Desk queue To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. You must have more than one queue to set the default queue. 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration > Settings. The Service Desk Settings page appears.
2.
Click Edit Mode.
3.
From the Default Queue for All Queues View Field Labels menu, select the queue that you want to be the default.
4.
Click Save Settings.
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To view tickets across all queues 1.
Click Service Desk > Tickets. The Service Desk Tickets page appears.
2.
In the View by menu, click All Queues. All tickets from all queues that you have permission to view appear in the Tickets page. To change layout of the fields, see Chapter 3: Creating a custom ticket layout, starting on page 77. The Choose Action and View By menus revert to their defaults. Any customizations that appear in individual queues are not available in the All Queues view.
To change the All Queues fields To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration, and click Settings.
2.
Click Customize List Layout for All Queues View. The All Queues List Layout page appears. You can add; delete; rename; reorder; and change the field width, that is, set the number of characters allotted for display.
3.
Edit with the following options: •
Click
to add a field.
•
Click
to change the field name or the amount of space allowed (in characters).
Service Desk doesn’t check that the number of characters you enter is practical.
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•
Click
to move the field up.
•
Click
to delete the field.
4.
For each field you edit, click Save at the end of the row.
5.
Click Save at the bottom of the page to make these changes take effect.
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Moving Service Desk tickets from one queue to another You can move a ticket from one queue to another, but if the two queues do not share settings and custom field values, the ticket content is altered to match the new queue. If the ticket being moved has a status, impact, priority, or category setting that does not exist in the new queue, it gets the new queue’s default values for those settings, and the original value is overwritten. The original values are, however, stored in the ticket change history. If the ticket uses a custom field value that is not already defined in the new queue, the appliance adds it to the new queue’s custom field list, which can cause confusion. For example, if:
•
The CUSTOM_1 field in the ticket being moved lists the root cause of the problem as Pilot Error, and
•
The CUSTOM_1 field in the target queue lists locations, such as Tampa, Los Angeles, and Denver,
The new CUSTOM_1 value is added to the list, which now includes: Tampa, Los Angeles, Denver, and Pilot Error.
To move a ticket from one queue to another To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
Go to Service Desk > Tickets. The Tickets page appears.
2.
Select the check boxes for the tickets to move.
3.
From the Choose Action menu, choose Move to queue: newqueue. Your tickets now appear in the list of tickets for the newqueue that you selected.
Service Desk ticket rules Ticket Rules allow you to run queries on your Service Desk tickets and act on the list of tickets returned. Your K1000 Management Appliance comes with four system ticket rules by default. You can add as many custom ticket rules as your organization requires.
Using and reconfiguring the system ticket rules The system ticket rules are displayed on the Service Desk > Configuration >Queues > queue_name > Service Desk Configuration page.
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System ticket rules are disabled by default:
You can:
•
Enable and use these rules as they are. To enable a rule, select it, and select the Enabled check box. Click Save at the bottom of the page.
•
Select the Custom Ticket Rules: Customize link and reconfigure these rules as needed.
•
Copy rules and modify them. To copy a rule, select it, and then select the Duplicate button at the bottom of the Rule Detail page that appears.
•
Create your own completely new custom ticket rules. For instructions, see To create a new custom ticket rule, on page 65.
Understanding and customizing the system ticket rules This table lists the system ticket rules, lists their default behavior, and explains what else you can use them for: Ticket Rule
Default Behavior
Can be copied and used to...
WaitingOverdue
Moves tickets that have been dormant for seven days to an Overdue status.
OverdueClose
Closes tickets that have been Overdue with no action for seven days.
EmailOnClose
Sends an email message to the ticket submitter when their ticket is closed, reminding them that they only need to respond to reopen their ticket
Send an email message when a ticket is closed.
CustomerResponded
Moves ticket to a Responded status when a user responds to a ticket that has been waiting for customer action.
Change an open ticket’s status and send an email message if it is updated.
ReopenTicket
Reopens a closed ticket if someone other than the owner responds to it.
If a closed ticket is reopened, this rule can change its status, and send an email message.
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Change a ticket status after waiting for a configurable time period. You can also send an email message when the status change happens.
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You can use the default tickets as they are, or duplicate and change them to meet your organization’s needs. For information on duplicating ticket rules, see To create a new custom ticket rule, on page 65. If you need entirely different behavior, see To create a new custom ticket rule, on page 65.
Managing custom ticket rules You can create, duplicate, and delete custom ticket rules.
To create a new custom ticket rule To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
Go to Service Desk > Configuration> Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
Click: •
The default The K1000 Help Desk queue.
•
Another queue if you define more than one (most implementations do not).
The Service Desk Configuration page appears. 3.
Click the Customize Ticket Rules: [Customize] link at the bottom of the page. The Ticket Rules page appears.
4.
Select Choose Action > Add Ticket Rule from the menu. The Ticket Rule page appears. The queue name is displayed in parentheses.
5.
Enter criteria to choose the tickets to be affected.
6.
Under Define Ticket Rule, select an attribute from the drop-down list. For example, Priority.
7.
Select a condition from the drop-down list. For example, =.
8.
Specify the attribute value. For example, Medium. In the above example, tickets with medium priority will be searched. Note: You can add more than one criteria.
9.
Select the Conjunction Operator from the drop-down list to add more criteria. For example, AND.
10. Click Test. The search results are displayed below. 11. Click Next. 12. Choose the values to change. 13. Under Define Ticket Rule, select an attribute whose value you want to change, from the drop-down list. For example, Priority.
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14. Specify the new attribute value. For example, High. The Priority of the tickets that were searched, will now be changed to high. 15. Click Done. The Ticket Rule: Edit Detail page appears. You can configure settings for running the SQL query periodically and work with the resulting list of tickets. 16. Specify the following information:
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Record Created
(Read only) The date and time when the Rule was first created.
Record Last Modified
(Read only) The date and time when the Rule was last modified.
Title
A name for the rule.
Order
A number specifying the evaluation order level. The rule is executed according to the evaluation order specified.
Queue
(Read only) The name of the queue the ticket belongs to.
Notes
Enter any notes about this rule.
Frequency
Select the appropriate frequency from the drop-down list. The rule is run based on the selected frequency.
Next Run
(Read only) The date and time when the rule is run next time.
Current Server Time
Displays the current server time.
Enabled
Click the check box to enable the ticket rule. Unless enabled, the ticket does not run.
Select Query
This SQL is generated by the Ticket Rule wizard from the inputs that you specified while searching for Tickets in the Ticket Rule page. This is a SQL SELECT statement that will return a set of ticket IDs to operate on. This query will be run based on the Frequency selected above. Select the View Ticket Search Results link to view the search results. Note: Do not manually edit the SQL statements generated by the Ticket Rule Wizard, without fully understanding the ramifications of doing so. You can easily write SQL that degrades the performance of your appliance.
Send query results to someone
Click this check box to send the results of the Select Query to email addresses that you specify. All columns returned by the Select Query are included in the email. Enter the email addresses in the Email text area using a commaseparated list.
Results are tickets, add a comment to each one
Click this check box to add a comment to each ticket returned by the Select Query. This is useful because the Update Query specified later may update a Ticket without logging that information. For example, add a message like Ticket Rule: Increase Priority to High triggered. This gives you an indication of what tickets have been changed. Enter your comments in the Comment text area.
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Send an email for each result row
Click this check box to send text to the email addresses returned by the Select Query. An email is sent to each email address returned by the Select Statement in the Email Column. Variables are evaluated in the subject line or body of the email. Strings such as $title and $due_date are replaced by the values in the TITLE and DUE_DATE columns respectively. Any column returned by the select statement can be replaced in that way. The SQL generated by the Ticket Rule Wizard supplies OWNER_EMAIL, SUBMITTER_EMAIL, and CC_LIST as possible values. Enter the subject in the Subject text field. Enter the email column name in the Email Column text field. For example, OWNER_EMAIL. Email is sent to each email address returned by the Select Statement in this Email Column. Enter an email message in the Email Body text area.
Run an update query, using the results from the one above
Click this check box to run a second database query using the results from Update Query field as input. Use this field to run an additional SQL UPDATE statement using the comma-separated list of tickets returned by the Select Query as input. Such that "update HD_TICKET set TITLE = 'changed' where HD_TICKET.ID in ()" turns into "update HD_TICKET set TITLE = 'changed' where HD_TICKET.ID in (1,2,3)" This SQL is generated by the Ticket Rule wizard from the input that you specified while changing the attribute values in the Ticket Rule page. Note: The Run Log will show a count of the changed rows. This may differ from the selected rows if the data was already set to the requested values. The update SQL generated by the Ticket Rule wizard does not update the ticket row if an incorrect value is entered for fields like Priority or Submitter.
Update Query Use this field to update your query as needed. Run Log
Each time the rule runs, the run log is updated with the last results of that execution. Any failures or errors are displayed.
17. Click Run Now to immediately run the ticket rule. 18. Click Save.
To duplicate a custom ticket rule To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
Go to Service Desk > Configuration> Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
Click one: •
The default The K1000 Help Desk queue.
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•
Another queue if you define more than one (most implementations do not).
The Service Desk Configuration page appears. 3.
Select Customize Ticket Rules: [Customize] link at the bottom of the page. The Ticket Rules page appears.
4.
Select a ticket rule to open it.
5.
Click the Duplicate button at the bottom of the page. The Ticket Rules page appears, with the new rule listed. The default name is Copy of original_rule.
You can now make any necessary changes to the new rule. You will probably want to rename it to something more meaningful. For details on the various rule fields, see To create a new custom ticket rule, on page 65.
To delete a custom ticket rule To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
2.
To delete ticket rules, do one of the following: •
From the Ticket rule List view, click the check box beside the ticket rule, then select Delete Selected Item(s) from the Choose Action menu.
•
From the Ticket Rule : Edit Detail page, click Delete.
Click OK to confirm.
To move a ticket rule from one queue to another To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. Available when you have more than one queue. If you want the rule in both queues, make a copy as in To duplicate a custom ticket rule, on page 67. 1.
Go to Service Desk > Configuration> Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
Click the queue that includes the rule you want to move. The Service Desk Configuration page appears.
3.
Click the Customize Ticket Rules: [Customize] link. The Ticket Rules page appears. Once you are on the Ticket Rules page, you can switch between queues with the View By menu.
4.
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Select the check box for the rule.
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In the Choose Action menu, click Move to Queue and your queue.
The rule no longer appears for in the list of rules for the queue.
Running Service Desk reports The K1000 Management Appliance provides a set of default reports you can run against Service Desk data. Each report is available in HTML, PDF, CSV, TXT, and XLS formats. To view the list of reports, go to the Reporting component, and in the View by menu, click HelpDesk. The default K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk reports:
To run Service Desk reports To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. The Service Desk reports are under the name HelpDesk. 1.
Click Reporting.
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The K1000 Management Appliance Reports page appears. 2.
In the View by menu, click HelpDesk.
3.
Click the format type for the report you want to view. If you need to create custom reports, see the Administrator Guide for information on using the Report Wizard.
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3 Customizing Service Desk Tickets
This section explains how to customize the Service Desk tickets, including specifying new fields and settings, and configuring the 15 custom fields. This chapter assumes that you followed the instructions in the previous chapters and have a Service Desk implementation up and running.
About Customizing Service Desk Tickets This section explains the appliance tools used to customize your Service Desk tickets and explains how you can use them to meet your company’s needs. If you intend to move tickets from one queue to another, be sure to give all queues the same ticket customizations to avoid confusing or lost data. For details, see Managing multiple queues, on page 59. You use the Service Desk Customization page to specify:
•
Service Desk ticket values, including Categories, Statuses, Priorities, and Impacts.
•
Service Desk ticket field characteristics in the Ticket Layout section, including:
•
•
Field name.
•
Order displayed on the ticket.
•
Whether the field is required or not.
•
Who has permission to change the field.
Custom field definitions in the Custom Fields section, including: •
The field type (text, single select, or multi-select)
•
(If needed) define the acceptable values for the field.
•
Specify the default value for the field.
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Creating and Changing Ticket Categories, Statuses, States, and Priorities To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. You can create or modify ticket Categories, Statuses, States, and Priorities using the Service Desk Customization page. 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration> Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
Click one: •
The default The K1000 Help Desk queue.
•
Another queue if you define more than one (most implementations do not).
The Service Desk Configuration page appears. 3.
In the Ticket Defaults section, click Customize These Values. The Service Desk Customization page appears:
Creating new ticket categories Your company probably requires more ticket categories and subcategories than the defaults provided. You add new ticket categories from the Service Desk Configuration page, in the Ticket Defaults : [Customize These Values] section.
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Example ticket categories and their name syntax: Example Ticket Category/ subcategory Name
Category Name Syntax
Hardware/Monitor/
Hardware :: Monitor
Hardware/Monitor/AceElectronics/V4500
Hardware :: Monitor :: AceElectronics :: V4500
Hardware/Monitor/AceElectronics/V4600
Hardware :: Monitor :: AceElectronics :: V4600
Software/Office
Software :: Office
Software/email
Software :: email
You can add as many new categories as you need, each with one or more optional subcategories. Most customers use a two-tiered approach to categories by creating:
•
Simple list that users can set. For example:
•
•
Hardware – Monitor
•
Software – Office
•
Software – email
Detailed list that only Service Desk Staff can use. For example: •
Hardware – Monitor – AceElectronics – V4500
•
Hardware – Monitor – AceElectronics – V4600
Each category has a User Settable check box. Click the box allows users to change the corresponding category. Clear the box to reserve it for your Service Desk Staff only. Your users will see these categories if selected by the Service Desk Team, even if they cannot set or change them.
To create new ticket categories and sub-categories To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration> Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
Click one: •
The default The K1000 Help Desk queue.
•
Another queue if you define more than one (most implementations do not).
The Service Desk Configuration page appears. 3.
In the Ticket Defaults section, click Customize These Values.
4.
In the Category Values area, click the
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Editable fields appear for the new value.
5.
To create your new category, enter the following:
Name
Enter a name for your new category with the syntax: Categoryname :: subcategory1 :: subcatgory2 :: subcategory3 The subcategories are optional.
Default Owner
DefaultTicketOwners The ticket owner is automatically populated from the Category during ticket creation. However, it will not change thereafter. Therefore, if you switch an existing ticket to another Category with a different default owner, the owner of the ticket does not automatically switch.
CC List
Leave this blank. The CC List is not visible on a ticket; it is a behind-thescenes value. Because DefaultTicketOwners is the default owner, all potential ticket owners will get email when a ticket is created.
User Settable
Select this check box so users see this category. Each category has a User Settable check box, which allows users to change this category. Clear the box to reserve it for your Service Desk Staff only. Your users see these categories even if they cannot change them.
6.
(As needed) Use the list. As needed: The
icon to change the order that categories are displayed in your
icon removes Category values.
You cannot remove Category values being used as the default ticket Category. You also cannot remove Category values that are in use. Add a new Category first, then move tickets with the old Category to the new Category. Once the old Category is not being used, the trash can icon appears next to it and you can delete it. 7.
Click Save to apply your changes.
To customize status values To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page.
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To add, edit, or remove status values: 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration> Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
Click one: •
The default The K1000 Help Desk queue.
•
Another queue if you define more than one (most implementations do not).
The Service Desk Configuration page appears. 3.
In the Ticket Defaults section, click Customize these Values.
4.
In the Status Values area, click the
icon beside a category value to modify it.
Editable fields appear for that value. 5.
Edit the Status Values field:
Name
Enter the name for the value.
State
Indicates whether the ticket is open, closed, or stalled. • Opened - The ticket is active. Only this State can be escalated. See Understanding ticket escalation, on page 44, for details. • Closed - The ticket has been resolved • Stalled - The ticket is open past its due date, but is not in escalation.
6.
Click Save.
7.
As needed, click the
icon to remove a Status value.
You cannot remove Status values being used as the default Status value. You also cannot remove Status values that are in use. Add a new Status first, then move tickets with the old Status to the new Status. Once the old Status is not being used, the trash can icon appears next to it and you can delete it.
To customize ticket priorities To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. Follow these steps to add, change, or remove Priorities: 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration> Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
Click one: •
The default The K1000 Help Desk queue.
•
Another queue if you define more than one (most implementations do not).
The Service Desk Configuration page appears.
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3.
In the Ticket Defaults section, click Customize these Values. The Service Desk Customization page appears.
4.
In the Priority Values area, click the
icon beside a category value to modify it.
Editable fields appear for that value:
5.
Fill in the Priority Values fields:
Name
Enter a name for the custom field.
Color
(Optional) Select a color to use for this status on the ticket list pages.
Escalation Time
(Optional) Enter a time limit, after which an open ticket of this priority is escalated. Enter a time integer and a unit from the drop-down list. See Understanding ticket escalation for details.
You cannot remove Priority values being used as the default ticket Priority. You also cannot remove Priority values that are in use. Add a new Priority first, then move tickets with the old Priority to the new Priority. Once the old Priority is not being used, the trash can icon appears next to it, and you can delete it. 6.
Click Save.
7.
As needed: Click the
icon to remove a Priority value.
To customize ticket impacts To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. Only ticket owners can categorize tickets using the Category and Priority values fields. Ticket submitters can make this type of assessment in the ticket Impacts field. You can change the default choices or create your own set of custom Impact values that ticket submitters can use to help asses a ticket’s significance. To add, change, or remove ticket impacts as required by your company: 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration> Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
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•
The default The K1000 Help Desk queue.
•
Another queue if you define more than one (most implementations do not).
3
The Service Desk Configuration page appears. 3.
In the Ticket Defaults section, click Customize These Values. The Service Desk Customization page appears.
4.
In the Impact Values area, click the
icon beside an Impact value to modify it.
Editable fields appear for that value. 5.
Modify the Name field as desired.
6.
Click Save to apply your changes.
7.
As needed: Click the
icon to remove an Impact value.
You cannot remove Impact values being used as the default ticket Impact value. You also cannot remove Impact values that are in use. Add a new Impact first, then move tickets with the old Impact to the new Impact. Once the old Impact is not being used, the trash can icon appears next to it and you can delete it.
Creating a custom ticket layout You use the Ticket Layout section of the Service Desk Customization page to customize the way tickets are displayed in the Tickets tab for each queue. You can:
•
Rearrange the order of the default fields or hide them.
•
Use up to 15 custom fields for whatever your organization requires. You can specify static values for these fields, or pull the values out of a database dynamically using a database query.
•
Tailor different ticket views and read/write access for users, ticket owners, and administrators. This includes the ability to hide, view, view but not change, or change individual ticket fields for each of these roles.
•
Set up parent/child ticket relationships between tickets and either prohibit the parent from closing until all the child tickets are closed, or allow the parent ticket to close all the child tickets. For details, see Setting up parent/child ticket relationships, on page 82.
•
Prohibit a ticket from opening and closing without the approval of a designated approver. You can also require approval only at ticket closure. For details, see Requiring ticket approvers, on page 86.
You make these changes by queue.
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Changing field characteristics You specify these ticket field characteristics using the Service Desk > Configuration > queuename > Ticket Defaults : Customize These Values selection:
•
The name of the field.
•
View order of the field.
•
Whether the field is required for a ticket.
•
Who can view and or change this field.
Click the:
• •
icon to change the order in which a field appears on the ticket list. icon to change the field characteristics, including hiding the field by setting the Required permission to Hidden.
Changing a field name (label) You can rename the default or custom fields meet your organization’s need by selecting the icon and entering the new name in the Label column.
Remember that the changes you make here are automatically propagated to all existing tickets for this queue.
Requiring a field on all tickets You have these options under the Required column for each field:
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Not Required.
•
Always Required. Fields with this option must be filled out before a ticket can be saved and submitted.
•
Required on Close. Fields with this option must be filled out before a ticket can be closed.
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Setting permissions for creating and changing field values The settings for limiting the types of users who are allowed to read, create, or edit a field are: Fields with This Permission:
Can be Viewed by:
Can be Changed by: Can be Created by:
Hidden
No one
No one
No one
Read Only
Users, Ticket Owners, Administrators*
No one
No one
Owners Only - Hidden from Users
Ticket Owners, Administrators*
Ticket Owners, Administrators*
Ticket Owners, Administrators*
Owners Only - Visible to Users
Users, Ticket Owners, Administrators*
Ticket Owners, Administrators*
Ticket Owners, Administrators*
User Create
Users, Ticket Owners, Administrators*
Ticket Owners, Administrators*
Users, Ticket Owners, Administrators*
User Modify
Users, Ticket Owners, Administrators*
Users, Ticket Owners, Administrators*
Users, Ticket Owners, Administrators*
*By default. If you clear the Grant read/edit permissions to users with an Admin role (admin portal only) box on the Service Desk Configuration page, Administrators do not have these permissions.
The Satisfaction Survey has slightly different meanings for these permissions. For details, see About the Satisfaction Survey, on page 35.
Defining Custom Ticket Fields You can add up to 15 custom fields to your Service Desk tickets. Add any new fields that your organization requires. Your Service Desk Staff is a good source for suggestions for additional information to help them to do their jobs. Creating a custom field involves two areas of the Service Desk Customization page:
•
The custom field characteristics using the Custom Field area.
•
The custom field behavior in the Ticket Layout.
To create or modify a custom ticket field To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration > Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
Click one:
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•
The default The K1000 Help Desk queue.
•
Another queue if you define more than one (most implementations do not).
The Service Desk Configuration page appears. 3.
Click Customize Fields and Layout. The Service Desk Customization page appears.
4.
In the Custom Fields area, click the
icon to edit or create a field.
The editable fields appear:
5.
Select the field type from the Field Type list. What kind of field type (text entry, or single or multiple select) to use in each field?
6.
Fill in the Select Values field with a list of allowed values. Select Values are used for custom fields with Field Type of Single Select or Multiple Select. Enter multiple values as comma-separated strings. For example:
You can use a database query to specify values for this field with the syntax: query:query_instructions. Select the question mark icon next to Custom Fields to view an example. 7.
Fill in a default value in the Default field. This value is filled in by default when the ticket is created. If you remove the name of a custom field, values for that field are removed from all tickets. If you rename a custom field, values for that custom field are be retained. You can use a database query to specify values for this field with the syntax: query:query_instructions. Click the question mark icon next to Custom Fields to view an example.
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Scroll up to the Ticket Layout area, and click the just configured.
3
icon next to the custom field you
The custom field behavior options become editable:
9.
Enter a name in the Label field.
10. Set the required level in the Required field. The options are: •
Always Required. The filed must be filled in before the ticket can be saved.
•
Not Required.
•
Required on Close. The field must be filled in before the ticket can be closed.
11. Set permissions in the Permissions field. The options are: •
Hidden.
•
Read Only.
•
Owners Only – Hidden from Users.
•
Owners Only – Visible to Users.
•
User Create. This also allows ticket owners to create or modify the field.
•
User Modify. This also allows ticket owners to create or modify the field.
12. (Optional) Use the up arrow icon
to change the field location on the page.
13. Click Save for the custom field to save your Ticket Layout changes. 14. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click Save to apply your changes to this page. Your custom ticket changes are now available to your users and ticket owners.
Specifying the Ticket List Column Layout Use the Ticket Layout section of the Service Desk Customization page to specify the names, view order (from left to right), and the ticket field widths for the list of tickets.
To change the ticket list or the layout To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration> Queues.
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The Service Desk Queues page appears. 2.
Click one: •
The default The K1000 Help Desk queue.
•
Another queue if you define more than one (most implementations do not).
The Service Desk Configuration page appears. 3.
Click Customize Fields and Layout. The Service Desk Customization page appears.
4.
5.
Customize the page using: •
icon to change the order in which a fields appears.
•
icon to change the field to display, and the width allowed for the column.
•
icon to remove the field from the ticket list.
•
icon to add a new ticket field to the ticket layout.
Click the Save button at the bottom of the page.
Setting up parent/child ticket relationships You can set up any Service Desk ticket as a parent ticket and assign child tickets to it. There are two ways to use the Dell KACE K1000 Management Appliance parent/child relationship: not allowing the parent to close unless all the child tickets are closed, and closing all child tickets by closing the parent.
•
The first strategy uses the parent ticket as a sort of global todo list, and each child ticket as a separate task on the list. Once all the tasks are complete and the child tickets closed, then the parent can be closed.
•
The second strategy uses the parent as the main collection point for duplicate problems. For example, if a server crashed and many users filed tickets about lost the server functionality. These child tickets are duplicates of the same problem and should all be closed as soon as the server is back online. In this case, designate all the tickets as child tickets of a single parent. When the problem is fixed, the ticket owner only needs to close the parent to close all of the child tickets.
Regardless of the strategy you choose, child tickets cannot be orphaned. That is, you cannot close the parent ticket before closing the child tickets. You can create many levels of parent/child ticket relationships, but closing child tickets by closing their parent ticket only works for one parent/child level.
Enabling parent/child ticket relationships This feature is disabled by default. To enable this feature, expose the PARENT_INFO ticket field, and make it writable by administrators. If you want to allow parents to close all child tickets, you also need to click the Allow parents to close child tickets check box in the queue configuration settings. Details on changing these settings are below:
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To enable parent/child ticket relationships for a queue 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration> Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
Click one: •
The default The K1000 Help Desk queue.
•
Another queue if you define more than one (most implementations do not).
The Service Desk Configuration page appears. 3.
In the Ticket Defaults section, click Customize These Values. The Service Desk Customization page appears.
4.
Scroll down to the Ticket Layout section and select the icon for the PARENT_INFO field to make changes to that field’s settings.
5.
Select one of the Owners Only permission settings:
6.
Click Save next to the permissions field.
7.
Click Save at the bottom of the page to make your change take effect.
When you save these changes, ticket owners and administrators (by default) are able to make any ticket a child or parent.
To enable parent tickets to close child tickets To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. 1.
Click Service Desk > Configuration> Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
2.
Click: •
The default The K1000 Help Desk queue, or
•
Another queue if you define more than one (most implementations do not).
The Service Desk Configuration page appears. 3.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Edit mode. The page reappears with settings available to change.
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4.
Select the Allow parent tickets to close child tickets check box.
5.
Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Save.
The change takes effect, and afterward when you attempt to close a parent ticket the appliance prompts you to first close any of its open child tickets.
To add a parent to a child ticket To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. Now that you have enabled tickets to become parents, you can set up parent/child relationships between tickets. You need to designate parent tickets before they can be associated with child tickets. Each ticket now has a Parent Ticket field:
1.
Click Service Desk > Tickets.
2.
Click the New button. The New Ticket page appears.
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3.
Click next to Parent Ticket to make the Allow this to be a parent check box visible.
4.
Select the Allow this to be a parent check box to make this ticket a parent.
5.
Click Save & Create Child at the bottom of the page to save the parent and automatically bring up a ticket template for the first child.
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After you create the first child, the button changes to Save & Create Another Child for all subsequent child tickets. Use this button to create as many child tickets as required. Once created, child tickets are visible from the parent ticket drop-down list on the parent ticket:
Child tickets also display their parents in the Parent Ticket: field:
Using a parent ticket as a todo list The Service Desk parent/child ticket relationships work well in situations where you want to use the parent as a collection point for a variety of tasks to be performed by different people. For example, the setup tasks for a new employee. (If you anticipate a multi-phase task being a regularly repeated, consider making a process ticket. See Creating Service Desk processes, on page 55.) Grouping all the necessary tasks under one parent ticket allow you to keep track of them from one point. To do this:
•
Open a ticket to serve as the parent. Give it a title that is easy to identify and groups these tickets together. In this example: Parent - New Employee - John Doe.
•
Open tickets for each of the tasks required for the list. For example, a list for new employee tasks:
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•
The Show child tickets list shows you the status of all the tasks required. When the last task is close, you are prompted to close the parent ticket. You must follow the instructions in the Enabling parent/child ticket relationships, on page 82, and To enable parent tickets to close child tickets, on page 83, to set up parent/child relationships.
To use parents to organize duplicate tickets To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. The Service Desk parent/child ticket relationship can help resolve multiple tickets filed for the same problem. For example, a server crash can trigger multiple tickets for the same problem. In such a case: 1.
Make sure that the ticket queue in question allows parents to close child tickets. For details, see To enable parent tickets to close child tickets, on page 83.
2.
Designate one of the tickets as a parent.
3.
Make the rest of the duplicate tickets child tickets: a. Click Service Desk > Tickets. b. Select all of the tickets you want to make child tickets c. In the Choose Action menu, click Add to Parent.
4.
Once the problem is corrected, close the parent ticket (which automatically closes the child tickets). You must follow the instructions in Enabling parent/child ticket relationships, on page 82, and To enable parent tickets to close child tickets, on page 83, to set up parent/child relationships.
Requiring ticket approvers You can require that a person or group approve a ticket before it can be opened and closed. You can also require approvers only to close a ticket. You set up the approval mechanism by:
•
Creating a label to specify approvers.
•
Adding users (approvers) to the label.
•
Configuring the APPROVAL_INFO ticket field to require this feature.
You choose approvers from the list of all users regardless of queue, so they are not limited to a single queue.
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Your approvers only have access to the Approval: and Approval Note: fields on a ticket:
The Approval field offers approvers these options:
•
Approved
•
Rejected
•
More Information Needed
Once set up, ticket approvers are offered Approval and Approval Note fields on each ticket. The Approval: field must be set before the ticket can be opened or closed. The Approval Note: field is optional. Approvers can see all of the tickets they need to approve by navigating to the Service Desk > Tickets page, and clicking View By > Owner. The Approval: field offers these options:
Setting up approvals for tickets This section assumes that you already followed the instructions in Chapter 1: Setting up Your K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk, starting on page 7, and have a Service Desk implementation set up and working. The default Service Desk approval mechanism defines whether an approver is required for a ticket. The approver is not required to act on the ticket by default. Follow these steps to:
•
Create a label that offers a list of approvers for each ticket. You can then add or remove users from the label to grant or withhold permission for them to act as approvers.
•
Require that an approver be specified before a ticket can be closed.
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To require approvals To perform these steps, be sure to select your organization in the Organization dropdown list in the top-right hand corner of the page. You can add new users and new labels on the Service Desk > Users tab. 1.
Click Service Desk > Users. The Users page appears showing your users.
2.
Click the check boxes for the user names you want to add.
3.
In the Choose Action menu, click Add Label.
4.
In the Add Label window, enter a name for the label, for example, Ticket Approvers, and click Save. Avoid using a backslash (\) in Label names. If used, be sure to escape the backslash with another backslash. Example of user with labels:
5.
Click Service Desk > Configuration> Queues. The Service Desk Queues page appears.
6.
Click one: •
The default The K1000 Help Desk queue.
•
Another queue if you define more than one (most implementations do not).
The Service Desk Configuration page appears. 7.
Confirm that the Allow all users as approvers check box is cleared. If it is selected: a. Scroll to the bottom of the page. b. Click Edit Mode, and clear this box. c. Click Save.
8.
In the Ticket Defaults section, click Customize These Values. The Service Desk Customization page appears.
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9.
3
Scroll down to the Ticket Layout section.
10. Click the
icon for the APPROVAL_INFO field.
The editable APPROVAL_INFO fields appear:
11. In the Label field, enter the name of the label you created for approvers in step 4. 12. Select Required on close in the Required column. Selecting Required on close or Always Required “turns on” the approval requirement for all tickets in this queue. Once one of these is set, a ticket must have an approver specified before it can be worked on or closed, depending on the option you choose. 13. Select an option in the Permission column. Owners Only - Hidden from Users option is common, but pick the option that your organization requires. The options are:
14. Click the Save button opposite the APPROVAL_INFO field. 15. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and click Save. The Approval feature is now turned on, and the approval options you selected apply to this queue.
Approving tickets by email Once ticket approval is configured, the designated ticket approver can use an email message to approve a ticket, add an approval note, or designate a different approver. For details on changing tickets by email, see Creating and updating tickets by email, on page 42. For a list of the fields used to change the approval fields, see Changing ticket approval fields using email, on page 44.
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A Using an SMTP Email Server
The instructions in Chapter 1: Setting up Your K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk, starting on page 7 explain how to set up a K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk that uses a POP3 email server to exchange email with your users. This appendix explains how to configure your Service Desk to exchange email using an SMTP email server. This appendix provides specific instructions for configuring a Microsoft® Exchange Email Server®, and general guidance for other email servers. This appendix assumes that you have already followed the instructions in Chapter 1: Setting up Your K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk, starting on page 7 and are ready to configure your system’s email.
Sending email to the K1000 Management Appliance This section explains the steps necessary for your Service Desk to receive email from and SMTP email server.
Connect the SMTP server to your email server The process for doing this depends entirely upon your company’s email configuration. If you are using Microsoft Exchange Server 2007, also refer to the Microsoft documentation on transport rules. The steps for other email servers are similar. 1.
Open the Exchange Server Manager.
2.
If necessary, create a Virtual SMTP server. This is not necessary if you have an SMTP server.
3.
Create a Virtual SMTP Connector called K1000_HelpDesk. See your Microsoft Exchange Server documentation for instructions.
4.
Click Administrative Groups > Connectors > K1000_HelpDesk. The K1000_HelpDesk Properties window appears. The interface might vary depending on your implementation.
5.
Click the General tab.
6.
Click Use DNS to route each address space on this connector. The Local Bridgeheads section becomes available.
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7.
Complete the Local Bridgeheads section: Server
your_exchange_servername
Virtual Server Default SMTP Virtual Server
8.
Click the Address Space tab.
9.
Click Add to add a new address space for the K1000 Management Appliance SMTP server. Use these settings: Type: SMTP Address: Enter the fully qualified K1000 Management Appliance server name. The syntax is k1000.mydomain.com Cost: Set this to one level above the other connectors. That way, K1000 Management Appliance mail is filtered first, and no K1000 Management Appliance mail inadvertently leaves the network.
10. Under Connector scope, click Entire organization. 11. Leave Allow messages to be relayed to these domains turned off. 12. Click OK to save and close the K1000_HelpDesk Properties window. The K1000 Management Appliance SMTP server is now connected to your email server. Follow the instructions in the next section to set up the email as trusted.
Configuring your email server Follow the steps in this section to finish setting up email communication with your K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk.
Deciding whether to use the internal SMTP server Your K1000 Management Appliance comes with an internal SMTP server, which you have the option to use. Whether to use it is a decision that your staff email authority must answer based on how the rest of your email system is set up. If all of your mail must go through a specific server, direct the K1000 Management Appliance to use it. If most of the email traffic is from and to your Service Desk Staff, then it might make sense to use the K1000 Management Appliance server. Both procedures are explained below. Pick one and follow those instructions to complete the Service Desk setup
To use an external SMTP server Perform either this procedure or Using the internal SMTP server, on page 93. Configure your SMTP server’s anonymous relay to connect to the K1000 Management Appliance. 1.
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Confirm that your external router and firewall allow the K1000 Management Appliance to use port 25 to send mail.
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A
Click Organization: System > Settings > Network Settings. The K1000 Network Settings page appears.
3.
Click Edit Mode.
4.
In the Network Server Options section, select the Use SMTP server check box. The SMTP Server box appears.
5.
Enter the IP address or name of the external SMTP sever to use.
6.
Click Save.
7.
Reboot your K1000 Management Appliance to make the changes take effect. When you next start the K1000 Management Appliance, it is ready to forward email to the designated SMTP server.
Using the internal SMTP server Perform either this procedure or To use an external SMTP server, on page 92. Your K1000 Management Appliance is set by default to use its internal SMTP email server. The SMTP server is always on and listening, by default. To confirm that the SMTP Server check box (for an external server) is cleared, follow these steps: 1.
Click Organization: System > Settings > Network Settings. The K1000 Network Settings page appears.
2.
Click Edit Mode.
3.
In the Network Server Options section, clear the Use SMTP Server check box. This setting refers to an external SMTP server.
4.
Click Save.
5.
Reboot your K1000 Management Appliance to make the changes take effect.
When you next start the K1000 Management Appliance, the internal SMTP server is set to process outgoing email.
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B Testing and Troubleshooting Email Communication The steps in this appendix explain how to ensure that your Service Desk email communication is working correctly. This appendix assumes that you have followed the instructions in Chapter 1: Setting up Your K1000 Management Appliance Service Desk, starting on page 7 and have set up a Service Desk that uses a POP3 email server to communicate with the K1000 Management Appliance.
Testing outgoing email 1.
Depending on your appliance model, go to the Administrator Interface and click . The K1000 Settings: Dell KACE Support window appears.
2.
Click Troubleshooting Tools. The troubleshooting page appears.
3.
Click Edit Mode.
4.
In Network Utilities, select email sending and enter a valid email address. A log of the email’s path is displayed.
5.
Check the log file carefully for errors. If no errors are reported, the outgoing email was successfully sent and you are finished. In the event of an error: •
Check your mail and spam filters.
•
Check your K1000 Management Appliance network settings. If you are using your own SMTP server, the K1000 Management Appliance will be relaying mail through it. Many SMTP servers require specific permission to do this. Add your K1000 Management Appliance IP address to the list of acceptable servers.
•
Check your router settings. Make sure the K1000 Management Appliance can use the SMTP port (25).
•
Check your firewall settings. Make sure the K1000 Management Appliance can use the SMTP port (25).
•
Call Support if you still cannot resolve the problem.
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To test incoming email The simplest test is to: 1.
Log on to your SMTP server, and send the K1000 Management Appliance email creating a new Service Desk ticket.
2.
Click Service Desk > Tickets, and confirm that a new ticket appears.
As long as you send mail from a valid K1000 Management Appliance account, a ticket is created automatically.
To debug incoming email You can use telnet communicate with the K1000 Management Appliance SMTP server and send a test mail. 1.
Enter the following commands. (These start communication, tell the server who the received message is from, tell the server who the message is to, prepare to send data, and quit telnet.)
>telnet k1000.mydomain.com 25 >EHLO mydomain.com >MAIL FROM: >RCPT TO:DATA >Test data here >QUIT . 2.
Check the Service Desk mail box to confirm that you have received email from [email protected].
To read the logs for error information 1.
In Microsoft Exchange Server, open the SMTP Virtual Server Properties window.
2.
On the General tab, make sure that the Enable Logging box is checked. If not, click this box, and send some test email to the K1000 Management Appliance.
3.
Go to the K1000 Management Appliance Administrator Interface Organizations : System.
4.
Click the
5.
Click Logs.
icon.
The K1000 Server Logs page appears.
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6.
Select a log from the Current log: drop-down list.
7.
Examine the exim_mainlong_* and exim_paniclog_* files for problems such as:
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•
Errors and unsuccessful steps.
•
Hostnames and other variables not fully resolved.
8.
Examine the Debug_* log for any other exim problems such as runaway exim processes.
9.
These other logs may also provide useful clues to the problem:
B
• Kkhelpdeskmailhandler_output • khelpdeskmailnotifier_error • khelpdeskmailnotifier_output 10. Examine the Microsoft Exchange SMTP service logs in C:\widnows\system32\ologFiles\*SMTP for problems.
Typical Email Errors and Solutions These are typical email errors and solutions for you to try:
Error: 550 Unknown user Fixes: •
Make sure that the address is spelled correctly.
•
The address matches the address used by Service Desk.
•
Try turning off the external SMTP server and remove the address from the network settings. Reboot. Then restore the address. Reboot again. This is surprisingly successful.
Error: 451 error - unable to verify sender Fixes: •
Check your DNS settings.
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Index A accounts 14 active directory information, adding 19 administrators selecting 8 allow all users as approvers button 88 approval allow all users as approvers button 88 approval field options 87 APPROVAL_INFO field 89 approvals setting up 86 using email 89 viewing all approval tickets 87 approving tickets by email 89 attributes, user 21 authenticating users 18 search filters 19 authentication testing 19
C categories creating new 27 setting for staff 74 categories, tickets allowing users to change 73 category default 10 changing a ticket value using email 43 changing an approval ticket value using email 44 child tickets workflows 55 choose attributes to import 20 clearing a ticker field using email 43 configuration, ticket deletion 41 creating 29 creating a custom ticket layout 77 criteria to search for 18 custom fields about 79 custom statuses ticket escalation issues 45 custom ticket fields, creating 79 custom ticket rules deleting 68 duplicating 67 managing 65 Custom View, tickets 49 custom views, for tickets 49 CustomerResponded ticket rule default behavior 64 customizing Impact Values 76
D data, importing 24 database query using to fill in the Default ticket field 80 using to fill in the Select Values ticket field 80 default category 10 default impact 10 default states 10 default statuses 10
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DefaultTicketOwners promoting to own tickets 25 [email protected] about 29 deleting tickets 41 Due dates tickets, process 56
E email about 11 approving tickets using 89 authentication using POP3 29 clear text using POP3 29 clearing a field 43 closure notification 32 configuring 29 configuring your email server 92 creating special accounts for 29 customizing email templates 33 [email protected] 29 for escalated tickets 47 managing 11 notification 11 notification to your staff, managing 41 notifications, recommended 33 open ticket notification 32 POP3 server, using 29 setting a field value using 43 setting an approval field value using 44 setting custom values using mail 44 SMTP email server, using instead of POP3 29 SMTP K1000 server, deciding to use 92 SMTP server, configuring to use external 92 SMTP server, configuring to use the internal K1000 93 SMTP server, connecting 91 SMTP server, using instead of POP3 91 [email protected] 29 testing and troubleshooting 95 testing incoming 96 testing outgoing email 95 ticket creation notification 11 to create or modify tickets 42 using to set ticket attributes. 43 email notification strategy 11 Email on Events recommended settings 33 setting 32 email server, required 8 EmailOnClose ticket rule default behavior 64 enabling parent/child ticket relationships 82 escalating tickets configuring 46 criteria 44 email message, changing 48 email recipients, setting 47 making tickets eligible 46 time limit, setting 47 Exchange Email Server 91
G granting read/edit permissions 79
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Index
H
O
hardware requirements 7 Help Desk email, configuring 29 upgrading from 9 help desk ticket settings, configuring 29 Help Desk fields Help Desk Customization page 72 Impact values 76 Status Values 74 Help Desk Reports 69 help desk staff adding a new member to 40 Help Desk tickets permission to own, setting 17 [email protected] creating 29
options 89 OverdueClose ticket rule default behavior 64 overview of setup 11 overview, Service Desk 8 owner-only comments in tickets 48 owning tickets, permission for using a label 10
I impact default 10 Impact values customizing 76 importing user data automatically into accounts 20 scheduling 39 search filters for 21 importing users LDAP/user mapping 22
K KACE_User creating to read LDAP user accounts 14 Knowledge Base about 53 adding articles 53 attachments, adding 54 deleting articles 54 editing articles 54 external inks in 54
L labels permission to own tickets 10 with Service Desk 11 LDAP creating account to read other accounts 14 requirements 7 user field mapping 22
P parent tickets as a todo list 85 compared with processes 85 workflows 55 parent/child tickets adding a parent to a child 84 enabling parents to close children 83 permission options, for tickets 81 permissions changing 79 for roles 16 Please select a category creating 27 POP3 email server authentication information in clear text 29 priorities customizing 75 priority default 10 processes enabling 57 fields, explained 56 renaming 34
Q queues moving tickets from one to another 63 multiple, managing 59 renaming 34 setting the default 61 tickets, deleting 41 transferring ticket rules between 68 queues, adding 59
R
main tab, renaming 34 maintaining your help desk 39 managing email 11 Microsoft Exchange Server 91
Readonly Admin role introduction to 15 ReopenTicket ticket rule default behavior 64 requirement level for tickets 81 requiring ticket approvals 86 roles about 11, 14 creating 14, 15 creating with Add New Item 16 Help Desk Team 14 permissions 16 Readonly Admin role 15
N
S
M
new ticket fields, creating 79
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satisfaction survey about 35 changing default behavior 36
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disabling email 36 enabling email 36 hiding 36 ways the survey is offered 35 service agreements escalation process and 44 Service Desk importing users 21 labels for users 11 owner-only comments in tickets 48 ticket approval 87 Service Desk staff about 11 picking 11 Service Desk Team role creating 14 session timeout extending 55 losing unsaved changes 55 setting the default queue 61 setting up 14 setting up approvals for tickets 87 setting up users and accounts 14 setup overview 11 SMTP email server, using instead of POP3 29 SMTP servers 91 software deploying from software library 50 software library about 50 creating packages for 50 software packages deploying from software library 50 software requirements 7 staff roles for 11 selection for Service Desk 8 state, tickets 45 states default 10 status Waiting on end user 28 Status values customizing 74 status values creating 27 statuses default 10 [email protected] 29 [email protected] 29 system requirements 7
T tab, renaming 34 templates, email 33 ticket approval fields you can change in email 44 ticket escalation email for 47 ticket fields types of fields to add 13 ticket fields you can change in email 43 Ticket Rules 63
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ticket rules creating custom 65 CustomerResponded default behavior 64 deleting, custom 68 duplicating custom 67 EmailOnClose default behavior 64 fields, explained 66 managing 65 OverdueClose default behavior 64 ReopenTicket default behavior 64 transferring between queues 68 WaitingOverdue default behavior 64 tickets adding a parent to a child 84 allowing users to change categories 73 approval fields you can change in email 44 approvals, requiring 86 approvals, setting up 87 approving by email 89 categories and subcategories, creating 72 categories, creating 27 changing field order of tickets view 81 changing the field name 78 child, making a ticket into 85 closure notification 32 creating by email 42 creating statuses for 27 custom fields, creating 79 custom status 45 custom ticket layout, creating 77 Custom View 49 custom views 49 customizing 71 default values, configuring 26 deleting 41 due dates 56 duplicates, organizing 86 escalating 44 escalation 46 escalation messages 48 escalation notification 32 escalation settings 46 escalation time limits 47 fields you can change in email 43 fields, setting permissions for 79 impacts, customizing 76 in workflows 55 managing 41 modifying using email 43 moving between queues, changing settings 63 opening notification 32 owner-only comments, adding 48 parent as a todo list 85 parent, making a ticket into 85 parent, selecting 85 parent/child using parents to organize duplicates 86 parent/child relationships 82 parent/child relationships, enabling 82 permission options 81 permissions by field 79 priorities, customizing 75 queues, adding 59 101
Index
renaming 34 required level 81 setting up approvals 87 state, understanding 45 status, customizing 74 submitting 42 updating by email 42 view, specifying layout for 81 waiting approval 87 timeout period session timeout 55 troubleshooting email communication 95
U upgrade customers, UI differences 9 use markdown box 53 user accounts reading 14 user data filters for importing 21 importing 21 user server fields 19 User Settable box about 27 User Settable check box about 73 users authenticating 18, 19 DefaultTicketOwners, promoting 25 importing user data into accounts automatically 20 labels 11 setting up 14
W Waiting on end user status 28 WaitingOverdue ticket rule default behavior 64 workflows adding 55
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