ALTIRIS HELPDESK SOLUTION 6.0 SP2 PRODUCT GUIDE

Transcription

1 ALTIRIS HELPDESK SOLUTION 6.0 SP2 PRODUCT GUIDE

2 Notice Copyright Altiris Inc. All rights reserved. Product Version: 6.0 Document Date: January 31, 2005 Bootworks U.S. Patent No. 5,764,593. RapiDeploy U.S. Patent No. 6,144,992. Recovery Solution U.S. Patent No. 5,778,395, 5,907,672, , , , , , , , GB , B , Other patents pending. Due to the inherently complex nature of computer software, Altiris does not warrant that the Altiris software is error-free, will operate without interruption, is compatible with all equipment and software configurations, or will otherwise meet your needs. The content of this documentation is furnished for informational use only, is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Altiris. Altiris Inc. assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this documentation. For the latest documentation, visit our Web site at Altiris, the Altiris logo, BootWorks, Inventory Solution, LabExpert, PC Transplant, RapiDeploy, and RapidInstall are registered trademarks of Altiris, Inc. in the United States and in other countries. Carbon Copy is a registered trademark licensed to Altiris, Inc. in the United States and a trademark of Altiris, Inc. in other countries. Altiris express, Altiris Protect, Application Management Solution, Application Metering Solution, Asset Control Solution, Asset Management Suite, Client Management Suite, Compliance Toolkit, Connector Solution, Conflict Analysis Solution, Contract Management Solution, Deployment Server, Deployment Solution, Energy Saver Toolkit, Education Management Suite, Helpdesk Solution Software, Lab Management Suite, Migration Toolkit, Mobile Client for SMS, Monitor Solution, Notification Server, Patch Management Solution, Problem Management Suite, Recovery Solution, Server Management Suite, Site Monitor Solution, Software Delivery Solution, TCO Management Solution, UNIX Client for SMS, Web Administrator for SMS, Web Reports, and other product names are trademarks of Altiris, Inc. in the United States and other countries. Microsoft, Windows, and the Windows logo are trademarks, or registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries. HP and Compaq are registered trademarks of the Hewlett-Packard Corporation. Dell is a registered trademark of Dell Inc. Macintosh is a registered trademark of the Apple Computer Corporation. Palm OS is a registered trademark of Palm Computing, Inc. BlackBerry is a service mark and a trademark of Research In Motion Limited Corporation. RIM is a service mark and trademark of Research In Motion (RIM) All other brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 2

3 Contents Altiris Product Helpdesk Guide Solution 6.0 SP2 Notice Getting Started Chapter 1: Introduction to Altiris Helpdesk Solution Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Helpdesk Chapter 3: Security Role Management Chapter 4: Helpdesk Business Rules Helpdesk Help Chapter 5: Menu Quick Reference Guide Chapter 6: The Incidents Menu Incident Settings Worker Report New Incident Find Incidents Queries Bulletins Last Query Results Edit Multiple Incidents Retrieve Queued Incident Delete Incidents Chapter 7: The Quick Incidents Menu Chapter 8: The Admin Menu Admin Report Categories Validation Rules Incident Rules Routing Rules Notify Rules Tasks Templates Inboxes Inbox Filters Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 3

4 Contents Resource Types Lookups Import Admin Data Export Admin Data Chapter 9: The Contacts Menu Chapter 10: The Assets Menu Chapter 11: The Worker Menu Chapter 12: The Recents Menu Chapter 13: The Knowledge Base Menu Advanced Helpdesk Reference Chapter 14: Helpdesk Knowledge Base Chapter 15: Customization Chapter 16: Advanced Query Settings Chapter 17: Advanced Template Macros Chapter 18: Data Macros Index Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 4

5 Getting Started This section will introduce you to the Altiris Helpdesk Solution and an overview of its features, including installation and security configuration requirements. Quick Links Introduction to Altiris Helpdesk Solution 6.0 on page 6 Installing and Configuring Helpdesk on page 13 Security Role Management on page 21 Helpdesk Business Rules on page 24 Introduction and overview of the Helpdesk Solution. Review Alert Manager vs. Helpdesk Solution feature list. Install Notification Server and the Helpdesk Solution. Roles dictate privileges to features that are available in the Notification Server and other Altiris suites and solutions, including Helpdesk. Helpdesk Business Rules are simple to configure, yet powerful to use. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 5

6 Chapter 1: Introduction to Altiris Helpdesk Solution 6.0 Altiris Helpdesk Solution provides incident management tools to enhance, expand, and enforce the workflow and resolution of IT helpdesk issues. Helpdesk provides easy-to-use, integrated business rules to route incidents based on features such as, providing an essential foundation of ITIL components to help your organization move from reactive fire-fighting to managing the complexity and demands of IT infrastructure. It allows you to ensure infrastructure availability and raise service levels while reducing costs. Designed for quick implementation, it enables you to realize immediate benefits. Helpdesk Solution is built on the Altiris Notification Server architecture and is fully integrated with other Altiris components such as asset management, remote control, and Web-based administration tools. With the release of Altiris Notification Server 6.0, the Helpdesk file structure is different than previous versions.while these changes were made to improve Notification Server, it also affected the way Alert Manager and Helpdesk Solution are added to the server. Because this release of Helpdesk Solution is complementary to the new Notification Server product, we will detail some of the new features in this section. When you install Altiris Notification Server 6.0 or later, the installation process will automatically activate Alert Manager. However, if you install a license for Helpdesk Solution, the features of Alert Manager and all features of Helpdesk Solution are enabled. Throughout this document, all feature references will be made to those available in the Helpdesk Solution. The user interface displays Helpdesk, even if you have not installed a Helpdesk Solution license; however, the features displayed on the menu fly-out depend on which product you are using. See Alert Manager vs. Helpdesk Solution on page 10 for a complete list of menu features available and the differences between the two products. The menu features are also contingent on the security set by administrators and managers, so regardless of the product you are using, all features may not be displayed. See Helpdesk Security on page 8 for more details. This Incident Management system is a powerful tool to manage any organization and can track any IT resource, create contacts, report and manage incidents that have been submitted to a Helpdesk department. Some of the features new with this release are outlined below. IMPORTANT: Notification Server install will create a Helpdesk database called AeXNS_Helpdesk that is used by Alert Manager. Helpdesk Solution can be configured to use the existing database or create another. If Alert Manager has been used, you will want to use the AeXNS_Helpdesk database to maintain existing data. If you are upgrading from a previous version of Helpdesk Solution, then Helpdesk Solution 6.0 will upgrade your existing database if you prefer. Knowledge Base Feature The Knowledge Base is the most requested feature from our Altiris Helpdesk customers. Recognizing the value of our customer input, we now offer the Knowledge Base as a new feature with this release. The Knowledge Base is a convenient, fully integrated way to capture and preserve information to be used for future reference. Helpdesk workers can search the Knowledge Base to quickly find known errors and other documented processes, which significantly reduces the time required to resolve incidents. See The Knowledge Base Menu on page 105 for more details. Some of the features available with the Knowledge Base are listed below. Create an article directly from an incident Publish existing documents in HTML, Word, and Acrobat file formats Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 6

7 Chapter 1: Introduction to Altiris Helpdesk Solution 6.0 Organize content into hierarchical libraries and scopes for more targeted searching Search the Knowledge Base from the My Helpdesk console Set expiration dates for each article so that outdated articles can be easily archived Review each article submitted before publishing it to a library or scope Set security to restrict the searching and displaying of articles by group Users can rate the usefulness of articles after they have been retrieved Articles are tracked by the number of times they are retrieved Articles can be searched by keyword or natural language Registration of Tasks Registration of tasks is an integration feature that enables Helpdesk users to leverage functionality from Web Administrator for Windows and other Altiris Solutions. The feature allows other solutions (consumers) to register contextual URLs associated with incidents. When an incident is being viewed, Helpdesk will provide links that invoke the registered URLs, and help workers run processes that can resolve incidents that meet the tasks defined criteria. See Tasks on page 78 for more details. Inbound Support This feature lets you monitor a POP3 mailbox for new messages, and automatically map the content of the messages to the fields of new and existing incidents. To help monitor incoming , you can set inbox filters to help control spam and auto-reply messages. You can also receive messages that correspond to existing incidents. See Inboxes on page 84 and Inbox Filters on page 87 for more details. Enhanced Bulletin Board In previous versions of Helpdesk, bulletins could be broadcast throughout an organization to inform workers and other users of system wide problems, server maintenance schedules, or any other information that could potentially generate a lot of calls to the Helpdesk department. Administrators, managers, and workers now have the ability to create a bulletin from an incident, and then link all incidents reporting the same problem to the bulletin. This lets you track all calls reporting the same problem, managing it as one incident, while keeping all other workers and users informed. When the problem is resolved, and the incident turned bulletin is closed, all incidents linked to the bulletin are closed as well. See Bulletins on page 49 for more details. Quick Incidents This feature lets administrators define templates for incidents that are most frequently reported, which saves workers from having to manually fill out each field of an incident over and over again. For example, workers that field calls from users that request password resets will enter the same property values in the fields of an incident, every time. Using this feature reduces the amount of time a worker spends on a call because quick templates have most of the information already entered. See The Quick Incidents Menu on page 56 for more details. Incident Rules Routing rules affect the Assigned field of an incident, where as Incident Rules affect many more fields of new or modified incidents. Administrators and managers can create incident rules, which are automatically evaluated by the Helpdesk system and will change the field values of incidents it they match the incident rule s criteria. The rules are easy to configure and do not require any scripting. See Incident Rules on page 67 for more details. Satisfaction Survey This feature lets you automatically send a satisfaction survey to any person whose incident has been resolved. After the user submits the completed survey, it can be tracked by a report that provides the overall survey responses. This is a reliable tool for managers to gauge the effectiveness of any support organization, which can ultimately lead to establishing new processes to improve user support. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 7

8 Chapter 1: Introduction to Altiris Helpdesk Solution 6.0 Improved Summary Pages The Admin and Worker Report pages have been enhanced to display a more complete summary of incidents entered into the system. Incidents are displayed by item count and time periods and are more easily understood. On the Worker Report page, you can access both shared and personal incident queries, so that workers can browse through incident data based on any criteria. On the Admin Report page, a rollup of important incident status values for all active workers is now available. See Admin Report on page 60 and Worker Report on page 33 for more details. Edit Multiple Incidents Capability This feature lets you change selected field values for multiple incidents all at the same time. For example, if a worker is out on vacation or is no longer with the organization, managers and administrators now have the ability to reassign their incidents to another worker. This ensures that all incidents are assigned and routed to an appropriate worker or queue. See Edit Multiple Incidents on page 52 for more details. Quick Links Helpdesk Security on page 8 Accessing Helpdesk on page 9 Alert Manager vs. Helpdesk Solution on page 10 Helpdesk Security Notification Server 6.0 installs with five out-of-box groups that are added to the Windows NT Local Groups, they are as follows: Altiris Administrator Altiris Supervisor Altiris Level 2 Worker Altiris Level 1 Worker Altiris Guest These groups are called Roles and control the access to features available in the Notification Server, and other Altiris suites and solutions. All workers must have a valid NT User ID so that they can be added to one or more of these roles. Helpdesk Solution uses a person s NT ID to determine the groups or roles that they belong to, and what features are available in the user interface. The privileges for the predefined roles are described below. Role - Group name added to the NT Local Users and Groups. Global Privileges - Rights to features that do not have multiple instances, such as; Licensing, Tabs, and more. Role Permissions - Using NT Authentication, users and groups can be assigned a predefined set of privileges and permissions. There are five out-of-the box groups (roles) that are automatically added to the NT Local Users and Groups. The following role permissions can be granted: Read (R): Read permission. Allows users to view objects. Write (W): Write permission. Allows user to create items, such as; folders, policies, tasks, and more. Executable (E): Execute permission. Allows user to execute SQL queries for reporting, apply tasks to target collections, and more. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 8

9 Chapter 1: Introduction to Altiris Helpdesk Solution 6.0 Scope Permissions - Tasks that can apply actions to a selected collection. Role Global Privileges Role Permissions Scope Permissions Altiris Administrator - Control over all things. Altiris Supervisor - Control over most things, including collection, configuration, and report management. Altiris Level 2 Worker - Control over most things outside of collection, configuration, and report management. Altiris Level 1 Worker - Control over non-critical devices and nondestructive activities. Altiris Guest - Access to incidents and reporting features Accessing Helpdesk All. All. All regions or security scopes. R - Solution Center tab R - Configuration tab RWE - Tasks tab RWE - Collections tab RWE - Reports tab RE - Getting Started tab RWE - Incidents tab R - Solution Center tab R - Configuration tab RWE - Tasks tab RE - Collections tab RE - Reports tab RE - Getting Started tab RWE - Incident tab RWE - Tasks RWE - Reports RWE - Collections RWE - Altiris Agent settings RWE - Alert Manager RWE - Collections R - Altiris Agent settings RWE - Alert Management; Certain Tasks; Software Distribution; Remote Control; Capture Inventory RE - Tasks tab RE - Reports RE - Collections tab RE - Reports tab RE - Getting Started tab RWE - Incident tab RE - Collections; Windows Clients, Windows Notebooks RE - Tasks; Nondestructive, Inventory, Application Metering, Baseline, Backup/ Restore R - Altiris Agent Settings RW - Alert Management; Tasks; Non-destructive, Inventory Regional or other access scope based. Regional or other access scope based. Regional or other access scope based. RE - Report tab RE - All reports Not applicable You can access Helpdesk through Notification Server s Altiris Console, or you can use the following URL name>/aexhd/. If you use the URL address, Helpdesk uses your NT ID and associated roles to route you to an appropriate console.you may also open a specific console (if you have the required privileges) by providing the URL address as described below. Helpdesk Worker Console: This is used by workers assigned to the Helpdesk department. The features (on the user interface) are enabled according their user authorization and Helpdesk privileges. You can access the Worker console by entering the URL address, name>/ aexhd/worker. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 9

10 Chapter 1: Introduction to Altiris Helpdesk Solution 6.0 My Helpdesk Console: This is for users with an NT ID in an intranet environment and are not Helpdesk workers. This console lets you set up contact information, create incidents, and view bulletins. You can access the My Helpdesk console by entering the URL address, name>/aexhd/winuser. Incident Request - NT User: This is for users with an NT ID in an intranet environment and are not Helpdesk workers. This console has fewer features available than My Helpdesk Console. You can access the Incident Request - NT User console by entering the URL address, winuser/ntuser.aspx. Incident Request - User: This console is for users who want to make requests or report problems but do not have an NT ID. The users and their incidents are tracked by . You can access the Incident Request - User console by entering the URL address, name>/aexhd/user. Incident Request - Guest: This console is for anonymous access to the Helpdesk system from the public internet. Users can report incidents and read bulletins, but only if the bulletins are set for Guest users to view. You can access the Incident Request - Guest console by entering the URL address, name>/aexhd/guest. Alert Manager vs. Helpdesk Solution The Altiris Notification Server 6.0 installation package includes an event management system called Alert Manager, which is automatically installed and activated during the Notification Server installation. Alert Manager receives events that are generated from other Altiris suites and solutions, and creates incidents that are assigned to the appropriate personnel to be resolved. The Helpdesk Solution is a complete Incident Management system where users can create, update, report, and manage all incidents. There are many advantages in upgrading to the Helpdesk Solution. The additional features give you greater flexibility with increased managing power to enhance the effectiveness of any IT organization. The Features List below illustrates the differences between Alert Manager and the Helpdesk Solution. The Menu column shows the menu feature as it appears on the menu fly-out, and the Tasks column lists the commands available for the menu feature. If a menu feature is not displayed on the menu fly-out, then you have not been granted the appropriate privileges by the Systems or Helpdesk administrator. To gain access to any feature not displayed on the menu after you log in to the Helpdesk system, see the Systems or Helpdesk administrator. Features List Menu Tasks Alert Manager Helpdesk The Incidents Menu Worker Report New Incident Find Incidents Edit Multiple Incidents Retrieve Queued Incident Delete Incidents Queries List Queries New Query Delete Query Last Query Results Bulletins List Bulletins New Bulletin Delete Bulletins Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 10

11 Chapter 1: Introduction to Altiris Helpdesk Solution 6.0 Features List Menu Tasks Alert Manager Helpdesk The Quick Incidents List Quick Incidents Menu New Quick Incident Delete Quick Incidents Admin Report View Status Categories List Categories Edit Categories Tasks List Tasks New Task Delete Tasks Validation Rules List Validation Rules New Validation Rule Delete Validation Rules Routing Rules List Routing Rules New Routing Rule Delete Routing Rules Incident Rules List Incident Rules New Incident Rule Delete Incident Rules Notify Rules List Notify Rules New Notify Rule Delete Notify Rules Templates List Templates New Template Inboxes Inbox Filters List Inbox Filter New Inbox Filter Delete Inbox Filters The Contacts Menu Contacts Home Find Contacts New Contact Delete Contacts The Assets Menu Contacts Home Find Assets New Asset Delete Assets The Worker Menu List Workers New Worker List Queues New Queue Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 11

12 Chapter 1: Introduction to Altiris Helpdesk Solution 6.0 Features List Menu Tasks Alert Manager Helpdesk The Recents Menu Incidents Contacts Assets The Knowledge Base Menu Search Articles Publish Existing Document Review Article Search Article Properties Libraries Archive Articles Delete Articles Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 12

13 Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Helpdesk Altiris Helpdesk Solution is a plug-in component of the Altiris Notification Server, an infrastructure that provides security, reporting, policy definition and other services for Altiris solutions. The Notification Server infrastructure also includes the Altiris Console, a user interface with features to manage all resources remotely from a remote web browser. As a plug-in web solution, Helpdesk Solution joins with other Altiris IT management solutions such as: Inventory, Deployment, Application Metering, and Software Delivery solutions. These combined solutions and systems provide comprehensive remote, automated administration of desktops, notebooks, servers, handhelds, network computer devices, and provides integrated incident management from the HelpDesk Solution. Install Helpdesk Information To install Helpdesk, you first install the Notification Server, and enable the Helpdesk solution. It is a simple process that can be automated in many different ways depending on your environment and individual requirements. This document details the basic tasks required to set up Notification Server and the Helpdesk Solution. Important: The Notification Server install creates a Helpdesk database called AeXNS_Helpdesk that is used by Alert Manager. Helpdesk Solution can be configured to use the existing database or create another. If Alert Manager has been used, you will want to use the AeXNS_Helpdesk database to maintain existing data. If you are upgrading from a previous version of Helpdesk Solution, then Helpdesk 6.0 will upgrade your existing database if you prefer. For general set up information of Altiris products, see the Altiris 6.0 Getting Started Guide. For indepth planning concepts and rollout instructions for large or distributed environments, see the Installation section in the Altiris Notification Server Help. Quick Links Setup and Installation on page 13 Licensing on page 17 Create a Worker Account on page 18 Localization on page 18 Uninstalling Helpdesk on page 20 Setup and Installation Helpdesk Solution 6.0 installs to the Notification Server 6.0 infrastructure with new task-based user interface features, updated security, localized language support, easy-to-use wizards, and integrated IT solutions. In fact, the whole Notification Server infrastructure has been updated, including the Helpdesk Solution and its complementary suite of IT solutions. New users will enjoy the ease-of-use and intuitive features for getting up and started. Previous users updating to the new Altiris Console will see significant updates and a new task-based user interface with increased response. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 13

14 Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Helpdesk These major updates will require the installation of Microsoft.NET services, updated MDAC connectivity, increased database requirements, and other design considerations when moving to a production environment. See Altiris Notification Server for complete information. Setup, installation, and configuration of this product will vary depending on what Altiris products you have installed. Choose one of the following options: If you are a new customer: You must review System Requirements to ensure you have met all software and hardware requirements. Then, you will download and install Altiris Notification Server followed by Installing Helpdesk Solution from the Altiris Console. Note: If you are evaluating Helpdesk Solution, accept the default settings and install in a test environment with the prescribed server and client computers. If Notification Server 6.0 is already installed: Go to Installing Helpdesk Solution from the Altiris Console to install Helpdesk Solution from the Solution Center. If you are upgrading to Notification Server 6.0 and Helpdesk Solution from previous versions: Because Notification Server 6.0 and Helpdesk Solution 6.0 include major feature upgrades, in many cases you must perform basic update tasks such as: increase allotted disk space for the database, and complete additional design optimization tasks before proceeding. Go to Upgrading from Previous Versions of Helpdesk Solution 6.0 for detailed instructions. If you are upgrading to a new release of Helpdesk Solution 6.0: If you already have Helpdesk Solution 6.0 installed and want to check if there is a new release, go to Upgrading New Releases of Helpdesk Solution 6.0 on page 17 for details. System Requirements The following information shows the system requirements for installing Altiris Notification Server and Helpdesk Solution on the server and setting up the Altiris Agent on all managed client computer devices. Hardware Requirements for Notification Server Operating System Windows Server 2003, and Windows 2000 Server, Windows 2000 Advanced Server with SP2 or later. Processor Pentium III 800 MHz or faster RAM 512 MB 1 GB recommended for increased speed and large environments Hard Drive 20 GB (recommended) 105 MB for Notification Server and components (disk space) 1 GB for SQL Server database File system NTFS partition The following are system requirements for the client computer running the Altiris Agent. Altiris Agent Requirements for the Managed Computer Operating System Disk space on client RAM Browser Windows 95 or later 5 MB disk space for Altiris Agent, plus space to install required software. 64 MB Microsoft Internet Explorer 4 or later Worker Console Requirements Worker Console / End User Console Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later, Opera 4.0 or later. Note: Helpdesk Solution can operate from any web browser; however, Altiris recommends using Internet Explorer 6.0 or later. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 14

15 Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Helpdesk Altiris Notification Server Before you begin the setup and installation process, review the System Requirements on page 14 to ensure you have all hardware and software components necessary to proceed. Follow the instructions to download, install, and configure the settings for the Altiris Notification Server. See the Altiris Notification Server Help. Go to Installing Helpdesk Solution from the Altiris Console on page 15 when you have finished installing Notification Server. Installing Helpdesk Solution from the Altiris Console After successfully installing Notification Server, you can download Helpdesk Solution through the Altiris Console. To download and install Helpdesk Solution 1 Click Start > Programs > Altiris > Altiris Console. 2 Click the Getting Started tab. 3 Click the Install Altiris Solutions from the Solution Center link. By default, the Solution Center page opens with the Available Solutions tab view. Click the appropriate Solutions, Suites, or Segments (large suites) button. You can also sort the solutions categorized by the operating system (OS). 4 Click Altiris Helpdesk Solution from the solutions list. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 15

16 Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Helpdesk 5 Click the Start button on this page to begin downloading and installing the product. 6 From the Altiris Console, click the Configuration tab on the Altiris Console. 7 Click the Currently Installed tab on the Solution Center page. This table will display a list of the solutions installed on the Notification Server. If the Helpdesk Solution is not listed, try refreshing the web browser s page, or reinstall the product. 8 Go to Installing Licenses on page 17. Upgrading from Previous Versions of Helpdesk Solution 6.0 Helpdesk Solution 6.0 installs to Notification Server 6.0, a major update of the Altiris infrastructure. Upgrading to Notification Server 6.0 allows you to further optimize the design of your system, clean up old files and database data, and expand the database to handle the added features included with Notification Server 6.0 and Helpdesk Solution 6.0. Before you begin to upgrade your system, be sure to backup the database currently used by Notification Server. This ensures that inventory data, status information, custom reports, collections, and policies in the system can be migrated to Notification Server 6.0. After you uninstall previous versions of Notification Server and any Altiris solutions from the Windows operating system, including previous versions of Helpdesk Solution, you can begin upgrading software. Steps required for Notification Server 6.0 and Helpdesk Solution 6.0 upgrade Note: The Helpdesk database gets upgraded automatically through this upgrade process. After you upgrade to Helpdesk Solution 6.0, you will still have your Helpdesk information (including incident information) from your previous version of Helpdesk. If you want to create a new Helpdesk Database after you upgrade, you can do this on the Incident Settings page (see Incident Settings on page 31). 1 Back up the Notification Server database. If the database version you are backing up is previous to the Notification Server 5.5 SP3 database, you must upgrade to that version first, and then perform a database backup. 2 Open Add/Remove Programs from the Control Panel of the Windows operating system. Remove Altiris Notification Server Remove Altiris Helpdesk Solution, if it was not removed during the Altiris Notification Server uninstall. Remove Inventory Solution and any other Altiris solutions that have been installed, if they were not removed during the Altiris Notification Server uninstall. 3 Clean up all MSIs and other files from previous installations. 4 Run InstallHelper to identify any missing software required for Notification Solution 6.0. See the Altiris Notification Server Help for more information. 5 Install Notification Server 6.0. See the Altiris Notification Server Help for more information. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 16

17 Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Helpdesk Licensing Note: As part of the Notification Server 6.0 installation, you are required to specify a database name where all Notification Server data will be stored. You can enter the database name previously backed up, which will upgrade all data to be compatible with Notification Server 6.0, or you can define new SQL Server settings and database name. 6 Install Helpdesk Solution 6.0. See Installing Helpdesk Solution from the Altiris Console on page 15. Upgrading New Releases of Helpdesk Solution 6.0 Upgrading Helpdesk Solution can be done by doing an upgrade check in the Solution Center. This will install over the top of the existing software. Downloading the latest AeXHD.exe and running it manually will upgrade Helpdesk Solution also. If you use Add/Remove Programs to remove the previous version of Helpdesk, any customization to the web site you made may be lost and have to reconstituted. Upgrading an interim development database is not supported, and requires the creation of a new database. An interim development database is defined as any database created by a non-released version of Helpdesk Solution. Interim builds during beta testing should be removed using the Add/Remove Programs in the operating system. Subsequent builds can then be installed once the previous build has been removed. Any time Notification Server is being updated to a newer version along with Helpdesk Solution, Notification Server should be upgraded before upgrading Helpdesk Solution. IMPORTANT: Beta releases are always required to be installed on test servers and kept separate from released production installations of Helpdesk Solution. Starting with Altiris Helpdesk Solution 6.0, Altiris has changed the Helpdesk Solution licensing model from node based to a concurrent user licensing model. This means that Altiris licenses can be purchased based on a factor of 1 concurrent license for every 100 nodes in the Helpdesk Database. However, you may request a license with a higher node limit, if necessary. To upgrade to Helpdesk Solution 6.0 or renew Annual Upgrade Protection, you will need to obtain a new license from Altiris Customer Support. A concurrent user is considered to be anyone who uses the Helpdesk Solution system except employee self-help users (My Helpdesk Console users). Level 1 and Level 2 workers, Supervisors, Administrators, and so forth are all required to have a concurrent license slot available when they log in. Employee self-help users are able to open incidents on their own behalf and check the status of these incidents, as well as search the Knowledge Base, without a license. When a user requiring a license logs into the system, Helpdesk allows the user to search for and view incidents without running a license check. The moment the user attempts to edit an incident or create a new incident, Helpdesk asks the Notification Server for the number of concurrent sessions allowed by the license. If the number of open sessions is less than the number allowed by the license, the user will be allowed to save the record. If not, the user will be denied the ability to save changes with an appropriate screen message, and will be returned to the Edit Incident screen with all modifications intact. There is also a time-out feature that automatically frees the concurrent license slot after 30 minutes of inactivity. The license slot will be taken again when the user updates or creates an incident record. Installing Licenses Altiris Helpdesk Solution comes with a 30 day evaluation license agreement. You must register the product though the Altiris web site, and then a product key will be sent to you via . You must install the new product key through the Altiris Console to continue using Helpdesk Solution. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 17

18 Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Helpdesk To install licenses 1 From the Altiris Console, click the Configuration tab. 2 In the tree view, click Licensing. 3 In the content pane, click the Install License tab. 4 Click Path to license folder. Click Browse to navigate where the license product key information is located, and then click Install License. <OR> 5 Click Paste content to Licenses below (default option). Copy and paste the license product key information into the text field, and then click Install License. Create a Worker Account After installing Helpdesk and applying the Helpdesk license, you will be required to set up an administrator to implement role-based security. The worker name you add must be in the Altiris Administrators group through Security Role Management on the Altiris Console (which uses the Windows NT file system). By default, the administrator has the appropriate privileges to complete the Helpdesk setup and installation steps. See Security Role Management on page 21 for more information. Localization To create a Worker account 1 From the Altiris Console, click the Incidents tab. 2 Enter a name in the Worker name field. This is the user name that is used by the administrator to log on to the Helpdesk system. By default, the user name you are logged on to the Notification Server with is the name that appears on the Create worker account page. 3 Enter the worker property values in the fields on the page. 4 Click OK. Helpdesk Solution supports localized versions of French, German, Portuguese and Spanish. Assuming the browser is installed and properly configured, Helpdesk Solution will automatically display its content in the preferred language configured by the browser. All text in the user interface will be localized to the above specified languages; however, database values in the drop-down lists, Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 18

19 Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Helpdesk incident titles and comments will not. Information from other components, such as error messages from SQL Server, is displayed in the configured language of the server or will be in English, depending on how other components were installed. Note: You must change the locale setting of the computer to view the language in Internet Explorer 6.0 or later. Configure Regional Option 1 Click Start>Settings>Control Panel>Regional Options. Worker Console Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or later, Netscape Navigator 3.0 or later, Opera 4.0 or later End User Console Although Helpdesk Solution works from any web browser, it works best with Internet Explorer 6.0 or later 2 Select one of the supported languages from the drop-down list. English Spanish French German Portuguese (Brazilian) Japanese Simplified Chinese 3 Click Apply, then OK. 4 The changes will take affect when you refresh or launch the web browser. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 19

20 Chapter 2: Installing and Configuring Helpdesk Uninstalling Helpdesk To ensure that Helpdesk Solution uninstalls from the Notification Server cleanly and successfully, perform a stop and restart of IIS prior to removing the product. Caution: Restarting IIS will cause current users to lose their work. You can uninstall the Altiris Helpdesk Solution by selecting Add/Remove Programs from the Control Panel of the Windows operating system. Files that have been added to the Helpdesk Solution custom directories will not be deleted by Uninstall; however, files installed by the Setup program that you modified will be deleted. Uninstall does not delete or modify data or tables in SQL Server databases, or delete Helpdesk Solution registry settings and license data from the Notification Server. If you reinstall Helpdesk Solution, the previously configured SQL Server and database will be selected unless you define new settings. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 20

21 Chapter 3: Security Role Management When you install Notification Server 6.0, five new groups are be added to the Local Users and Groups for NT authentication. These groups are provided so you can control the attributes of the solution available to users based on privileges set by the Altiris System Administrator. These groups are considered Roles, which dictate privileges to features available in the Notification Server and other Altiris suites and solutions. You can add as many Roles as you want to fit the needs of your organization. All users must have a valid NT User ID and be assigned to a Role in order to use Helpdesk Solution. Helpdesk Solution determines a person s NT ID and the Role in which they are assigned in order to determine what features are available in the user interface. The privileges for each role are described in Roles and Privileges on page 21. For more information on Security Role Management, see the Altiris Notification Server Help. To change the Role Management settings 1 From the Altiris Console, click the Configuration tab. 2 Click Server Settings > Notification Server Settings > Security Role Management. 3 In the right pane, click on one of the management Roles. 4 Click the scroll arrow in the lower pane and select or clear the Global Privileges. 5 Click Apply. Roles and Privileges There are five default Roles added to the NT Local Groups when Notification Server gets installed. These Roles have been designed to give you the security you need in a typical helpdesk environment. For example, only the Altiris Administrators have permission to delete incidents. This prevents users from accidentally deleting incidents. This also prevents users from intentionally deleting incidents that might reflect negatively on them. The following table describes the Roles as they are designed for specific types of users. You can edit these Roles or add Roles to fit your needs. Altiris Guests: Altiris Guests by default do not have access to the Incidents tab or the Worker Console (that is accessed in the Incidents tab view). Those who belong to this group can still use the MyHelpdesk, NTUser, and user (authenticated by address) consoles. Altiris Guests have access to the Reports tab. You can then grant guests permissions to run specific reports or view saved reports. Altiris Level 1 Workers: Level 1 Workers have the rights to create incidents, edit incidents, create bulletins, and search and view Knowledge Base articles. Users assigned to this role are full Helpdesk workers and are able to work in the worker console. Level 1 workers are the front-line Helpdesk workers. They answer the call when the end-user calls the support number. Altiris Level 2 Workers: Level 2 Workers have all the same rights as a Level 1 Worker and also can edit Knowledge Base articles. Users assigned to this role are full Helpdesk workers and work in the worker console. Level 2 workers are specialists to whom an incident is escalated when the Level 1 worker s expertise has been exceeded. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 21

22 Chapter 3: Security Role Management Altiris Supervisors: Users assigned to this role have all of the Level 2 Worker rights and also the rights to administer the Knowledge Base. Altiris Administrators: Users assigned to this role have all rights to administer Helpdesk. Role Management Default Settings Role Name Global Privileges Altiris Administrator Incident Privileges Administer Incidents Create Bulletins Edit Incidents Edit Multiple Incidents Manage Workers View Incidents Altiris Management Privileges Create Agent Settings Create Collections Create Reports Create Notification Policies Create Shortcuts Altiris System Privileges Change Security Import XML Take Ownership View Security Edit SQL Directly Helpdesk Privileges Change Security Import XML Take Ownership View Security Edit SQL Directly Altiris Console Privileges View Incidents Tab View Resources Tab View Configuration Tab View Reports Tab View Tasks Tab View Getting Started Tab Altiris Guests Incident Privileges None available Altiris Management Privileges None available Altiris System Privileges None available Helpdesk Privileges None available Altiris Console Privileges View Reports Tab Altiris Level 1 Workers Incident Privileges Create Bulletins Edit Incidents View Incidents Altiris Management Privileges None available Altiris System Privileges None available Helpdesk Privileges Create Incidents Create Knowledge Base Articles Altiris Console Privileges View Incidents Tab View Resources Tab View Configuration Tab View Reports Tab View Tasks Tab View Getting Started Tab Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 22

23 Chapter 3: Security Role Management Role Management Default Settings Role Name Altiris Level 2 Workers Global Privileges Incident Privileges Create Bulletins Edit Incidents View Incidents Altiris Management Privileges Create Agent Settings Create Collections Create Reports Create Notification Policies Create Shortcuts Altiris System Privileges None available Helpdesk Privileges Create Incidents Create Knowledge Base Articles Altiris Console Privileges View Incidents Tab View Resources Tab View Configuration Tab View Reports Tab View Tasks Tab View Getting Started Tab Altiris Supervisors Incident Privileges Create Bulletins Edit Incidents Manage Workers View Incidents Altiris Management Privileges Create Agent Settings Create Collections Create Reports Create Notification Policies Create Shortcuts Altiris System Privileges View Security Helpdesk Privileges Create Incidents Create Knowledge Base Articles Altiris Console Privileges View Incidents Tab View Resources Tab View Configuration Tab View Reports Tab View Tasks Tab View Getting Started Tab Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 23

24 Chapter 4: Helpdesk Business Rules Helpdesk Solution provides powerful routing and notification tools. These tools can automatically route incidents through your Helpdesk system and notify anyone at any step, giving you a way to enforce your corporate policies, business rules, and any service level agreements you have. These tools are: Validation Rules, Routing Rules, Incident Rules, Notify Rules, and Automated Actions. These tools are very flexible and easy to use. Rules can be created at any time and are active as soon as they are created. Any time the Save button is clicked on an incident page, all active Rules which apply to that incident get run in the following order: Validation Rules Incident Rules Routing Rules Notify Rules Validation Rules are run first to ensure that all data that is required from the user is in place when the rest of the Rules run. The Rules (Validation, Incident, Routing, and Notify Rules) get applied to an incident immediately after the Save button on that incident is clicked. Automated Actions are associated with Notification Policies, which are time based. Notification Policies run on a set schedule. Validation Rules - Validation Rules allow you to define a new set of rules to ensure that modifications to an incident meet certain criteria before they can be saved. For more information, see Validation Rules on page 64. Routing Rules - Routes incidents to an individual or a queue and lets you set the status of each Assigned field. Routing Rules lets you get the incident to the right worker. For more information, see Routing Rules on page 71. Incident Rules - These go a step beyond Routing Rules and let you affect any field in the incident. This gives you control over creating a workflow process. For more information, see Incident Rules on page 67. Notify Rules - Notifies workers or groups via of an incident based on criteria that you set. For more information, see Notify Rules on page 74. Automated Actions - Specifies the action to take when a Notification Policy is run. Each Notification Policy can have multiple Automated Actions. Automated Actions let you send e- mail, launch applications, and launch reports. For more information on Notification Policies and Automated Actions, see the Altiris Notification Server Help. You can set up notification through the use of Notify rules or Notification Policies. Notify rules send immediately after the incident is saved. Notification Policies send on a set schedule. Using Rules and Automated Actions This section gives you some scenarios for using routing and notification tools in your Helpdesk system. Altiris Helpdesk Solution Product Guide 24