What s New in LANDESK Service Desk Version 7.8 Abstract This document highlights the new features and enhancements introduced in versions 7.8 of LANDESK Service Desk. Document Creation: December, 19 2014. Service Desk 7.8 GA: January 02 2015
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Table of Contents Introduction...5 Introducing LANDESK s BridgeIT Platform...5 LANDESK Workspaces in the BridgeIT Platform... 6 For Service Desk 7.8 customers: should I use BridgeIT?... 7 Desktop Management Enhancements...7 Multilingual support...8 Calendar integration...8 Telephony integration in Web Desk...9 Multiple attachments and e-mailing attachments automatically as part of a process...9 Enhancements to Event Manager...9 Improved scheduling for data import... 10 Identity confirmation... 10 Restoring soft deleted records... 10 Managing web sites from within Configuration Center... 10 Italian language support... 10 Linking with web services; enhanced integration with LANDESK Process Manager (LPM)... 10 In-context knowledge in Web Desk... 11 Shibboleth authentication... 11 Native support for legacy browsers... 11 Other enhancements... 11 Summary of Changes to Supported Platforms... 12 Internet Explorer... 12 Databases... 12 Web and application servers... 12 What s New in LANDESK Service Desk Version 7.8 3
Windows clients... 12 Reporting tools... 12 Microsoft Office... 12 E-mail systems... 12 4 What s New in LANDESK Service Desk Version 7.8
Introduction This document explores some of the key functionality introduced in Service Desk Version 7.8, including functionality that was added in the minor quarterly releases of Service Desk in 2014 (V7.7.1, V7.7.2, and V7.7.3). It also gives an overview of using Service Desk in BridgeIT - one of the major areas extended during this release. For a full and complete list of version 7.8 content, please refer to the New Features documentation provided with Service Desk 7.8. Unless otherwise stated, these new features are available for both on-premise and Service Desk as a Service (SDaaS) customers. Introducing LANDESK s BridgeIT Platform In addition to a collection of new features, enhancements and sustainment fixes, with Service Desk 7.8, LANDESK now introduces the BridgeIT platform. BridgeIT is the name of our new product presentation platform, providing innovative, flexible and modern interfaces into LANDESK s portfolio of solutions. The name BridgeIT describes two distinct purposes and values: 1 Bridging of a divide between IT and the business. A reaching out from IT to the employee, end-user or customer in a modern, consumer-standard appearance, consistent in usage and behavior across any mobile device, tablet, laptop or desktop, whether in native Apps, or delivered through a browser. 2 Bridging across LANDESK s technologies, combining IT Service Management, Systems Management, Security Management, Asset Management and Mobility Management. In both cases, the BridgeIT platform enables LANDESK to provide a range of new and innovative Workspaces. A Workspace is a place you go, that knows you, and understands your role, and where you can work with the data and tools that you need to do your job. BridgeIT allows LANDESK to introduce workspaces for the IT Support Analyst, for the Security Manager, for the IT Manager, for the IT Asset Manager, for the end-user and on across multiple roles inside and beyond IT. We have been building BridgeIT over the last 18 months. Initially, the first release was named only as Mobile Self Service and gave a responsive presentation ability to Service Desk customers, initially providing a mobile version of our Service Catalog. During the first half of 2014, this was enhanced and systems management self-service capabilities for software request, install and launch were added. This first true Workspace for the end user was branded Fuse. In the second half of 2014, Service Desk 7.7.3 added to Fuse the capability to present attractive modern dashboard charts and colored descriptive tiles as interfaces into the underlying data and processes, moving from a simpler basic-tile model to a complex combination of pie charts, bar charts, links tiles added to the existing query/list and query template definitions. What s New in LANDESK Service Desk Version 7.8 5
With Service Desk 7.8, we now also add the capability for the occasional/roaming/low volume Support Analyst to use the BridgeIT platform in addition to the end-user. Furthermore, across the portfolio, the first Systems Management capabilities are introduced in a new Workspace for the support analyst. From the start of 2015, LANDESK Workspaces becomes the new name for the Apps in the various mobile device app stores, and LANDESK refers to an end-user Workspace and an analyst Workspace. BridgeIT exists alongside Web Access (Web Desk and Self Service), and the use of the Windows Console for design and configuration administration. It does not replace any existing interface, instead providing an optional new presentation choice for customers. LANDESK Workspaces in the BridgeIT Platform Enhancing the user experience, dashboards created in LANDESK Self Service now present in BridgeIT Workspace as responsive, more feature-rich and visually appealing dashboards. Access to the analysts' home dashboards is also provided, and improvements in the user interface add to the improved user experience. Available on mobiles and desktops as either a mobile app or through a browser, query, column chart, pie chart, links, and content gadgets are all available to end-users wherever they are to provide them with the information that they want in a form that they ll want to use. Note, your analysts and end users will see, access and download an app called LANDESK Workspace from Apple Appstore or Google play. This replaces the older LANDESK Fuse apps. The responsive nature of BridgeIT dashboards means that a single dashboard design is displayed differently on different devices to give the best appearance for each device. 6 What s New in LANDESK Service Desk Version 7.8
For Service Desk 7.8 customers: should I use BridgeIT? The capabilities of the BridgeIT platform continue to be enhanced with every quarterly release. With the 7.8 release we are pleased to enable light analyst usage in addition to enduser. However, it should be recognized that at this point we do not anticipate that BridgeIT can be a total replacement for the rich combination of features provided in Web Access/Web Desk, or for the design components in the Windows Console. We encourage customers to explore and start to use BridgeIT as a parallel, alternative Service Desk interface, ideally suited to mobile workers, or those that use Service Desk occasionally for simple templated process activities, or for those that need to view dashboards. BridgeIT for the Service Desk 7.8 analyst provides the following: 1 a new menu structure and shortcut taking the analyst to their default dashboard. Additional shortcuts for additional dashboards can be presented and accessed as links gadgets from that dashboard. Full Web Desk shortcut groups and shortcuts are not replicated into BridgeIT automatically, unless they are set as links, in links gadgets. 2 Dashboards are managed and designed through Console or Web Access. The dashboards in BridgeIT are the same dashboards as used in Self Service. These dashboards support pie charts, bar charts, basic query lists, content gadgets, grouped queries, links gadgets, and the display of report-templates on top of queries. In addition, links gadgets now present as a highly attractive set of links tiles, with colors, icons and descriptive text applicable through Web Access configuration of the gadget. Count gadgets and web page gadgets are not supported in BridgeIT in release 7.8. 3 Windows (forms) are automatically rendered into a modern responsive format, with fields automatically placed in tab order from the Web Access window definitions. There is no separate window/form definition for BridgeIT at this point. Service Desk 7.8 adds support for categories, and a new expand/contract display of collections (previously seen as Tabs in Web Access). Once saved, windows are displayed in a read-only document format. From here, process actions (and associated windows) are accessed as tiles through the Actions button. Customers are encouraged to explore BridgeIT both for Self Service and for the analyst. Feedback from Preview and Beta customers has shown that some usage models and designs fit BridgeIT usage very well, and some more complex designs may better suit waiting as additional capabilities are introduced over time. All customers are encouraged to provide feedback on BridgeIT usage, helping us to continue to make the right decisions and continue to provide you with a modern, attractive and valuable Service Management solution. Desktop Management Enhancements HTML5 Remote Control; SCCM 2012 R2 support; application integration. Improved collaboration, easier working. Service Desk 7.8 includes support for the LANDESK Management Suite HTML5 remote control feature from within Web Desk. This delivers secure, high-performance remote desktop access over a standard web connection in a standard browser. Users can share the remote control session with a peer or with IT to collaborate on solving problems. What s New in LANDESK Service Desk Version 7.8 7
Integration with Microsoft SCCM 2012 R2 is also provided. This provides right-click, in-context browser access to SCCM Configuration Manager Console, SCCM Remote Control, and SCCM Resource Explorer directly from Web Desk. Note it requires an SCCM Desktop Manager license. Linking to external applications from within Web Desk. You can link an external command line with a field on a Web Desk window so that users can send the value of the field along with some additional parameters to the application. For example, you can associate a web browser with the Summary field on the Incident window so that users can search MSDN or Google for the text included in the Summary. Note it requires a Generic Desktop Manager license. Multilingual support Increased multilingual support in web platforms. Greater productivity, and a more user-friendly web interface. Service Desk already enables you to add translations for actions and statuses in Process Designer, for labels on window designs, and titles in queries. By associating users with their specific cultures, the content (processes, windows, and so on) in Service Desk can be shown in the user's own preferred language and unlimited character set. Service Desk 7.8 extends this ability by now displaying the Web Access or BridgeIT application interface in the culture of the current user if that culture is one that Service Desk is localized into: British or American English, Simplified Chinese, German, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Brazilian Portuguese, Polish, or Russian. Separate Web Access instances are no longer required for this behavior. If the user s culture is not set to one of these supported languages, the application interface is displayed either in the user s browser culture, or the default language of the system. For further advice on Multilingual Design Best Practice, please see the Multilingual Design Content Pack in the LANDESK Community (available in British English only). Calendar integration Increased analyst efficiency. You can now manually or automatically add recipients to appointments on a schedule management calendar, enabling you to send external invitations that can be added to users external calendars. When schedule management appointments are deleted or dragged to a different time on the schedule management calendar, the appointment is updated, and updated invitations are automatically sent to all recipients. Appointments can be created manually or as a defined part of the process workflow. In addition, use of colors for different appointment types is now also supported in Service Desk calendars. For additional design advice around Calendar Integration, see LANDESK s Support Appointments Content Pack in the LANDESK Community (available in British English only). 8 What s New in LANDESK Service Desk Version 7.8
Telephony integration in Web Desk Increased analyst efficiency. Service Desk V7.8 adds telephony integration with Web Desk, using the LANDESK Telephony Windows client. Telephony in Web Desk provides both outgoing and incoming call handling features incorporating screen pop contextual information about a caller. The outgoing functionality enables you to dial a phone number that is displayed on a Web Desk window; the incoming functionality enables you to identify a caller before answering the phone. You can take a number of different actions while the phone is still ringing, such as answering the phone and raising a number of new processes (incident, request, and so on) using the caller s information, or running a specific query that uses the caller's information as a filter. For example, before answering the phone to the caller, you could already have a list of their open incidents displayed. Telephony integration also provides call time statistics that can be viewed and reported on for greater performance analysis. See LANDESK s set of SDI-Service Desk Certification for example performance reports in the LANDESK Community, including telephony (available in British English only). Multiple attachments and e-mailing attachments automatically as part of a process Easier working. New with 7.8. You can now add multiple attachments in one step to an object such as a note. A new attribute type of Multiple Attachment allows selection from the browser of local files. Repeat selection, and bulk selection, are both supported. You can also design your support process so that the new multiple-attachments are automatically populated into a notification/reminder, and so can be automatically sent in an e-mail as part of the process. This allows support to select and send a number of items in one step, and for the end-user to receive those items in one e- mail. Enhancements to Event Manager Improved integration with other applications. A number of improvements have been made to Event Manager to improve integration between Service Desk and other applications: Event Manager can now process events that attach or detach other processes to the current process (for example, adding a Child Incident to the current Incident). You can now map 20 parameters for Network Events. You can now use the synchronous Send event for Integration Events, which gives an immediate integration, instead of the polling post event method. What s New in LANDESK Service Desk Version 7.8 9
Improved scheduling for data import More efficient scheduling for data import when it's most convenient. Changes to the scheduling for data import mean that you can now import more frequently, at a schedule that suits your organization, without having to create multiple data import definitions. You can now specify repeating import schedules repeating every x hours, minutes, days or weeks for each individual import to run. Identity confirmation Regain control of your service desk environment with increased identity security. For security on sensitive actions, you can now configure Service Desk so that the user has to re-enter their password whenever they create, update, or delete a record, such as an approval on a Change, or an update to a CI. Restoring soft deleted records Enhanced administration capabilities. Some objects, such as users and CIs are not actually deleted from the database when you delete them, but have an Is Deleted attribute set to True. This prevents these deleted records from appearing in lists and being selected when a process is logged, but keeps earlier references to them intact. You can now restore items that have been deleted in this way. Managing web sites from within Configuration Center Improved control of your service desk s technical environment. If you do not use the default web site, or use multiple web sites in your Service Desk system, you can now manage all these Service Desk web sites from within Configuration Center. Italian language support LANDESK Service Desk is now available in Italian. Linking with web services; enhanced integration with LANDESK Process Manager (LPM) Enhanced integration; extend Service Desk functionality. Enables actions from Service Desk to communicate with external web services using data sent from Service Desk to provide additional functionality. Initiate LANDESK Process Manager (LPM) processes immediately from Service Desk actions, providing a faster interaction with LPM. 10 What s New in LANDESK Service Desk Version 7.8
In-context knowledge in Web Desk Increased analyst efficiency. Dynamic background knowledge searching in Web Desk enables analysts to access information either automatically or manually that will help them to progress the process they are working on within the context of the process window itself. Continues the move to the browser. Shibboleth authentication Increased choice. Shibboleth, a standards-based, open-source SAML2 identity solution for single sign-on, is now available as an authentication option for Web Desk or Self Service. Native support for legacy browsers Internet Explorer V7 and V8 are now supported without the Google Chrome Frame plugin for end-users using Self Service. Similarly, Internet Explorer V8 is supported without the Google Chrome Frame plugin for analysts using Web Desk for standard analyst features (design and administration features with Internet Explorer V8 still require the plugin). If you have the Google Chrome Frame plugin enabled, you can use both Internet Explorer V7 and V8 for all features. Other enhancements Is Within My Groups and Is Within My Roles conditions available when designing queries User assistance now provided by links to LANDESK help center - enabling updates to user assistance to be made available between releases, and improving installation time Sustainment fixes and enhancements see the separate Issues Fixed document The Tab index is now supported in Web Access, to enable users to move around windows using the TAB key LANDESK Management Suite data can now be accessed directly through queries, allowing easy building and publishing of LANDESK Management Suite queries and dashboards through Service Desk Short date format available in Web Access Dynamic window calculations now respond to prepopulated values in fields when a window is loaded BeforeSave calculations can now trigger when a process moves to a read only status (such as Closed) Improvements to the performance and reliability of Test to Live Design Transfer of multi-lingual systems Improved inbound mail box processing Fixes to known issues What s New in LANDESK Service Desk Version 7.8 11
Summary of Changes to Supported Platforms Internet Explorer Microsoft Internet Explorer 11 is now supported. (Internet Explorer 11 supports the copy and paste of images into HTML-enabled fields in Web Access.) Google Chrome Frame is no longer required for Internet Explorer 7 and 8, with the following limitations: Databases Internet Explorer 7 without the Google Chrome Frame plugin is now supported only for end-users using Self Service. Internet Explorer 8 without the Google Chrome Frame plugin is now supported only for end-users using Self Service and analysts using standard analyst functions in Web Desk: not for design and administration features. Microsoft SQL Server 2014 is now supported. Web and application servers Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 is now supported. Windows clients Microsoft Windows 8.1 is now supported. Reporting tools SAP Crystal Reports 2013 and SAP Crystal Server 2013 are now supported Microsoft Office Microsoft Office 365 is now supported. E-mail systems Microsoft Exchange 2013 is now supported for e-mail integration NOTE: For a complete list of the Supported Platforms, please refer to the Supported Platforms documentation. 12 What s New in LANDESK Service Desk Version 7.8