home *** CD-ROM | disk | FTP | other *** search
Text File | 1994-06-29 | 115.1 KB | 2,669 lines |
- LAN Support Center
-
- The Easy-to-Use Problem Management System for Organizing Your Help Desk
-
- By McAfee, Inc.
-
- Windows Version
- Document Release 1.0
-
- For additional product or pricing information, please call or write:
- McAfee Associates, Inc.
- 766 Shrewsbury Avenue
- Jerral Center West
- Tinton Falls, NJ 07724 USA
- 800-552-9876
- FAX: 908-530-0622
-
- Outside the United States please call: 908-530-0440
-
- For Technical Support please call: 908-530-9650
- Between 9 am - 7 pm Eastern Time Monday - Friday
- FAX: 908-576-8867
- Compuserve: Go BRIGHT, Mailbox: 75300,1415
- Internet: customer_service@McAfee.com
-
- Trademarks:
- LAN Support Center (LSC) is a trademark of McAfee Associates, Inc.
- Windows is a trademark of Microsoft
- Crystal Reports is a trademark of Crystal Services
- IBM is a trademark of International Business Machines Corporation
- Btrieve, ELS, NetWare 386 and NetWare are trademarks of Novell, Inc.
- All other trademarks apply.
-
- Copyright 1994, McAfee, Inc. All rights reserved.
-
- The material in this book may not be reproduced, in whole or in part,
- without prior consent from McAfee Associates, Inc.
-
-
-
-
- =================
- Table of Contents
- =================
-
- 1.0 Introduction to LAN Support Center
- 1.1 About LAN Support Center
- 1.2 Help Desks
- 1.2.1 The Problem
- 1.2.2 The McAfee Solution
- 1.2.3 The Cost
- 1.2.4 Time Cost Savings
- 1.2.5 Hidden Cost Savings
- 1.3 LAN Support Center's Features
- 1.4 LSC's Major Components
- 1.4.1 LSC Console
- 1.4.2 LSC Database Lists
- 1.4.3 Reporting Module
- 1.4.4 Import/Export Utility
- 1.5 License Explained
- 1.6 Environment
- 1.7 Technical Support
- 1.8 How This Manual is Organized
- 2.0 Installation and Configuration
- 2.1 Introduction
- 2.2 Before Installation
- 2.2.1 LSC and NetWare
- 2.2.2 Determining Version Numbers
- 2.3 LSC Installation Instructions
- 2.4 Basic Install Procedure
- 2.5 Custom Install Procedure
- 2.6 Upgrade Procedure
- 2.7 Conversion Procedure
- 2.7.1 Upgrade Conversion Charts
- 2.8 Uninstalling LSC
- 2.9 Installation Troubleshooting
- 2.10 Btrieve Configuration Options
- 2.10.1 LSC and Btrieve
- 3.0 Getting Started
- 3.1 Introduction
- 3.2 Planning Your LSC Database
- 3.3 The LSC Application Window
- 3.3.1 Windows Terms
- 3.3.2 Launching LSC
- 3.3.3 Exiting LSC
- 3.3.4 LSC Menu Bar
- 3.3.5 LSC Tool Bar
- 3.3.6 Using the Keyboard
- 3.3.7 Help Facility
- 3.3.8 LSC.INI File
- 3.4 Tutorial
- 3.4.1 Customizing the Database
- 3.4.2 Setting Up Accounts
- 3.4.3 Defining Qualification List Entries
- 3.4.4 Creating Tickets
- 3.4.5 Viewing the Ticket Database
- 3.4.6 Generating Reports
- 4.0 Ticket Data Display
- 4.1 Introduction
- 4.1.1 What's in this Chapter
- 4.2 The View Tickets Window
- 4.2.1 View Tickets Window Layout
- 4.2.2 Scrolling Within the View Tickets Window
- 4.3 The Ticket Window
- 4.3.1 The Ticket Numbering Scheme
- 4.3.2 Assigning Account IDs
- 4.3.3 Modifying the Ticket Window Labels
- 4.3.4 Viewing Multiple Ticket Windows
- 4.3.5 Associated Ticket Information
- 5.0 Setup and Administration
- 5.1 Introduction
- 5.1.1 What's in this Chapter
- 5.2 Database Labeling
- 5.2.1 Customizing Database Labels
- 5.3 Staff Membership and Security
- 5.3.1 Adding Support Staff
- 5.3.2 Maintaining Support Staff
- 5.4 Accounts IDs
- 5.4.1 Adding Accounts
- 5.4.2 Maintaining Accounts
- 5.5 Company IDs
- 5.5.1 Adding Company IDs
- 5.5.2 Maintaining Company IDs
- 5.6 Qualification Lists
- 5.6.1 Modifying Qualification Items
- 5.6.2 Managing Problem Type Sub-categories
- 5.7 Archiving and Restoring Tickets
- 5.7.1 Archiving Tickets
- 5.7.2 Restoring Tickets
- 5.8 Printer Setup and Administration
- 5.8.1 Changing Print Settings
- 6.0 Work Tickets
- 6.1 Introduction
- 6.1.1 What's in this Chapter
- 6.2 Creating Tickets
- 6.2.1 Ticket Window Fields
- 6.2.2 Creating New Tickets
- 6.2.3 Cross-Referencing Tickets
- 6.2.4 Deleting Tickets
- 6.2.5 Printing Tickets
- 6.3 Maintaining Ticket Information
- 6.3.1 Adding Ticket Action
- 6.3.2 Editing Ticket Action
- 6.3.3 Deleting Ticket Action
- 6.3.4 Maintaining Contact Details
- 6.3.5 Editing Dates
- 6.3.6 Scrolling to a New Date or Time
- 6.3.7 Moving to a New Date
- 6.4 Investigating
- 6.4.1 Smart-Launching
- 7.0 Viewing Ticket Data
- 7.1 Introduction
- 7.1.1 What's in this Chapter
- 7.2 Filtering the View Tickets Window Display
- 7.2.1 Filtering the Ticket List
- 7.3 Sorting the View Tickets Window Display
- 7.3.1 Sorting the Ticket List
- 7.4 Custom Ticket Views
- 7.4.1 Creating Custom Ticket Views
- 7.4.2 Maintaining Custom Ticket Views
- 7.5 Ticket Databases
- 7.5.1 Viewing Historical Tickets
- 7.5.2 Viewing Current Tickets
- 8.0 LSC Reports
- 8.1 Introduction
- 8.2 Using Pre-defined Report Style Sheets
- 8.2.1 Printing Reports
- 8.3 Using Queries to Customize Reports
- 8.3.1 Applying a Query to a Report
- 8.3.2 Customizing Report Style Sheets
- 8.3.3 Removing a Query from a Report
- 8.3.4 Creating a New Query
- 8.3.5 Editing a Query
- 8.3.6 Deleting a Query
- 8.4 Adding New Reports
- 8.4.1 Adding Reports
- 8.4.2 Renaming Added Reports
- 8.4.3 Deleting Reports
- 8.5 Sample Reports
- 8.5.1 All Ticket Listings
- 8.5.2 Averaging Reports
- 8.5.3 Client Listings
- 8.5.4 Closed Ticket Listings
- 8.5.5 Open Ticket Listings
- 8.5.6 Miscellaneous Reports
- 9.0 Introduction to Crystal Reports
- 9.1 About This Part of the Manual
- 9.1.1 Special Notations Used in this Part
- 9.2 Starting Crystal Reports
- 9.2.1 From DOS
- 9.2.2 From Windows
- 9.2.3 The Crystal Reports Registration Dialog Box
- 9.2.4 How to Register Your Copy of Crystal Reports
- 9.3 Quick Start
- 9.4 About Crystal Reports
- 9.4.1 How Crystal Reports Prepares Reports
- 9.4.2 Databases that Work with Crystal Reports
- 9.5 The Crystal Reports Window
- 9.5.1 Title Bar
- 9.5.2 The Menu Bar
- 9.5.3 The Button Bar
- 9.5.4 The Status Bar
- 9.6 Right Mouse-Button Capabilities
- 9.7 Crystal Reports Report Windows
- 9.8 Getting Help with Crystal Reports
- 9.8.1 Context Sensitive Help
- 9.8.2 Indexed Help
- 10.0 Using Crystal Reports
- 10.1 Using Crystal Reports
- 10.2 Deciding on the Content of Your Report
- 10.2.1 Purpose
- 10.2.2 Readers
- 10.2.3 Title
- 10.2.4 Other Header Information
- 10.2.5 Header Information Sources
- 10.2.6 Data Types in the Header
- 10.2.7 Footer Information
- 10.2.8 Footer Data Sources
- 10.2.9 Data Types in the Footer
- 10.2.10 Report Body Data
- 10.2.11 Body Data Sources
- 10.2.12 Existing or Calculated?
- 10.2.13 Data Types in the Body
- 10.2.14 Groups
- 10.2.15 Group Values
- 10.2.16 Group Value Positions
- 10.2.17 Grand Totals, Grand Total Averages, etc.
- 10.2.18 Flags
- 10.2.19 Flag Options
- 10.2.20 Highlights
- 10.2.21 Record or Group Selection
- 10.2.22 Sorting
- 10.3 Developing a Prototype on Paper
- 10.4 Setting Up the Prototype Using Crystal Reports
- 10.5 The Report Editor
- 10.5.1 Auto-Scrolling Capabilities
- 10.5.2 Resizing Sections
- 10.5.3 A Word about Databases, Records and Fields
- 10.5.4 Records and Fields in Row/Column Reports
- 10.5.5 Records and Fields in Data Block Reports
- 10.5.6 Data Types
- 10.5.7 Formatting, and Record and Group Selection
- 10.6 Building Your Prototype
- 10.6.1 Selecting the Database(s)
- 10.6.2 Entering and Positioning Data Fields
- 10.6.3 Adding Text
- 10.6.4 Entering Field Titles
- 10.6.5 Printing and Reviewing
- 10.6.6 Making Changes
- 10.6.7 Placing Totals, Subtotals, and Other Group Values
- 10.6.8 Moving Group Values
- 10.6.9 Entering Formulas
- 10.6.10 Formatting
- 10.7 Manipulating the Data with Formulas and Functions
- 10.7.1 Formulas
- 10.7.2 Functions
- 10.7.3 How Functions are Used
- 10.7.4 Function Syntax
- 10.7.5 Entering Formulas and Functions
- 10.7.6 The Fields Box
- 10.7.7 Operators and Functions Boxes
- 10.7.8 Order of Precedence
- 10.7.9 Using Dates in Formulas
- 10.7.10 The Formula Checker
- 10.7.11 Developing Complex Calculations with Formulas
- 10.8 Grouping, Summarizing, and Sorting Your Data
- 10.8.1 Grouping the Data
- 10.8.2 Group Values
- 10.8.3 Grouping Data with Crystal Reports
- 10.9 Summarizing the Data
- 10.9.1 The Summarizing Process
- 10.9.2 Selecting a Field to Total
- 10.9.3 Selecting a Total Type
- 10.9.4 Selecting a Field to Trigger a New Subtotal
- 10.10 Sorting
- 10.10.1 Sorting by Record
- 10.10.2 Sort Field
- 10.10.3 Sort Direction
- 10.10.4 Single Field Sorts
- 10.10.5 Multiple Field Sorts
- 10.10.6 Sorting Groups
- 10.11 Editing and Formatting the Data
- 10.11.1 Selecting the Data
- 10.11.2 Selecting the Action
- 10.11.3 Entering the Specifics
- 10.12 Specifying Records/Groups to be Included
- 10.12.1 Select Records
- 10.12.2 Edit Record Selection Formula
- 10.12.3 Select Groups
- 10.12.4 Edit Group Selection Formula
- 10.13 Printing the Finished Report
- 11.0 Practical Crystal Reports
- 11.1 Practical Crystal Reports
- 11.2 Creating a Report
- 11.2.1 Selecting a Database
- 11.2.2 Selecting Additional Databases
- 11.2.3 Linking the Databases
- 11.2.4 Understanding the Invisible Grid
- 11.2.5 Creating Margins
- 11.2.6 Inserting Fields
- 11.2.7 Selecting Fields to Move, Format, etc.
- 11.2.8 Selecting Multiple Fields at One Time
- 11.2.9 Spacing Fields
- 11.2.10 Spacing Considerations
- 11.2.11 Inserting Text (Titles, Labels, etc.)
- 11.2.12 Selecting Text (To Delete, Change the Font, etc.)
- 11.2.13 Aligning Text with Fields
- 11.2.14 Inserting Blank Lines
- 11.2.15 Deleting Blank Lines
- 11.2.16 Changing Field and Text Fonts
- 11.2.17 Highlighting Fields with Borders and Drop Shadows
- 11.2.18 Centering Text, Field Values
- 11.2.19 Inserting Page Headers and Footers
- 11.2.20 To Insert Page Headers and Footers
- 11.2.21 To Format Page Headers and Footers
- 11.2.22 Inserting Page Numbers and Other Special Fields
- 11.2.23 Grouping Data
- 11.2.24 Simple Grouping
- 11.2.25 Nesting Groups
- 11.2.26 Summarizing Grouped Data
- 11.2.27 Grouping and Summarizing Grouped Data
- 11.2.29 Grouping and Summarizing Using Nesting Groups
- 11.2.30 Creating Group Headers
- 11.2.31 Multiple Groups for the Same Field
- 11.2.32 Sorting Your Data
- 11.2.33 Sorting by Record
- 11.2.34 Sorting Groups
- 11.2.35 Hiding Parts of the Report when Printing
- 11.2.36 Selecting Records and Groups to Include on Your Report
- 11.2.37 Generating a Selection Formula Automatically
- 11.2.38 Creating a Selection Formula Manually
- 11.2.39 Selecting Date Ranges
- 11.2.40 Generating Your Own Selection Formula
- 11.2.41 Selecting Page Orientation and Paper Size
- 11.3 Manipulating Text and Data
- 11.3.1 Adding Text
- 11.3.2 Copying Text
- 11.3.3 Deleting Text
- 11.3.4 Editing Text
- 11.3.5 Moving Text
- 11.3.6 Using the Tab Key
- 11.3.7 Using Cut and Paste
- 11.3.8 Moving Fields
- 11.3.9 Moving Fields with a Mouse
- 11.3.10 Moving Fields with the Arrow keys
- 11.3.11 Deleting Fields
- 11.4 Working with Graphics and Graphic Enhancements
- 11.4.1 Bit-mapped Graphics Concepts
- 11.4.2 Inserting, Moving, and Deleting Graphics
- 11.4.3 Sizing and Scaling Graphics
- 11.4.4 Cropping Graphics
- 11.4.5 Creating, Moving, and Formatting Lines
- 11.4.6 Moving a Line
- 11.4.7 Formatting a Line
- 11.4.8 Resizing a Line
- 11.4.9 Creating, Moving, and Formatting Boxes
- 11.4.10 Moving a Box
- 11.4.11 Formatting a Box
- 11.4.12 Resizing a Box
- 12.0 Error Messages
- 12.1 LSC Error Messages
- 13.0 Btrieve Status Codes
- 13.1 Btrieve Status Codes
- 13.2 Client-Based Btrieve for OS/2 and Windows Status Codes
- 13.3 Btrieve Requester Status Codes
- 14.0 LSC File List
- 14.1 LSC Main File List
- 14.2 LSC Ticket Records Databases
- 14.3 LSC Administrative Databases
- 14.4 Pre-defined LSC Reports
- 14.5 LSC Dynamic Link Libraries
- 14.6 Crystal Reports v2.0 Files
- 15.0 Using BREQUEST
- 15.1 Using the Btrieve NLM
- 15.1.1 Using the NLM with LSC
- 15.2 Using Brequest in a Login Script
- 15.3 Using the Btrieve VAP
- 16.0 LSC Import/Export Utility
- 16.1 Using the Import/Export Utility
- 16.1.1 Importing Data into LSC
- 16.1.2 Exporting LSC Ticket Data
-
- ==================================
- Part One: Using LAN Support Center
- ==================================
-
- 1.0 Introduction to LAN Support Center
-
- Welcome to LAN Support Center, McAfee's Windows-based problem
- management system.
-
- LSC is a member of McAfee's family of network administration and management
- tools, a group of network applications that help you manage your LAN more
- effectively.
-
- 1.1 About LAN Support Center
-
- LAN Support Center (LSC) tracks support activities by allowing you to create,
- maintain and retrieve tickets electronically. Easily accessible windows
- display vital information regarding the caller's equipment, software and
- call history. To help solve problems rapidly and identify recurring problem
- areas, the LSC database gives you instant access to information regarding
- help desk activity.
-
- LSC also provides management with automated tools to supervise support
- operations more efficiently. Call histories, support procedure documents and
- scripts can all be accessed easily to help staff rapidly identify and
- diagnose problems. Data in every help desk session can be consolidated to
- analyze staff performance and response times. Help desk issues and their
- solutions can also be analyzed to identify recurring problem areas which may
- need configuration adjustments or user training programs.
-
- LSC is a sophisticated yet easy-to-use ticketing system based on a powerful
- database technology. Each organization can customize the LSC database field
- labels, the ticket list information display and the information to be
- included in reports. This ability to customize LSC results in more
- streamlined workflow.
-
- LSC is a fully compatible Microsoft Windows 3.1 system. Familiar Windows
- techniques execute commands, scroll and select list information, and open,
- close and move between multiple windows. Entering, editing, cutting and
- pasting functions are also consistent with Windows, minimizing required
- training time.
-
- The reports included with LSC provide management with valuable information
- regarding staff response time, frequency of problem occurrence, and customer
- support requests. These reports can be customized to satisfy the
- requirements of each organization. LSC also includes Crystal Reports, a
- powerful and easy-to-use custom report writer.
-
-
- 1.2 Help Desks
-
- 1.2.1 The Problem
-
- The help desk is emerging as a central, corporate organization designed to
- solve end-user computer hardware and software problems quickly. With the
- increasing reliance on computers in today's workplace, the effectiveness of
- the help desk staff has direct impact on workstation user productivity and
- organization profitability. Automated problem management systems, such as
- McAfee's LAN Support Center, can have a dramatic impact on how rapidly user
- problems are resolved and can help managers record and understand data on
- how the help desk is functioning.
-
- Today's help desk organization faces numerous challenges. As incoming call
- volumes increase, the time required to log problems manually (i.e., write
- down messages, problem descriptions and user configurations) negatively
- effects productivity. It is critical that calls are neither lost nor
- follow-up activities misplaced and forgotten. Thus arises the need to
- analyze help desk operations in order to develop programs which minimize
- user downtime.
-
- Like all other corporate organizations, help desks are asked to do more with
- less staff. Valuable senior technical staff must be utilized wisely, and
- junior staff must develop their support skills independently. Within the
- growing computer user population, perhaps the most critical demand of help
- desks is to resolve problems faster than ever before.
-
- 1.2.2 The McAfee Solution
-
- LAN Support Center is a powerful problem management system that tracks
- support activities by creating a ticket for every support call. LSC lets
- you record all necessary details in easy-to-use screens that are fully
- customized to your organization and individual support staff preferences.
- By replacing manual procedures with sophisticated information management
- functions that track a ticket until it is resolved, LSC dramatically improves
- help desk operations. Support staff spend less time with paperwork and more
- time on actually solving problems.
-
- 1.2.3 The Cost
-
- The justification for automating help desk operations consists of two
- important elements. First is the direct time saved by the help desk staff
- in the performance of daily activities. Second are the intangible costs to
- corporate users and help desk departments that are incurred when users cannot
- be supported as rapidly as possible. Both cost saving elements are discussed
- below.
-
- 1.2.4 Time Cost Savings
-
- Help Desk Practices, a survey published by the Help Desk Institute about its
- membership (Help Desk Institute, Help Desk Practices, A Survey of Help Desk
- Insitute members (Colorado Springs, CO: Help Desk Institute, 1993)), confirms
- the broad range of sizes of help desk organizations and user communities. A
- profile of a five person help desk organization is as follows:
-
- Number of Employees: 5
- Average annual salary and benefits (all help desk departmental
- employees): $35,000
- Average hourly wage: $17.00
- Average number of users supported: 2,500
- Average number of calls/month: 2,000
- Cost/month (assuming 5 days/week of operation):
- $35,000/12 x 5 employees: $14,583/month
- Average percentage calls resolved by the help desk: 71%
- Average number of calls resolved by the help desk: 1,420
- Cost/call/month: $14,583/1,420 calls: $10.20/call
-
- LSC can increase the productivity of existing staff by over 20% in comparison
- with manual systems. These productivity increases are the direct result of
- eliminating many of the labor-intensive activities connected with receiving
- and following through on a support problem. LSC eliminates the time required
- to manually record details about the caller and the problem. LSC
- electronically displays configuration and call history information and can
- help staff members retrieve existing solutions. By capturing help desk
- information electronically, problem data can be analyzed to identify
- potential networking improvements that could eliminate future help desk calls.
-
- The model below characterizes the hard cost savings that exist for automated
- help desks with a 20% productivity increase at current calling rates. At
- 20%, the cost per call savings can justify an additional employee. More
- importantly, productivity time savings can be the vital resource for those
- help desks grappling with increasing demands to support new technologies and
- manage changes to existing hardware and software installations.
-
- Help Desks with No Automation Expected Savings with LSC
- (20% savings)
-
- # of Calls 1,420 1,420
- Calls/year: 17,040 17,040
- Cost/call: $10.20 $8.16
- Costs/year: $173,808 $139,046
- Savings/year: $34,762
-
- 1.2.5 Hidden Cost Savings
-
- LSC's most important benefit is its ability to free up staff time. This
- increases the number of end users served and makes time available to gain
- expertise in emerging technologies. According to the Help Desk Institute,
- its members reported that the issues impacting help desk operations include
- calls related to new technology support, new customers and changes and
- upgrades to existing systems. LSC gives your staff the time it needs to keep
- apace with your growing user community and to stay on top of rapid
- technological change.
-
- By making your staff more effective, LSC reduces one of your corporation's
- most critical hidden costs--lost worker productivity. LSC provides support
- staff with the tools to resolve calls rapidly and share information to
- maximize technical expertise. This "found time" can be used for any number
- of activities, including the following:
-
- o application training to reduce the need for support calls
- o cross training to expand your users' knowledge base
- o keeping up with industry technology changes
- o planning for network expansions
-
-
- 1.3 LAN Support Center's Features
-
- LSC automates ticket creation, problem management and the reporting
- requirements of an active help desk. LSC simplifies help desk operations by
- eliminating the paperwork that slows down your response to support calls.
- LSC's database maintains support information on-line and lets you quickly
- view your caller's support history and search for similar problems, to
- diagnose support problems rapidly. To meet the individual needs of your
- organization, you can customize many aspects of LSC: field labels, ticket
- listings and the type of information stored and included on reports.
-
- With McAfee's LAN Support Center, you can perform the following functions:
-
- o Track support activities by creating a ticket for every support call,
- stored in a powerful ticket database.
- o Build, edit, display and select from lists of customized information
- needed to create or manage a ticket.
- o Give staff and managers a snapshot of current support activities, all
- active tickets and the status of any support problems.
- o Maintain user and equipment profiles on-line to rapidly display a
- caller's configuration.
- o Assign up to four priority levels so urgent problems get quicker
- attention and resolution.
- o Route calls to other or more qualified support technicians to get the
- most productivity out of junior, senior and specialized technicians.
- o Automate record-keeping and reporting by electronically capturing the
- entire history of the help desk session--including all ticket information,
- actions taken and follow-up activities.
- o Sort, display and save any user-defined, cross section "view" of the
- ticket database, to facilitate a particular job function.
- o Filter sections of the ticket database for display or reporting,
- eliminating extraneous information.
- o Display multiple windows of ticketing or departmental information
- simultaneously, and let users rapidly move between windows to create and
- process a ticket quickly and accurately.
- o Display solutions to recurring or past problems to quickly resolve similar
- situations.
- o Provide powerful query, sorting and reporting features to generate daily
- and periodic performance reports.
- o Produce a variety of standard reports detailing support productivity and
- help desk operations.
- o Utilize Crystal Reports, a powerful, flexible and easy-to-use report
- generator to produce LSC information in an unlimited number of formats.
- o Store custom report formats for future use.
- o Archive and restore inactive tickets whenever necessary to utilize disk
- space efficiently.
- o Support file importing and exporting to share data between LSC and other
- applications.
- o Display on-line help information.
- o Protect against unauthorized access through log-in password security.
-
- LAN Support Center integrates with the following applications:
-
- o Novell Btrieve Record Manager - LSC uses the fast and highly sophisticated
- database system for database management.
- o Microsoft Windows 3.1 - LSC supports the familiar user interface to
- minimize training time and maximize ease of use.
- o Other McAfee network management applications as follows:
- - LSC links to LAN Automatic Inventory for a comprehensive and
- accurate description of a user's hardware configuration.
- - LSC connects to SiteMeter to identify user software version and
- revision levels. Support staff can also determine whether a user
- is "locked out" of a metered application due to licensing limits.
- - LSC accesses NETremote+ to run the user's workstation remotely,
- without leaving the help desk.
-
-
- 1.4 LSC's Major Components
-
- The LAN Support Center software consists of one executable file and several
- supporting components. As an introduction to the entire product, this
- section briefly describes each LSC component. A complete list of LSC files
- is provided in Chapter 14.
-
- The LSC components are:
- o LAN Support Center Console (LSC.EXE)
- o LAN Support Center Database Lists
- o Reporting Module
- o Import/Export Utility
-
- 1.4.1 LSC Console
-
- LSC.EXE is the LSC console and administrative program which provides access
- to most LSC functions. This main module is a Windows-based program and is
- intended to be used by the support administrator and the support staff
- members.
-
- The administrative functions available from the LSC console include:
- o Setting up staff members and defining access rights
- o Customizing the LSC database labels
- o Maintaining the database lists
- o Archiving and restoring tickets
-
- The support staff functions available from the LSC console include:
- o Generating tickets to track events
- o Maintaining ticket information and related activities
- o Modifying ticket views to speed support response time
- o Customizing and generating reports
-
- 1.4.2 LSC Database Lists
-
- LSC is an integrated database system which tracks and manages all information
- regarding ticket data. Novell's Btrieve is used as the database record
- manager. LSC's major databases are:
-
- o Current Ticket Database - the group of tickets to which new tickets are
- added. There is only one current database at any time.
-
- o Historical Ticket Database(s) - a group of tickets that have been removed
- from the current database. These archived tickets can be loaded into LSC for
- reference purposes; however, changes to the historical database tickets
- should not be made. There can be any number of historical databases.
-
- o Qualification Lists - the categorized lists of information entered into
- LSC which act as reference aids to facilitate data entry and maintain the
- integrity of the data files.
-
- Chapter 14 provides a complete list of the LSC data and executable files.
-
- 1.4.3 Reporting Module
-
- LSC is shipped with several pre-defined reports that represent reports often
- requested by support desk management. These reports provide valuable
- information regarding ticket activity, staff response time, problem types,
- and much more.
-
- LSC's pre-defined reports can be customized to reflect individual reporting
- requirements. By applying filtering criteria (i.e., a "query") to a
- pre-defined report, the report will only include the data in the LSC database that matches the
- query constraints. These customized reports can be saved for future use.
-
- LSC also includes the Crystal Reports software, a powerful and easy-to-use
- report generator. With Crystal Reports, you can create and customize your
- own reports using data from the LSC database. Powerful calculation and
- formatting features will help you generate more meaningful performance
- monitoring and analytical reports.
-
- NOTE: The Crystal Reports software is installed using the LSC install utility.
- A Crystal Reports program icon is added to the MCAFEE Program Manager group.
- Procedures for using Crystal Reports are presented in Part Two of this manual.
-
- 1.4.4 Import/Export Utility
-
- The LSC import/export utility is a DOS application which enables the transfer of
- ticket data into and out of LAN Support Center. Upon installation, the
- utility (LSCIMEX.EXE) is copied into the LSC program directory.
-
- LAN Support Center ticket and action information can be exported into an ASCII
- text file for use in another database application. Similarly, data from
- comma delimited ASCII files can be imported into LSC.
-
- Because LSC 3.0 has a customizable interface, most data fields are not
- restricted to a particular format. The import/export utility will match the
- field names in LSC even if they have been changed by the administrator.
- The only fields that have a specified format are date and time fields.
- All other fields may be of any type or format.
-
- Procedures for using the import/export utility are discussed in Chapter 16.
-
-
- 1.5 License Explained
-
- LAN Support Center (LSC) is licensed per user in accordance with the license
- agreement included with this package. An individual copy of LSC is required
- for each person simultaneously using the product. All database operations
- are fully multi-user, and support staff members can share common data files.
-
-
- 1.6 Environment
-
- The following minimum criteria must be met in order to run LAN Support Center:
-
- o 386SX CPU
- o 4 MB of RAM
- o Novell Btrieve Record Manager
- o Windows 3.1 in Enhanced Mode
-
- NOTES: a - LSC can operate on Novell NetWare via IPX/SPX and is compatible
- with NetWare 4.0 and NMS.
- b - LSC will work with Client Based and Server Based Btrieve.
- Server Based Btrieve (BREQUEST version 6.10) is recommended for increased
- performance. Refer to Appendix D for more information on using BREQUEST.
-
-
- 1.7 Technical Support
-
- Please take this opportunity to mail in your Product Registration Card.
- Mailing in your card enables us to notify you about upgrades, fixes,
- enhancements and new products.
-
- If you have a problem with LSC, call the McAfee Technical Support number
- found in the front of this manual.
-
- Before requesting support, please thoroughly consult this manual, the READ.ME
- file, and any product update information included in your LSC package.
-
- When requesting support be prepared with:
-
- o The version and serial number of your LSC product from the distribution
- diskette label
- o The type of network hardware and operating system software you are using
- o The version of DOS you are using
- o Any TSRs loaded, including network drivers and memory managers, on your
- workstation
- o A clear and concise statement of your problem
-
- If you have not mailed in your Product Registration Card you will be required to
- answer some questions over the telephone so our Technical Support Staff can
- register your product.
-
- NOTE: Support cannot be provided for problems related to the installation or
- operation of your network.
-
-
- 1.8 How This Manual is Organized
-
- This manual is organized in three parts:
-
- o Part One: Using LAN Support Center
- o Part Two: Using Crystal Reports
- o Part Three: Reference Guide
-
- The individual chapters in each part of the manual are listed in the tables
- below.
-
- Part One: Using LAN Support Center
-
- CHAPTER DESCRIPTION
- 1.0 Introduction to LAN Support Center Provides introductory information
- about LSC, its requirements and how
- to receive technical support.
-
- 2.0 Installation & Configuration Provides complete installation
- instructions and troubleshooting
- information. It also discusses the
- configuration of Novell's Btrieve
- record manager.
-
- 3.0 Getting Started Discusses the LSC interface and
- provides a tutorial for the first
- time LSC user.
-
- 4.0 Ticket Data Display Presents an overview of the various
- windows that display the ticket data
- maintained by LSC.
-
- 5.0 Setup and Administration Describes the procedures for defining
- the LSC database labels, assigning
- staff membership and security,
- managing the qualification lists,
- archiving/restoring tickets and
- configuring print parameters.
-
- 6.0 Work Tickets Describes the procedures for creating
- and maintaining work tickets.
-
- 7.0 Viewing Ticket Data Discusses the various methods
- available for viewing ticket
- information.
-
- 8.0 LSC Reports Discusses procedures for generating
- both pre-defined and custom reports.
- Illustrates and discusses each report
- type.
-
-
- Part Two: Using Crystal Reports
-
- CHAPTER DESCRIPTION
- 9.0 Introduction to Crystal Reports Provides a brief overview of Crystal
- Reports to familiarize you with the
- Crystal Reports screens, using the
- mouse, error messages, and the help
- facility.
-
- 10.0 Using Crystal Reports Conceptually leads you through the
- process of creating a report with
- Crystal Reports. It suggests a
- methodology for creating reports
- starting with nothing more than a
- one sentence statement of purpose for
- the report.
-
- 11.0 Practical Crystal Reports Contains a variety of report creation
- topics and additional information on
- the practical aspects of using Crystal
- Reports to solve typical reporting
- problems.
-
- Part Three: Reference Guide
-
- CHAPTER DESCRIPTION
- 12.0 LSC Error Messages Lists the error messages associated
- with LSC and provides explanations
- for each.
-
- 13.0 Btrieve Status Codes Lists the error messages associated
- with Novell's Btrieve and provides
- explanations for each.
-
- 14.0 LSC File List Lists and defines the files included
- with LSC.
-
- 15.0 Using BREQUEST Provides recommendations on how to
- setup and use BREQUEST.
-
- 16.0 LSC's Import/Export Utility Provides instructions on using the
- import/export utility.
-
- This ends the introduction to LAN Support Center. Refer to the next chapter
- for installation and configuration instructions
-
-
-
- 2.0 Installation and Configuration
-
- The previous chapter introduced LAN Support Center. This chapter describes
- the installation procedures for LAN Support Center and provides an
- installation troubleshooting section. It also discusses the configuration
- of Novell's Btrieve record manager.
-
- NOTE: Before continuing, use the DOS DISKCOPY command to make a
- working copy of the LSC distribution diskettes.
-
-
- 2.1 Introduction
-
- The following chart describes the sections in this chapter:
-
- SECTION DESCRIPTION
- Before Installation Lists several requirements that must be met
- before installing the LSC software.
-
- LSC Installation Instructions Provides instructions on installing LSC.
- The options are: Basic Install, Custom
- Install, Upgrade and Conversion. The
- procedures for each option are discussed in
- their separate sections in this chapter.
-
- Uninstalling LSC Provides procedures for removing the LSC
- software.
-
- Installation Troubleshooting Lists the messages that might display during
- the installation procedure.
-
- Btrieve Configuration Options Presents the alternatives for configuring
- the Btrieve Record Manager.
-
-
- 2.2 Before Installation
-
- LAN Support Center can be used in either a stand-alone or a networked
- environment. In both cases, you must run Windows 3.1 in enhanced mode.
-
- 2.2.1 LSC and NetWare
-
- For LSC installation and use on a Novell NetWare network, the following file
- versions are recommended:
-
- o IPX version 3.10
- o NETX version 3.26 or greater
- o VIPX version 1.13
- o NETWARE.DRV version 2.02
- o VNETWARE.386 version 1.06
- o Windows version 3.1 (enhanced mode)
-
- NOTE: If you are using ODI drivers instead of IPX, you must have the
- following:
- - LSL version 1.2 or 2.01
- - IPXODI.COM version 1.2 or 2.1
-
- The latest versions of these files can be found on Compuserve in Library 5 of
- the Novell Libraries (GO NOVLIB; Lib 5). As of this writing, the current IPX,
- NETX, and IPXODI are contained within the self-extracting file DOSUP9.EXE.
-
- The current versions of the Novell support drivers for Windows (VIPX.386,
- VNETWARE.386, NETWARE.DRV, etc.) can be found in the self-extracting file
- WINUP9.EXE.
-
- NOTE: As these drivers are updated and added to the Compuserve file, the
- number within the Compuserve filename will increment. For example, if
- Novell were to release a newer IPX and add it to DOSUP9.EXE, the name would
- change to DOSUP10.EXE.
-
- 2.2.2 Determining Version Numbers
-
- You can determine the versions of the above software by using the following
- methods:
-
- o To determine the installed version of IPX and the NET shell, use the
- Novell NVER command.
-
- o To determine the version and mode of Windows, run Windows and choose the
- About Program Manager command from the Program Manager Help menu.
-
- o To determine the version of your Novell Windows support drivers, use the
- Novell VERSION command. For example, type:
-
- VERSION VNETWARE.386 <ENTER>
-
- o To determine the version of your IPXODI.COM file, use the Novell
- VERSION command. For example, type:
-
- VERSION IPXODI.COM <ENTER>
-
-
- 2.3 LSC Installation Instructions
-
- This section provides the step-by-step instructions necessary to install LAN
- Support Center.
-
- Follow the steps below to install LSC. You can exit the installation at any
- time by choosing the Exit button in the lower right corner of the
- installation screen.
-
- 1. Run Windows 3.1 in enhanced mode.
-
- 2. Place distribution diskette #1 in your floppy drive.
-
- 3. Choose the Run command from the Program Manager File menu.
-
- The Run dialog box displays.
-
- 4. In the Command Line field, enter the drive letter of the floppy drive
- where you inserted the distribution diskette. Enter the SETUP command,
- and then choose the OK button.
-
- Upon choosing the OK button, a Log File named LSC300.LOG is created and
- placed in your local WINDOWS directory. The Log File is an ASCII file
- listing the date, time and location of the LSC installation.
-
- The Log File also lists any errors that occurred during installation.
- If an error that prevents completion of the installation process occurs,
- the Log File automatically displays.
-
-
-
- 5. If LSC finds an existing Log File, you are asked if you want to overwrite
- the old file.
-
- If you answer Yes to this prompt, the existing file is overwritten and
- the install program continues. If you answer No, you are prompted to
- enter a new Log File name for this LSC installation.
-
- After responding to this message, the Install Options dialog box displays.
-
- 6. Select one of the following install options, and then choose the OK
- button.
-
- o Basic Install - runs the install process with minimal user input;
- automatically creates the Program Manager group MCAFEE (if not found)
- containing the LSC program icon, LSC README file icon and Crystal
- Reports icon. Refer to section 2.4.
-
- o Custom Install - allows you to choose specific install actions:
- install LSC program files on the file server, serialize product
- executables, create the MCAFEE Program Manager group and the program
- icons, and install the Crystal Reports software. Refer to section
- 2.5.
-
- o Upgrade - allows you to upgrade your existing LSC 2.02 software
- and database files with minimal user input. Refer to section 2.6.
-
- o Conversion - allows you to convert additional LSC 2.02 database
- files. Refer to section 2.7.
-
- NOTE: The Conversion option allows you to convert multiple LSC 2.02
- database files. Before choosing the Conversion option, the LSC 3.0
- software must already have been installed using the Basic, Custom or
- Upgrade install options.
-
- Refer to the appropriate section in this chapter for procedures regarding
- the selected option.
-
-
- 2.4 Basic Install Procedure
-
- The Basic Install process automatically performs the following operations:
-
- o Installs the LSC software
- o Installs the LSC license
- o Installs the Crystal Reports software into the LSC program directory
- o Creates a Program Manager group MCAFEE containing the following
- program icons: LSC 3.00, LSC README, Crystal Reports
-
- Continue with the following steps to complete the Basic Install procedure:
-
- 7. In the Enter Pathname dialog box, enter the full pathname to where the
- LSC files should be copied and choose the OK button.
-
- LSC will create the directory if it does not exist. (LSC will only
- create one subdirectory level.)
-
- If LSC already exists in the specified directory, a prompt displays
- asking whether or not you wish to replace the existing copy of LSC.
- Choose the Yes button to overwrite the existing files, or choose the No
- button to abort the installation.
-
- 8. The install program prompts you for each LSC program diskette. Place
- the requested diskette in the floppy drive, and choose the OK button to
- continue.
-
- 9. In the Enter Serial Number dialog box, enter the serial number of your
- LSC software and choose the OK button.
-
- The serial number is the last 7 digits located on the label of your
- distribution diskettes.
-
- 10. In the Enter Company Name dialog box, enter your Company Name and
- choose the OK button.
-
- The length of the Company Name must be between 1 and 20 characters.
-
- 11. In the Modification of WIN.INI dialog box, choose either the Yes or No
- button to continue.
-
- o Choosing the Yes button - By choosing this button, your existing
- local WIN.INI file is backed up as WIN.BDI. In the [Extensions]
- section of the new WIN.INI file, the following line is added:
- rpt=CRW.exe ^.rpt
-
- o Choosing the No button - By choosing this button, your existing
- WIN.INI file is not modified. The changes that need to be made to
- the WIN.INI file (listed above) are saved in the file named WIN.BDI.
-
- 12. Several messages display recommending that you modify your WIN.INI
- file (as in step #11 above), check the LSC log file, and review the LSC
- README file. Choose the OK button after reading each message.
-
- To view the LSC log file, use any text-based program (e.g., Notepad).
- To open the README file, double click on the icon in the MCAFEE Program
- Manager group.
-
-
- 2.5 Custom Install Procedure
-
- The Custom Install process gives you the option to perform any of the
- following operations:
-
- o Install the LSC software
- o Serialize the LSC product executables
- o Install the Crystal Reports software
- o Create a Program Manager group MCAFEE containing the following
- program icons: LSC 3.00, LSC README, and Crystal Reports (if installed)
-
- Continue with the following steps to complete the Custom Install procedure:
-
- 7. In the Custom Install Options dialog box, select the desired install
- option(s), and choose the OK button.
-
- Place a checkmark next to the install options you want to perform.
-
- The prompts which subsequently display depend on the install option(s)
- you select here.
-
- 8. In the Enter Pathname dialog box, enter the full pathname to the LSC
- program directory and choose the OK button.
-
- If you are installing the software for the first time, then specify the
- full pathname to the directory in which the files should be copied.
-
- If you have already installed the software and you are installing the
- license or creating the Program Manager group at this time, then specify
- the full pathname to the directory in which the LSC files already exist.
-
- LSC will create the directory if it does not exist. (LSC will only
- create one subdirectory level.)
-
- If you have selected the "Install files to your desired drive" option and
- the LSC files already exist in the specified directory, a prompt displays
- asking whether or not you wish to replace the existing copy of LSC.
- Choose the Yes button to overwrite the existing files, or choose the No
- button to keep the existing files.
-
- 9. The install program prompts you for the LSC program diskettes. Place
- the requested diskette in the floppy drive, and choose the OK button to
- continue.
-
- The disks you are prompted for depend on the install options you selected
- in step #7 above.
-
- 10. In the Enter Serial Number dialog box, enter the serial number of your
- LSC software and choose the OK button.
-
- This prompt displays if you are installing the LSC software or the LSC
- license.
-
- The serial number is the last 7 digits located on the label of your
- distribution diskettes.
-
- 11. In the Enter Company Name dialog box, enter your Company Name and
- choose the OK button.
-
- This prompt displays if you are installing the LSC software or the LSC
- license.
-
- The length of the Company Name must be between 1 and 20 characters.
-
- 12. In the Modification of WIN.INI dialog box, choose either the Yes or No
- button to continue.
-
- This prompt displays if you are installing the Crystal Reports software.
-
- o Choosing the Yes button - By choosing this button, your existing
- local WIN.INI file is backed up as WIN.BDI. In the [Extensions]
- section of the new WIN.INI file, the following line is added:
- rpt=CRW.exe ^.rpt
-
- o Choosing the No button - By choosing this button, your existing
- WIN.INI file is not modified. The changes that need to be made to
- the WIN.INI file (listed above) are saved in the file named WIN.BDI.
-
- 13. Several messages display recommending that you modify your WIN.INI file
- (as in step #12 above), check the LSC log file, and review the LSC README
- file. Choose the OK button after reading each message.
-
- To view the LSC log file, use any text-based program (e.g., Notepad).
- To open the README file, double click on the icon in the MCAFEE Program
- Manager group.
-
-
- 2.6 Upgrade Procedure
-
- The Upgrade option installs the new LSC software and converts the existing
- 2.02 data files into the new format.
-
- NOTE: Backup all existing LSC files before upgrading the LSC software.
-
- The Upgrade from 2.02 install option automatically performs the following
- actions:
-
- o Installs the LSC 3.0 software
- o Converts the LSC 2.02 data files to the 3.0 format
- o Installs the LSC license
- o Creates a Program Manager group MCAFEE which contains the following
- program icons: LSC 3.00, LSC README, Crystal Reports (if installed)
-
- You are also given the option to install the Crystal Reports software into
- the LSC program directory and to convert additional LSC 2.02 databases to
- the 3.0 format.
-
- Continue with the following steps to complete the Upgrade procedure:
-
- 7. In the Upgrade Install Options dialog box, indicate whether you want to
- install the Crystal Reports software. Then choose the OK button.
-
- Note that the Crystal Reports software can be installed at a later time
- using the LSC Custom Install procedure.
-
- 8. In the Enter Pathname dialog box, enter the LSC 2.02 source directory and
- choose the OK button.
-
- The source directory is the directory in which the existing LSC version
- 2.02 files exist. Specify the full pathname.
-
- 9. In the subsequent Enter Pathname dialog box which displays, enter the
- destination directory and choose the OK button.
-
- The destination directory is the directory in which you want the new LSC
- 3.0 files to be copied. Specify the full pathname.
-
- If you entered your existing LSC 2.02 directory as the destination
- directory, then a message displays informing you that the LSC 2.02 files
- will be overwritten. Choose the OK button to proceed with the upgrade,
- or choose the Cancel button to specify another destination directory.
-
- 10. The install program prompts you for the LSC program diskettes. Place
- the requested diskette in the floppy drive, and choose the OK button to
- continue.
-
- 11. In the Enter Serial Number dialog box, enter the serial number of your
- LSC 3.0 software and choose the OK button.
-
- The serial number is the last 7 digits located on the label of your
- distribution diskettes.
-
- 12. In the Enter Company Name dialog box, enter your Company Name and
- choose the OK button.
-
- The length of the Company Name must be between 1 and 20 characters.
-
- 13. A message displays prompting you to convert the existing LSC 2.02 data
- files into the LSC 3.0 format. Choose the Convert button to convert the
- LSC 2.02 data files.
-
- If you do not want to convert the data files at this time, choose the No
- button. (You can later use the LSC Conversion option to convert the
- data files.)
-
- Upon choosing the OK button, the conversion routine begins.
-
- 14. After the database files are successfully converted, a prompt displays
- asking if you want to convert a subsequent 2.02 database.
-
- To convert another database, choose the Yes button.
- To exit the upgrade procedure, choose the No button.
-
- 15. If you answered Yes to the above prompt and wish to convert another
- database, you are prompted to enter the source directory.
-
- As in step #8 above, enter the full pathname to the directory in which
- the additional LSC version 2.02 database files exist.
-
- You can continue to execute steps #14 and 15 for each LSC 2.02 database
- you need to convert.
-
- 16. In the Modification of WIN.INI dialog box, choose either the Yes or No
- button to continue.
-
- This prompt displays if you are installing the Crystal Reports software.
-
- o Choosing the Yes button - By choosing this button, your existing
- local WIN.INI file is backed up as WIN.BDI. In the [Extensions]
- section of the new WIN.INI file, the following line is added:
- rpt=CRW.exe ^.rpt
-
- o Choosing the No button - By choosing this button, your existing
- WIN.INI file is not modified. The changes that need to be made to
- the WIN.INI file (listed above) are saved in the file named WIN.BDI.
-
- 17. Several messages display recommending that you modify your WIN.INI file
- (as in step #15 above), check the LSC log file, and review the LSC README
- file. Choose the OK button after reading each message.
-
- To view the LSC log file, use any text-based program (e.g., Notepad). To
- open the README file, double click on the icon in the MCAFEE Program
- Manager group.
-
-
- 2.7 Conversion Procedure
-
- The Conversion option gives you the opportunity to convert any additional LSC
- 2.02 data files into the new 3.0 format. These converted database files are
- appended to the data files in your LSC 3.0 program directory.
-
- NOTE: The LSC 3.0 software must be installed before choosing the Conversion
- option. Use the Basic, Custom or Upgrade install option to first install the
- 3.0 software.
-
- Continue with the following steps to complete the Conversion procedure:
-
- 7. In the Enter Pathname dialog box, enter the LSC 2.02 source directory
- and choose the OK button.
-
- The source directory is the directory in which the existing LSC version
- 2.02 database files exist. Specify the full pathname.
-
- 8. In the subsequent Enter Pathname dialog box which displays, enter the
- destination directory and choose the OK button.
-
- The destination directory is your LSC 3.0 program directory. Specify the
- full pathname. Upon choosing the OK button, the conversion routine begins.
-
- 9. After the database files are successfully converted, a prompt displays
- asking if you want to convert a subsequent 2.02 database.
-
- To convert another database, choose the Yes button.
- To exit the conversion routine, choose the No button.
-
- 10. If you answered Yes to the above prompt and wish to convert another
- database, you are prompted to enter the source directory.
-
- As in step #7 above, enter the full pathname to the directory in which
- the additonal LSC version 2.02 database files exist.
-
- You can continue to execute steps #7 through 10 for each LSC 2.02
- database you need to convert.
-
- 2.7.1 Upgrade Conversion Charts
-
- The following charts list the database fields that are converted when
- upgrading from LSC 2.x to LSC 3.0. The windows or dialog boxes on which the
- LSC 3.0 fields appear are listed in parenthesis beneath the LSC 3.0 file name.
-
- LSC 2.x File: ACCOUNT.DAT LSC 3.0 File: HLPDSK1C.DAT
- (Ticket window, Setup Account dialog box)
- Account Account
- First Name First Name
- Last Name Last Name
- Voice Phone Phone
- Department Department
- NetNumber + NodeAddress Network Address
-
- LSC 3.0 File: HLPDSK1Z.DAT
- (Contact Details and Setup Company dialog
- boxes)
- Account ID Company ID
- Address 1 Address 1
- Address 2 Address 2
- City City
- State State
- Zip Zip
- Fax Phone Fax #
- Data Phone Email
-
- LSC 2.x File: CAT.DAT LSC 3.0 File: HLPDSK1G.DAT
- (Ticket window, Qualification Lists dialog
- box)
- Category ID Problem Type
- Full Name Product Category
-
- LSC 2.x File: DEPT.DAT LSC 3.0 File: HLPDSK1D.DAT
- (Ticket window, Qualification Lists
- dialog box)
- Department Department
-
-
- LSC 2.x File: PROBTYPE.DAT LSC 3.0 File: HLPDSK1G.DAT
- (Ticket window, Qualification Lists
- dialog box)
- "LSC 2.x" Problem Type
- Problem Type Product Category
-
- NOTE: Since the Problem Type in LSC 2.x allows 30 characters, it will be
- converted to Product Category in LSC 3.0. These product category
- items will be the related items for the problem type entry of "LSC 2.x."
-
- LSC 2.x File: CLASS.DAT LSC 3.0 File: HLPDSK1G.DAT
- (Ticket window, Qualification Lists
- dialog box)
- Class ID Problem Type
- Full Name Product Category
-
-
- LSC 2.x File: SUPPORT.DAT LSC 3.0 File: HLPDSK1S.DAT
- (Setup Staff dialog box)
- Support Person (initialized) Staff Initials
- Support Person Full Name
- Password Password
-
- LSC 2.x File: EXPERT.DAT
- Trouble New Ticket & Edit Ticket
- Reports Reports
- Administration Setup Staff & Label Options &
- Qualification List
-
- NOTE: The password in LSC 2.x will be truncated to the new length of 8
- characters. The conversion will determine staff initials for the Support
- Person. The corresponding rights for each support person will be
- retrieved from EXPERT.DAT.
-
- LSC 2.x File: TICKET.DAT LSC 3.0 File: HLPDSK1H.DAT
- (Ticket window)
- Account Account
- First Name First Name
- Last Name Last Name
- Phone Phone
- Department Department
- NetNumber + NodeAddress Network Address
- Problem Type Product Category
- Status Opened or Closed
- Opened by or Assigned To Assigned To
- Opened Date Opened Date
- Opened Time Opened Time
- Closed Date Closed Date
- Closed Time Closed Time
-
- NOTE: If the Assigned to field in LSC 2.x is blank, then the Opened by field
- will be converted to the Assigned to field in LSC 3.0. The corresponding
- ticket number in LSC 3.0 is a combination of the Assigned to initials, the
- Ticket Date, and the Opened Time. If the status is OPEN or ASSI, the
- status will be Opened in LSC 3.0. If it is CLOS or INAC, the status will
- be Closed in LSC 3.0.
-
- LSC 2.x File: TNOTES.DAT LSC 3.0 File: HLPDSK1P.DAT
- (Ticket window)
- Notes Problem Description
-
- NOTE: The Notes field on the ticket is converted to the problem description
- in LSC 3.0.
-
-
- 2.8 Uninstalling LSC
-
- Use the following procedure to remove the LAN Support Center program.
-
- Delete the LSC program directory.
-
- All LSC executable files and data files will be erased.
-
- NOTE: To move LSC to another location (e.g., from one file server to
- another), use the Windows File Manager utility to move the entire LSC
- program directory. It is highly recommended that you first backup the
- existing LSC program directory before moving it to another location.
-
-
- 2.9 Installation Troubleshooting
-
- If you receive any errors while installing or upgrading LSC, display the log
- file to view the errors and possible solutions. The errors are listed here
- for your reference.
-
- A log file with the name LOGFILE was found. Do you wish to overwrite this
- file?
- A prior version of the log file has been detected in your Windows
- directory. Choose the Yes button to overwrite the existing log file,
- or choose the No button to specify a new log file name.
-
- Are you sure you want to CANCEL installation?
- This message displays if you have chosen to cancel the installation.
- You must verify the decision by choosing either the Yes or No button.
-
- Converting LSC 2.02 databases requires LSC 3.00 files. Setup could not
- find LSC 3.00 files in your specified directory. Please choose other
- upgrade option instead.
- You must already have installed the LSC 3.0 software in order to
- convert LSC 2.02 databases. Choose the OK button in response to this
- message. Either choose another option to install the software, or
- specify a valid source LSC 3.0 program directory.
-
- DRIVELETTER is an invalid drive. Choose OK to choose another drive.
- You have entered an invalid disk designation. Correct the entry to
- continue.
-
- Error calling DLL function. This indicates that install was unable to find
- PROGLIB.DLL or NETWARE.DRV didn't load or wasn't configured in your
- SYSTEM.INI file.
- The install was unable to find a file necessary to continue the
- installation. Please confirm that your Windows environment is
- configured to run with NetWare (NETx 3.22 or greater) and that your
- Windows directory is not MAP ROOTed. Also verify the following:
- - The shells are loaded.
- - The following line is included in your SYSTEM.INI file in
- the [386Enh] section:
- network=--vnetbios, vnetware.386, vipx.386
- - You have Write and Modify rights to your Windows directory.
-
- Install did not find a copy of LSC 2.02 in DESIGNATEDPATH. Please choose
- another path.
- You have chosen to upgrade a previous copy of LSC; however, no copy
- exists in the designated directory. Choose the OK button in response
- to this message, and enter a valid LSC 3.0 pathname.
-
- Install found another, possibly older, copy of LSC. Would you want to
- upgrade this copy?
- Install found an older copy of LSC. Choose the Yes button to
- upgrade the existing LSC files.
-
- Not enough space on DISK to install LSC. Please choose OK to try another
- target disk.
- There is not enough space on your target drive. Either choose
- another drive or make room on the target disk.
-
- Please enter a company name with a minimum of 1 character and a maximum of
- 20 characters.
- The length of the company name must be between 1 and 20 characters.
-
- Serialization Error: Install encountered a fatal error attempting to
- serialize LSC.EXE. Please contact McAfee Technical Support at (908) 530-9650.
- The install was unable to serialize the executable. LSC cannot be run
- unless the executable is serialized properly.
-
- The serial number you have entered is not valid. Please enter the last 7
- digits of the serial number and password as they appear on the original LSC
- diskette.
- You have entered an invalid serial number.
-
- The target location must be different than the source. Please specify a
- different location.
- When transferring files, the source and destination must be
- different.
-
- There is not enough space on DISKDRIVE to perform a complete install of LAN
- Support Center. Choose Yes to continue installing LAN Support Center.
- Choose No to cancel the installation.
- Install detected that there was not enough space on the designated
- disk drive to perform a complete install. Choose Yes to continue
- the installation if you are not transferring files or are copying
- over existing files with the same name.
-
- This installation FAILED/ABORTED. Please run Install again to be sure that
- LSC is installed correctly. Choose OK to exit Install and view the install
- log file.
- If you received a FATAL ERROR or chose to abort the installation,
- you will receive this error and then the log file will be displayed
- automatically.
-
- Unable to copy or decompress file: FILENAME. Make sure that you have
- permission to write to the designated path and that you have included the
- drive letter.
- The install program was unable to copy or decompress the designated
- file from the source diskette. Verify your rights and try the
- installation again.
-
- Unable to create specified path: PATH. Please enter a correct path such as
- SUBDIRECTORY.
- The target path cannot be created. Install can only create one
- layer of subdirectories.
-
- Unable to create specified path: PATHNAME. Please enter a correct path such
- as SUGGESTEDPATHNAME.
- The target path cannot be created. The install can only create one
- layer of subdirectories.
-
- You have entered WRONGDISK. Install needs LAN Support Center Disk
- #CORRECTDISKNUMBER.
- You have put the wrong disk into the floppy drive.
-
- Your entry is not a valid 7 digit number. If the serial number printed on
- your original disk is LSC-300-XXXXXXX, please enter XXXXXXX as the serial
- number.
- The serial number has been entered incorrectly.
-
-
- 2.10 Btrieve Configuration Options
-
- LAN Support Center uses the Novell Btrieve Record Manager as its record
- manager. Btrieve is integrated with NetWare and offers an extremely high
- performance mechanism for storing information. In addition, Btrieve is the
- basis for Novell's Network Management System (NMS), which allows McAfee to
- integrate with this important management platform more easily.
-
- There are two methods of implementing Btrieve:
-
- o Server-based - All data processing is done at the file server by the
- Brequestor (the Btrieve NLM or VAP). Each workstation communicates with
- the NLM or VAP by loading BREQUEST.EXE in the local PC's memory.
-
- o Brequest uses 31-45KB of RAM, depending on the options specified. (Version
- 6.10 or greater is required when using Brequest with LSC.) It is much faster
- than the local Btrieve; however, it requires that the NLM or VAP be loaded on
- the file server.
-
- o Client-based - Workstations perform all data processing locally. Client-
- based Btrieve is initialized automatically through the client-based
- WBTRCALL.DLL file.
-
- LAN Support Center is fully compatible with both methods of access. It is
- highly recommended that you use the server-based method, as this will improve
- the performance of LSC's database access by at least 50% and by as much as 500%.
-
- NOTES: a - General instructions for configuring the Btrieve NLM are
- provided in Chapter 15. Refer to your Novell documentation for details on
- configuring Btrieve.
- b - When running the Brequestor, BSPXCOM must also be loaded.
- Refer to your Novell documentation for details on loading this program.
-
- 2.10.1 LSC and Btrieve
-
- LSC is fully compatible with both Btrieve methods discussed in the above
- section. LSC provides two batch files which configure the program to run
- with either server-based or client-based Btrieve. Upon installation, LSC is
- automatically configured to run with server-based Btrieve (i.e., the Btrieve
- NLM or VAP).
-
- If you are using local Btrieve instead of Brequest, then you must run the
- USEBTR.BAT batch file before launching LSC. This batch file renames several
- files which instruct LSC to look for local Btrieve.
-
- The USEBRQ.BAT batch file provided with LSC renames several files which
- instruct LSC to look for Brequest. (As mentioned above, this is the default
- configuration upon LSC installation.)
-
- NOTE: If you are using local Btrieve, you must run the USEBTR.BAT
- file before launching LSC. If you use server-based Btrieve later, you
- must then run the USEBRQ.BAT file before launching LSC.
-
- Both batch files are copied into the LSC program directory upon installation.
-
- o USEBTR.BAT - The batch file which renames certain files and instructs LSC
- to look for local Btrieve.
- o USEBRQ.BAT - The batch file which renames certain files and instructs LSC
- to look for Brequest.
-
- NOTE: The LSC batch files only need to be run when you have changed the
- Btrieve method being used. They do not need to be run each time you launch
- LSC.
-
- This ends the chapter on LAN Support Center installation and configuration.
- Refer to the next chapter for instructions on getting started with LSC.
-
-
-
- 3.0 Getting Started
-
- Chapter 2 provided you with LSC installation and upgrade instructions. This
- chapter introduces LAN Support Center and presents a tutorial for the
- first-time LSC user.
-
-
- 3.1 Introduction
-
- The following chart describes the sections in this chapter:
-
- SECTION DESCRIPTION
- Planning Your LSC Database Discusses the importance of planning the
- labels in your LSC database before using the
- LSC program.
-
- The LSC Application Window Provides instructions on entering and exiting
- LSC, selecting commands from the menu bar,
- using the tool bar as an alternative to the
- menu bar, and using LSC's on-line help
- facility.
-
- Tutorial Describes the tasks associated with LSC's
- main features: tailoring the database labels,
- defining the qualification lists, creating
- tickets, viewing the ticket database, and
- generating reports.
-
-
- 3.2 Planning Your LSC Database
-
- LSC's flexibility allows you to tailor the database to completely satisfy
- your requirements. LSC can be used in either an enterprise environment or
- internally within a company. For example, an enterprise environment may have
- clientele for which they need to track support requests. Using LSC
- internally may facilitate a company's management of any number of events:
- scheduled installations and upgrades, problem reporting, and even employee
- training classes.
-
- The software is installed with a default database labeling scheme. Before
- you begin using LAN Support Center, you should take the time to review the
- default labels and determine whether or not they apply to your environment.
- The database label names should reflect the event(s) you intend to track.
-
- The following examples illustrate how companies can tailor the LSC database
- labels for their individual purposes:
-
- o An insurance company uses LSC to track insurance claims. They have
- changed the default 'Department' field label to 'Policy Number.' The 'Issue
- Type' field is used to reflect the type of insurance held by the insured.
- The 'Problem Type' and 'Product Category' fields are used to track the types
- of claims being made. The 'Cross Reference' field is used to maintain the
- insured's policy number for cross-referencing purposes.
-
- o A software development company uses LSC to track new features to be
- incorporated into their product upgrades. They have changed the default
- 'First Name' field label to 'Product Name,' and the 'Last Name' field label
- to 'Version Number.' The 'Problem Type' and 'Product Category' field labels
- are changed to 'Feature' and 'Module' to track the new feature request and
- the module which must be modified. The 'Assigned to' field is used to
- indicate the programmer responsible for the new feature. The 'Priority'
- field reflects the urgency of the new feature.
-
- o A manufacturing company uses LSC to track customer support calls. The
- 'Account ID' field is used to track the companies from which calls are being
- received. The 'First Name,' 'Last Name' and 'Phone' fields are used to track
- data regarding the contact person for the account. The 'Priority' field is
- used to reflect the urgency of the support call. (The URGENT priority
- displays in red in the View Tickets window so the staff determine quickly
- which tickets must be handled first.)
-
- Defining the labels in your LSC database is an easy task. The entire
- database labeling scheme is defined in one straight-forward and intuitive
- dialog box. The steps for defining the LSC database are discussed in detail
- in section 5.2 "Database Labeling."
-
-
- 3.3 The LSC Application Window
-
- This section will familiarize you with the LSC application window. In
- addition to providing instructions for launching and exiting LSC, it also
- discusses the menu bar, tool bar, and help facility.
-
- 3.3.1 Windows Terms
-
- LAN Support Center should be used with a mouse. Several Windows terms
- regarding the use of the mouse are briefly defined below:
-
- TERM DESCRIPTION
- Cancel Button Choosing the Cancel button exits the current dialog box
- without saving any changes you made in this dialog box or
- executing a command you selected in this dialog box.
-
- Choose Click the left mouse button on an item to initiate an action.
- The item can be a menu, a command or a button.
- For example, "Choose the Administration menu."
-
- Click Press the left mouse button once.
-
- Double click Press the left mouse button twice in quick succession.
-
- Icon A graphic representation of a Windows object. The object
- can be a program or a minimized window.
-
- Point Position the mouse with the tip of the screen pointer
- resting on the desired item.
-
- Scroll Use the scroll bars and buttons to move through a list of
- items.
-
- Select Mark or highlight an item by either clicking on it with the
- mouse or using key combinations. For example, "Select
- a ticket in the View Tickets window."
-
-
- NOTE: The remainder of this manual assumes that you are familiar with Windows.
- Refer to your Microsoft Windows manual for information on the fundamental
- operating conventions of the Windows environment.
-
- 3.3.2 Launching LSC
-
- After successfully installing LAN Support Center, a McAfee group and an LSC
- program icon are created on your Windows desktop.
-
- Use the following procedure to launch LSC.
-
- 1. If you are using LSC on a network, load the Novell Btrieve record manager.
-
- Ignore this step if you are using LSC in a stand-alone environment.
-
- Either server-based or client-based Btrieve can be used with LSC. Server-
- based Btrieve is strongly recommended due to its increased database access
- speed. If you are running server-based Btrieve, proceed to the next step.
-
- NOTE: Upon installation, LSC is configured to run with Brequest. If you are
- running client-based Btrieve, LSC will automatically load the local Btrieve
- for you; however, you must configure the LSC files to run with local Btrieve.
- To do this, you must run the USEBTR.BAT file in the LSC program directory
- before launching LSC. For example, from within the LSC program directory,
- enter the following command: USEBTR.
-
- Refer to section 2.10.1 for details on the batch files provided with LSC.
-
- 2. Run Windows, and double click on the LSC program icon.
-
- If you are using Novell's local Btrieve, a message displays recommending
- that you use Brequest for increased database access speed. This message
- will display when LSC cannot detect Brequest. It will also display when
- LSC is configured to run with client-based Btrieve (i.e., by running the
- USEBTR.BAT file). To disable the warning message under all circumstances,
- place a checkmark in the "Disable warning message when Brequest isn't
- running" field in the message window. (To re-enable the warning message,
- the LSC.INI file must be edited. Refer to section 3.3.8 for more
- information on the LSC.INI file parameters.)
-
- Choose the OK button to continue the LSC program launch. The LSC Login
- dialog box displays.
-
- 3. Enter your login initials and password, and choose the OK button.
-
- After entering your login initials, press the <TAB> key to move the
- cursor to the Password field. Then enter your LSC password.
-
- NOTE: The default LSC login initials and password are LSC and LSC. Changing
- the default password or changing the rights given to the default login is
- highly recommended. The procedures for defining Staff Membership and
- Security begin in section 5.3.
-
- Upon choosing the OK button in the LSC Login dialog box, the LAN Support
- Center application window displays.
-
- NOTE: If previously you have launched LSC and saved the monitor configuration
- upon exiting, there may be open ticket windows in your LSC application
- window. Refer to the following section entitled "Exiting LSC."
-
- The application window consists of the following items which are
- discussed in this section:
-
- o The LSC menu bar
- o The LSC tool bar
- o Access to the LSC on-line help facility
-
- 3.3.3 Exiting LSC
-
- Use the following procedure to end an LSC session.
-
- 1. Choose the Exit command from the File menu.
-
- A dialog box displays prompting you to confirm the exit action.
-
- 2. To save your monitor configuration, check the 'Save monitor
- configuration' option.
-
- Checking this option will save the configuration of any windows that are
- currently open in your LSC application window. All open windows will be
- automatically restored upon starting your next LSC session. For example,
- if the View Tickets window and three additional Ticket windows are open
- when you exit LSC and enable this option, then all four windows will be
- opened the next time you launch LSC.
-
- NOTE: The column widths in LSC's View Tickets window can be modified. Any
- modified column widths are saved upon exiting LSC regardless of your response
- to this exit prompt.
-
- 3. Choose the OK button to close the LSC application.
-
- 3.3.4 LSC Menu Bar
-
- To choose a menu, point to the menu name and click the left mouse button.
-
- The general purpose of each menu item is defined below:
-
- o File Menu - Lists commands for printing reports, configuring global print
- settings and exiting LSC.
- o Edit Menu - Lists standard editing commands for use when creating and
- editing tickets.
- o Administration Menu - Lists commands for setting up and maintaining the
- LSC environment. This includes staff setup and security, account setup,
- company setup, database labeling and administration, qualification list
- administration, custom view definitions and archiving/restoring tickets.
- o View Menu - Lists commands for selecting and managing the ticket display
- of the View Tickets window.
- o Ticket Menu - Lists commands for creating and managing tickets and their
- supporting information, as well as provides access to other McAfee LAN
- management products.
- o Reports Menu - Provides access to pre-defined and custom LSC reports.
- o Window - Lists commands for arranging the open windows in the LSC
- application area. (This menu only displays when there are open windows in
- the LSC application area.)
- o Help Menu - Lists commands for accessing LSC's on-line Windows
- hypertext help facility.
-
-
- NOTE: Holding down the left mouse button over a menu command causes the
- function of the command to display in the LSC title bar at the top of your
- screen.
-
- 3.3.5 LSC Tool Bar
-
- LSC's tool bar buttons provide an alternative for accessing the most
- frequently used LSC functions.
-
- Instead of choosing commands from the drop-down menus, you can choose the
- tool bar buttons to perform the same tasks. For example, to create a new
- ticket, you can either choose the New Ticket command from the Ticket menu
- or you can choose the New tool bar button. Both actions display a new Ticket
- window.
-
- The function of each tool bar button is described below:
-
- o View - Displays the View Tickets window which allows you to view a list of
- related tickets and their corresponding actions.
- o Filter - Displays the Filter Ticket List dialog box which enables you to
- specify criteria of the tickets to be listed in the View Tickets window.
- o Sort - Displays the Select Sort Criteria dialog box in which you can
- define the sort order of the tickets listed in the View Tickets window.
- o Refresh - Updates the display in the View Tickets window.
- o New - Displays a new Ticket window in which ticket information is entered
- and maintained.
- o Edit - Displays the Ticket window associated with the highlighted ticket
- in the View Tickets window.
- o Delete - Deletes the ticket data associated with the active ticket or a
- highlighted ticket in the View Tickets window.
- o Print - Prints the ticket data associated with the active ticket or a
- highlighted ticket in the View Tickets window.
- o Contact - Displays the Contact Details dialog box associated with the
- active ticket or a highlighted ticket in the View Tickets window.
- o Previous - Displays the Ticket window of the previous ticket listed in the
- View Tickets window.
- o Next - Displays the Ticket window of the next ticket listed in the View
- Tickets window.
- o Investigate - Displays the Smart-Launch McAfee Applications dialog box
- which provides access to other McAfee network management tools.
- o Action - Displays the Add Action dialog box for entering an action entry
- to be associated with the active ticket or a highlighted ticket in the View
- Tickets window.
- o Edit - Displays the Edit Action dialog box associated with the highlighted
- action entry in the View Tickets window.
- o Delete - Deletes the highlighted action entry in the View Tickets window.
- o Report - Provides access to the LSC reporting module.
-
- 3.3.6 Using the Keyboard
-
- LSC can be used with or without a mouse pointing device. To use LSC without
- a mouse, perform the following standard Windows keyboard actions to navigate
- throughout the program.
-
- o Each menu item on the LSC menu bar has a keyboard mnemonic. To choose
- a menu, press the <ALT> key in combination with the underlined letter key.
- For example, press the <ALT><F> keys to choose the File menu and display
- its commands.
-
- o Each command also has a keyboard mnemonic. Once the menu is displayed
- (i.e., "dropped down"), press the underlined letter of the command you want to
- choose. For example, from the File menu, press <R> to choose the Print
- Setup command and display the Print Setup dialog box. Once a menu is
- displayed, you can also use the <up/down arrow> keys to move the highlight
- to a desired command and then press <ENTER> to select the command.
-
- All keyboard mnemonics for use with LSC are listed on the Quick Reference
- Card included in your LSC product package.
-
- 3.3.7 Help Facility
-
- LSC's Help facility provides on-line assistance for using the LSC software.
- To get information quickly about an LSC feature or procedure, choose the
- Index command from the Help menu.
-
- Choosing the Index command displays an index list of topics. Choose the
- topic for which you require assistance.
-
- LSC's Help window is written in a standard Windows hypertext format. This
- means that you can jump from one topic to another simply by choosing topic
- names from a list. Several buttons display across the top of the Help window,
- which allow you to both search for topics and view a list of the topics you
- have visited.
-
- For detailed information on using a Windows Help facility, refer to your
- Windows documentation.
-
- 3.3.8 LSC.INI File
-
- When the LAN Support Center software is installed, the LSC.INI file is
- created and placed in the Windows directory of the local workstation.
- Each time the program is launched, the LSC.INI file is referenced for
- initialization and status information.
-
- The file can consist of the following sections:
-
- o [ShowBrequestWarning] - This section indicates the status of the Brequest
- warning message which displays upon launching LSC when LSC does not
- detect the presence of the Btrieve NLM or VAP. This section contains an
- 'Init=' line which indicates whether or not the warning is disabled (i.e.,
- 'Init=No' when warning is disabled; 'Init=Yes' when warning is enabled).
-
- o The warning message can be disabled by checking the "Disable message when
- Brequest isn't running" field in the message window which displays when
- launching LSC. The only way to re-enable the warning message after it has
- been disabled is to edit the LSC.INI file and enter 'Init=Yes' in this
- section.
-
- o [ColumnWidth] - This section lists the widths of all columns in the View
- Tickets window. Column numbers 1 to 11 represent the columns of the ticket
- list area in the window. Column numbers B1 to B6 represent the columns in
- the action list area of the window. Column widths can be changed either by
- modifying these numbers manually in the INI file or by using the mouse to
- drag the column separator line directly in the View Tickets window. (A
- column width of 0 indicates that the column is hidden.)
-
- o [ShowBanner] - This section can be added manually to the INI file in order
- to disable the About LAN Support Center dialog box, which displays upon
- launching LSC. To disable the About dialog box at start-up time, enter the
- following:
-
- [ShowBanner]
- Init=No
-
- o [TicketScr_#] - There can be any number of these sections which indicate
- the parameters and status of any open LSC windows upon exiting the program.
- Ticket window number, field contents and position are indicated. (The
- "Ticket Number = -1" entry indicates the parameters of the View Tickets
- window.)
-
- NOTE: To restore the default LSC.INI parameters, delete the LSC.INI file and
- re-launch the program. The LSC.INI file is re-created with its default
- settings.
-
-
- 3.4 Tutorial
-
- This tutorial provides a general overview on the use of LSC. It assumes that
- the Blue Ribbon company uses LSC to track and maintain incoming support calls
- received from their customers. Blue Ribbon is a supplier of computer
- hardware.
-
- The steps in this tutorial include the following:
-
- 1. Customizing the database labels to satisfy Blue Ribbon's help desk
- requirements.
- 2. Setting up accounts.
- 3. Defining the qualification list entries to facilitate consistency in
- the way the support staff enters ticket data.
- 4. Creating tickets to track incoming support calls.
- 5. Viewing the ticket database.
- 6. Generating reports which keep Blue Ribbon's management informed.
-
- NOTES: a - LSC must be installed before beginning the tutorial. If
- you have not already done so, please refer to Chapter 2 for installation
- instructions.
- b - For instructions on launching LSC, please refer to section 3.3.2.
- c - All LSC options and features mentioned in the tutorial are
- discussed in detail in the subsequent chapters of this manual.
-
- 3.4.1 Customizing the Database
-
- Blue Ribbon has thoroughly reviewed their support environment. They have
- determined that several default LSC database labels should be changed in
- order to track required information and optimize the support provided to
- their customers.
-
- Use the following procedure to modify the default LSC database labeling
- scheme. (The procedure is discussed in detail in section 5.2.)
-
- 1. Choose the Label Options command from the Administration menu.
-
- The Label Options dialog box displays. This dialog box shows the current
- labels for each field in the LSC ticket database.
-
- 2. Customize the labels.
-
- To change a label name, move the typing cursor into a field, delete the
- existing label and then type the new label name.
-
- Blue Ribbon wants the label changes that are listed in the table below.
- Replace the old labels with the desired new labels.
-
- OLD LABEL NEW LABEL
- First Name Acct #
- Department Company
- Cross Reference PO Number
-
- NOTE: Press the <TAB> key to move the cursor quickly from field to field in
- the Label Options dialog box.
-
- 3. Choose the OK button to save the label changes.
-
- The Label Options dialog box closes. All Ticket windows will now
- reflect the new labels.
-
- 3.4.2 Setting Up Accounts
-
- LSC accounts can be defined to identify companies, persons or events for
- which tickets are created. Each account is assigned an ID. Account IDs
- provide a means of categorizing tickets. They also simplify data entry
- because information related to an existing account ID you selected from the
- drop-down list in the Ticket window is automatically entered.
-
- The Blue Ribbon company wants to set up an LSC account for their customers
- who require support.
-
- Use the following procedure to add a new LSC account for Blue Ribbon. (The
- procedure is discussed in detail insection 5.4 entitled "Accounts IDs.")
-
- 1. Choose the Setup Account command from the Administration menu.
-
- The Setup Account dialog box displays, listing all accounts.
-
- 2. To add a new account, choose the Add button.
-
- The Add Account dialog box displays.
-
- NOTE: The field names in this dialog box reflect the currently assigned
- labels. For example, the previous section of this tutorial listed steps
- for modifying the default labels (e.g., "First Name" was changed to
- "Acct #").
-
- 3. Enter the account information for the Blue Ribbon customer named
- COMPUTERS, ETC in the appropriate fields.
-
- Enter the following information for the new LSC account:
-
- FIELD ENTRY DESCRIPTION
-
- Account ID Computers, Etc. This is the unique code or name to identify
- the new account. A maximum of 55 characters
- can be entered. This is the only required
- field in the Add Account dialog box.
-
- Acct # 0001 This is the account number for the customer.
- A maximum of 20 characters can be entered.
- (Note that this was the default First Name
- field.)
-
- Last Name Smith This is the last name of the person assigned
- to the account. A maximum of 20 characters
- can be entered.
-
- Phone 516-999-1212 This is the phone number of the person
- assigned to the account. A maximum of 27
- digits can be entered.
-
- Company ID COMP This is the unique code or name which
- identifies the contact details to be attached
- to all tickets that are assigned the account
- ID. A maximum of 40 characters can be entered.
-
-
- NOTES: a - Entering a Company ID in the Add Account dialog box links the
- account data to the company data. Each time the account ID is entered in a
- Ticket window, all related company data is automatically entered in the
- ticket's Contact Details dialog box. Refer to the procedures in section 5.5
- for setting up Company IDs.
- b - The Company and Network fields are left blank for the purposes
- of this tutorial.
-
- 4. Choose the Save button.
-
- The Add Account dialog box closes, and the "Computers, Etc." account ID
- is listed in the Setup Account dialog box.
-
- 5. Repeat steps 2-4 to add another account for the Blue Ribbon company.
-
- Enter the following information for Blue Ribbon's "Paper Supply Company"
- account:
-
- FIELD ENTRY
- Account ID Paper Supply
- Acct # 0002
- Last Name McGee
- Phone 333-555-5544
- Company ID Paper Supply
-
- 3.4.3 Defining Qualification List Entries
-
- LSC's "qualification lists" act as reference lists to make data entry easier
- and also maintain consistency within the data files. Selecting an item from
- a drop-down list eliminates the time required to type the entry and ensures
- that only the intended entries are included in the list. The level of detail
- entered in the LSC qualification lists affects how well you can monitor and
- track your support efforts.
-
- Blue Ribbon has decided that they want their support staff to select a
- Problem Type from a pre-defined list instead of manually typing in a new
- Problem Type for each new ticket.
-
- NOTE: The procedure below provides instructions for defining entries in the
- Problem Type qualification list. To prohibit a user from adding entries to
- a qualification list, define the appropriate security rights for the user.
- Refer to section 5.3 for instructions on defining staff membership and
- security.
-
- Use the following procedure to define several entries for Blue Ribbon's
- Problem Type qualification list. (The procedure is discussed in detail
- in section 5.6.2.)
-
- 1. Choose the Qualification Lists command from the Administration menu.
-
- The Qualification Lists dialog box displays.
-
- 2. Select the Problem Type database from the drop-down list associated with
- the Name of List field.
-
- Choose the down arrow button next to the Name of List field to view all
- qualification list names, and click on Problem Type. When a qualification
- list is selected, all items defined for that list display in the List
- Items area. (If you have not yet defined any Problem Type entries, then
- the List Items area will remain empty.)
-
- 3. Define a Problem Type item by choosing the Add button to the right of the
- List Items area.
-
- The Add Item dialog box displays prompting you to specify the name of the
- new item.
-
- 4. In the Add Item dialog box, type the new item name PRINTER and choose
- the OK button.
-
- The 'PRINTER' item is added to the List Items area and defined as a
- Problem Type.
-
- 5. Define sub-categories for the PRINTER item by choosing the Add button to
- the right of the Related Product Category area.
-
- An Add Related Item dialog box displays prompting you to specify the name
- of the new sub-category.
-
- 6. In the Add Related Item dialog box, type the new item name TONER and
- choose the OK button.
-
- 7. Repeat steps 3-6 to add the following Problem Types and related
- sub-categories for the Blue Ribbon company.
-
- Before defining a sub-category, first highlight the item to which the
- sub-category should be related. For example, highlight the MODEM item in
- the List Items area, and then add the related items 1200 BAUD, 9600 BAUD
- and INTERNAL.
-
- PROBLEM TYPES RELATED CATEGORIES
- Drive Floppy A
- Hard Drive
- Modem 1200 Baud
- 9600 Baud
- Internal
- Printer Cartridge
- Drum
- Toner
-
- 8. Choose the Close button to close the Qualification Lists dialog box.
-
- 3.4.4 Creating Tickets
-
- Information related to every support request that is received by Blue Ribbon
- is entered as a "ticket." Once created, a ticket is considered "opened" and
- can be assigned to a specific support staff member who is responsible for
- handling the ticket. All follow-up activity performed regarding the ticket
- is logged as ticket "action." LSC's ticket tracking capabilities enable Blue
- Ribbon to increase support response time, identify recurring support issues
- and monitor all incoming requests for support.
-
- Use the following procedure to create a new ticket and enter action details.
- (The procedure is discussed in detail in section 6.2.2.)
-
- 1. Choose the New Ticket command from the Ticket menu, or choose the
- New tool bar button.
-
- The Ticket window displays. A ticket number is automatically assigned
- by LSC. It is indicated in the title bar of the Ticket window and
- represents the LSC login user initials, year, month, day, hour, minute,
- and second of the ticket's creation.
-
- The ticket is automatically assigned to the staff member who logged in
- to LSC. The ticket is automatically assigned an 'Urgent' priority and
- its status is 'Opened' on the current date and time (i.e., the current
- system date and time).
-
- 2. From the Account ID field's drop-down list, choose PAPER SUPPLY.
-
- To display the drop-down list, click on the down arrow button associated
- with the Account ID field.
-
- Notice that when PAPER SUPPLY is selected, all related information
- previously entered for the Paper Supply account is automatically entered
- in the Ticket window fields. For detailed information on the Ticket
- window fields, refer to the table in section 6.2.2.
-
- 3. Specify additional information for this ticket.
-
- Enter the following information:
-
- FIELD ENTRY
- Priority Desired
- Problem Type Printer
- Product Category Cartridge
- PO Number 123456
- Problem Description Wrong model
-
- 4. Choose the Add Action button in the Ticket window to enter activity
- performed for this ticket.
-
- The Add Action dialog box displays.
-
- 5. Enter the action details.
-
- Each field in the Add Action dialog box is defined and discussed in
- detail in the table in section 6.3.1. Enter the following information
- regarding the initial action performed for this ticket:
-
- FIELD ENTRY
- Action Code TO_DO
- Description Send cartridge model #2400.
- Time Spent 00:10
- Initial Response Yes
-
- Note that the entry for the Action Code field can be selected from a
- drop-down list.
-
- 6. Choose the Save button in the Add Action dialog box to save the action
- information.
-
- The Add Action dialog box closes.
-
- 7. Choose the Save button in the Ticket window to save the ticket.
-
- The Ticket window closes.
-
- 8. For the purpose of the remaining tutorial steps, enter a second and
- third ticket having the following information:
-
- Ticket #2:
-
- FIELD ENTRY
- Account ID Paper Supply
- Account # 0002
- Last Name McGee
- Phone 333-555-5544
- Priority Urgent
- Problem Type Modem
- Product Category 1200 Baud
- PO Number 15647
- Problem Description Modem not responding
-
- Notice that LSC automatically completes many of the ticket fields based on
- the selected Account ID.
-
- Ticket #3:
-
- FIELD ENTRY
- Account ID Computers, Etc.
- Account # 0001
- Last Name Mitchell
- Phone 516-999-3434
- Priority Urgent
- Problem Type Printer
- Product Category Cartridge
- PO Number 98765
- Problem Description Needs instructions on adding toner.
-
- Notice that in ticket #3 the information for the Computers, Etc. account has
- changed. The Last Name entry changed from Smith to Mitchell, and the
- account's Phone Number changed. Because the account information was
- modified, when you try to save the ticket, a message displays asking if you
- want to update the account information. Responding Yes to this message will
- cause all future tickets to reflect the new information. Responding No to
- this message will save the modified data with this ticket only and not affect
- any other tickets assigned to the account. For the purpose of this tutorial,
- choose the No button.
-
- 3.4.5 Viewing the Ticket Database
-
- LSC's View Tickets window lets the Blue Ribbon staff members view detailed
- ticket data at a glance. As discussed in detail in section 4.2, the
- information that displays in the View Tickets window can be customized.
- Blue Ribbon is interested in viewing only those tickets that are assigned
- an 'Urgent' priority.
-
- Use the following procedure to display the View Tickets window and define
- filter criteria.
-
- 1. Choose the View tool bar button to display the View Tickets window.
-
- The View Tickets window displays, listing all tickets in your current
- ticket database. Note that, by default, the tickets are listed in
- ascending ticket number order. Also, the URGENT ticket priorities and
- the TO_DO actions display in red for easy identification.
-
- 2. To filter the tickets that display in the View Tickets window, choose
- the Filter tool bar button.
-
- You can also choose the Filter command from the View menu. The Filter
- Ticket List dialog box displays.
-
- 3. Define the filter criteria so that only the 'Urgent' priority tickets
- will display in the View Tickets window.
-
- Many of the fields in the Filter Ticket List dialog box are identical to
- the fields in the Ticket window.
-
- Blue Ribbon is interested in viewing only those tickets that are assigned
- an 'Urgent' priority. Therefore, check only the URGENT Priority option.
- (The Priority check boxes toggle when selected. If an item has an 'x' in
- its check box, then select the item again to remove the 'x' and de-select
- the item.)
-
- 4. Choose the OK button.
-
- The ticket information is filtered, and only those tickets that match the
- defined criteria will display in the View Tickets window (i.e., only the
- tickets that have an 'Urgent' priority).
-
- 3.4.6 Generating Reports
-
- LSC provides pre-defined reports which accumulate and present ticket data in
- an intuitive format. These reports represent reports frequently requested by
- support management and staff members. The pre-defined reports can be
- customized to accommodate individual reporting requirements. In addition, LSC
- includes the Crystal Reports software to be used for creating new reports for
- incorporation into LSC. Reporting is discussed in detail in Chapter 8 of
- this manual.
-
- Blue Ribbon is interested in tracking the type of problems their customers are
- experiencing. The pre-defined "All Tickets by Problem Type" report provides
- Blue Ribbon with the information needed to identify the frequency and reason
- for each Problem Type. Blue Ribbon can use this information to eliminate the
- problem. For example, if the PRINTER problem type occurs frequently, then
- perhaps the type of printers being distributed by Blue Ribbon are faulty, or
- perhaps the customers need more training on printer installation.
-
- Use the following procedure to generate the "All Tickets by Problem Type"
- report.
-
- 1. Choose the Reports tool bar button.
-
- You can also choose the Choose Reports command from the Reports menu.
- The Choose Report dialog box displays.
-
- 2. Select the "All Tickets by Problem Type" report.
-
- 3. In the Destination area of the Choose Report dialog box, select the
- Screen option.
-
- Selecting this option sends the report to a window on your screen.
-
- 4. Choose the OK button to generate the report.
-
- The All Tickets by Problem Type report displays in a window generated by
- Crystal Reports. The buttons at the top of the window from left to right
- can be chosen for page scroll to first page, previous page, next page,
- last page, stop scroll, page magnification and route report to printer.
- (For detailed instructions on using the Crystal Reports software, refer
- to Part Two of this manual.)
-
- 5. Close the report window by double clicking on the system menu button.
-
- The system menu button is shaped like a hyphen ( - ) and is located in the
- upper left corner of the report window.
-
- This ends the LSC tutorial. There are many other features and capabilities
- that were not covered. Please refer to Part One of this manual to become
- familiar with the LSC features.
-
-
-
- 4.0 Ticket Data Display
-
- Chapter 3 provided an introduction to LAN Support Center. This chapter
- provides an overview of the various windows which display the ticket data
- maintained by LSC.
-
-
- 4.1 Introduction
-
- The following windows display the ticket information maintained by LAN Support
- Center:
-
- o The View Tickets window offers a general view of the tickets in the LSC
- database. Each LSC user can customize the information displayed in this
- window in order to meet his or her ticket viewing requirements.
-
- o The Ticket window displays the details of an individual ticket. New
- tickets are created and existing ticket information is edited and maintained
- from within this window.
-
- The View Tickets window and the Ticket window are introduced and discussed in
- detail in this chapter.
-
- 4.1.1 What's in this Chapter
-
- The following chart describes the sections in this chapter:
-
- SECTION DESCRIPTION
-
- The View Tickets Window Provides an overview of the View Tickets window.
- Discusses the window layout, scrolling procedures
- and modifying the window contents.
-
- The Ticket Window Provides an overview of the Ticket window. Discusses
- the ticket numbering scheme, modifying the field
- labels, viewing multiple Ticket windows and
- associated ticket information.
-
-
- 4.2 The View Tickets Window
-
- The View Tickets window provides access to an entire database of tickets.
- The View Tickets window is displayed in any of the following ways:
-
- o Choose the View tool bar button to display a list of the open/active tickets
- in your LSC database.
-
- o Choose the Current Tickets command from the View menu to display a list of
- the open/active tickets in your LSC database.
-
- o Choose the Historical Tickets command from the View menu to display a list
- of tickets that have been archived into an historical database file.
-
- Ticket information and related ticket actions can be viewed at a glance.
-
- 4.2.1 View Tickets Window Layout
-
- There are two list boxes in the View Tickets window.
-
- o Ticket List - The upper area of this window lists the tickets in the LSC
- database. Double clicking on a ticket item displays the Ticket window in
- which the ticket's information can be modified.
-
- o The information displayed in this list can be modified in the following
- ways:
- - Define filter criteria to list only the tickets that match the
- filter criteria. For example, choose the Filter tool bar button and
- check only the Urgent priority to view only those tickets that have
- been categorized as Urgent. Refer to section 7.2 for detailed
- instructions.
- - Define another sort method to list the tickets according to the
- new sort criteria. For example, choose the Sort tool bar button and
- select Last Name as the primary sort method to view all tickets
- ordered alphabetically according to the tickets' Last Name field.
- Refer to section 7.3.1 for detailed instructions.
- - View a group of tickets in an historical database. Choose the
- Historical Tickets command from the View menu to access a list of
- tickets that have been archived. Refer to section 7.5.1 for
- detailed instructions.
- - Resize the columns to modify their width. By positioning the mouse
- pointer directly over a column separator line, the mouse cursor
- changes to a double-sided arrow. Holding down the left mouse button
- and moving the mouse to the left or right will decrease or increase
- the column size. If a user does not require a certain column of
- information, then the column can be completely hidden using this
- procedure. The modified column widths are saved even when you exit
- LSC!
-
- o Action List - The lower area of this window lists the actions associated
- with the ticket that is highlighted in the ticket list described above.
- Double clicking on an action item displays the Edit Action dialog box in which
- the action details can be modified.
-
- 4.2.2 Scrolling Within the View Tickets Window
-
- Horizontal and vertical scroll bars are available in both areas of the View
- Tickets window. Both areas of the window contain scroll bar buttons. The
- Ticket List area contains up/down scroll bar buttons which allow you to
- scroll through the ticket list. The Action List area contains left/right
- scroll bar buttons and a thumb button, all which allow you to view the action
- information.
-
- To facilitate movement within a large number of tickets, the Ticket List area
- provides additional vertical scroll bar buttons.
-
- o Choose the top scroll up button to display the beginning of the ticket
- list.
- o Choose the bottom scroll down button to display the end of the ticket
- list.
- o Choose the lower scroll up button to page up through the ticket list
- (i.e., move up several tickets as opposed to one ticket item at a time).
- o Choose the top scroll down button to page down through the ticket list.
-
-
- 4.3 The Ticket Window
-
- The Ticket window is used for creating or editing a ticket. The information
- in the Ticket window is specific to the ticket being created or edited. The
- Ticket window is displayed in any of the following ways:
-
- o Choose the New Ticket tool bar button to enter new ticket data.
- o Choose the New Ticket command from the Ticket menu to enter new ticket
- data.
- o Highlight a ticket in the View Tickets window, and choose the Edit Ticket
- tool bar button to edit the ticket's existing data.
- o Highlight a ticket in the View Tickets window, and choose the Edit Ticket
- command from the Ticket menu to edit the ticket's existing data.
- o Double click on a ticket in the View Tickets window to edit the ticket's
- existing data.
-
- A ticket window contains the fields regarding a specific "event" (e.g., a
- support call).
-
- 4.3.1 The Ticket Numbering Scheme
-
- When a new ticket is created, LSC automatically assigns a number to the
- ticket. The ticket number displays in the title bar of the Ticket window
- and cannot be modified by the LSC user.
-
- The ticket number is generated in the format IIIYYMMDDHHMMSS, which is
- determined by the following information:
-
- III =o The LSC login staff initials of the user who created the ticket. This
- can be up to three characters.
- YY =o The year in which the ticket was created.
- MM =o The month in which the ticket was created (from 01 to 12).
- DD =o The day in which the ticket was created (from 01 to 31).
- HH =o The hour in which the ticket was created (from 00 to 23).
- MM =o The minute in which the ticket was created (from 00 to 59).
- SS =o The second in which the ticket was created (from 00 to 59).
-
- For example, the ticket number KEL931221143151 indicates that the ticket was
- created on December 21, 1993 at 2:31:51 in the afternoon by the staff member
- who has the initials KEL.
-
- 4.3.2 Assigning Account IDs
-
- The Ticket window has an Account ID field in which an identifying code or
- name can be entered to indicate that the ticket "belongs" to a specific
- account. An account can be any entity for which a ticket is created. For
- example, accounts may be created for each customer ("Mary Jones") or for each
- organization ("Blue Ribbon Company"). Accounts are set up using the
- procedures on page 5.4.
-
- The benefits of assigning account IDs to tickets are as follows:
-
- o Assigning account IDs to tickets enables you to categorize the tickets
- according to an account. For example, it might be helpful to list all tickets
- that were created for the Blue Ribbon company. By doing so, you can
- determine the types of problems that Blue Ribbon is having and develop new
- procedures which eliminate the problems.
-
- o Assigning account IDs to tickets facilitates data entry. When an existing
- account ID is selected from the drop-down list in the Ticket window, the
- account information is automatically entered. The fields associated with
- Account ID are First Name, Last Name, Phone, Department, Network
- Address and Company ID.
-
- 4.3.3 Modifying the Ticket Window Labels
-
- The fields in the Ticket window represent the individual LSC databases. For
- example, LSC maintains a database of all First Names entered in the tickets.
- The field labels can be modified to reflect the individual requirements of an
- organization. Using the label "PO Number" in place of "Cross Reference"
- might be more meaningful to a support environment if incoming support calls
- correspond to a purchase order number.
-
- The procedures for modifying database labels are on page 5.2.
-
- 4.3.4 Viewing Multiple Ticket Windows
-
- Multiple Ticket windows can be open simultaneously. This allows the user to
- compare information being maintained across any number of tickets.
- Additionally, when multiple Ticket windows are open, the Edit menu commands
- (i.e., Cut, Copy, Paste) facilitate cross-referencing and sharing information
- among tickets. The process of creating a new ticket is simplified by
- displaying any number of existing tickets having similar information.
-
- For example, assume that there are several known problems that your staff
- should be aware of while providing support. As a result, you have created
- corresponding "BULLETIN" tickets which outline the known problems and list
- their solutions (e.g., for each Bulletin ticket, Problem Type=BULLETIN and
- Problem Category=SPREADSHEET:LOTUS). By keeping all Bulletin Ticket windows
- open, your support staff can quickly reference established solutions and
- provide support. Additionally, the Ticket window Cross Reference field can
- be used to establish a relationship between any number of tickets. This is
- discussed in more detail on page 6.2.3.
-
- HINTS: a - When multiple Ticket windows are open or iconized, use the
- Window menu commands to arrange them within the LSC application window.
- b - To cycle through the open Ticket windows, press the <CTRL><F6>
- keys or <CTRL><TAB> keys.
- c - To use the keyboard to minimize or close the active Ticket window,
- press the <ALT><hyphen> keys to open the Control menu and then
- choose the desired command. (The hyphen character is '-'.)
-
- 4.3.5 Associated Ticket Information
-
- In addition to the information that displays in the Ticket window, the
- following items can be associated with a ticket:
-
- o Action entries - These entries represent the actions performed in response
- to a ticket. For example, if LSC is used to track training sessions, then
- one type of action entry might be called PREPARE which describes the
- preparation performed before the session. In addition to tracking the
- efforts of your support staff, the action entries can be used to accumulate
- billable time spent on a ticket. The procedures for creating and maintaining
- action entries are discussed in section 6.3.1.
-
- o Company IDs and Contact details - Contact information includes the
- company, address, and phone number of the person to contact regarding the
- ticket. For example, if LSC is used to track requests for support, then the
- contact details should be used to maintain information for the caller
- requesting support. Contact details can be associated with a company ID.
- When an existing company ID is selected from the drop-down list in the Contact
- Details dialog box, the contact information is automatically entered.
-
- This concludes the overview of LSC's ticket data display. The procedures
- for setting up company IDs are discussed in section 5.5. The procedures for
- maintaining contact details are discussed in section 6.3.4. The instructions
- for modifying the LSC ticket views are discussed throughout Chapter 7,
- "Viewing Ticket Data."
-
-
-
-
-