Announcing General Availability of Web Help Desk 12.4

[peter.kruty]

I'm happy to share with you, that we reached GA milestone for Web Help Desk (WHD) 12.4. Focus of this release was mainly security and stability of the application. Namely

Security improvements

• Improved security across the application for FIPS-mode SSL connections, namely
  • HTTP over SSL connections
  • Microsoft® Exchange, IMAP, POP3, and SMTP over SSL
  • WMI and other asset discovery connections over SSL
  • LDAP over SSL
  • SolarWinds® Network Performance Monitor (NPM), Systems and Applications Monitor (SAM), and Network Configuration Monitor (NCM) integration over SSL
• User password hashes, integration password hashes, and other static data such as database custom fields and stored credentials
• Detection and indication of system cryptography status
• Automatic migration of all stored passwords for stronger and more secure cryptography

Support for FIPS 140-2 compatible cryptography

For environments where high security standards are required, you can install and configure FIPS 140-2 compatible cryptography to achieve your required level of regulation compliance. The user interface includes a password migration tool to help you migrate techs and clients to FIPS-secure passwords.

Additional improvements

• Smarter backup rotations in the Virtual Appliance
• Oracle® Java™ 8 support
• Over 100 bug fixes that hugely improve the stability of the application

Now go and download web help desk from your customer portal or webhelpdesk.com.

PS. If you want to get excited about what is coming next (we are already busily working on new stuff) sign up for upcoming Beta here.

[mynameisbear]

As exciting as all the security features are, I'm more interested in seeing your roadmap for sorting out the horrifying WHD interface.

[peter.kruty]

I contacted you over email as I hope to get more details on this. Thanks

[rem64]

Peter - where is that roadmap?  Do we have to get personal emails to learn about your roadmap?  What about the promise made last year that there would be many new updates that would come in small chunks?  I'm guessing based on your previous software updates that we should get maybe 1 more update (if we are lucky) by the end of the year?

[grant.townsend]

Really frustrated that the eagerly awaited v12.4 still does not have a new Change ticket type as promised last year: https://thwack.solarwinds.com/docs/DOC-176971#sta...  Really need this for ITIL which is a very widely used methodology. How hard can it be to add a fourth ticket type. You could surely even make it optional in the settings, for any that don't want it.

[grant.townsend]

I've only been using WHD for four weeks now, but I like it.

It compares favourably to other helpdesk/call-logging systems I've used. I think it's easier to use and more intuitive.

I do, though, find it very frustrating that it's not fully geared up for ITIL, which I find an extremely useful methodology.

E.g. the four main call/ticket types of Service Request, Incident, Problem and Change are only partially modelled with there being no Change ticket type.

In fact, I can't yet see how Change Management is modelled in WHD at all.

[wdkunkel]

How do you apply the 12.4.1 hotfix to the OVA template? I tried using WinSCP but cannot overwrite the whd-core.jar file using the admin credentials.

[adeyeyea]

I started using the WHD a few days ago , please how do i have a copy of the requestor or client email to be stored in an email archive, rather than have it deleted from the Admin email account?

The interface is not looking nice , and the text are actually too small , can we have a feature where we can change font settings etc?

How do i create multiple admin account besides the main admin account used for configuration?

Read notification will be a nice to have features

[tcore]

The same was missing for us.  We have created a Request type called Change Request and applied the Action Rules to that type.  This is how we have trained our staff in change control.  For us, we have 9 different groups with at least 4 - 5 people in each group.  We have found a way to use request types if efficiently move our tickets from group to group without having to re-catalog the ticket.  So, if multiple groups are responsible for a change.  One change ticket is created, and they just change the last option on the request type to the group that need to document next.  The ticket is then placed in their queue.  IE:

request type - SubCategory

Change Request - No Assignment - is used when the assignment group has not been defined.

change Request - Network Engineers

Change REquest - Server Team

Change REquest - Telephony

ETC for each group that you have in IT.

so when network want the server team to look at something on the change, they would put a note in the ticket - then select the sub category of Server Team. and save the ticket.  The Assignment group for the request type Change Request - Server Team point to the server team group.  So now the ticket is in their queue and no longer in the queue for network engineers.

When you run your report for change control.  you have a document that shows who currently owns the ticket. and the latest documentation.

hopes that help you with the ITIL piece.

[tcore]

(can we have a feature where we can change font settings etc?)

     The interface is governed by windows.  if the text is small, just change the Zoom by holding control and using the mouse wheel.  Push up - Text is larger;  Pull down - Text gets smaller

(How do i create multiple admin account besides the main admin account used for configuration?)

     When you create the user, you have a choice of making them an admin or a tech.  it is about the 11th option down.  Called Account Type:  Select admin.

I am not sure what you mean by Read notification.  But I do hope this information helps.

[adeyeyea]

Hello Tcore,

What i mean by Read Notification is an email functionality that tells when an email was read by the client.

[kjette]

While I am sure that high security is important to some I'd really like to see SW comment on the justification of using a whole release on it since I haven't seen anyone here talk about it or any high ranking feature request submissions.  I'm sure they worked very hard on it and its probably frustrating for them to see the negative comments but there are so many other things that people are clamoring for and then to see a security update appear out of the blue is also very frustrating to the users.  What say you SW?  Are you listening to US?  I'm not so sure these days.

[bknight]

If your process is in serial format (one thing has to be completed in order for the next item in the list to be started) consider building a series of approver processes.  We have found these to be effective in using change management.  We've had to build several different ones, but we do keep our subjects rather vague and put the meat of the requests in the notes.  The various people that need to be involved in the process can be in the approval process as different steps.  It has worked well for us in change management.  The only piece it didn't work with us was with new employees. 

[lsimpson]

Have you amended the way reports are generated? we now dont have the option to select an overall category to report on we have to drill right down?

This is a pain.

[rem64]

just love the support on this forum (or lack thereof).  Seems like Peter will only respond when he feels like it.  I guess he's working on 12.4.2.  Looking forward to the minimum of improvements. 

[josharm35]

Have been using the system for a few months now. Would definitly like to see some changes to the system to make it more friendly and easy to use.

Such as:

     Ability to "paste" pictures and other files into the system (saving them them then importing them is a pain)

     Ability to drag and drop files into the ticket & bulk import functions

     Easier way to create locations/groups/techs so that everyone can see tickets

     Ability to link tickets and/or create subtickets

     Ability to add multi-techs to the a ticket so more then one person gets the credit

     And of course ability to have multiple windows open rather then on ticket at a time.