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When the Computing Helpdesk Acknowledges your Problem...

Nicole Crémel , IT/User Support


Abstract

This is a description of the different kinds of notification messages sent back from the Computing Helpdesk, as set-up in the Problem Report Management System (PRMS) that they use. This article provides also an explanation why the messages are not all the same for the time being.


When you send a request to the Computing Helpdesk (Helpdesk@cern.ch, or any e-mail addresses which is re-directed to it, like, for instance, Nice.Support@cern.ch or PARC.Support@cern.ch), you should either receive a direct reply from the Helpdesk, or a notification message (with a ticket number), acknowledging that your problem has been received.
N.B. Those messages are not necessary sent to the originator of the e-mail, but often directly to the user who has the problem (when the request is not sent by the user himself).

Currently the format of the notification message is not always the same, and depends on the "domain" where the problem had been assigned by the Helpdesk. Some of the messages are "reply-able" (it is possible to do a simple "Reply" from any mail agent), but not all of them (it is explicitly written in the body of the message when you cannot reply).

The Helpdesk is using a "Problem Report Management System" (PRMS) in order to treat requests in a "professional" way: all requests are recorded in a database, no request must be lost, an answer or a ticket must be sent back to the user within a delay of 2 hours, and all requests need a solution to be closed. The PRMS also provides many statistical information (e.g. time delay, or time spent on all interventions) which were absolutely needed since the Helpdesk and many lines of support have been outsourced. A commercial tool is used provided by the company Remedy Corp.

For the time being here are, basically, the different kind of messages you may receive from the Helpdesk:

  1. Notification message sent by User Support: all those messages (with ticket numbers USxxxx) are "reply-able", and they look like:
  2.  
      From helpdesk@cern.ch Tue Apr 11 14:47:47 2000 
     Date: Tue, 11 Apr 2000 14:47:05 +0200 (MET DST) 
     From: Computing Helpdesk <helpdesk@cern.ch> 
     To: Michel.Dupond@cern.ch 
     Subject: US9846 Received - Problem with mail 
       
     Message :  
       
        Your query was received and assigned to User Support staff.   
        You may follow the status of your current problem (in fifteen minutes 
        from the time you receive this mail), at the Web location: 
       
                       http://cern.ch/consult/problem/9846 
       
        Please do not forget to use your ticket number "US9846" in further  
        communications. In addition you might find useful to search in the User 
        Support "Questions&Answers" Database (http://cern.ch/consult/qas) for 
        possible answers to your query. 
       
        Best Regards 
        +------------------------------------------------------------------+  
          CERN Computing Help Desk                tel :  +41.22.76.78888 
          IT Division (http://wwwinfo.cern.ch)    fax :  +41.22.76.78630 
          European Organization for Nuclear Research 
          1211 Geneve 23 - Switzerland          email : helpdesk@cern.ch 
        +------------------------------------------------------------------+ 
        User Subject..: Problem with mail 
        User Statement: 
       
        ... 
     

  3. Notification message sent by "ar admin": this concern queries which are assigned to various parts of the "DSSM service contract" (outsourced support staff) and various support sections in IT (e.g. for system administration, or PARC.Support). Those messages (ticket number CTxxxxxxxxxxxxx) are NOT "reply-able". But as soon as a "possible solution" is provided, you should find, in the text of the message, the name of the contact person in order to communicate (if needed). Such messages look like:
  4. Date: Thu, 17 Aug 2000 16:10:49 +0200 (MET DST)
    From: ar admin <ARSystem@sunar01.cern.ch>
    To: Michel.Dupond@cern.ch
    Subject: ...
    
    Your report has been entered into the IT Problem Report Management System with 
    the ID:  CT0000000033990.
    
    For details see the url:
    
    http://consult.cern.ch/problem/ct/CT0000000033990
    
    Arrival Time      : 08/17/00 16:10:47
    Short Description : ...
    
    

  5. Notification message sent by EDMS Support: these concern queries specific to the EDMS, CDD, Euclid and Autocad areas. All those messages (with ticket numbers NNNNN) are "reply-able", and they look like:
  6.  
     Date: Thu, 18 May 2000 15:52:00 +0200 (MET DST) 
     From: EDMS.Support@cern.ch 
     Subject: Request REGISTERED for Help with problem in EDMS (No. 25187) 
     Apparently-To: <Michel.Dupond@cern.ch> 
       
     Your request has been REGISTERED. 
       
     Request No : 25187 
     Request type : Help with problem 
     Application  : EDMS 
     Request status : New 
       
     Summary : 
     ... 
       
     Details : 
     ... 
     You will be informed about the work performed for your request by e-mail 
     or alternatively on the web at 
     http://aisremedy.cern.ch/ars/cgi-bin/RequestEDMS?25187 
       
     The answer to many of your questions may be found on the new AIS web site 
     at: 
     http://ais.cern.ch ! Please take the time for a quick tour of the site 
     and return your comments to us at: ais.webmaster@cern.ch. 
     We value your feedback! 
       
     This mail was automatically generated by the AIS Request Management 
     System. 
     

However, to facilitate the "follow-up" of any request (whatever domain they belong to), the User Support group has provided a "common" Web interface which can be used to check the status and eventually look at the solution when it has been provided. This interface is available at URL:

http://consult.cern.ch/problem/
You just have to enter the "Ticket number" (only the number part), the "Domain" (US, CT, or AIS) and click on "View Problem". With the ticket number it is also possible to access directly the problem description and status, depending on the domain:
  • http://consult.cern.ch/problem/USnnnn for case 1 (message sent by User Support); n.b. US can be omitted.
  • http://consult.cern.ch/problem/CTnnnn for case 2 (message sent by contact staff (CT)/"ar admin").
  • http://consult.cern.ch/problem/AISnnnn for case 3 (message sent by EDMS Support/AIS system).
  • N.B. nnnn is the ticket "number" (last part of the ticket).

In the future (with a better design of the tool currently used at the Helpdesk) all the notification messages will become "reply-able" (i.e. giving the possibility to the user to do a simple reply, to the appropriate person, with his mail agent). Also, some standardisation across the different domains will be made. It is already foreseen that at least cases 1 and 2 will be merged, probably during the autumn, in a unique and completely re-designed system (CPRMS, CERN Problem Report Management System), and that the notification messages will be standardized.


About the author(s): Nicole Crémel is working in the User Support group and, with Roger Woolnough, is responsible for the supervision of operations of the Computing Helpdesk.


For matters related to this article please contact the author.
Cnl.Editor@cern.ch


CERN-CNL-2000-002
Vol. XXXV, issue no 2


Last Updated on Thu Sep 28 19:49:21 GMT+04:30 2000.
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