ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
ESUP HelpDesk @ RPI “A common work of both our nations”
Or
A Queue with a View
Gary Schwartz
Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute
Jasig 2011 Denver, CO
1
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
You’re probably wondering why I’m
here
2
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Why I’m Here – Part I
• Chair of Bedework Steering Committee
• President of CalConnect, the Calendaring &
Scheduling Consortium
• Jasig Board
• Director, Communications & Middleware
Technologies, RPI
3
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Why I’m Here - Part II
• ESUP Portail Consortium HelpDesk
software is a Jasig Incubator project
• RPI is deploying the first English language
version of the ESUP Portail Consortium
HelpDesk software
4
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Another Gift from France
“A common work of both our nations”
The quote derives from Édouard René
de Laboulaye, whose remarks were
(allegedly) the inspiration for the Statue
of Liberty.
5
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Why I am here - Part III
“Hi Gary. The incubation committee is considering
terminating the incubation of ESUP Help Desk. It
seems to be a very worthy application but lacks
community, developers, a stateside interest with the
exception of RPI. I wanted to let you know and give
you the opportunity to protest and make a case for
continuing incubation.
We are all ears if you think there is a good reason to
keep it incubating.”
6
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Is it me, or is there an elephant in
the room
I think there’s a good reason,
but the real question is
“Do you think there is a good
there is good reason to
continue incubation?”
Does higher ed need OSS
HelpDesk software?
7
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
ESUP Portail Consortium
•
•
•
•
Over 80 French universities (IHEs)
OSS projects for education and Research
Collaborating with Jasig
Helpdesk is one of the projects
– Used by over 40 universities
– Jasig Incubator project since April 2009
• Alain Mayeur, leader and a founder of the
ESUP-Portail consortium, is here today.
8
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
HelpDesk
• Can be deployed as
– Servlet
– Portlet : uPortal ready as distributed
– Stand alone application
• built on familiar technologies - CAS,
JavaServer Faces, etc
• Jasig incubating project
9
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Academic and
Research Computing
Helpdesk
• Primarily assist students – 20,000 contacts / yr
• Laptop program – Computer Store, Computer
Repair, Help Desk
• Student staff managed by professional staff
– IT staff provide Level 2 support
• Web site - http://helpdesk.rpi.edu
• Not the only help desk in our division
10
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Helpdesk Software
Goals for Users
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Users submit service problems through the web
Help users to easily categorize their problem
Inputs tailored to problem categories
Users track, modify, and close their own problems
E-mail to keep users updated problem status
View FAQs and search a KB without authenticating
View important notices without authenticating
Submit problem reports without authenticating
11
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Helpdesk Software
Goals for Staff
• Manage problems: Assign or Claim, Ask for more info,
Close, Reopen, Audit
• Available to users without loading users
• Update support teams and problem categories
• Maintain FAQ and knowledge base
• Customize branding
• Post important notices easily
• Quick tickets (problems resolved immediately)
12
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Quick Tickets Touchscreen
13
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Helpdesk Software
Evolution at RPI
• Applix
– Too fickle, expensive maintenance; retired w/o a replacement
• NextStep (hosted solution)
– Start-up, expensive, limited functionality, discontinued
• Request Tracker
– In use at some RPI locations, but not the right features
• ESUP Help Desk
14
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
15
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
16
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
User View
17
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
User View
18
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
User View
19
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
User View
20
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Consultant View
21
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Consultant View
22
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
RPI’s Plans
• Production for fall semester
• Continue to clean up interface
– Fewer icons
– Reduce crowding on certain pages
– Improve English phrasing
• Add quick tickets functionality
• Add important notices
23
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
What’s Good
• Has much of the functionality RPI is looking for
• Well written - strong core features
• Easily customizable
– Branding
– Content
– Language
• Comprehensive reporting capabilities
24
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
What’s less good
• Sample database not available in English
• Internationalization is more than string
translation
– “Manager” .NE. “Manager”
•
•
•
•
Interface looks dated
Forms are really pseudo forms
Don’t know who is champion/lead developer
Adding functionality requires Java experience
25
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Would you like fries with that
answer?
Touchscreen interface for HelpDesk staff?
26
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
References
• http://www.esupportail.org/display/PROJHELPDESK/esup-helpdesk++user+support+at+establishment-level
• http://www.esupportail.org/display/PROJHELPDESK/Papers+and+pres
entations
• http://www.esupportail.org/download/attachments/131103/helpdeskjasigSpring2009.ppt?version=2&modificationDate=123
6015452000
27
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Let’s talk
1. Do you think there is a good there
is good reason to continue
incubation?
2. Does higher ed need OSS
HelpDesk software?
28
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Additional Screenshots 1
29
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Additional Screenshots 2
30
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Additional Screenshots 3
31
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Additional Screenshots 4
32
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Additional Screenshots 5
33
ESUP-Portail Helpdesk
Additional Screenshots 6
34