Proposed Helpdesk Structure
From EGEE-see WIki
This is a proposal to rework the helpdesk structure and it tries to summarize the mailing lists discussions about merging EGEE-SEE and SEE-GRID-SCI heldpesks.
One of the main points is that EGEE-SEE and SEE-GRID-SCI are distinct projects with distinct objectives and activities. Still there are many areas where these projects more or less do overlap. One of these areas is the grid infrastructure. There are two distinct grid infrastructures operated by each project, however there are sites which are part of both infrastructures, and support VOs from both projects. Needless to say that there sites which are either part of EGEE-SEE or SEE-GRID-SCI grid infrastructure only.
The following structure aims to create a helpdesk system which can be used simultaneously by both projects, sharing their common points, and in the same trying to maintain their distinct aspects. In the end it should ok for each project to use the same helpdesk application and its structure, having the benefit of sharing (and not doubling) the effort and resources for the support service (both operational support and user support).
Please edit this wiki in order to better clarify the issues or if there are any other changes that need to be made.
Contents |
Introduction
Helpdesk is an operational support tool which can be used to create tickets in order to track issues and then follow up their resolution. It is a issue tracking system where users can submit tickets to request help if they need support to solve their problem. Helpdesk is not the only way to get support in case of problems. There are the mailing lists where issues can discussed and problems be solved by the help of community.
How to use the helpdesk
Helpdesk has 3 types of accounts. 'User' account, 'Supporter' account" and 'Admin' account.
"User" accounts can be used to create tickets for each issue that must be solved. "User" accounts cannot solve tickets, and cannot change tickets' fields like "Task Manager" to whom the ticket is assigned to and who is responsible for it. "User" accounts can search, view and update only their tickets with new informations, but they cannot do no more than that.
"Supporter" accounts are used by the people who provide support. "Supporter" accounts can modify all ticket's fields and can update the ticket with new informations as appropriate. They can change the "Task Managers Group" and "Task Manager" who is responsible to solve a ticket if the ticket was mis-assigned. These actions are done in the process of solving the ticket.
"Admin" accounts are similar with "Supporter" accounts, having the same rights to work on the tickets, but in addition they have access to helpdesk's Control Panel where it is possible to perform reconfiguration of the helpdesk's structure like Task Managers Group's structure, ticket's fields modifications and new user registration or edit other account's informations. "Admin" accounts have access to reports and statistics about tickets.
More informations about the heldpesk can be obtained from Onerorzero web site as the current version deployed is based on the free version of Oneorzero (v.1.6.5.7)
There are 2 ways that the helpdesk can be used to create new tickets. Helpdesk address is http://helpdesk.egee-see.org or http://helpdesk.see-grid.eu , otherwise it can be reached by sending an email to the following mailbox: TBD. (one contact mailbox for EGEE-SEE and one contact mailbox for SEE-GRID-SCI)
Web interface
When using the web application to create a ticket a user should provide the following elements:
a) Elements needed for later on categorization of tickets by supporters: (ticket's "Task Manager Info" area)
- Priority of the issue (Task Priority field). Possible priorities are: Critical, High, Medium, Low. For each priority there is a time limit sought to solve the ticket:
- 1 day time limit for Critical priority problems.
- 2 days time limit for High priority problems
- 1 week time limit for Medium priority problems
- 2 weeks time limit for for Low priority problems
If it is required priorities can be changed after the ticket is created, and they can be lowered or increased in order to reflect the current situation of the problem
- Virtual Organization(VO) where the the issue appeared (Task Virtual Organization field).
- Project where the issue belongs to. There can be either an EGEE-SEE Federation problem, an SEE-GRID-SCI project problem, or a problem common to the both projects (Task Project field).
b) Elements which provide information to describe the issue: (ticket's "Task Info" area)
- Problem domain (Task Group field). Issues can be categorized by their field which can be one of the following: "Accounting", "VO/Application support", "Authorization/Authentication", "Data Management", "Operations", "Information System", "Installation & Configuration", "Local Batch System", "Network Problem", "Security", "Workload Management" and "Other".
- Problem type (Category field). There 2 types of tickets: "Operations" and "User support".
- Short description of the problem (brief like email's subject).
- Description of the problem. a detailed report about the issue, which must provide all details that are useful for an expert to find a solution for the problem.
- Add 1 or more files as attachments to ticket.
Each ticket should be assigned to a Task Managers Group:
- Level 1 Support
- Operations Management
- VO/Application Support
- gLite Middleware Support
- Operational Tools Support
- Security Management
- Country support groups
- ALL EGEE-SEE SITES
- ALL SEE-GRID-SCI SITES
- ALL SITES
When in doubt the ticket should be created for Level 1 Support
The second way to use the helpdesk is to send an e-mail to create and/or update the tickets.
E-mail interface
In order to create a ticket users should send an email which describes the issue to the following mailbox: TBD. After the email is received by the system, it is parsed and a new ticket is created in the "Level 1 Support" group having as short description the email subject and as description the email body. The user should receive a confirmation email stating the ticket number. The following tickets fields are set to default values: Priority(default is Medium), Task Group(default is Other), Category(default is "User support")
In order to update the ticket the user should send an email to the TBD mailbox, including in the email's subject the following part: [Ticket #no] (i.e. email subject: "Re:My issue [Ticket #1000]"). The message will be parsed and ticket's update log will contain the email's body part. It is not possible to change other ticket's fields by email.
Supporter accounts
There are individual accounts which are used by only one supporter(i.e. each support has his/her own personal account), site accounts which are shared accounts associated to each grid site and are used jointly by all site's admins and team accounts which are used used jointly by all members of a team, similarly like the site accounts.
One person can have and use multiple accounts. He/She can have a personal Supporter/Admin account, and can also use a site account if he/she is responsible for that site, or he/she can use a team account if is part of such a team.
Once a ticket was assigned to a supporter then he/she is responsible to solved it. However, sometimes it is possible that the ticket to be mis-assigned, therefore it should be properly noted in ticket's update log the reason why it is needed to switch it(if it is not an obvious mistake) before switching the ticket to the right supporter.
If there is no supporter available to handle issue(i.e. in the case when it is very difficult to asses who is responsible for the issue, or it is an outstanding issue) the ticket can be switched to support_pool account which is registered in "Operations Management" support group.
Operational support
"Operations Management", "ALL SITES", "ALL EGEE-SEE SITES", "ALL SEE-GRID-SCI SITES", and all Country support groups contain all grid sites and GIMs who are responsible for infrastructure operation. These groups can be used to deal with all operational issues.
"ALL EGEE-SEE SITES" and "ALL EGEE-SEE SITES" are logical groups which include all grid sites in each infrastructure. There are included the sites accounts.
"ALL SITES" is also a logical group which includes all sites in both infrastructures.
There are also per country support groups which include all the grid sites and GIMs from each country. There are site accounts and individual accounts for each GIMs
User support
"Level 1 Support" , "VO/Application Support" , "gLite Middleware Support" , "Operational Tools Support" and "Security Management" are specialized support groups which provide user support service.
There are 2 levels for the user support service. First level of support which should catch and solve the simple issues providing basic user support service, and second level of support where are escalated the issues that can't be solved by the Level 1 Support.
"VO/Application Support" , "gLite Middleware Support" , "Operational Tools Support" and "Security Management" contain experts and belong to the second level of support.
Level 1 Support is the initial support level who is responsible for basic user issues. In the first place it is necessary to gather all informations relevant to the issue in order to determine the real underlying problem. Typically it should handle straightforward and simple problems. Complex issues are escalated to the second level of support. First level of support is performed by teams which rotates in weekly shifts, as there is one team from EGEE-SEE and one team from SEE-GRID-SCI on duty in each week. All the members of these teams should use the team account which is defined for Level 1 Support.
Second level of support is a more in-depth technical support level than "Level 1 Support" containing experienced and more knowledgeable personnel on glite middleware, VO/applications, operational tools and security. Thus the second level of support is split in the following groups: "VO/Application Support" , "gLite Middleware Support" , "Operational Tools Support" and "Security Management".
