1 GENERAL. Not all changes are related to the helpdesk specifically though.

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1 6.0

2 1 GENERAL As a beta tester, you play a key role in the development of Lansweeper. A program with as many facets as Lansweeper requires thorough testing on all levels. You are actively doing just that by being a beta tester and it s something the Lansweeper team would very much like to thank you for. Lansweeper 6.0 is a major update that revolves mostly around the addition of a helpdesk feature. The bulk of all changes were made in function of said new feature. The interface got an overhaul to make the ever-expanding software more intuitive and keep all elements well organized. A customizable knowledge base was added to accommodate usage of the helpdesk. A calendar has been integrated for that exact same purpose. Asset locations and maps are now more present and more easily altered to make in-field use of the helpdesk more convenient. Dashboard widgets were added to make management of the helpdesk a breeze. Security settings are now more flexible due to a user/custom role approach instead of the old, bulky interface. Not all changes are related to the helpdesk specifically though. Scanning targets provide a more intuitive approach when configuring Lansweeper as opposed to the scanning methods approach. A reorganized menu makes all the smaller features of Lansweeper more readily available and integrated. Added mass import features for credentials and IP ranges facilitate a quick setup for large enterprises. A custom password encryption key can from now on be used to increase security even further. Page 1

3 2 HELPDESK The helpdesk is available through the web console and can be used in combination with an account. Agents can receive s when a client responds and respond via themselves. The helpdesk takes care of everything and makes sure all notes are added to a ticket regardless of whether they were added via or the web console. An API is available to use other sources for ticket creation, handling and editing. 2.A Users & Agents An agent can handle tickets through the helpdesk. A user can only open tickets and respond to the ones that relate to them. Roles Roles can be configured and assigned to users and agents. These roles detail what someone is allowed to do and to which parts he or she has access. An admin can, for example, restrict access to the inventory side of Lansweeper and only enable the helpdesk or make sure users cannot alter any configurations. Page 2

4 Built-in admin One special user is created upon installing Lansweeper 6.0: the Built-in Admin. This is an account that grants full access at the click of a button and is intended solely for the initial setup. It can easily be disabled in the Helpdesk s configuration. Teams Teams divide agents into groups for ease of configuration. A team is responsible for one or more ticket type. Team leaders have access to all team events on the calendar and they can change the team a ticket is assigned to. On top of that they also have control of the SLA s set on tickets related to their team. Personal settings Each user or agent can configure some of the helpdesk s behavior as they please. The options vary from display settings to whether or not a user wants to receive s when tickets are updated. Page 3

5 2.B Tickets Tickets are the basis of all communication running through the helpdesk. Tickets can be created, handled and edited via , the web console and an API. Notes Tickets consist of multiple notes which can be public (viewable to all), internal (only viewable by agents) or personal (sent from the agent s personal address with a matching signature). They are the individual contributions users made to the ticket as a whole. Ticket Types A ticket always has a particular type, for example IT purchase. Ticket types are handled by a dedicated team which in turn consists of agents that will resolve the ticket in question. Types can be added and configured as needed. Page 4

6 Ticket States To accommodate a workflow, tickets can be set to various states. This way an agent can indicate which part of a process they are currently working on and distinguish tickets that need to be responded to right away from the ones awaiting third-party actions. States can be added and configured as needed. Priorities Assigning a priority to a ticket lets everyone involved better schedule their work. Priorities can be added and configured as needed. SLA Management Service Level Agreements can be monitored throughout the helpdesk. Entering the criteria for an SLA to be applied is enough for Lansweeper to start keeping track of all relevant tickets in the helpdesk. Reports and dashboard widgets provide management with a full overview on response and resolution times. Page 5

7 Custom Fields Highly customizable fields can be linked to ticket types. These fields can be nested and linked together to facilitate a workflow. Making them required forces users and agents to fill them in upon handling or closing a ticket. Field types like dropdown lists, radio buttons, check boxes, dates, valuta etc. can be used to track data on any process running through the helpdesk. Filters As explained, tickets hold a lot of information. All this information can be used to filter and search for exactly the tickets a user is after. These filters can be saved and displayed in tabs to monitor incoming tickets and neatly organize a user s workspace. Page 6

8 2.C Link with Inventory You can easily look up and link assets related to a ticket. You have pre-filtered tabs of assets the ticket s user is related to, has logged on to or simply a list of all assets. Once selected, the assets will be linked and viewable to all relevant agents upon opening the ticket. Page 7

9 2.D Customize the Look and Feel Not only the helpdesk s functionality is customizable but also the way everything looks. A user with no access to the inventory side of Lansweeper gets a web console that an admin can customize. Login Page The default authentication method has changed from browser-integrated to a login page in the web console itself. The page can be altered to feature a company logo, footer and message. Login Banner Upon logging in, a user can be made to click on OK in a popup window. If the user doesn t do so, he or she will automatically be logged out. This way important, helpdesk-related information can be easily spread to all users and agents. The banner can be a user-made ASPX page which makes it, once again, highly customizable. Page 8

10 2.E Various Features Apart from the helpdesk s general functioning, a load of additional features simplify, automate and facilitate its usage. Templates Set and categorize templates that can be used when responding on tickets. This can be a huge timesaver as both lay-out and attachments can all be set in advance. Ticket dispatching Configure rules that automatically set ticket types, assign to agents, set priorities, etc. based on an incoming s description, subject, attachments, sender or addressee. Auto assign Automate ticket assignment by setting default agents for ticket types, instating a round robin or load balancing policy. Lansweeper will take care of everything for you. Page 9

11 Auto Close Automatically have messages sent to users that their ticket will be closed if they do not respond. The admin has full control over which message is sent at what time for which ticket states and types. Auto Replies Set automatic replies to both regular users and agents for a variety of situations. E.g. the ticket state changes, a ticket has been created, an agent has been assigned, etc. Filters for specific ticket states and types are of course available. Page 10

12 Follow-ups Easily configure follow-ups and check back with tickets at a later time. The status of a follow-up can be used to create a filter. Page 11

13 3 KNOWLEDGE BASE A user-configurable knowledge base is present in Lansweeper 6.0. Its contents can be made available to agents and non-agents alike. Roles decide who can alter the content and add categories. 4 CALENDAR A built-in calendar allows for time management and planning in Lansweeper itself. Tickets and assets can be linked to events. In turn, they can be made visible to whoever needs to attend or know about them. Page 12

14 5 INTERFACE OVERHAUL The lay-out of Lansweeper s interface has been changed to better arrange both existing features and the addition of the helpdesk, knowledge base and calendar. For example, a global software tab now hosts all options and links to everything software-related. Scanning targets The biggest change would be the move from scanning methods to scanning targets. Each method no longer has an individual chapter but all targets are now listed in the same overview. This makes the software more intuitive and allows for a better organization of the entire scanning configuration. Exclusions Exclusions were updated in a similar manner to the scanning methods: one overview for all. The option of excluding entire IP ranges was added as well. Page 13

15 6 VARIOUS CHANGES AND NEW FEATURES Alongside the major updates, a few smaller ones were made as well. Windows features Apart from regular software details, Lansweeper now also pulls back all installed Windows features from an asset. Custom Encryption Key All passwords will from now on be encrypted by a random key that s hosted on all Lansweeper servers. All installations with a single scanning server will have this enabled by default. Multiscanning server setups will require the key to be transferred to all Lansweeper components. Mass Import Credentials, IP ranges and IP locations are from Lansweeper 6.0 on importable using a csv file. Enterprise level installations no longer require a lot of manual input. IP locations are even importable straight from Active Directory. Page 14

16 Performance improvements IP-range based scanning will now work a lot faster due to major improvements to the scanning algorithm. Keep an eye on the scanning speed and CPU usage of you Lansweeper servers. SSH Certificate credential SSH certificates can be used as a scanning credential. Keep in mind that, like any other credential, they need to be mapped to a target before Lansweeper will start using them. Report Exports on Schedule Having a report mailed is no longer limited to a once-a-day schedule. The same ones configured for software deployment can be used. Apart from ing a report, an export to a directory of the user s choice can be set. Page 15