Working with Siriusware Technical Support This document presents the information you need to get the most out of Siriusware Technical Support. 24/7 coverage Siriusware offers technical support 7 days a week, 24 hours a day, 365 days per year (commonly known as 24/7 support). Your support agreement states that Siriusware will respond to technical support e-mail or calls in the following manner: Emergency Technical Support Regular Hours: Monday - Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM MST - guaranteed response within 2 hours (usually immediate) to web requests, e-mail or calls. Emergency Technical Support Off Hours: Weekends, holidays and after hours - guaranteed response within 4 hours (usually 10 minutes) to emergency calls. Guaranteed response times are long in the rare case that all technical support personnel are away from phones due to unavoidable circumstances. Normally response times are immediate. Client requirements for support Much of the support provided by Siriusware Technical Support depends heavily on being able to see the screens our clients see, and interact with the client s desktop. To do this, we use two different tools: TeamViewer and VNC. TeamViewer For complete information on TeamViewer, go to Portal > Downloads > TeamViewer. VNC There are two flavors of VNC one flavor is called UltraVNC and the other is EchoVNC. For more information on UltraVNC and EchoVNC, go to Portal > Downloads > VNC. 1
EchoVNC is much easier to use and use of EchoVNC has pretty much replaced use of UltraVNC, though UltraVNC is still sometimes used in certain situations. The biggest difference between these two flavors of VNC is that EchoVNC is not installed (you must download it each time you run it) while UltraVNC is installed. From a Payment Applications Best Practices (PABP) point of view, EchoVNC should be used. Siriusware requires that computers that run Siriusware software use UltraVNC or EchoVNC. While EchoVNC is more secure and should be used when possible, UltraVNC can be used in a secure fashion, and usually does not need any special settings on your router or firewall equipment. If UltaVNC is used, we do not require you to install UltraVNC as a service, or to accept unsolicited connections. Please refer to UltraVNC and EchoVNC for more information. Additionally, it is sometimes required that we do research in your database by running queries. Or, our developers may need to run our applications in a development mode hooked up directly to your database at your site. This direct connection is called a Virtual Private Network or VPN. If this type of research or testing is necessary, we require that the client install the Microsoft VPN server software. We realize that some organizations have decided to employ non-microsoft solutions like Sonicwall, Cisco s solution, or Nortel Networks solution. However, these solutions require specialized VPN client software that is fairly invasive to install, and, from our experience, causes significant problems when installed together with other VPN client software. Siriusware Technical Support has to support many clients, and therefore must standardize on a solution that is freely available to all clients. That means the Microsoft VPN solution. Microsoft VPN provides all technical support representatives at Siriusware with the ability to connect to your data without specialized and potentially destabilizing software. The VPN server software need not be accessible 24 hours a day it merely needs to be available for you to enable during these special cases. So, in short, UltraVNC or EchoVNC is required on computers that run Siriusware applications, and Microsoft VPN server software is required for database research and development testing. Using the Siriusware FTP server Sometimes Siriusware needs you to send us files that are too large to send as e-mail attachments. In these cases, you need to upload them to our FTP server. On the FTP server, Siriusware provides each client with his own folder, accessed using his own unique login and password, which are the same as the login and password used by the client to access the Siriusware Information Portal. These folders can be accessed by using an FTP client such as cuteftp, filezilla, and wsftp, or by using a web browser like Internet Explorer. Info needed for an FTP client To use an FTP client, you need the following information: 2
FTP server name, or host name, which is: help.siriusware.com Then use your Siriusware Information Portal username and password to log in. Using Internet Explorer or another web browser to download files Go to this address: ftp://help.siriusware.com Use your Siriusware Information Portal login and password. Consult your browser help files for instructions on how to upload files. Regular vs. emergency technical support Regular technical support Siriusware s regular business hours are 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM MST. Contact Siriusware anytime with non-emergency issues by submitting a support request at www.siriusware.com/client-support.html, or by e-mailing a support request to help@siriusware.com. These support requests are checked regularly and forwarded to the appropriate technical support staff member. Siriusware responds within two hours of receipt during business hours, and within the first two hours of the next business day for offhours support requests. During peak season (October through April), Siriusware technical support representatives are on the phone almost constantly. Therefore, using online support requests is easier and faster for all parties involved. E-mail is usually faster than the phone, especially if your question is a simple one. This way, you can also include a written description of your problem, with all its details, in a way that technical support representatives can save and refer to it easily (see What information do I need to provide? and What will you ask me? for guidelines about what to include). And, it s much easier for Siriusware to respond by e-mail than to call and navigate our way through your phone system. Once you ve submitted your request, Siriusware can send you e-mail updates throughout the process. Your issue is logged into the Siriusware database, and as technical support representatives make changes to the entry, they can send you e-mail regarding those changes. You can also add more information at any time by simply responding to the e-mails, and you can view the status of your request on the Siriusware web site. Your changes are in turn automatically e-mailed to the assigned technical support representative, and logged in the database. It may be tempting for you to select a favorite technical support representative to work with on new issues but keep in mind that if you do that, you may find yourself waiting in line for your favorite person instead of getting a more immediate response. Any technical support representative can access 3
your ongoing issue and continue where another representative left off. Being flexible about who helps you helps Siriusware s entire staff become more familiar with the intricate details of your site s system. However, if you have been working with one technical support representative on a particular issue, it s often most effective to continue to work with the same person. Please do this by replying to the web request e-mail that you are sent. Though not Siriusware s first choice (in terms of tracking your issue or keeping the process efficient), you can e-mail that technical support representative directly. You can also send an e-mail to help@siriusware.com requesting that the person with whom you ve been working address your issue. Or, you can call and ask to speak with that person (just let the help desk representative know that it s an ongoing issue). Emergency technical support Emergency technical support during off-hours, on weekends and on holidays is initiated by a telephone call, which is responded to within four hours. Emergencies during business hours also should be called in; please let the receptionist know you have an emergency. It is best to decide whether the situation is an emergency before you call. Emergency situations are ones in which your system (or part of your system) is down, you can t get it back up yourself, and you absolutely need it to operate at that moment in order to service your customers. Emergency situations are not: Missing features and enhancements, Reports that won t print right (unless you absolutely need the information at that moment to service your customers), Hardware problems that are non-critical, or Any other situations that can wait until normal business hours to resolve. Don t get this wrong: you have the right to call Siriusware Technical Support at any time regarding any issue, and you will receive prompt and courteous support. However, things will be much nicer for all involved if you take the time to make the above evaluation before you call. Note: Keep in mind that you can call something an emergency each time and get to speak to someone in support much more quickly that way. However, if you do this, you may be stepping in front of a client who really is unable to use the software due to an emergency. It also makes your relationship with Siriusware Technical Support more difficult than it needs to be no client wants to be thought of as the cry wolf client. Call our direct dial line (575-751-0633) during the week or on weekends. If you don t get a person, you will be asked to leave a message in the Siriusware Technical Support mailbox. If it is an emergency, and you need a call back as quickly as possible, choose that option. Here s what your message should tell us: Your name. 4
Your phone number (s-l-o-w-l-y). If you don t leave it, don t expect a call back! Remember, we may not be in the office, or have access to our phone lists, so always leave your full phone number. Your company name. A detailed explanation of the problem. If you don t receive a call back within 15 to 30 minutes, call again. In the second call, leave a brief reminder message, not the whole detailed message again. Do leave your phone number again. After you have done this, stay put for a while. When we say that our normal response times are immediate, we mean it. In fact, we often call clients and their response is, Whoa! I wasn t expecting to hear from you so soon! Phone tag is a frustrating game to play, especially during an emergency. If you have a non-emergency question during off-hours, you can enter a web request, send an e-mail or leave a voicemail (there is an option to leave a message in the general mailbox). Important Note: Be sure that if you have an emergency, you don t leave the message in the general mailbox. If it s an emergency, make sure you select the option to be called back as quickly as possible. The general mailbox isn t checked during off-hours, and does not automatically notify us when messages are left there. This goes for e-mail as well don t send an e-mail during off-hours if you have an emergency situation. EchoVNC EchoVNC is an openly available (public domain) tool that Siriusware uses extensively to enable technical support representatives to log into computers on your network to help with training and support. When working with a Siriusware Technical Support representative, he will ask you to install EchoVNC on your computer. To do this, open a web browser and go to http://www.siriusware.com/vnc and follow the prompts. You can either download the program or run it from your browser. After the Siriusware Technical Support representative is finished, you exit from EchoVNC and the application is removed from your computer. You need to download it again the next time you use it. UltraVNC UltraVNC is an openly available (public domain) tool that Siriusware uses extensively to enable technical support representatives to log into computers on your network to help with training and support. Use of UltraVNC has become extremely limited because EchoVNC is much easier to use and is more secure. However, instructions for using UltraVNC are included here for special circumstances -- primarily when a connection needs to be left open so that Siriusware Technical Support representatives can connect at any time with client computers, without requiring the a client to initiate the connection. 5
UltraVNC is not a security risk While it is possible that VNC could be used to do damage to your corporate network, this is only possible if you install it incorrectly. This section of this document dispels any fears you may have about VNC, and shows you how to make it safe. VNC is a necessary tool for us at Siriusware to support our clients. It allows us to see your computer screen at the same time that you see it. We can use VNC for support and training, and for particularly tough support issues we can bring in Siriusware developer help all of us sharing the same screen. Pictures, in this case, are worth way more than 1000 words. VNC started out as an open source project from AT&T Bell Labs, and has since sprouted several flavors as different groups have forked the project. The big three right now are Real VNC, Tight VNC and UltraVNC. Of the three, we at Siriusware believe that UltraVNC has two key features that really set it apart as the best choice: integrated NT security, and file transfers. So, what are the security risks? Almost none, if you set it up right. The big security concern that we hear from clients is The password is easy to break. Most VNC flavors have only a single password not a user name/password combination. UltraVNC, on the other hand, allows you to use Windows security with user names and passwords instead of the simple password. The big point here is: The difficulty of cracking passwords is moot. You can only try to break a password if VNC Server is actively running on the client computer. VNC Server can be installed in one of two ways Application Mode or As a Service. We recommend installing VNC in Application Mode. This means that the only time remote control can occur is when you actually run the VNC application. When you install it as a service, VNC is always running in the background and is therefore susceptible to hacking. The default installation of UltraVNC installs VNC in Application Mode. The only way you could install it As a Service is if you check the Register UltraVNC Server as a system service check box, shown in the following screen capture: 6
Furthermore, because we usually ask you to use the Add New Client function in VNC Server, we never need to know your password. Choose a strong password. Crazy Strong. No one needs to know it anyway. If you need to change it, you always can by resetting it from the VNC Server application. So: Install VNC in Application Mode with a Crazy Strong password. Run it when you need support from us and close it when we are done helping you. The security risks are then reduced to almost zero. Installing UltraVNC VNC is available from the Siriusware information portal. Go to http://www.siriusware.com/informationportal, click Login, and log in with your user name and password. Navigate to Downloads > VNC and download the UltraVNC executable (.exe) file to your desktop. Then double-click the file and UltraVNC installs on your system. We recommend that you accept all defaults during the installation. You have to install UltraVNC on each system that anyone might need to view remotely. Siriusware requires that computers that run Siriusware software have UltraVNC installed on them. Using UltraVNC VNC operates in two modes: server and viewer. Server mode You are making your desktop available for remote viewing and manipulation (with remote mouse and keyboard). Viewer mode You are viewing another computer s desktop from your own, and are able to perform mouse and keyboard operations on the other computer from your own mouse and keyboard. 7
If your firewall allows it (or if you don t have a firewall), a Siriusware Technical Support representative may enter your IP address into VNC running on his computer in viewer mode, after asking you to start VNC on your computer in server mode. The representative then needs your password to log in. Usually, however, client firewalls prevent this, and you must enter the IP address of your technical support representative s computer into your instance of VNC running in server mode on your computer. In these cases, the technical support representative doesn t need to know your password. To discover your IP address: 1. Go to Start > Programs > Accessories > Command Prompt. 2. Type the following in the Command Prompt window (at the command prompt): ipconfig 3. You should get a response similar to the following, showing your IP address: How do I get the most out of Siriusware Technical Support? Follow the guidelines below to help ensure that the Siriusware Technical Support experience goes smoothly for everyone involved: Siriusware person Many sites find it the most effective to have one person on their staff designated as the Siriusware person. The person at that site is responsible for compiling a comprehensive list of software questions and issues, reporting them to Siriusware Technical Support, and keeping track of where they stand. Calling or e-mailing a single list of issues is probably more effective than separating them all, but we can work either way. Incident tracking We have implemented a computerized issue-tracking system at Siriusware to help us document all technical support issues. When you contact a Siriusware Technical Support staff member, you will be 8
given an incident number so that when you e-mail or call to discuss the problem, any staff member can refer to this issue in the database. This system enables us to keep tabs on what problems clients may be having and to keep a running log of what steps we have taken to resolve them. This system also enables you to speak to any staff member regarding your issue and keeps you from having to repeat steps in diagnosing the problem. What information do I need to provide? Before contacting us, gather as much detailed information as possible about your situation. Note the exact error message, if one is given, along with all the steps you took to get there. (If you can, write down the exact message; it is far more helpful to us than explaining, I got a couple of errors. ) Even better, take a screen capture of the message. If you know of any background information, be sure to note it. (Examples are: The power went out last night during a backup or Someone ended a task during data maintenance yesterday. ) Even if events seem unrelated, we can troubleshoot problems quicker with more information. What will you ask me? On our end, we want to gather as much information as we can. Our immediate goal is to get you up and running. Our ultimate goal may be to recreate the problem so we can prevent it from happening again. That is why we ask lots and lots of questions, and some of them may seem ridiculous. We are not trying to insult you we just need to find out what happened. (So if we ask something that seems silly, like Is the server turned on? it is probably because we have run into situations in the past where the answer has been, Oh. No, I guess not. ) We will almost always ask you a few key questions, so if you have the answers prepared, we ll be that much closer to solving the problem. This information may seem irrelevant to you, but it can mean a lot to us. We re not out to stump you, so just relax and be yourself. Here are some of the common questions we ask: When did this start happening (was it working all along and it suddenly stopped working)? What has changed between the time it was working and now? Did you do any recent software upgrades? Have you physically moved machines around, or was there a problem with the power? What versions of the software are you running? (This is an important one, because each piece of the software is designed to work with very specific versions of the other pieces. If you don t know how to tell which versions you have, ask us. The Salesware Modules, Configuration and Maintenance document contains an appendix that describes how you can determine which versions you are running.) Is the problem happening in just one place, or everywhere, on all salespoints? 9
Does the problem happen consistently or sporadically? We may ask you to go through, step by step, and explain how the problem happens. This may seem painful, but again, it s crucial that we understand exactly how to recreate the situation. We have also built in several log files that gather information constantly, and we might ask you to e-mail one of those to us. Also, when we re talking to you on the phone, it is extremely helpful for us if you are in front of the computer that is having the problem, if possible. Please share this information Please distribute copies of this document to all of your staff members who might call Siriusware Technical Support. We hope this clarifies any questions you may have about using Siriusware Technical Support. If not, please feel free to e-mail, call or fax us. Siriusware, Inc. Technical Support 302 Camino de la Placita Taos, NM 87571 575-751-0633 575-751-4166 (fax) help@siriusware.com 10