Remove
Posted by Doug on Jul 29, 2009
When working helpdesk the most annoying thing I come accross is having to install a program on a users PC or adjust the screen resolution, but the policy will not allow it. Instead of having to log off of the users PC and using an admin account I’ve found a simple tool that removes group policies from computers. The best way I’ve found to use this tool is to put it into a private section of your intranet available for download. this way you can run the app straight from the site, its password protected and on top of that the utility needs administrator credentials in order to remove the computer policy. Safe, Secure, Fast, Simple.
http://www.petri.co.il/killpol.htm –>
How
Posted by mike1messina on Mar 16, 2009
The question of “How much data can you afford to lose?” is one we must answer when we setup a backup and maintenance plan. Data management is important in whatever business you are in. We feel compelled to mention a few recommendations to consider when addressing your own data concerns.
The most important aspect of any data maintenance plan is data backup. One must consider server backups as well as database backups. For server backups, we do recommend at least one backup per week is sent off-site for disaster recovery purposes. When implementing a server backup plan, make sure that all of your critical data is being backed up. For IssueTrak this means both the database and the website directory. This should be done at least once a week or more frequently depending on how much data you can afford to lose.. File system backup is especially important for IssueTrak due to the attachments, kb attachments, and embedded images.
When considering the plan for your database, there are many factors to consider. One nice thing about Microsoft SQL Server is that when installing it, you can choose the option of installing the SQL Maintenance Plan Wizard. In many cases by simply following the defaults in this wizard, your SQL maintenance plan will be setup and ready to go. If you prefer to do things manually, the greatest focus for SQL would be on regularly backing up your database and maintaining your transaction logs. When considering the plan for your transaction logs, consider shrinking and truncating your logs. In both cases, this can be done by setting up a SQL job at a frequency that you have determined. One other important setting for transaction logs is restricting the transaction log growth size. This setting is very important as without this setting, your log will grow really large.
Once your backup plan is setup and everything is working as it should, you will need to have a plan to regularly verify that the backups are running and operational. With SQL, you can verify that the database backup is good by setting up a test database and restoring the backup to this test database. This plan should also be monitored and updated periodically as priorities and resources may change. As your use of IssueTrak increases, disk space also needs to be part of your plan. On the database side, your database continues to grow with every new issue, note, user, organization, asset, audit, or survey along with the storage needed for backups and log files. On the web server, it is also important to consider the space needed for attachments, scheduled reports, kb attachments, embedded images in addition to the website files.
We do have a couple of great features within IssueTrak which assist with archiving data. This is done through the ability to archive issue audits and the ability archive asset audits.
As you can see, taking care of your data can be a very complex process with many factors to consider. The above information is merely a guide with some things to be considered while examining the way that you handle your data. We would recommend that you consider evaluating your plan frequently to determine if any changes need to be made. When evaluating your own maintenance plan, it is important to always remember the 5 Ps. Proper planning prevents poor performance. As stated earlier, any of us looking at setting up or reviewing our own maintenance plan need to ask the big question: “How much data can you afford to lose?” as this will help us determine the best path forward. –>
Tackling
Posted by mike1messina on Jan 29, 2009
When troubleshooting any Web application, there are times where you may receive a generic error message like HTTP 500. While this may be “friendly,” it is not informative.
HTTP 500 is a generic error message that Internet Explorer sends for many different reasons, and it is not helpful for debugging and troubleshooting. Unfortunately, the HTTP 500 message causes grief to those unfamiliar with troubleshooting Web applications.
If you want to see the specific error message and troubleshoot the root cause of the issue, it’s as simple as updating a setting within the browser. From Internet Explorer, simply go to Tools > Internet Options > Advanced.
Then go down under the “Browsing” category and uncheck the option labeled “Show friendly HTTP error
messages.” This option will be checked by default.
Once this option has been selected, the real error message will come up when the Web page is refreshed. From this point forward, debugging your Web application will be much easier.
For a complete list of HTTP status codes, please refer to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_HTTP_status_codes. –>
ITIL:
Posted by Douglas Christian on Jul 29, 2008
In a recent Help Desk industry newsletter Douglas Christian, IssueTrak COO tried to dispell some of the myths about ITIL. Here is the first part of his article…
ITIL stands for Information Technology Infrastructure Library and represents a collection of best practices aimed at delivering business value from IT service management. According to the UK’s Office of Government Commerce, ITIL is the most widely accepted approach to IT service management worldwide. That being said, there is still a lot of confusion around ITIL. I often hear from companies that are looking to purchase an ITIL certified application so that their company can comply with the ITIL standard. This statement contains two widely held myths.
The Truth About ITIL
Because ITIL is a best practice, and not a standard, compliance is not an attainable goal. The best one can hope for is to implement processes that are consistent with ITIL best practices. Service management standards do exist. ISO/IEC 20000 is an international standard on IT service management. ITIL is closely aligned with this standard and can be used to help companies that wish to comply with the ISO/IEC 20000 standard.
Applying Best Practices
ITIL offers certification for individuals who wish to demonstrate their knowledge in the various aspects of ITIL. A number of us at IssueTrak are ITIL certified. ITIL does not offer a certification for applications. There are third parties that attempt to verify that an application will support one or more ITIL best practices. This third party verification is often misrepresented as ITIL certification. ITIL is meant to be adapted to meet the needs of your business. Because each ITIL implementation will look a little different, flexibility is an important consideration when evaluating an application to support an ITIL implementation.
At IssueTrak, we focus on ease of use, and flexibility. Because of this IssueTrak works great for tracking issues of all kinds. We don’t mind if they are called incidents, problems, or change requests.
Creating Value
If you are trying to get more value from your IT service management function, ITIL is a great place to start. ITIL covers a lot of ground and is best tackled in pieces. Where you start is up to you. A logical starting point for me is incident management, problem management and change management. The return on investment for these processes can be high. They are easily measured and can be used to build momentum before tackling the heavy lifting in processes like configuration management, capacity management, and SLA management.
Implementing an application isn’t enough to get you to an ITIL end state. A successful IT service management strategy hinges on the effective application of people, processes, and tools. (In that order) Start with sharp people and invest in them so they have a solid understanding of both their technical responsibilities and the business you are in. A systems administrator should understand the impact of taking down the order entry system for maintenance at the end of a quarter.
Next, take a look at your processes. An effective process accomplishes the end goal in a way that can be measured. The measurement allows for improvement. Common measurements include speed, accuracy, customer satisfaction and cost. ITIL won’t lay out a process for you to follow, but it will provide a description of what the process should accomplish and the key performance indicators to watch along the way. The processes should be tailored to meet your business. Molding your business to meet a cookie cutter process might be tempting but could have negative side effects.
Once you have the right people and effective processes in place, it is time to consider a tool to help you execute that process. The tool you chose should enable your processes without getting in the way. It should be flexible, powerful and easy to use. Also, look for reporting features that make it easy to track and report on your progress. IssueTrak has been designed with these ideas in mind and is a great place to start your search.
ITIL® is a Registered Trade Mark, and a Registered Community Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce, and is Registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. IT Infrastructure Library® is a Registered Trade Mark of the Office of Government Commerce. –>