WHD 12.4.0 Admin Guide

396 Pages·2016·7.32 MB·English

SolarWinds
Web Help Desk
Administrator Guide
Version 12.4.0
Last Updated:September1,2016
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September 1,2016
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Table of Contents
Introduction 24
Keyfeatures 25
Parent/child service relationships 25
Automated ticketing processing 25
Asset management 25
Change management 26
SolarWinds product integration 26
FIPS 140-2 compliant cryptography 26
Ticket processing 26
Evaluate the application 27
Installationrequirements 28
Server hardware and software requirements 28
Hardware 28
Web server 28
Operating system 28
Web browser 29
Screen resolution 30
Deployments with fewer than 20 techs 30
Deployments with more than 20 techs 30
Configuring the JVM 30
Server sizing requirements 30
SolarWinds integration connections 31
SolarWinds product integration requirements 32
Database requirements 32
Embedded database migration requirements 33
MySQLrequirements 33
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SQLServer requirements 33
Software 34
Hardware 34
Discoveryconnector requirements 34
Hypervisor requirements 36
LDAPrequirements 36
Mail server requirements 37
Software 37
Supported protocols 37
Mobile client requirements 37
Virtual appliance requirements 37
Database migration options 37
External database options 38
Migrate froman Embedded FrontBase toan Embedded PostgreSQLDatabase 38
Migrate external or unsupported databases toPostgreSQL 39
Migrate fromMySQLtoSQLServer 40
Database datatypes 40
Installtheapplication 41
Before you begin 41
Prepare the Microsoft SQL Server database 41
Enable TCP/IPon SQLServer 41
Create and configure your SQLServer database 42
Install on a Microsoft Windows system 42
Before you begin 42
Installation 42
Uninstall Web Help Desk 44
Upgrade fromWindows 32-bit toWindows 64-bit 45
Install on an Apple OS Xsystem 45
Installation 45
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Uninstall Web Help Deskon an Apple OS X system 46
Run Web Help Deskon embedded and external Java 47
Install on a Linuxsystem 47
Uninstall Web Help Deskon a Linuxsystem 49
Getstarted 50
Set up the database 50
Use an embedded database 50
Use an external database 50
Use an embedded PostgreSQLdatabase 50
Create a customSQLdatabase and account 51
Configure incoming and outgoing email accounts 52
Create the default admin account 53
Create a request type in the Getting Started wizard 55
Log in and applyactivation key 55
Increase the JVM memory 57
EnableFIPS 140-2 compliantcryptography 58
NetworkSecurityServices 58
CA and self-signed certificates 58
Before you begin 58
Requirements 59
Enable FIPS in a new deployment 60
Deployment checklist 60
1. Review the requirements 61
2. Download Web Help Desk12.4.0 61
3. Install Web Help Deskin your deployment 61
4. Install Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio2013 61
5. Update the Environment Variables Path setting in your Windows Server operating system 62
6. Enable FIPS mode on your Apache Tomcat server 62
Stop Web Help Desk 63
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Install the preconfigured Web Help Deskfiles for FIPS deployment 63
Edit the etc\hosts file 63
Edit the whd.conf file 63
(Optional) Edit the tomcat_server_template.xml file 64
(Optional) Edit the java.securityfile 65
(Optional) Edit the pkcs11_nss.cfg file 65
7. Create a Web Help Deskserver certificate 66
Before you begin 66
Obtain a signed certificate bya trusted CA 66
Create and use a self-signed certificate 67
8. Complete the installation 70
9. Set up SolarWinds Integration and email 70
Enable FIPS in an existing deployment 71
Before you begin 71
Deployment checklist 71
1. Review the requirements 72
2. Ensure you are running Web Help Desk12.4.0 72
3. Ensure that the Web Help Deskhostname is correct 73
4. Install Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio2013 73
5. Update the Environment Variables Path setting in your Windows Server operating system 73
6. Enable FIPS mode on your Apache Tomcat server 74
Stop Web Help Desk 74
Install the preconfigured Web Help Deskfiles for FIPS deployment 74
Edit the wrapper_template.conf file 74
Edit the etc\hosts file 75
Edit the whd.conf file 75
(Optional)Edit the tomcat_server_template.xml file 76
(Optional)Edit the java.securityfile 77
(Optional)Edit the pkcs11_nss.cfg file 78
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7. Create a signed Web Help Deskcertificate for your NSS database 78
Before you begin 78
Obtain a signed certificate bya trusted CA 78
Create and use a self-signed certificate 80
8. Complete the installation 82
9. Set up your SolarWinds Integration and email 83
Prepare for the database migration 83
Migrate user passwords toFIPS 140-2 cryptography 85
Prepare for the password migration 85
Execute the password migration 86
Notifyall users that the migration is completed 86
Migrate user passwords toFIPS 140-2 cryptography 86
Prepare for the password migration 86
Execute the password migration 87
Notifyall users that the migration is completed 87
Upgradetheapplication 88
Upgrade fromversions prior tov12.0.0 88
Upgrade froman embedded FrontBase database 88
Upgrade froman external FrontBase,OpenBase,or Oracle database 89
Upgrade froma MySQLor Microsoft SQL database 89
Upgrade fromversions after v12.0.0 90
Setup theapplication 91
Setup overview 91
Setup menu options 91
Web Help Deskterms 93
Configure the general settings 93
Log in and applyactivation key 93
Configure the general options 94
Configure your authentication settings 95
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Configure your authentication method and settings 96
Encrypt passwords using the Password SecurityMigration Tool 97
Set your time and place 98
Add a new location and set the business hours 98
Add calendar events 99
Configure your lookand feel 99
Add your companylogo 99
Install and applya new style sheet template 99
Customize the database connection 101
Set your log settings 103
View your systeminformation 103
Configure Microsoft SQLServer 104
Enable TCP/IPon SQLServer 104
Create and configure your SQLServer database 105
Configure MySQL 105
Integrate Apache Tomcat 106
Disable IIS 106
Disable IIS on Windows Server systems 106
Disable IIS on Windows Server 2008 systems 106
Bind IIS toa Windows interface 107
Bind IIS toan interface on Windows Server 2008 107
Set up your email 107
Simplifyemail management –options 108
Configure an outgoing email account 108
Configure an incoming email account 109
Applyyour email templates 110
Built-in email templates 110
Outgoing email templates 111
Incoming email templates 113
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Template layout 114
Edit built-in email templates 114
Create new email templates 116
Applyyour tags in email templates 119
Set up tickets 121
Configure ticket options 122
Define request types 123
Define status types 125
Set the status type options for the CAB feature 125
Create a prioritytype 126
Create customticket fields 127
Create tasks 128
Access the taskscreen 129
Create a new task 129
Add new taskelements 131
Create new tickets fromtaskelements 132
Define your techs 133
Create tech accounts 134
Edit the admin account 136
Request types,tech groups,and ticket assignment 137
Request types 137
Tech groups 138
Ticket assignment logic 138
Define tech groups 140
Create a tech group 140
Define tech group levels for Orion platformalerts 141
Configure tech group levels 141
Assign supported request types 142
Define tech permissions 143
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Create a new tech permission set 143
Assign techs toa permission set 144
Define the ticket routing processes 144
Approvers 144
Approval processes 144
Approver roles 144
Create action rules for ticket processing 144
Action Rule Infotab 145
Criteria tab 145
Action tab 145
Add an Action Rule 146
Load balance action rules for ticket processing 148
Define the approval processes 149
Approvers 149
Approver Process Rules 150
Approval patterns 151
Plan your approval process 152
Approval process scenarioprerequisites 152
Create approver roles 153
Create approver roles for locations 154
Assign clients tolocation approval roles 154
Assign clients todepartment approval roles 155
Create a CAB 155
Add CABstatus types 156
Set the status type options for the CAB feature 157
Assign a department and client toan approver role 158
Create new status types 159
Create a status type 159
Determine when a status type is applied toa ticket 160
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