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Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

{TOC}


==General questions==

===What are the key concepts?===

'''Incident''' : An interruption or degradation of service which affects the user. "It worked yesterday, it no longer works today". 

'''Service request''': A user request to create, provide, install, or change hardware or software. Non-trivial requests are managed as "changes".

'''Problem''' : Problematic situation causing incidents for which an investigation must be conducted to understand the root cause of the problem and to identify a permanent solution.

'''Change''' : Non-trivial modification to the IT infrastructure which requires an analysis of the requirements, costs and risks, and which is controlled by a process. Alias: RFC, Change request, Project.

'''CI (Configuration Item)''' : Hardware, software, or other component of the infrastructure which is the cause, the subject, or the target of incidents, service requests, problems, and changes. 

===How to create an Octopus account for a technician===

To create an Octopus account for a technician:

# Open the Users module
# Search for the technician among the users. If he/she doesn't exist, create the profile.
# In the tab "User", enter an Octopus user name
# Click on "Assign password" and enter a password.
# Adjust the permissions in the Permissions tab.
# Change the groups in which the user is a member
# Save

Once connected, the technician can change his/her password by going to "File > Change my password...".


===How to configure a user for the portal Web?===

For '''standards users (non-technicians)''', the procedure is :

 1. The user must have a "Windows username". We recommend the email address.{BR}
 2. You also need to enter his email address into the field provided for this purpose.{BR}
 3. The user must not have an Octopus account.{BR}
 4. Then, the user must register himself via the Web portal. The system will send a password via email profile.{BR}  
 5. He will then return to the home and use his "Windows Username" and password received.{BR}
 6. Once in his webpage, he can change his password and have access to create queries.{BR}

'''For technicians''', they must use the specific interface for technicians that is accessible via the __button "Tech" __ right next to the words "Powered by Octopus". Also, technicians should use their Octopus __Username __et their password.{BR}{BR} 

===What are the keyboard shortcuts?===

Here is the list of keyboard shortcuts:


'''Incidents'''

:F2 : Open "My Incidents"

:F4 : Create an incident

:Ctrl+A : Assign an incident

:Ctrl+R : Mark as resolved

'''General'''

:F5 : Refresh the data on screen

:F8 : Open my reminders

:F9 : Open the reminders

:F11: Open the calendar

:Ctrl+F2 : Open my tasks

:Ctrl+S : Save the data on screen

:Alt+S : Save the data on screen and close the screen

:CTRL+C : Copy the list content to the clipboard to be able to paste it in Excel

:Ctrl+P : Print the current list

:Ctrl+Shift+F : Search across all requests (Incident, SR, Change, Problems)


===How to configure required fields===

To configure the required fields:

# Go to "Tools > Options...".
# Find the section in Options named "Required field management"
# Modify the required fields to suit your needs and click OK


===How to investigate WMI connection problems===
Consult the following page: [http://www.octopus-itsm.com/help/en/Configuration/WMI/WMITroubleShooting.htm|Troubleshooting WMI problems]

===How to import data into Octopus===

Octopus includes the program DataImporter, a universal connector capable of importing data into Octopus from any data source compatible with OLEDB/ODBC.

This includes : MySQL, Access, Excel, Microsoft SQL Server, Oracle as well as many other databases for information systems, inventory, or monitoring.

To learn more, please consult the page [DataImporter|DataImporter].

===How to export data to Excel===

# Open any list (list of incidents, CIs, search results, list in a tab).
# Personalize the list by modifying the displayed columns and how the data is sorted.
# Select one or several lines in the list. (if you only select one line, the whole grid will be exported)
# Type CTRL+C to add the information to the clipboard. 
# Launch Excel and type CTRL+V to transfer the information.


===What's the difference between suspending an incident and putting an incident on hold?===

* An incident is '''suspended '''if the reason that work can't be continued ''' depends on the user'''.
** The user is on vacation
** The user isn't responding to messages
** Waiting for approval from the user's superior

* An incident is put '''on hold '''if the reason that work can't be continued is the ''' internal IT department'''.
** Waiting on a supplier
** Waiting for a part

Suspension involves a stoppage in measuring time for compliance with the service level targets, while putting an incident on hold does not.

===How to delete a user===

When a user quits the company, they must be deactivated:

# Activate the Users module
# Search for the user to deactivate
# Open the user form
# Uncheck "Active"
# Save

A function to delete a user also exists. This function can only be used if the user has absolutely no association with any other data in Octopus. This function is useful for deleting a user that you have created in error.
===What are the features of Octopus?===

If you've been using Octopus for a long time, there are definitely existing features that you haven't taken advantage of yet. Consult the following page to review the features offered by Octopus: 

:[http://www.octopus-itsm.com/en/features/Default.aspx|Octopus Features]


===Can I download my database, and what can I do with it?===
Your database (DB) is available at all times. You can download it and use it to produce your own statistical reports. The available DB is always the one from the previous night (the moment when the backups are done).

The DB is in the SQL Server 2005 format. To work with the DB, as a minimum you will need to install the free version of SQL Server 2005 called [http://www.microsoft.com/sql/editions/express/default.mspx|SQL Server 2005 Express Edition]. If you already have an SQL 2005 server, you can install the DB on that server.

To install the SQL DB:

# Go to "Tools > Get database..." and save the zip file
# Move the saved file over to the computer where SQL Server 2005 is installed
# Unzip the saved zip file to extract a .bak file
# Start SQL Server Management Studio
# Use the function "Restore Database" to restore the .bak file into a live database. Consult [http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/ms177429.aspx|this article] to learn more about the "Restore Database" function.
# Once the database is online, you can explore its content with SQL Server Management Studio and you can create reports using tools like Excel or Crystal Reports.


===In my list of software installed on my workstation, I don't see certain software, why?===
The reason is probably that the software isn't managed. To mark it as managed, open the list of non-managed software, select and open the software in question, and mark it as managed.
After that, it will be included in the list of software installed on workstations.


===How to create sums in the field "Total work" once in Excel===

When you export a list of data into Excel and that list contains the column "Total work", you have to modify the formatting of the cell to be able to perform calculations. By default, Excel understands that the value "22:00" means "at 22:00" and not "lasting 22:00 hours". The sums and averages will therefore not provide the correct results. Here is how to change the cell format:

# Click the button on the right of the column header "Total work"
# Choose "Format cells..."
# Choose the category "Custom"
# Choose the type <nowiki>"[h]:mm:ss"</nowiki>
# Click OK

===How to obtain an Octopus error log===
When an error occurs, Octopus generates a log which describes the error in more detail. To find the Octopus error log:

# Go into C:\Program files\Octopus 
# Arrange the files and folders by Type (in the Details View) 
# Open the following application : ESI.Framework.Tools.EasyLogView.exe 
# Select the event in question from the list, then you can copy and paste the log into an e-mail or document.

===How to detect software that is not contained in "Add or Remove Programs"?===
The program ESI.Octopus.WMIUpdaterApp.exe detects the software contained in "Add or Remove Programs".
{BR}
To detect other software, you need to:

# Create a CI of the type Software.
# In the Configuration tab, indicate the detection path. 

The detection path can be a directory or a file. {BR} 
You can indicate many directories; separate the directories by semicolons ";". {BR} 
If the directory name contains spaces, don't put the directory name in quotation marks.

===How to configure e-mail links to open in Notes instead of Outlook?===
In the Octopus sections which contain contact information (Suppliers, Users), you can open a message to an e-mail address by clicking on that address in the lists. If you use Notes but the link opens in Outlook, try the following:

# Go to Tools > Internet Options in Internet Explorer
# In the Programs tab, you can assign the default programs for various functions in Windows.
# Assign Notes in the E-mail field. 

===How to change your language preference in Octopus===
In Octopus you are able to switch between different languages (French, English and Portuguese)
Here are the steps to change your preferred language

# Go to File > Modify my profile
# In the function section named Language (drop down list)
# Select the desired language
# Restart Octopus.

===How can I see my Closed requests?===

There are two ways to look at closed requests in Octopus:

1 You can click on your Incidents / SRs module and select "Closed (last 30 days)" from the drop list to see all closed requests from the last 30 days *.

[imageauto|Drop list|{UP}FAQ/drop2_en.png|{UP}FAQ/drop2_en.png]

2 You can do an advanced search in your Home or Incidents / SRs modules and select "Closed" as the status.  This will list ALL closed requests and might take a while, depending on the amount of closed requests there is in your database.

[image|Search|{UP}FAQ/recherche_en.png|{UP}FAQ/recherche_en.png]


(*) The reason why "Closed" selection from the drop list will not display ALL requests is to avoid having very long lists to load if you accidentally clicked on it.