xGUS - a helpdesk template

The xGUS portal is a template framework for a helpdesk system. It is based on the BMC Remedy Action Request system with an Oracle database for the tickets, news, portal and user administration.

The portal brings a lot of features which are suitable to provide effective user support. Users can enter the portal automatically, if they have their grid certificate imported into their browser, or via login and password. They can submit a ticket via a form and classify their problem by setting e.g. a 'type of problem', an 'affected  site' or a priority. The ticket gets assigned to the appropriate support unit by the First Level Support. The responsible support unit gets informed via email about open tickets. The user can choose wether he wants to stay up to date about the whole working process or only get notified if the problem is solved. Users or support staff can also use an email interface to add comments to the ticket. When replying to an email received from the helpdesk, the answer text is added to the ticket history.
Support staff can create relations between different tickets. If several tickets depend on the solution of another one, they can be marked as slaves. When the master ticket is solved, the solution is transferred to the slaves and they are solved automatically. If one ticket depends on the solution of several other tickets, these tickets are marked as children of this ticket. Only when all of the child tickets are solved, the parent ticket can be solved, too.  
With the news module, which is included in the portal, maintenances, downtimes or events can be announced easily via the portal. An RSS feed for news can be subscribed by portal users to stay up to date.
Registered users can view tickets of their personal interest on their dashboard.
Subscription to a ticket triggers email notifications about ticket updates for interested users who are not the submitter.
Tickets which can not be solved within the helpdesk instance, can be duplicated to GGUS. All changes which are made in the GGUS system are also synchronized to the original ticket.
The xGUS instance is a tool to track and document problems. It can be used to gain statistics about upcoming problems.
Running on the same system, adjustments concerning the relationship and the interface between GGUS and xGUS can be made quickly and efficiently. Clients are not obliged to care about technical details of their helpdesk system. All server related issues are handled at the KIT, as well as the operation and maintenance of the helpdesk portal itself.
Portal administrators can customize the portal via a web interface. They can set links on the portal which are helpful for users like documentations or other relevant web pages, define the list of selectable problem types, VOs and sites and add or modify support units.

The xGUS framework provides NGIs or user communities with their own, independent helpdesk system with many helpful features. They can benefit of the experience gained over several years in the GGUS team instead of starting from scratch with a new helpdesk system. Their User Support can be integrated into the existing and well-established structure with GGUS at the center. All problems described in the tickets are stored in databases as well as the steps that have been done to obtain a solution. Each helpdesk system becomes a problem database which can help to solve similar or related problems.
The helpdesk system gives project leaders and users the possibility to gain an overview over upcoming problems and to find out where improvements could be necessary.

With xGUS, the GGUS team offers a comfortable way for NGIs or user communities who need a user support infrastructure, to obtain an independent helpdesk portal which provides all necessary functionality to track and classify problems. It enables a quick and easy communication between the user and the support staff. Helpdesk administrators can customize the helpdesk to the specific needs of the NGI or user community.
The use of xGUS guarantees a consistent user support infrastructure troughout the whole EGI project.