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Last Updated: 05 February 2015

SupportDesk

Technical Setup Guide

Technical Setup Guide 2

All Rights Reserved

Software Copyright © 1993-2015 House-On-The-Hill Software Ltd

All Rights Reserved

Manual Copyright © 1993-2015 House-On-The-Hill Software Ltd

House-On-The-Hill Software Ltd. disclaims any liability for any damage including but not

limited to corruption of data whether arising directly or indirectly from the use of software

originated by House-On-Hill Software. All House-On-The-Hill Software programs are supplied

'as is' and House-On-The-Hill Software Ltd. does not warrant that the operation of the

program will be uninterrupted or error free or that program defects will be corrected.

Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. House-On-The-Hill Software

Ltd. acknowledges the use of other trademarks in this manual and respects the rights of the

holders.

NB. We advise that you take a backup of your SupportDesk directory and databases on, at

least, a daily basis. Contact your company’s Database Administrator (DBA) to ensure this

takes place.


Contents Contents 3

1 System Requirements 5

2 Setup Task List 6

On Server ................................................................................................................. 6

On each Client Machine .............................................................................................. 6

3 Database Setup 7

Microsoft Access ........................................................................................................ 7

Microsoft SQL Server .................................................................................................. 7

SQL Server: Creating SupportDesk Database and Login ................................................ 8

Creating the Database and User Manually ............................................................................... 8

Oracle Database Setup .............................................................................................. 11

Creating SupportDesk Oracle Database ................................................................................. 11

Creating the Oracle Tablespace ............................................................................................ 15

Creating SupportDesk Oracle User ........................................................................................ 16

Creating SupportDesk Tables ................................................................................................ 19

MySQL Database Setup ............................................................................................. 20

SQL Server Express Database Setup ........................................................................... 21

Database Security ..................................................................................................... 21

4 Server Installation 22

Installing the Software .............................................................................................. 22

5 Client Installation 23

Shortcut to the Application ........................................................................................ 23

Setting up the Database Connection ........................................................................... 24

Microsoft SQL Server & SQL Server Express .......................................................................... 24

Differences with SQL Server Express ..................................................................................... 25

Microsoft Access .................................................................................................................. 26

Oracle ................................................................................................................................. 27

MySQL (Version 5) ............................................................................................................... 29

6 Logging in to SupportDesk 30

Login Details Tab ...................................................................................................... 30

SQL Settings Tab ...................................................................................................... 30

7 SupportDesk WebServer 32

Overview ................................................................................................................. 32

Prerequisites ............................................................................................................ 33

Steps for Windows Server 2008 (IIS 7). ................................................................................ 33

Steps for Windows Server 2003 (IIS 6) ................................................................................. 36

Installing SupportDesk WebServer (IIS 7) ................................................................... 39

Default Document ................................................................................................................ 41


Handler Mappings ................................................................................................................ 42

Common Error. .................................................................................................................... 44

Authentication ..................................................................................................................... 45

Installing SupportDesk WebServer (IIS 6) ................................................................... 47

Performance Tweaks (IIS 6 only) .......................................................................................... 53

Installing SupportDesk WebServer (for IIS 5) .............................................................. 54

Notes for System Administrators ................................................................................ 58

WebServer Attachments ............................................................................................ 58

IIS 7 and IIS 6 .................................................................................................................... 59

Final WebServer Configuration ................................................................................... 61

Accessing the WebServer .......................................................................................... 63

Useful WebServer Configuration Tips .......................................................................... 63

Default New Call Settings ..................................................................................................... 63

Hide Certain Fields from Web Users ...................................................................................... 64

Installing SupportDesk Mobile .................................................................................... 66

8 Optional Components 66

Windows Authentication ............................................................................................ 66

Windows client .................................................................................................................... 66

WebServer client ................................................................................................................. 67

E-Mail Integration ..................................................................................................... 71

Workflow Engine ...................................................................................................... 71

KPI Monitor .............................................................................................................. 72

LDAP Integration ...................................................................................................... 72

IT Asset Management ............................................................................................... 72

Auditor ................................................................................................................................ 72

Remote Control ................................................................................................................... 72

Microsoft SMS .......................................................................................................... 73

Centennial Integration ............................................................................................... 73

Telephony Integration ............................................................................................... 74

Outlook Add-In ......................................................................................................... 74

9 Contacting House-on-the-Hill 75

Getting in Touch ....................................................................................................... 75

E-Mail ................................................................................................................................. 75 Web .................................................................................................................................... 75

Telephone ........................................................................................................................... 75

Postal Address ..................................................................................................................... 75


1 System Requirements

For system requirements refer to: -

http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/supsystemreq.p

df.

http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/supsystemreq.pdf

http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/supsystemreq.pdf


2 Setup Task List The following is a list of tasks, which need to be performed in sequence when configuring

your SupportDesk system.

On Server

o Create SupportDesk Database on Server with associated User, by which

SupportDesk software can connect. Contact your Database Administrator

(DBA) for details.

See 3: Database Setup

o Install SupportDesk onto application Server.

See 4: Server Installation

o Configure and test connection to Server Database.

See 5: Database Connection (Within Client Installation)

o Log into SupportDesk and check program operation is OK.

See 6: Logging into SupportDesk

On each Client Machine

o Install Database Connection software (Custom Install)

See 5: Client Installation

o Configure and test connection to Server Database

See 5: Database Connection (Within Client Installation)

o Log into SupportDesk and check program operation is OK.

o See 6: Logging into SupportDesk


3 Database Setup Microsoft Access

By default an empty Microsoft Access database (suppdesk.mdb) is installed into the

SupportDesk directory on the Server. No further tasks are required except to make sure that

this database is backed up regularly.

Occasionally, Access databases can become corrupted. They can normally be repaired by

using the Repair… button in the ODBC DSN that has been created for suppdesk.mdb or

by using the MS Access program.

Microsoft SQL Server

On your Database Server machine you need to:

o Ensure the SupportDesk SQL Server is in ‘SQL Server and Windows’

Authentication mode. Open Enterprise Manager, expand ‘Microsoft SQL

Servers’, expand ‘SQL Server Group’, right mouse click on the relevant SQL

Server and select ‘Properties’. Click on the Security tab and make sure ‘SQL

Server and Windows Authentication’ is checked in the Security section.

o Create a SQL Database to hold the SupportDesk tables

o Create a SQL User for SupportDesk access which:

1. Has ownership rights of the SupportDesk SQL database

2. Defaults to this database on SQL login

3. Has a full SQL Table Create/Select privilege.

This user will be used by all SupportDesk clients to access the SQL database.

Note: For MS SQL Server installations you must be using SQL Server Version 7 or later.


SQL Server: Creating SupportDesk Database and Login

Creating the Database and User Manually o Start SQL Management Studio and right click on Databases under the name of your

Server. Select New Database…

o Enter details similar to the ones below:


o Under Security > Logins right click and select New Login…

Enter Name (and Password if required) similar to below and make sure the database

created in 1 above is entered as the default Database at the bottom. We also

recommend that you use SQL Server Authentication for this Login. Make a note of

the Name, Password and Database; you will need to refer to these names again.


Select the User Mapping page and, tick the ‘SupportDesk’ database and ensure that this

login ONLY has db_owner and public roles selected for this database. You will also need

to set the Default Schema to be the same as your username - in the example below the

User is Suppdesk, and the default Schema has been set to the same name.

Finally, click OK to this screen and exit SQL.

Note: When you first log into SupportDesk the SQL tables will be created dynamically in your SQL Server database by the application.


Oracle Database Setup

On your Database Server machine you need to:

o Create an Oracle Database called suppdesk using Oracle’s Database Configuration

Assistant.

o Within this database create a tablespace called suppdesk.

o Create an Oracle User called suppdesk which defaults to the suppdesk tablespace.

o Create the SupportDesk tables.

Note: For Oracle installations you must be using Oracle Version 7 or later.

Creating SupportDesk Oracle Database o Start Oracle Database Configuration Assistant program on Oracle server and

create a new database and click Next.

o Select the General Purpose database template and click Next.

o Enter your database name – suppdesk and click Next.


o Click Next if satisfied with default settings for Management Options.

o Enter suppdesk (or any other word) against all password fields.

o Click Next if satisfied with default settings for Storage Options.


o Click Next if satisfied with default settings for Database File Locations.

o Click Next if satisfied with default settings for Recovery Configuration.

o Click Next if satisfied with default settings for Database Content.


o Click Next if satisfied with default settings for Initialization Parameters.

o Click Next if satisfied with default settings for Database Storage.

o Click Next if satisfied with default settings for Creation Options.


Creating the Oracle Tablespace o Start Database Control – suppdesk, which will open up Oracle Enterprise

Manager.

o Log in to the database with your username and password.

o Click on the Administration tab, and click on Tablespaces. Make sure Single is

selected in the drop down menu for Selection Mode. Now click on Create.

o Enter suppdesk as the name of the Tablespace. Under Datafiles click on add.

Enter a value for the File Name field. Under Storage click on Automatically

extend datafile when full and enter a value for Increment. In this case we have

entered the value of 50.


o Once this is done on the Tablespace page should look something like this.

Creating SupportDesk Oracle User

o On the Administration page click on User. And now create a new user. Fill in the

fields as required.


o Next to Default TableSpace, find the relavent Tablespace ie the one we have named

SUPPDESK.

o Navigate to Roles, which is found next to General in the set of tabs on the page.

This will now allow you to modify the roles.

o From the list of Available Roles, move CONNECT and RESOURCE to the

Selected Roles list.

o Navigate to System Privileges, which is found next to Roles in the set of tabs on

the page. This will now allow you to modify the system privileges.

o Add the following 10 System Privileges to the Selected System Privileges section:

ALTER ANY INDEX, ALTER ANY TABLE, ALTER TABLESPACE, CREATE ANY INDEX,

CREATE ANY TABLE, CREATE TABLESPACE, DROP ANY INDEX, DROP ANY TABLE,

UNLIMITED TABLESPACE, UPDATE ANY TABLE.


o Navigate to System Privileges, which is found next to Roles in the set of tabs on

the page. This will now allow you to modify the system privileges.


Creating SupportDesk Tables

o Proceed to chapter 4 and install the software on the server.

o Follow the instructions in chapter 5 to create a shortcut and an ODBC connection to

the database on the server.

o Login to SupportDesk on the server with a login and password of your choice and the

tables will be created for you.


MySQL Database Setup

Download and install onto your MySQL Server the latest ‘Production’ release of MySQL

Database Server from http://www.mysql.com/downloads/.

Open the MySQL Workbench program and create a new connection called “suppdesk”.

Leave the schema as blank as we are yet to create this. Now open the connection you have

created by double clicking on it in the Workbench interface. Click in the Script pane and

enter the following “CREATE DATABASE `supportdesk`”. Now click on Execute SQL Script at

the top to execute the script and right click in the Object Browser and click on Refresh all

and you should see your newly created database. Here’s what it looks like now in the

Workbench program.

Right click on the supportdesk database and click on Set as Default Schema.

Now create an ODBC connection to the database using the Data Sources (ODBC) program in

Administrative Tools (for 64-bit machines you will find it in

%systemroot%\syswow64\odbcad32.exe). This will use the MySQL ODBC Connector, which

you should have downloaded. Now log into SupportDesk by entering your Supportdesk

login, password and ODBC name. Leave the SQL Server login and password fields blank.

The first time you log into SupportDesk you will generate all SupportDesk tables.

Download and install the MyODBC driver. This can be downloaded separately from

http://www.mysql.com/downloads/connector/odbc/.

http://www.mysql.com/downloads/

http://www.mysql.com/downloads/connector/odbc/


SQL Server Express Database Setup

The SQL Server 2008 Express is a SQL Server compatible database engine supplied with

certain Microsoft solutions. See http://www.microsoft.com/express/database/ for full details.

There is no difference in the configuration of SQL Server – if you are running SQL Express,

ensure that you download SQL Management Studio Express so that you can manage the

databases.

Database Security

We advise that you take a backup of your SupportDesk directory and databases on at least a

daily basis. Contact your Company’s Database Administrator (DBA) to ensure this takes

place.

http://www.microsoft.com/express/database/


4 Server Installation Installing the Software

o Place the SupportDesk CD in your computer’s CD-ROM drive. If your CD-ROM has

AutoPlay enabled, the SupportDesk Setup will start automatically, in which case

move onto Step 4; otherwise continue with Step 2.

o Open My Computer and right click on the CD drive. Select Open.

o Find setup.exe and run the program from here.

o The Welcome dialogue box appears. Click Next > to continue.

o The Destination Folder dialogue box appears. Enter the path of the SupportDesk

Folder/Directory on the LAN. You can use the Browse button to select the Folder.

Click Next > to continue.

o The software will copy the appropriate files to the destination folder, as well as

configuring your system to use SupportDesk.

IMPORTANT: You do not need to install the software on each client machine – please read on for more information on configuring clients.

Make sure you share out the SupportDesk installation directory across the network so that

users can access and run the application. By default, the installation directory is created with

a ‘full control’ permission for everybody. This is because directories and subdirectories will

need to be created by the users when an action such as adding an attachment to a call is

performed. SupportDesk will copy these files into subdirectories on the server, so that they

can be accessed by all users.


5 Client Installation Shortcut to the Application

For every user of SupportDesk you must add a shortcut to SupportDesk on the user’s

desktop.

o Right click on the Desktop and select New > Shortcut

o Type the location of the SupportDesk installation on the network i.e. \\servername\suppdesk\supdskcs.exe

o Click Next, give the shortcut a name, and then click Finish.

o Next, right click on the newly-created shortcut, and choose Properties.

o Ensure that the “Start In” directory is correct – it needs to be the installation

directory as shown below.


Setting up the Database Connection

These steps also need to be performed on each client machine that needs to connect to

SupportDesk.

Note: The instructions on how to setup the database connection for the WebServer is the

same as with setting up the Windows client. If you are using both the Windows client and

the WebServer, then the DSN must be same.

Make sure you follow the steps for your appropriate database schema.

Microsoft SQL Server & SQL Server Express

o Go to Control Panel on the computer, and choose Administrative Tools.

o Open up Data Sources (ODBC) (If you have a 64-bit client machine then you need

to use the 32-bit ODBC. Use the "Run" dialog box, and type

%SystemRoot%\SysWow64\odbcad32.exe).

o Make sure you have the System DSN tab selected, and click Add…

o The Create New Data Source window appears, select SQL Server from the list of

names, and then click Finish.

o The Create a New Data Source to SQL Server dialogue appears. Give the DSN

the name HouseOnTheHill, and enter the description and name of the SQL Server

to connect to. An example is given below.


o Click Next to move on to the Authentication settings. Make sure you set up the DSN

to connect “With SQL Server authentication…”. At the bottom of the window, enter

your SQL Server login and password. These are not stored, but are used to confirm

that this DSN can connect to SQL Server correctly. An example screenshot is below.

o The next two steps of the Wizard require no changes to be made. When you get to

the end of the wizard, you will be prompted to test the connection. If it succeeds,

finish the Wizard and close down the Data Source Administrator. If the tests failed,

double check the settings on the DSN and ensure that the specified SQL Server is

available and open to connections.

o You can now log in to SupportDesk. You may be presented with an error when you

first log in – this is because SupportDesk does not have the SQL Server username

and password yet. Click through the error, switch to the “SQL Settings” tab and enter

the SQL Server username and password. You can then log in to SupportDesk!

Differences with SQL Server Express

By default the SQL Server Express installs with Windows Authentication rather than SQL

Server Authentication. The steps for connecting to SQL Server Express are the same as

above, but with the following differences:

o In step 6, you should choose the option ‘With Windows NT authentication’ rather

than ‘With SQL Server authentication’. This will enable logon to the database engine

using your Windows login.

o In step 8, you do not need to enter the username and password on the SQL Settings

tab in SupportDesk.


Microsoft Access


o Open up Data Sources (ODBC).


o The Create New Data Source window appears, select Microsoft Access Driver

(*.mdb) from the list of names, and then click Finish.

o The ODBC Microsoft Access Setup dialogue appears. Give the DSN the name

HouseOnTheHill, and choose which database to connect to by clicking “Select” and

navigating to the correct .mdb file on the server.

o In the dialog that appears when you click Select, it is possible to type a direct UNC

address instead of using a mapped network drive. Simply type the address in the

Database Name box, as shown below.

o If you haven’t created a database yet, use the Create button to create a blank

database on the server. SupportDesk creates the correct schema when you first log

in to SupportDesk.


Oracle




o The Create New Data Source window appears, select Oracle in

OraDb10g_home1 from the list of names, and then click Finish.

o The Microsoft ODBC for Oracle Setup dialogue appears. Give the DSN the name

HouseOnTheHill and a description, and enter the Oracle User Name and Server


details – the window you see will be similar to the one below.



and password yet. Click through the error, switch to the “SQL Settings” tab and enter

the Oracle username and password. You can then log in to SupportDesk!


MySQL (Version 5)

You must download and install the Connector/ODBC 5 driver on each client machine. This

can be downloaded separately from http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/odbc/.

o When the Connector/ODBC 5 driver is installed, go to Control Panel on the

computer, and choose Administrative Tools.



o The Create New Data Source window appears, select MySQL ODBC x.xx Driver

from the list of names, and then click Finish.

o The Microsoft ODBC for MySQL Setup dialogue appears. Give the DSN the name

HouseOnTheHill and a description, and enter the MySQL server, user and

password details. Once you have entered these, select the correct database from the

dropdown at the bottom of the window. Click Test afterwards to test the connection.

o If you are using MySQL Server 4.1 or later, switch to the Advanced tab, and tick

Change BIGINT Columns to INT.



and password yet. Click through the error, switch to the SQL Settings tab and enter

the MySQL username and password. You can then log in to SupportDesk!

http://dev.mysql.com/downloads/connector/odbc/


6 Logging in to SupportDesk Login Details Tab

On this screen you can see the current version of SupportDesk that you are running, along

with a summary of all your purchased options. If it is the first time you have ever logged in

to SupportDesk, then the first login and password you use will be added into the system as

a Supervisor-level user.

SQL Settings Tab

The SQL Settings tab lets you specify the name of the DSN you created previously (it

defaults to HouseOnTheHill) and you also need to enter your database username and

password on this screen, unless the system you are running is connecting to a Microsoft

Access database. The password is stored for future use by SupportDesk, but is encrypted on

the local machine.


7 SupportDesk WebServer Overview

The WebServer allows Users to gain access to the SupportDesk system using any web

browser, either via the Internet or through a local Intranet. The web pages can be easily

customised to reflect your organisation’s own corporate image.

The secure remote login procedures ensure that only authorised Users gain access. The

SupportDesk Supervisor can set the Web User’s level of access and functionality. For

example, a Customer may be allowed to do no more than list and interrogate the Status of

their own Calls. Customers can be given sufficient access to log a Call, thus increasing the

speed of call logging and providing a service that is independent of office hours. Calls logged

by your Customer can be automatically acknowledged by an e-mail message.

The module provides cohesive support for multi-site organisation’s, giving a link to support

staff working away from the help desk location. Remote help desk staff could be given

access to all Calls in order to resolve outstanding problems. (Their capabilities can be

equivalent to the localised Windows based SupportDesk users.) WebServer allows

individuals to filter the Calls against various criteria and particular Calls can be interrogated

in detail.

SupportDesk’s WebServer is a powerful and cost effective tool for servicing your Customers,

which increases the efficiency of your service desk whilst reducing the volume of incoming

telephone calls.


Prerequisites

If you intend to run the SupportDesk WebServer over a secure HTTPS/SSL connection, you

will need to request a certificate using the IIS Certificate Wizard.

For testing purposes it is possible to generate a self-certified certificate using the SelfSSL

tool included in the IIS resource kit, available from the Microsoft web site.

Before attempting to install SupportDesk WebServer it may be the case that IIS has to be

added to Windows first. To do this follow the instructions below relevant to what version of

IIS you have installed on your machine.

Steps for Windows Server 2008 (IIS 7). These notes are accompanied by a web demo at

http://www.houseonthehill.com/tours/IIS/IIS.html.

To install IIS 7, do this:-

o Open Control Panel.

o Select ‘PROGRAMS AND FEATURES’.

o Select ‘TURN WINDOWS FEATURES ON OR OFF’.

o Select ‘ROLES’.

http://www.houseonthehill.com/tours/IIS/IIS.html


o Select ‘ADD ROLES’ –system shows Server Roles.

Note: Be default, Windows will have Web Server (IIS) ticked –System issues warning “Add features required for WebServer IIS” – these features will probably be documented as – Windows Process Activation Service, Process Model, and Configuration API’s.

o Click on – ADD REQUIRED SERVICES.

o Select NEXT.


o Select NEXT.

o Screen offers Role Services for IIS.

o TICK ‘ISAPI EXTENSIONS’ - (Note – if the Web is to use Windows Authentication

at a later date this is where it is set’.

o Select ‘NEXT’.


o Select ‘INSTALL’.

Windows may shut down and restart.

Steps for Windows Server 2003 (IIS 6) If you are running IIS 6.0 or greater, you will have to explicitly allow access to the

SupportDesk ISAPI extension DLL.

To do this:-


o Open Administrative Tools, and then open Computer Management.

o Navigate to Services and Applications/Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager

and then select and right click the Web Service Extensions item.


o Click on 'Add a new Web service extension' link, create a new extension named

SupportDesk and add a file which points to the supisacs.isa and supmobile.isa file in

the SupportDesk installation folder, and set the status to 'Allowed'.

o Press 'OK' to confirm your changes.

o In your Computer Management window, it should show that the Web Service

Extension SupportDesk with Allowed as its Status.


Installing SupportDesk WebServer (IIS 7)

We advise that a new application pool be created specifically for SupportDesk. This can also

be called SupportDesk. The settings on the Application pool should be set to “No Managed

code” and the Managed Pipeline mode should be “Integrated”.

This should only be done for the SupportDesk Application Pool – SupportDesk should be the

only thing running in its own Application Pool. That way this shouldn’t affect anything else.

o Open IIS Manager.

o In the left hand pane, click on the arrow next to the user, which drops a down a list.

Select Application Pools.

o Navigate to the right hand pane and click on Add Application Pool.

o Enter a Name in the Name field and keep the other settings as their default value

and click OK.

o On 64-bit machines only - RIGHT CLICK the new Application Pool and select

Advanced Settings. In the (General) section, set Enable 32-Bit Applications

to True.

o

o Navigate to Default Web Site in the left hand pane under Sites.

o RIGHT CLICK on Default Web Site and select Add Application.


o Settings are as below. With the Physical path of the SupportDesk installation

selected. Select the correct Application Pool, in this example it is SupportDesk,

the one we created earlier.

o On clicking OK you are returned to the Main IIS Window.

o The Authentication should be set to Anonymous Authentication by default.


Default Document o The next task is to set the default document that will be used by this web site. So we

remove all existing documents showing in Default Document.

o We now click on Add and add the new Default Document, which is called

supisacs.dll.


o Default Document should now look like this.

Handler Mappings o The next requirement is to set the handler mappings. Open the Handler Mappings

option and select Add Module Mapping.

o This opens the Add Module Mapping screen.

o The Request Path should be set to supisacs.dll. Module should be set to

IsapiModule. Executable should be set to the path for supisacs.dll, which should

be in the suppdesk directory. Finally the name we have given for the module

mapping is supportdesk.


o Click on the Request Restrictions and set Access to Execute.

o You may get a prompt offering, which looks like this.

o Click Yes.


Common Error.

This may be due to the required dll for SupportDesk being Disabled. Try opening the

Handler Mappings and checking the Handler Mappings. If Disabled Edit the Feature

Permissions and set to Execute.


Authentication o One final task before testing the web UI is to ensure that the suppdesk install

directory has the correct permissions. The example screen shots above have been

for a website set with Anonymous authentication, which allows for guest users to

use the system providing they have valid login details. Therefore we need to edit

permissions for the IUSR account, which relates to Web Anonymous Users.

o Under Default Web Site, right click on SupportDesk and click on Edit

Permissions.

o This will open up suppdesk Properties.


o Click on the Security tab and then check to see if IUSR is in the list of group or

user names. If not then click on Add.

o In the field titled Enter the object names to select, type in IUSR and then click

on Check names, which should find and underline IUSR. Then click OK.

o Select IUSR, and underneath Allow check the box next to Full Control, which will

now give IUSR full control.

Note: If Windows Authentication has been selected for the web UI then the permissions

on the folder should be set in consultation with the System Administrator.


Installing SupportDesk WebServer (IIS 6)

o Open IIS manager.

o In the left hand pane, click on the arrow next to the user, which drops a down a list.

Select and right click on Application Pools.

o Navigate to New and click on Application Pool.

o Type in a name for the new Application Pool in the field, in this case we have

called it suppdesk. Then click OK.

o Now in the left hand pane, navigate to Default Website under Web Sites. Right

click on Default Website and navigate to New and click on Virtual Directory.


o This brings up the following window. Click Next.

o For the alias type in Supportdesk and click Next.


o Click on browse and locate the suppdesk directory. Click on Next.

o Now a list of access permissions will appear and by default Read will be checked.

Uncheck Read and check Execute. Click on Next.


o Finally click on Finish, which will take you back to the IIS manager.

o In IIS manager, navigate to Default Web Site and right click on SupportDesk

and click on Properties.


o In the Virtual Directory tab, uncheck Read and then apply the correct

Application Pool at the bottom in the drop down menu.

o Click on the Documents tab and remove all existing documents showing in the list

of documents. The click on Add and add supisacs.dll as the only default document.


o Click on Directory Security and then click on Edit. The Authentication Methods

window should appear. Click on Browse and the Select User window will come up.

o In the field for Enter the object name to select, type in IUSR and then click on

Check Names.

o Once the name has been verified, click OK.


o It is optional if you want to set a password for this, if so then input a password into

the password field. Next we want to check Integrated Windows authentication,

which is under Authenticated access and then click OK.

o When back on the Properties page, click Apply and then OK.

Performance Tweaks (IIS 6 only) To optimise performance, in IIS Admin for the Virtual Directory SupportDesk Properties run

the Virtual Directory in a separate Application Pool. You may also wish to configure the

Default Web Site to bandwidth throttle at 4096K for less than 10,000 Users.


Installing SupportDesk WebServer (for IIS 5)

NOTE: The installation program for SupportDesk configures IIS if it is present on the server. These instructions are present for users who wish to run the WebServer on a separate machine to the application server.

o Start Internet Information Services (IIS) via Administrative Tools within

Control Panel.

o Expand the tree on the left hand side and select Default Web Site, which is under

Web Sites.

o Right click on Default Website and select New > Virtual Directory.


o This will bring up the New Virtual Directory wizard.

o Enter ‘SupportDesk’ as the name of your alias and press Next >

o Enter your WebServer installation path (e.g. C:\suppdesk) as your alias’ physical

directory path to where WebServer has been installed, and press Next >


o On the Access Permissions dialogue, check Read and Execute options and

uncheck Run scripts. Press Next > and then Finish.

o Now select the SupportDesk alias and using the right mouse menu bring up its

Properties.

o The dialogue should be similar to the one shown below.


o Check the entries are correct and uncheck the Log visits and Index this resource

options.

o Select the Documents tab, and remove all existing entries.

o Click Add… and enter supisacs.isa as Default Document Name. Click OK.


o Keep clicking OK until you return to the IIS Manager and then Exit.

Notes for System Administrators

The User, IUSR_<YourIISServerName> (the Anonymous Internet Guest Account), must

be given full access to the directories where SupportDesk is installed and the installation

directory. This is the directory where suppdesk.ini may reside and SupportDesk temporary

and private files reside (in C:\suppdesk\Temp and C:\suppdesk\Private respectively).

If the WebServer is installed on an NTFS partition make sure appropriate NTFS permissions

are in place. Check the Properties of these directories (using the right mouse menu) and

ensure that the User, IUSR_<YourIISServerName> has full access to both directories.

WebServer Attachments

If the attachments folder to be used by SupportDesk is anything other than the default then

the following action must be taken on the WebServer setup. System Administration must

also ensure that the IUSR account (if using anonymous authentication) has

read/write/amend permissions on this folder.

Installing WebServer Attachments are identical in both IIS 7 and IIS 6 as you can see from

below.


IIS 7 and IIS 6 o Create a sub-virtual directory under the SupportDesk virtual root (right mouse click

on SupportDesk and click add virtual directory.)

o The alias must be Attachments.

o Physical path must be the Attachments directory referred to on the SupportDesk

Company Configuration dialogue.

o You will need to stop and restart the web service.

For IIS 7 it will look like this:

For IIS 6 it will look like this:


In SupportDesk you will need to specify the attachments folder. To do this, follow the

instructions below,

o Log into the WebServer client as a supervisor user.

o Navigate to System Management->Settings->Advanced Settings.

o Set the Attachments Folder field to be the UNC path of the attachments folder that

you are going to use. It should look something like this,

o Once this is done click on OK at the bottom and then log out of SupportDesk.

Run an IISRESET on the WebServer and then log into SupportDesk. ensure that the User,

IUSR_<YourIISServerName> has full access to both directories.

Final WebServer Configuration

The last step is to provide the WebServer with a username and password to connect to the

database with. Again, this is not necessary if you are running an Access system.


o In Notepad on the WebServer machine, open C:\suppdesk\suppdesk.ini.

o Next to dsn=, enter the name of the DSN you wish to use.

o Find the lines beginning Username= and Password=.


o Insert the database username and password on these lines.

o Run an IISRESET afterwards to pick up the changes.

When you first use the WebServer, the password in the INI file will be encrypted.

Accessing the WebServer

Finally, to access the WebServer, simply visit the virtual directory you created. In your web

browser, go to http://servername/supportdesk/. To access SupportDesk WebServer

from the network, simply use the servers name in the address (i.e.

http://servername/supportdesk/). To access it from the Internet, the server it is

located on will need to be outward-facing. In situations like this, we recommend that the

server is within a DMZ on the network.

Useful WebServer Configuration Tips

Default New Call Settings If you require default values to be set for certain fields on a new Call, then start the

WebServer Version of SupportDesk and go to System Management > Folders. Then,

open the default Folder for your end users (WebGuest’s) and select entries under ‘New Call

Defaults’. Leave SupportDesk, and restart IIS for these changes to take effect.


If the default ‘New Call’ settings that you required for web users are different to those

specified in the Folder definition (which determines Windows defaults) then the suppdesk.ini

file in the installation folder can be edited to include web only defaults in the section marked

[Defaults]. Examples here might be ‘Status=Open’.

Hide Certain Fields from Web Users If you require that certain fields are not visible to your end users (WebGuests) then you

need to mark these fields as Internal using the Data Dictionary. Select System

Management->Data Dictionary… and pick the field you wish to hide (e.g. Call:

Assignee) ... Check Hide/Archive, then tick the Internal – Hidden from WebGuest

check box and press Save Field at the bottom.


Installing SupportDesk Mobile

The Mobile client will not need any further configuration within IIS as there is an automatic-

detect feature, which has been implemented within SupportDesk, which will load the Mobile

client on your mobile device. If you wish to access the Mobile client on a PC then you can do

so by referencing supmobile.dll in your SupportDesk WebServer URL. So for example it will

look something like this http://<servername>/suppdesk/supmobile.dll. This will force the

Mobile client to be loaded.

Note: It is possible to use another application pool in IIS to handle the work load of the Mobile client. This involves creating another application in IIS, which will use a different application pool to the one that is used for the WebServer client but it will use the same application folder that is used for the WebServer. Once this is done you will still be required to reference supmobile.dll in the URL in order to access the Mobile client.

8 Optional Components

Windows Authentication

You have the option of either implementing Windows authentication for both the Windows

client and the WebServer client or just the WebServer client. Windows Authentication will

use the Windows account username that you are using and will try to match it with a

corresponding account in SupportDesk, which has the same username. For example, if your

Windows account username is joebloggs then SupportDesk will look for a corresponding

login account with the username joebloggs.

In order to implement this you need to follow the instructions below for both the Windows

client and the WebServer client respectively.

Windows client i. Log into SupportDesk with a supervisor login.

ii. In SupportDesk push CTRL ALT SHIFT Z, which will open the System Configuration

window.

iii. Tick the Windows Auth checkbox, which should look something like this,

iv. Click on OK, which will prompt you to restart SupportDesk.


v. The next time you open SupportDesk, you will be logged in automatically providing

that there is a matching SupportDesk login to your Windows account login. The

password information is irrevalent.

WebServer client For IIS 7 you will need to check to see if IIS has Windows Authentication installed as a

security feature. This can be added as a role or feature in IIS. Follow the instructions below

to add Windows Authentication as a service.


o Select ‘PROGRAMS AND FEATURES’.

o Select ‘TURN WINDOWS FEATURES ON OR OFF’.

o Select ‘ROLES’.

o Select ‘ADD ROLES’ –system shows Server Roles.


Note: Be default, Windows will have Web Server (IIS) ticked –System issues warning “Add features required for WebServer IIS” – these features will probably be documented as – Windows Process Activation Service, Process Model, and Configuration API’s.

o Click on – ADD REQUIRED SERVICES.

o Select NEXT.

o Select NEXT.

o Screen offers Role Services for IIS.

o TICK ‘Windows Authentication’, which should be under Security.

o Select ‘NEXT’.


o Select ‘INSTALL’.

Windows may shut down and restart. It is already available as an option in IIS 6.

If you only require Windows Authentication for the WebServer client then you need to follow

the next 4 steps. If you have already setup Windows Authentication for the Windows client

then skip to point 5.

i. Log into SupportDesk (Windows client) with a supervisor login.

ii. In SupportDesk push CTRL ALT SHIFT Z, which will open the System Configuration

window.

iii. Tick the Windows Auth checkbox, which should look something like this,

iv. Click on OK, which will close SupportDesk.

v. For IIS 7 do the following,

o Open IIS and then expand Sites->Default Web Site and click on the name of your

SupportDesk WebServer client. By default it is called suppdesk.

o On the right hand side there will be a number of options. Double click on

Authentication.

o Select Anonymous Authentication and click on Disable on the right hand side and

then select Windows Authentication and click on Enable on the right hand side. It

should look something like this,


For IIS 6 do the following,

o Right click on the Virtual Directory name and then click on Properties.

o Click on the Directory Security tab and then in Authentication and access control,

click on Edit. It should look something like this,

o Un-tick the Enable anonymous access checkbox at the top and then tick the

Integrated Windows Authentication checkbox, which will be in the Authenticated

access section. It should look something like this,


o Now click on OK.

vi. Close IIS and run an IISRESET.

vii. Open a web browser and connect to the WebServer client.

viii. You will be logged in automatically providing that there is a matching SupportDesk

login to your Windows account login. The password information is irrevalent.

E-Mail Integration

Please refer to the guide in the House on the Hill library at,

http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/2009/E-Mail%20Option.pdf.

Workflow Engine

Please refer to the guide in the House on the Hill library at, http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/2009/Call%20Escalator%20and%20Categories.pdf.

http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/2009/E-Mail%20Option.pdf

http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/2009/Call%20Escalator%20and%20Categories.pdf

http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/2009/Call%20Escalator%20and%20Categories.pdf


KPI Monitor

Please refer to the guide in the House on the Hill library at, http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/2009/KPI%20Monitor.pdf.

LDAP Integration

Please refer to the guide in the House on the Hill library at,

http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/2009/LDAP.pdf.

IT Asset Management

This optional add-on comes as two parts:

o Auditor - to audit a PC for hardware and installed software.

o Remote Control package - to seamlessly take control of a PC from within the

SupportDesk application.

Auditor Please refer to the guide in the House on the Hill library at,

http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/2009/Audit.pdf.

Remote Control This remote control package (similar to PC Anywhere) is shipped as part of the Auditor

option, giving you the ability to seamlessly take control of a PC on your network. The

software is installed into the rcontrol folder under the SupportDesk installation directory.

It consists of two parts. The Viewer for the SupportDesk users to interface to, and the

Server, which needs to be running on each supported PC on the network. The Viewer

application, which SupportDesk interfaces to, is called vncviewer.exe. This can be launched

from within SupportDesk by:

o Selecting Launch > Take Control of PC…

o Listing Customers (i.e. Supported Users) at the main window, using the right mouse

button and selecting Take Control…

SupportDesk will then start a viewer window showing the desktop of the PC in question.

Whether the Name or IP address of the machine is used is determined by selecting the

Take Control/Ping using PC Name checkbox in Setup > PC Auditor. There is also the

ability to check the visibility of the PC on the network using the Ping… option.

For a PC to have its desktop taken over the Server part must be installed. Do this by running

WinVNC.exe on the PC. This can be included as part of the User Profile similar to

supaudit.exe.

http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/2009/KPI%20Monitor.pdf

http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/2009/LDAP.pdf

http://www.houseonthehill.com/support/2009/Audit.pdf


WinVNC can also be installed as a Windows Service on NT/2000/XP/Vista machines using

the –install parameter and un-installed using the –remove parameter.

Microsoft SMS

SupportDesk now has integration with Microsoft’s Systems Management Server (SMS)

product .This allows SupportDesk to drill-down and interrogate PC information from the SMS

SQL Server databases.

The SupportDesk Supervisor should configure which SMS database SupportDesk uses via the

SMS tab on the Setup > Company Configuration… dialogue. Enter the name of the SQL

Server SMS database such as SMS_S1. Also enter the SQL Server owner of the tables - this

is usually dbo.

If you have previously defined a SupportDesk SQL Server Login, remember to make sure

you give this login permission to access the SMS database as well from within SQL

Server.

This is done under the MS SQL Server Login Properties dialogue. Select the Database

Access tab; check the Permit checkbox against the relevant database.

Centennial Integration

SupportDesk now has an optional module to allow the SupportDesk Customer/Computer

database to be synchronised with a Centennial Discovery Asset Management Database

Version 4. You must have SupportDesk licensed for MS SQL Server for this add-on to

operate. Also ensure that the SupportDesk Database resides on the same SQL Server as the

Centennial Discovery Database.

Make sure the SupportDesk SQL Server login (default is ‘suppdesk’) has public Database

Access to the Discovery Database.

Also that your ‘suppdesk’ SQL Login has SELECT permission to the Client, ClientType and

Organisation tables in Discovery Database.

Then log into SupportDesk and click on Setup + Centennial Integrator…

The default Centennial Database name is called ‘Discovery’ and the tables by default are

owned by ‘dbo’. Change these settings if different. Click the ‘Query Centennial

Database’ button to bring back a list of Devices from the Discovery Database.

Then press ‘Load above Centennial data into SupportDesk’ to insert or merge the device

information into the SupportDesk Customer/Computer Table.


Telephony Integration

This is an optional module that allows Users to dial Customers from within SupportDesk. The

four areas where the dialing facility is available are:

o Dial… buttons in Call Customer & Contact Dialogues

o Dial… option on right button click at the main SupportDesk Window

o Press green telephone icon on toolbar.

o Incoming Caller Line Identification (CLI) to recognise the incoming caller

and optionally create a new Call.

If you have ordered the Telephony option as part of your SupportDesk package, then it will

automatically be included in your installation when you set up SupportDesk.

To use the Telephony option you must have a Microsoft TAPI compliant phone connected to

your PC. To enable the telephony feature, the Users of SupportDesk must have the box

Telephony Enabled checked on their User Details dialogue.

Outlook Add-In

This is an optional module that allows Users to import calls from Microsoft Outlook and into

SupportDesk. Here is an example scenario of how it works,

o You need to be logged into the SupportDesk WebServer client in Internet

Explorer.

o Highlight a call in your Outlook client and then click on the “SupportDesk” tab in

Outlook and then click on the “Import into SupportDesk” button.

o This will open up a new call screen in your existing SupportDesk WebServer

session. The email address will be taken and matched to an existing user in

SupportDesk. If there is a match then the details of this user will auto populate

the relevant fields on the call screen. The subject of the message will be put into

the subject field of the call and the body of the message will be added as a call

note after the call is submitted.

If you have ordered the Outlook Add-In option as part of your SupportDesk package, then

you will need to run the “OfficeAddInSetup.msi” file, which will install the Outlook Add-In to

the client machine. Further updates of this file can also be installed by extracting the

contents of the “hhsoutlookaddin.zip” file into the Outlook Add-In installation folder, which

you will specify during the installation.

To use the Outlook Add-In you will need to satisfy the conditions below.

o You will need to use at least Internet Explorer 11.


o You will need to have at least version .NET Framework 4.5 installed on the client

machine.

o You will need SupportDesk WebServer to be running in anonymous

authentication mode. It does not currently support Windows Authentication.

o You will need to be logged into the SupportDesk WebServer as a supervisor.

9 Contacting House-on-the-Hill Getting in Touch

If you are unsure how to use SupportDesk, please refer to the SupportDesk Technical

Library which can be found at http://www.houseonthehill.com/library.htm.

If you have any problems setting up the software, or wish to get in touch for any other

reason, please use the following details to contact us.

E-Mail [email protected]

Web http://www.houseonthehill.com/

Telephone Support: +44 (0)161 449 7057

Sales: +44 (0)161 427 8988

Fax: +44 (0)161 449 7122

Postal Address House-on-the-Hill Software Ltd

127 Stockport Road

Marple

Stockport

SK6 6AF

ENGLAND

http://www.houseonthehill.com/library.htm

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.houseonthehill.com/