Documentation forWeb Help Desk

Setup overview

The following steps provide a basic overview of how to set up Web Help Desk in a typical help desk deployment.

See the System Requirements for the latest hardware and software requirements. See Frequently Asked Questions to find answers to your setup and configuration questions.

Some procedures may require you to start and stop Web Help Desk Services.

  1. Verify the Transport Layer Security (TLS) version on your WHD server.
  2. Secure your Web Help Desk deployment from unauthorized users.
  3. (Optional) Migrate Web Help Desk to a new server that includes additional resources to support the application, and then relink the application to your existing database.
  4. Configure the General settings. This includes logging in and activating your Web Help Desk license, configuring general user interface options, setting up your authentication method, customizing your database connection, setting up the time zone and local work hours for your employees, setting up the calendar options, and configuring the look and feel of the Web Help Desk console.

    Activate your license before your 14-day evaluation period ends. When your evaluation license expires, your single admin or tech account remains active, but all advanced features are disabled.

  5. Prepare the Web Help Desk database. This can include the embedded PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, or MySQL database.
  6. Set up your email accounts. This includes configuring access to a Microsoft 365 email account on a GCC High/Azure Government tenant, setting up your inbound and outbound email accounts, applying email templates, and applying tags in email templates.

    If your in-bound email account is linked to a Microsoft 365 account, configure an incoming email account for Microsoft 365.

    If your in-bound email account is linked to a Google Gmail account, configure an incoming email account for Gmail.

  7. Set up your tickets. This includes defining request types, status types, priority types and alert triggers, custom ticket fields, and tasks.
  8. Define your techs in your help desk deployment. This includes adding each tech, defining your tech groups, and setting up the tech's permissions.
  9. Define the ticket routing processes for all requests. This includes setting up action rules for ticket processing, adding approver roles, defining your approval processes, and applying approvals to tickets.
  10. Define the approval processes. This includes approver roles and status types, and how to test and apply your approvals.
  11. Enter your locations. This includes the room locations, location groups and assigned locations, departments, and department groups.
  12. Define your clients. This includes setting up client administration roles, defining client custom fields, importing Active Directory or LDAP directory connections, and importing clients.
  13. Define your assets. This includes your asset import and permission options, asset types, asset custom fields, manufacturer and model information, purchase order custom fields, and import asset data.
  14. Define your parts and billing processes for applying parts and billing options, creating invoicing options, defining rates and terms, and defining custom fields for your parts.
  15. Set up the dashboard with pie chart, bar graph, and text widgets that display ticket statistical data.
  16. (Optional) Add a custom logo to personalize the user interface for your organization.
  17. (Optional) Enable FIPS 140-2 cryptography for computer systems installed in U.S. Federal Government agencies.
  18. Start and stop Web Help Desk services when you install or update certain features in your Web Help Desk deployment.

Setup menu options

When you click Setup in the toolbar, the Setup screen displays with a left column menu. Below are descriptions of each menu option.

Menu Option Description
General Defines licensing information, authentication methods, interface appearance, time and location, logging, and information about the Web Help Desk software.
Email Defines email options, incoming and outgoing email accounts, and email templates.
Companies & Locations Defines companies, locations and rooms, location groups and assigned locations, techs, and group managers, location custom fields, departments and department groups, and department custom fields.
Tickets Defines the Web Help Desk user interface and the fields and information they contain, request types (such as facilities and hardware), status types (such as Open and Pending), priority types and alerts (such as Urgent, High, and Low), custom ticket fields, and task names.
Clients Defines the client options (such as ticket approval methods, display name template, and default client view), client administration roles, client custom fields, and Active Directory / LDAP connections.
Techs Defines your account information (My Account), all techs configured to use Web Help Desk and their assigned tech groups, and tech permissions.
Assets Defines asset types, manufacturers and models, vendors, asset and purchase order custom fields. From the Assets settings, you can run and preschedule asset discoveries to scan connected networks for the assets in your corporate network.
SolarWinds Integration

Links Web Help Desk to SolarWinds NPM, SAM, and NCM systems to automatically create new tickets from Orion platform alerts and dispatch the appropriate techs to address the issue.

You must be connected to a supported Orion Platform version.

Processes Defines how Web Help Desk creates, stores, and applies action rules. Action rules apply custom actions triggered by events you define, such as ticket routing.
Surveys Defines your survey options and associated text to set up surveys and gather feedback from your client users.
Parts and billing Defines your parts and billing options; custom fields; inventory alerts; invoicing options; and billing rates, terms, and tax rates.
Data Import Defines how Web Help Desk imports data for locations, clients, assets, purchase orders, tickets, and more.

Web Help Desk terms

The following terms define the roles and objects managed by Web Help Desk.

Term Definition
Tickets

Support requests that are opened through and managed within Web Help Desk.

Tickets can be initiated through email, created in the Web Help Desk console or imported from another application.

Clients

End users or customers who can open Web Help Desk tickets.

Clients can enter ticket through email or the Web console.

Techs

Web Help Desk users who troubleshoot and resolve tickets.

Techs can also enter tickets. For example, when a client calls their help desk, the tech opens a ticket on the client's behalf.

Techs can also open tickets that are not associated with a client, such as tickets to schedule routine maintenance or system upgrades.

Admins Techs with administrator privileges to configure Web Help Desk.
Tech Groups A group of techs with similar skills and expertise.
Request Types

A classification that identifies the type of support request.

Request types are used to automatically assign tickets to the appropriate tech group.

Assets Client-owned hardware and software tracked by properties such as location, type, and status.