SolarWinds Platform alert integration

SolarWinds strongly recommends that you install Web Help Desk on a server that is protected from unauthorized access by the public. If your use of Web Help Desk does not need to be public or internet-facing, install it on a server that is neither public, nor internet-facing. To learn about best practices for configuring your Web Help Desk installation securely, see Best practices to secure SolarWinds Products.

Web Help Desk integrates with the following SolarWinds applications running on SolarWinds Platform 2019.2 or later:

• Network Configuration Manager (NCM)
• Network Performance Monitor (NPM)
• Server and Application Monitor (SAM)

Using a communication link (or SolarWinds connection) between Web Help Desk and a supported SolarWinds Platform, Web Help Desk can generate help desk tickets that respond to monitored events occurring in your corporate enterprise, such as a failed hard drive or a change in server health.

After you configure a SolarWinds connection in Web Help Desk and a shared alert is triggered (for example, a SolarWinds-monitored network node failed for any reason), the SolarWinds Platform sends Web Help Desk an HTTP request to create an alert-based ticket. You can configure Web Help Desk to receive all or only specific alerts to generate a corresponding ticket that addresses the issue described in the alert.

Integrating Web Help Desk with your SolarWinds Platform applications helps you ensure that all monitored alerts are addressed in a timely manner. If your monitored servers and applications are located in a remote area or you have limited staff to monitor your corporate enterprise, Web Help Desk can automatically route the issue to the appropriate tech who can address the problem in the least amount of time.

Prepare request types for alert-based tickets

A request type determines how alerts are routed to the appropriate tech for problem resolution. When you create your SolarWinds connection, select the request type that closely matches the connection.

You can select one request type for one SolarWinds connection.

For example, if you are creating a connection to SolarWinds SAM to address alerts related to server health, click the WHD Request Type drop-down menu and select a request type linked to a tech group that troubleshoots and resolves server issues.

Request types for SolarWinds Integration

By design, a request type appears as disabled in the SolarWinds Platform Integration page if it is a parent request and is not configured to be used as an FAQ category. Request types with the Use as FAQ / SolarWinds Integration setting disabled are not visible in the Orion Integration page unless they are parents to other request types with this setting enabled.

To display a request type in the SolarWinds Platform Integration page:

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.
2. Click Setup > Tickets > Request Types.
3. Click the targeted request type.

4. Select the Use as FAQ / SolarWinds Integration checkbox.

   

5. Click Save.

Alert-based ticket example

Below is an example of a Web Help Desk ticket generated from a SolarWinds Orion alert. The fields included in the ticket are not an all-inclusive list.

Web Help Desk ticket fields can vary, depending on the data included in the Orion alert. The field names shown below are examples of what you can use in the filtering rules.

Below are some notes that are displayed in the Web Help Desk ticket based on triggering, updating, clearing, and acknowledging the Orion alert.