Create the tech accounts

Check out this video (8:58) on setting up a Web Help Desk account.

Techs are users who work and resolve tickets in Web Help Desk. Each tech who logs in to Web Help Desk must have an account. You can use the Techs page to define the techs who will log in to Web Help Desk. For each tech, you can define their work schedule, location, associated tech group, and business zone.

Techs can be configured with administrator privileges that allow them to manage all Web Help Desk configuration settings. Techs can also be configured as a supervisor or a group manager who manages other techs, but doesn't necessarily need full administrator privileges. The tech account can also remain as a non-administrative tech account, which is ideal for all your regular Web Help Desk technicians.

See the following sections:

Techs using LDAP authentication

All techs who use LDAP authentication must have a client account to access their tech account. This process prevents unauthorized access to an LDAP account.

If your Tech account is disabled for any reason and you cannot access your client account, change your tech account user name. This will keep the tech and client accounts separated so you can access your client account without an issue.

Non-admin tech accounts

When you create a non-admin tech account, you must specify the tech's supervisor. As a result, SolarWinds recommends creating the supervisors' accounts first.

Tech status indicators

The Tech Name column includes a list of a techs in your tech group. Some tech names may include an indicator that describes their availability status.

Indicator	Status	Description
[ C ]	Concurrent	The tech is assigned to a concurrent license.
[ D ]	Deleted	The tech account was deleted.
[ I ]	Inactive	The tech account is inactive.
[ S ]	Not on schedule	The tech has a specific work schedule outside the assigned business zone.
[ V ]	Vacation	The tech is on vacation.

You can configure all statuses except Concurrent in the Scheduling Setup section of each tech account. If the tech is assigned to a Concurrent license, the tech must wait for an available license to use Web Help Desk.

SolarWinds recommends creating the supervisor before creating the techs who report to that supervisor. Using this method, you can assign a supervisor to each tech as you create the tech.

Create a new account

All tech and administrator accounts require your password in the Current Password field to edit and save the account information. The password must comply with password policy.

If you enter an incorrect password after five attempts, Web Help Desk times out for 30 seconds before you can re-enter your password. This feature prevents unauthorized access to these accounts.

1. Click Setup > Techs > Techs.

2. Click New.

3. Enter the tech's first and last name.

4. Enter the user name and password that the tech will use to log in to Web Help Desk.

   Techs always log in with their user name, regardless of whether clients are set to log in with their user name or email address. If a tech also has a client account under the same user name or password, the tech account takes priority.

5. Enter a primary email address for this tech.

   

6. (Optional) Enter a secondary email addresses for this tech. For multiple email addresses, separate each address with a comma.

   Secondary addresses enable tickets from multiple email accounts to be identified with the same Web Help Desk account. Except for confirmation email sent in reply to a secondary address, Web Help Desk always uses the primary email address.

7. (Optional) Enter the primary phone number, mobile number, and pager number for this tech.

8. From the Account Type menu, select an account type. For tech accounts, select the tech's supervisor from the Supervisor menu.

   A supervisor is required for tech accounts, but optional for admin accounts.

   

9. Select a color to use for the label background. If a label color is not required, select white.

10. To enable the tech to access the Web Help Desk client interface, link the tech to a client account in the Linked Client section. Only admin users and techs with Edit Clients permission can edit this option.

    When a tech account is linked to a client account, the Switch to Client Account icon is displayed next to the Logout button in the menu bar.

    

    This enables the tech to switch to the client user interface as the given client, and then switch back when needed.

    • Tech accounts can be linked to actual client accounts or a demo client account. If you link to a demo client account with the same user name as the tech, a message warns you that the client won't be able to log in except as a tech linked to the client account. Because that is the intent, you can ignore the message.

    • When you are linked to a client account, the My Approvals tab is displayed in the Ticket Details tab. This allows you to approve one or more processes in the Tech interface without switching to the Client interface.

    • Any changes not saved will be lost when the tech switches between the Tech and Client accounts.

11. Select the Enable UI Enhancements checkbox to support the latest web browser.

    When this option is selected, some user interface enhancements required by the latest web browsers are enabled. This includes speed and standards requirements.

12. From the Note Collapsing Threshold menu, specify the number of most recent notes to display in the Ticket Details page before collapsing additional entries. Techs can view the collapsed notes by clicking More under the note list.

13. From the History Collapsing Threshold menu, specify the number of history entries to display in the Ticket Details page before collapsing additional entries.

14. Select the Secure-delete Tickets checkbox to physically delete a ticket from the Web Help Desk when a tech deletes a ticket. When this option is selected, all attachments, client notes, tech notes, ticket history entries, and email history entries are deleted as well.

15. Select the Use HTML E-Mail checkbox to enable Web Help Desk to send all email to this tech in HTML format. Leave this option unchecked to send email in plain text format.

16. If you selected Use HTML email, select Yes in the Include Graphics in HTML E-Mail section to include images. Select No to use plain HTML, which is more compatible with Google GMail.

17. In the E-Mail Signature box, enter the signature text that is included with single-note emails. These emails are sent to clients using the email Client button in the Tech Note editor.

    

18. In the Notifications section, select the events that trigger an email notification to the tech.

    For example, to enable the tech to receive notifications about certain events, select the appropriate notification checkboxes.

    

    An administrator can force some of these notifications for all techs in a particular Tech Group by configuring the email notifications at Setup > Techs > Tech Groups [Tech Group] > Tech Group Levels > [Tech Group Level].

19. Select the SMS E-mail Enabled checkbox to send notifications to a tech's mobile device.

    If you select this checkbox, complete the additional options.

    1. In the SMS E-Mail Address box, enter the email address of the SMS-enabled mobile device.

       Click the tooltip to locate address formats of major telephone carriers.

    2. From the Minimum Priority for SMS E-Mail menu, select the minimum priority a ticket must have for Web Help Desk to send an SMS email when a client creates or updates a ticket.

    3. From the Minimum Alert Level for SMS E-Mail menu, select the minimum alert level that triggers Web Help Desk to send alert notifications to the mobile device.

    4. Select the Repeating checkbox to repeat the notifications at regular intervals for as long as the alert is valid. Leave this checkbox unchecked to prevent repeated notifications.

20. To prevent Web Help Desk from escalating a ticket to this tech when the tech is not scheduled to work, configure the scheduling setup settings.

    1. Select the business zone used when formatting dates and times. A business zone consists of a time zone and a schedule of business hours.

       See Configure the business zones and calendar settings for details about how to set up business zones for your primary and remote call center locations.

    2. If the tech's work schedule is limited to certain hours and days of the week, select the Specify Work Schedule checkbox and select the work schedule options. If the tech works during the business days and hours configured at Setup > General > Time & Place, leave this box unchecked.

       

    3. Select the On Vacation checkbox when the tech is on vacation to prevent new tickets from being auto-assigned to the tech.

    4. From the Backup Tech menu, select a backup tech to receive escalated tickets when the tech is on vacation.

    5. Select the Active Account checkbox if this an active account.

       Inactive techs cannot log in and do not count against your licensed seat count.

21. In the Identity section, enter your user password in the Current Password field. This password is required when you edit a tech account.

22. Click Save.

    If your user password is correct, the account settings are saved.

    If your user password is incorrect, an error message is displayed. Re-enter your password, and then click Save.

    Web Help Desk times out for 30 seconds after five failed attempts. After 30 seconds, re-enter your password.

Assign a backup tech

You can assign a backup tech to any tech account. When you change the tech status to indicate that the tech is not available, the backup tech is assigned to cover in their absence.

1. Log in to Web Help Desk as an administrator.
2. Click Setup > Techs and select Techs.
3. Select a technician or agent in the Tech Name column.
4. Click to enter Edit mode.

5. Click the Backup Tech drop-down menu and select a backup tech.

   

6. In the Identity section, enter your user password in the Current Password field. This password is required when you edit a tech account. The password must comply with password policy.

   

7. Click Save.

   If your user password is correct, the backup tech is saved in Web Help Desk.

   If your user password is incorrect, an error message is displayed. Re-enter your password, and then click Save.

   Web Help Desk times out for 30 seconds after five failed attempts. After 30 seconds, re-enter your password.

View all logged-in techs

You can verify which techs are logged in to Web Help Desk by using the Techs screen.

1. Log in as an administrator or tech.
2. Click Setup > Techs > Techs.

3. In the Tech Name column, locate the icon next to a tech name.

   Techs who are logged in have a dark blue icon displayed next to their name.

   

   In this example, the icon indicates that this tech has an Admin account. The gray box surrounding the user name is a background color you can apply to a user name.

   Techs who are not logged in have a gray icon displayed next to their name.

   

   In this example, the icon indicates that this user has a Tech account.

Log out a tech

1. Log in to Web Help Deskas an administrator.
2. Click Setup > Techs > Techs.

3. Click Logged in to list all techs currently logged in to Web Help Desk.

   

4. In the Tech Name column, locate the tech you want to forcibly log out.

5. Click the dark blue icon next to their name.

   

6. Follow the prompts on your screen to log out the targeted tech.