Web Help Desk 12.7.4 release notes
Release date: February 16, 2021
These release notes were last updated on August 16, 2024.
These release notes describe the new features, improvements, and fixed issues in Web Help Desk 12.7.4. They also provide information about upgrades and describe workarounds for known issues.
If you are looking for previous Web Help Desk release notes, see the Previous Version documentation.
If you are looking for a hotfix, see Web Help Desk Hotfixes. This release includes all hotfixes from the previous version.
New features and improvements
Web Help Desk 12.7.4 offers new features and improvements compared to previous releases.
New digital code-signing certificate
Web Help Desk 12.7.4 is signed with a new digital code-signing certificate.
OAuth 2.0 integration with Google Gmail
You can now create an incoming mail account in Web Help Desk and link the account with your Gmail account using Google Console as a credential provider. After you complete and test the configuration, Web Help Desk can access the Gmail account using Open Authentication (OAuth) 2.0, retrieve the incoming email, and generate a new ticket using the data in the email.
Password-protected tech and administrator accounts
All tech and administrator accounts now require a password to edit and save the account information. 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.
HSTS support
HTTP Strict Transport Security (HSTS) is a web policy that forces a secure HTTPS connection with Transport Layer Security (TLS) between a supported web browser and the Web Help Desk server. After you enable the web policy by importing a signed certificate from a trusted Certificate Authority (CA), unauthorized users cannot access data shared between the server and your clients, techs, and administrators.
HSTS is an Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) standards track protocol and is specified in RFC 6797.
Enhanced Client user interface
When you click History in the Client user interface and then click a ticket, the Ticket Details section displays a new interface for improved usability. This section includes three drop-down menus: Ticket Notes, Request Details, and Custom Fields.
The Ticket Notes menu includes a larger text box, redesigned user interface components, and a prompt to save your notes.
The Request Details menu includes similar user interface component updates.
The new Custom Fields menu allows you to enter a message that displays in the ticket custom field. This menu also includes a prompt to save your changes.
See Train the clients for details.
Internal improvements
This release fixed a few cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. This release also includes additional updates that improve the product stability and functionality.
Changes to system requirements
This release adds support for Open Java Development Kit (OpenJDK) 15.
New customer installation
See the Web Help Desk Installation and Upgrade Guide for details about installing Web Help Desk. After you complete the installation, see the Web Help Desk Getting Started Guide. This guide picks up right after the installation process and walks you through the initial steps you need to start using the application.
Web Help Desk no longer includes the Network Security Services (NSS) libraries and additional configuration files required to enable Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) mode in the application. These libraries are located at:
<WebHelpDesk>\bin\nss-x64<WebHelpDesk>\conf\additional\fips-140-2
To install Web Help Desk 12.7.4 with FIPS mode disabled, install version 12.7.4 on the host server. After you complete the installation, you cannot enable FIPS in a future release.
To install Web Help Desk 12.7.4 with FIPS mode enabled, install version 12.7.2 first. After you complete the installation, upgrade to version 12.7.4 with the FIPS configuration files saved from the 12.7.2 release. When the upgrade is completed, enable FIPS mode.
SQL Server database collation requirements
If you plan to use a Microsoft SQL Server database for your deployment, verify that the server collation in your database is set to case insensitive before you run the installer. If it is set to case sensitive, create a new case insensitive database using SQL Server Management Studio.
See Prepare your Web Help Desk database in the Web Help Desk Administrator Guide for details.
How to upgrade
If you are upgrading from a previous version, see the Web Help Desk Installation and Upgrade Guide. This guide provides steps and procedures for installing and upgrading Web Help Desk in an evaluation, stand-alone, or integrated Orion deployment.
If FIPS is not enabled in your Web Help Desk 12.7.2 or 12.7.3 deployment, no additional configuration is required during the upgrade procedure. However, you cannot enable FIPS in a future release.
If FIPS is enabled in your Web Help Desk 12.7.2 or 12.7.3 deployment, copy the following files to another location before you upgrade:
<WebHelpDesk>\bin\nss-x64<WebHelpDesk>\conf\additional\fips-140-2
When you upgrade to Web Help Desk 12.7.4, copy the directories back to their original locations during the upgrade procedure.
See Upgrade to the latest Web Help Desk version in the Web Help Desk Installation and Upgrade Guide for details.
Install the MySQL JDBC driver
Beginning with Web Help Desk 12.7.1, Oracle Java is replaced with the Open Java Development Kit (OpenJDK). This update modifies the directory structure where the MySQL JDBC driver is installed. To prevent errors after the upgrade, install the driver on your host server in the new location to prevent errors in the application after the upgrade.
See Install the MySQL JDBC Driver in the Web Help Desk Administrator Guide for installation instructions.
Upgrade your Apache Tomcat software
The software installer includes Apache Tomcat 9.0.37, which provides enhanced security and is required for this release.
When you upgrade your Web Help Desk software, the upgrade procedure replaces the <WebHelpDesk>\conf\tomcat_web_template.xml file with an updated file that includes the Tomcat 9.0.37 settings.
Before you upgrade, back up your current tomcat_web_template.xml file to an external directory. When the upgrade is completed, add your personal settings to the updated file from your backup file.
Fixed issues
Web Help Desk 12.7.4 fixes the following issues.
| Case Number | Description |
|---|---|
|
00464814 |
Web Help Desk connected to a Microsoft SQL Server database no longer generates an error when a tech with administrator privileges is connected to more than 2,100 locations. |
|
00357302 00394421 00419060 00527272 00545110 |
HSTS is now enabled when you log in to the Web Help Desk server. This feature forces an HTTPS connection to the server, providing secure access between your web browser and the server. |
|
00582483 |
You can now connect Web Help Desk to an SQL database server configured with case sensitive collation running a database with case insensitive collation. |
|
00500413 00524988 |
The Client and Tech user interfaces now display the correct ticket due dates. |
|
00486229 00545529 |
Ticket with Arabic characters exported to a PDF now require a supporting font and additional configuration. See Tickets with Arabic characters display hashtags in an exported PDF for instructions. |
|
00511562 00541463 |
Clicking THWACK in the toolbar now navigates you to the correct Web Help Desk CSS Gallery site on THWACK. Here, you can download and apply CSS templates to the application. |
|
00546832 |
The ticket due date no longer displays in the Client interface when this option is disabled in Setup > Tickets > Options. |
|
00570058 |
LDAP clients imported with a company name but no location can now edit the Location field in their profile. |
|
00614150 00617532 00622454 00624765 00629807 |
Random characters no longer display in request types after an upgrade. |
|
00616651 00618039 00627364 00627433 |
An unexpected error no longer displays after you upgrade Web Help Desk using SSO with SAML to the next version. |
|
00627670 |
An unexpected error no longer displays after you define request types for a custom ticket field. |
|
00634011 |
When you create an FAQ and select a rating, the Vote drop-down menu no longer displays random characters. |
|
00630876 |
An error no longer displays after you edit the Client Admins permissions. |
|
00565433 |
When a tech is a member of a tech group configured with 10,000 request types, Web Help Desk no longer hangs when the tech logs in to the application. |
|
00637355 00640481 00641638 00642992 |
An error message no longer displays when you edit the asset location in a ticket. |
|
00640532 |
An incorrect text issue that displays in a client bulk action is resolved. |
|
00614199 00632022 00644614 |
An error no longer displays when you configure an alert level or condition in a ticket chart widget. |
|
00543716 |
When you create a new request type at Setup > Tickets > Request Types, the Use as FAQ Category option is now labeled FAQ / SolarWinds Integration. |
|
00628668 00622267 00642588 00648073 00654747 |
WMI connections can now scan computers running Windows 10 version 2004 and 2012. |
|
00638716 00647312 00652077 |
Logging in to the Web Help Desk Mobile app after you upgrade to Web Help Desk 12.7.3 Hotfix 1 no longer generates an error. |
Known issues
|
00486229, 00545529 | Arabic characters in an imported TSV file display as hashtags |
|---|
| Issue: When you export a ticket with Arabic characters to a TSV file and then open the file in Microsoft Excel, the characters display as hashtags. |
|
Work-around:
|
drop-down menu, select Download TSV, and download the file to your system.| 00036982, 00060943, 00617340 | Ticket attachments do not display in chronological order |
|---|
| Issue: An action rule based on an attachment is not processed correctly. |
|
Work-around:
|
| 00247252, 00569857 | Group managers cannot open tickets assigned to techs |
|---|
| Issue: Group managers cannot open tickets assigned to techs when the Limit to Assigned Tech Groups checkbox is selected at Setup > Techs > Tech Permissions. |
| Resolution/Work-around: None. |
| 00403986 | Broken ticket request detail link |
|---|
| Issue: When you hover over a ticket request detail link in the Group Tickets window, the link breaks. |
| Resolution/Work-around: None. |
| 00403986 | Configured action rule does not trigger as expected |
|---|
| Issue: When a tech updates a custom field value, the configured action rule does not trigger as expected. |
| Resolution/Work-around: None. |
| Error displays in the Web Help Desk Mobile application |
|---|
| Issue: After you install Web Help Desk 12.7.4 and log in using the Web Help Desk Mobile application, the application displays an error. |
|
Work-around: See Error displays in the Web Help Desk application for details. |
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