Web Help Desk 12.7.7 release notes
Release date: November 30, 2021
These release notes describe the new features, improvements, and fixed issues in Web Help Desk 12.7.7. They also provide information about upgrades and describe workarounds for known issues.
Learn more
- If you are looking for previous Web Help Desk release notes, see Previous Version documentation.
- If you are looking for a hotfix, see Web Help Desk Hotfixes. This release includes all hotfixes from the previous version.
- If you are looking for a Knowledge Base (KB) article, see the SolarWinds Success Center.
New features and improvements
Web Help Desk 12.7.7 offers new enhancements and improvements compared to previous releases.
Updated PostgreSQL database
This release includes PostgreSQL 13.3, which provides additional enhancements to further harden the application.
When you upgrade to Web Help Desk 12.7.7, you can run a database update tool included with the release that automatically upgrades your existing PostgreSQL database to version 13.3.
Improved location search
Beginning in this release, you can search for a location using a wildcard (*) symbol. This format allows you to search for a location that end, begins, or contains the location name.
New asset management bulk delete
Bulk actions allow you to apply a set of changes to multiple assets. Beginning in this release, you can select and delete multiple asset types and manufacturers in the Web Help Desk Administrator Console.
Create and view companies using API calls
Beginning in this release, you can create, update, delete, and search for companies using API calls.
Updated tech permissions for accessing SolarWinds Integration
Beginning in this release, techs without administrator privileges cannot access or set up a SolarWinds Orion alert integration with the Orion Platform. The new permission requirement ensures that only authorized personnel can manage this connection.
New security improvements in Web Help Desk
Web Help Desk 12.7.7 offers the following new security improvements compared to previous Web Help Desk releases:
-
Improvements to help prevent Denial of Service Attacks (DoS)
-
Improvements to prevent URL parameter abuse
Internal improvements
This release includes additional updates that improve the product stability and functionality.
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 additional configuration files required to enable Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) mode in the application. To install Web Help Desk and enable FIPS, see Enable FIPS in a new deployment located in the Web Help Desk Administrator Guide.
To install Web Help Desk 12.7.7 with FIPS mode disabled, install version 12.7.7 on the host server. When the installation 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.
Upgrade your FIPS deployment
If FIPS is enabled in your Web Help Desk 12.7.2 through 12.7.4 deployment, copy the following files to another location before you upgrade:
<WebHelpDesk>\bin\nss-x64<WebHelpDesk>\conf\additional\fips-140-2
When you are finished, upgrade to 12.7.5, and then upgrade to 12.7.7.
See 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 Java Database Connectivity (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 9.0.48, 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 9.0.48 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 12.7.7 fixes the following issues.
| Case Number | Description |
|---|---|
|
00023230 00520597 00772544 |
Web Help Desk no longer allows techs without permission to change ticket priority or status using bulk action. |
|
00036982 00060943 00617340 00887442 |
Action rules now run correctly when uploading attachments. |
|
00589140 |
Techs without administrative privileges can no longer access SolarWinds Integration in the web console. |
|
00229961 00239678 |
When you create a ticket, any text entered in the Detailed Instructions field now displays correctly in the ticket and corresponding emails. |
|
00833258 00858309 |
FAQs no longer display HTML formatting tags. |
|
00840285 |
You can now download attachments that include Hebrew characters in the file name. |
|
00810240 |
Request types now display in alphabetical order. |
|
00876194 |
When a client updates a ticket, a yellow indicator now displays next to the assigned tech in the ticket lists. |
|
00870249 |
When a tech edits an FAQ, the tech can now click View Source and append the FAQ with a new line of text. |
|
00860787 |
Clients can now download an attachment with a .pcap file extension. |
|
00868771 |
When you create a ticket with an action rule based on a location, the corresponding action rule will now trigger based on the selected location. |
|
00882870 |
When you upgrade from version 12.7.6 and earlier to 12.7.7, the embedded PostgreSQL database now upgrades correctly. |
|
00883161 00883692 |
Emails are no longer delayed when a process is triggered in the Web Help Desk Administrator Console. |
|
00864393 |
Clients with missing required fields in their profile can now log in to Web Help Desk using an SSO connection. |
|
00821151 |
Clients can now access all tickets with long URLs in the Client interface. |
|
00873854 |
Updating a location no longer changes the default priority. |
|
00893792 |
Request types now display in descending order. |
|
00901435 |
You can now search for a location using a wildcard (*) in the following formats:
|
|
00801739 |
The application no longer generates an error when navigating in the web console. |
|
00899190 |
Request types now display in descending order after appending a ticket custom field. |
|
00899712 |
Tickets that include request details and notes with BBCode now display correctly when exported to a PDF. |
|
00899711 |
Ticket notes with tables now display correctly in the client email. |
|
00902371 |
FAQs now display correctly for all techs without administrator privileges. |
|
00862456 |
Pages with scrollable content now render correctly in the client interface. |
|
00910350 |
The FAQ index now displays FAQs correctly in the web console. |
|
00912162 |
An action rule now changes a request type when triggered. |
|
00838063 00854458 |
An error no longer displays when you generate a PDF of any ticket that contains an invalid link. |
|
00916788 |
Web links are no longer broken in the tickets review page and ticket emails sent to clients. |
|
00926016 |
An error no longer displays when you open an attachment in the Client console during a ticket approval. |
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