Documentation forWeb Help Desk

WHD 12.7.9 release notes

Release date: July 12, 2022

Here's what's new in WHD 12.7.9. You can find the applicable system requirements here.

To view release notes, system requirements, and product guide PDFs for supported versions of WHD, see WHD previous versions. To view release notes for multiple versions and multiple SolarWinds Platform products on a single page, see the release notes aggregator.

New features and improvements in WHD

Updated ticket checklist item limits

When you create a ticket, you can now add up to 30 checklist items for each ticket. Checklists help technicians ensure that all tasks in a ticket are completed before the ticket is closed.

Updated OpenJDK

This release includes Microsoft Open Java Development Kit 11.0.15 (OpenJDK 11.0.15). This version resolves multiple vulnerabilities and further hardens the application. OpenJDK is an open-source implementation of the Oracle Java Platform, Standard Edition (Java SE).

Fixed customer issues

Case number Description
00197900 An error no longer displays when you create an asset report with no selections in the Values and Show Non-Zero Items Only options.
00817264 The application no longer creates duplicate tickets.
00942777 The Calendar tab now displays in the WHD Administrator Console after you upgrade to the latest version.
00964123 Upgrading to the latest release no longer generates an error.
00988189 Clients not registered in WHD now display correctly in the Ticket Information banner when included in the ticket Cc field.
00954641 The tech email layout order now updates correctly when initiated by a client update.
00993356 Clients can now save a Cc email address to a ticket in the Ticket History tab.
00964554 When you update and save an FAQ, all FAQs now display in descending order in both the tech and client email interface.
01003803 Searching for a description in the Parts toolbar option now displays a list of results.
01008240 The Client interface now displays the correct ticket due date when the ticket priority does not indicate a due time.
01021754 01025142 The Content Security Policy (CSP) was added to the application to prevent false positive detection by antivirus software.
N/A Ticket notes no longer include a blank space within the note text.

Installation or upgrade

See the WHD Installation and Upgrade Guide for details about installing WHD. After you complete the installation, see the WHD 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.

WHD no longer includes the additional configuration files required to enable Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) mode in the application. To install WHD and enable FIPS, see Enable FIPS in a new deployment located in the WHD Administrator Guide.

To install WHD with FIPS mode disabled, install WHD 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 WHD database in the WHD Administrator Guide for details.

Configuring WHD single sign-on authentication with WAFFLE

You can log in to WHD using several authentication types, including single sign-on using SAML/ADFS, CAS, or WAFFLE (or Servlet).

WAFFLE authentication fetches the authentication information from AD/LDAP. This is an alternate method if SAML/ADFS isn't possible.

See Configuring WHD single sign-on authentication with WAFFLE for details.

How to upgrade

If you are upgrading from a previous version, see the WHD Installation and Upgrade Guide. This guide provides steps and procedures for installing and upgrading WHD in an evaluation, stand-alone, or integrated Orion deployment.

Upgrade your embedded PostgreSQL database

If you're running version 12.7.8 with the embedded PostgreSQL 13.3 database, follow the instructions in the WHD Installation and Upgrade Guide to upgrade your deployment to version 12.7.9.

If you are located outside the continental United States, contact Technical Support for assistance with upgrading to WHD 12.7.9 with the embedded PostgreSQL 13.3 database.

If you're running version 12.7.6 or earlier with the embedded PostgreSQL 9.x.x database, upgrade to 12.7.7 with PostgreSQL 13.3 first. See How to upgrade WHD to version 12.7.7 using PostgreSQL as the database for details. When you're finished, follow the instructions in the WHD Installation and Upgrade Guide to upgrade your deployment to version 12.7.9.

Upgrade your FIPS deployment

If FIPS is enabled in your WHD 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

After you copy the files, upgrade to 12.7.5. When you are finished, upgrade to 12.7.9. See the WHD Installation and Upgrade Guide for details.

Install the MySQL JDBC driver

Beginning with WHD 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 WHD Administrator Guide for installation instructions.

Upgrade Your Apache Tomcat software

The software installer includes Apache Tomcat 9.0.58, 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 settings.

Before you upgrade your Web Help Desk software, 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.

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