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KACE Asset Management Appliance 7.1 - Administrator Guide

About the KACE Systems Management Appliance (K1000) Getting started
Configuring the appliance
Requirements and specifications Power-on the appliance and log in to the Administrator Console Access the Command Line Console Tracking configuration changes Configuring System-level and Admin-level General Settings Configure appliance date and time settings Verifying port settings, NTP service, and website access Configuring network and security settings Configuring Agent settings Configuring session timeout and auto-refresh settings Configuring locale settings Configure data sharing preferences About DIACAP compliance requirements Configuring Mobile Device Access Enable fast switching for organizations and linked appliances Linking Quest KACE appliances Configuring history settings
Setting up and using labels to manage groups of items Configuring user accounts, LDAP authentication, and SSO Using Replication Shares Managing credentials Configuring assets
About the Asset Management component About managing assets Adding and customizing Asset Types and maintaining asset information Managing Software assets Managing physical and logical assets Maintaining and using manual asset information Managing locations
Setting up License Compliance Managing License Compliance Setting up Service Desk Creating and managing organizations Importing and exporting appliance resources
Managing inventory
Using Device Discovery Managing device inventory
About managing devices Features available for each device management method About inventory information Tracking changes to inventory settings Managing inventory information Finding and managing devices Provisioning the K1000 Agent Manually deploying the K1000 Agent Using Agentless management Adding devices manually in the Administrator Console or by using the API Forcing inventory updates Managing MIA devices Obtaining Dell warranty information
Managing applications on the Software page Managing Software Catalog inventory
About the Software Catalog Viewing Software Catalog information Adding applications to the Software Catalog Managing License assets for Software Catalog applications Using software metering Using Application Control Update or reinstall the Software Catalog
Managing process, startup program, and service inventory Writing custom inventory rules
Deploying packages to managed devices
Distributing software and using Wake-on-LAN Broadcasting alerts to managed devices Running scripts on managed devices Managing Mac profiles
Patching devices and maintaining security
About patch management Subscribing to and downloading patches Creating and managing patch schedules Managing patch inventory Managing Dell devices and updates Maintaining device and appliance security
Using reports and scheduling notifications Monitoring servers
Getting started with server monitoring Working with monitoring profiles Managing monitoring for devices Working with alerts
Using the Service Desk
Configuring Service Desk Managing Service Desk tickets, processes, and reports
Overview of Service Desk ticket lifecycle Creating tickets from the Administrator Console and User Console Creating and managing tickets by email Viewing tickets and managing comments, work, and attachments Using the ticket escalation process Using Service Desk processes Using Ticket Rules Run Service Desk reports Archiving, restoring, and deleting tickets Managing ticket deletion
Managing Service Desk ticket queues About User Downloads and Knowledge Base articles Customizing Service Desk ticket settings Configuring SMTP email servers
Maintenance and troubleshooting
Maintaining the appliance Troubleshooting the K1000
Appendixes Glossary About us Legal notices

About Ticket Rules

About Ticket Rules

If the standard email behavior does not meet your needs, you can use Ticket Rules to change the behavior.

For more information about Ticket Rules, see Using Ticket Rules.

Many of the more complex Ticket Rules, such as modifying the behavior of email notifications, are published on the Quest Support site, https://support.quest.com/contact-support.

About POP3 email accounts

About POP3 email accounts

You can configure the K1000 to receive email from POP3 servers.

To do so, you need to:

•
Enable and configure an external SMTP server and POP3 in the appliance network settings. See Use an external SMTP server or Secure SMTP server.
•
Configure SMTP server and POP3 settings in Service Desk ticket queues. See Configure ticket queues.

If you do not use a POP3 email server, you can use the K1000 appliance's built-in SMTP server to accept incoming email messages from your internal email server.

* 
IMPORTANT: The K1000 Management Appliance POP3 email server must pass authentication information and the email text itself as clear text.

Create and configure POP3 email accounts

Create and configure POP3 email accounts

You can create and configure POP3 email accounts for use by the Service Desk users and staff.

The two accounts are:

•
Support@mydomain.com. This email address is used to:
◦
Receive all new tickets when they are created.
◦
Allow users and Service Desk staff to automatically create and modify tickets.
◦
Serve as the email address to which your users can reply.

The email delivered to this address is not read, but Service Desk staff is notified of the ticket changes resulting from the email.

•
DefaultTicketOwners@mydomain.com. This email alias is used to:
◦
Allow Service Desk staff to communicate with each other.
◦
Allow the appliance to send automated email notification about new and open tickets.
1.
Create Support@mydomain.com as a valid email address on your POP3 email server.
2.
Configure DefaultTicketOwners@mydomain.com as the Service Desk staff email alias, and add all of your Service Desk staff email addresses to it. This is the general-purpose email alias that your Service Desk staff uses to communicate with each other.
3.
Go to the appliance Control Panel:
◦
If the Organization component is not enabled on the appliance, log in to the K1000 Administrator Console, http://K1000_hostname/admin, then click Settings.
◦
If the Organization component is enabled on the appliance, log in to the K1000 System Administration Console, http://K1000_hostname/system, or select System in the drop-down list in the top-right corner of the page, then click Settings.
4.
Click Network Settings to display the Network Settings page.
5.
Select Enable SMTP Server in the Email Configuration section, then specify the SMTP server options:

Option

Description

Server

Specify the hostname or IP address of an external SMTP server, such as smtp.gmail.com. External SMTP servers must allow anonymous (non-authenticated) outbound email transport. Ensure that your network policies allow the appliance to contact the SMTP server directly. In addition, the mail server must be configured to allow the relaying of email from the appliance without authentication.

Port

Enter the port number to use for the SMTP server. For standard SMTP, use port 25. For secure SMTP, use port 587.

Login

Enter the username of an account that has access to the external SMTP server, such as your_account_name@gmail.com.

Password

Enter the password of the specified account.

Enable Service Desk POP3 Server

Select this check box to use POP3 for Service Desk ticket email.

6.
Click Save to restart the appliance.
7.
Go to the Service Desk Queue Detail page:
a.
Log in to the K1000 Administrator Console, http://K1000_hostname/admin. Or, if the Show organization menu in admin header option is enabled in the appliance General Settings, select an organization in the drop-down list in the top-right corner of the page next to the login information.
b.
On the left navigation bar, click Service Desk, then click Configuration.
c.
On the Configuration panel, click Queues.
d.
To display the Queue Detail page, do one of the following:
▪
Click the name of a queue.
▪
Select Choose Action > New.
8.
In the top section of the page, select Configure SMTP Settings.
9.
Specify the following options:
* 
NOTE: POP3 options are available only if Service Desk POP3 Server is enabled in the appliance Network Settings. See Changing appliance network settings.

Option

Description

POP3 Server

Enter the name of the POP3 server you want to use for the queue. For example, pop.gmail.com.

POP3 User / Password

Enter the username and password of an account that has access to the POP3 server.

SMTP Server

Specify the SMTP server hostname or IP address, such as smtp.gmail.com.

The SMTP server must allow anonymous (non-authenticated) outbound email transport. Ensure that your network policies allow the appliance to contact the SMTP server directly. In addition, the mail server must be configured to allow the relaying of email from the appliance without authentication.

SMTP Port

Enter the port number to use for the SMTP server. For standard SMTP, use port 25. For secure SMTP, use port 587.

If you leave this field blank, the appliance uses the settings specified on the Network Settings page.

SMTP User / Password

Enter the username and password of an account that has access to the SMTP server.

10.
Click Save.
11.
If you have multiple queues, repeat the preceding steps for each queue.

Configuring email triggers and email templates

Configuring email triggers and email templates

Configure email triggers
Configure email templates

You can set up triggers that automatically send email from the K1000 Management Appliance and use templates to set the content of those email messages.

The Email on Events section determines which actions trigger an email to the various K1000 Management Appliance users. Email templates determine the content of the messages.

Timing of email messages

The following email events trigger the K1000 to send email immediately:

•
Comment: The system sends email notifications for comments when users add comments and click Submit on the ticket form. When users add comments and click Save on the ticket form, however, only the Any Change notification is sent.
•
Ticket Closed: If the Satisfaction Survey is enabled, an email that describes the Satisfaction Survey is sent immediately when tickets are closed.

The following email events trigger the K1000 to send email every few minutes to prevent email overload:

•
Any Change
•
Owner Change
•
Status Change
•
Approval Change
•
Resolution Change
•
Escalation
•
SLA Violation
•
New Ticket Via Email
Configure email triggers

You can configure email triggers for a queue. If you have multiple queues, you can configure the email triggers for each queue separately.

1.
Go to the Service Desk Queue Detail page:
a.
Log in to the K1000 Administrator Console, http://K1000_hostname/admin. Or, if the Show organization menu in admin header option is enabled in the appliance General Settings, select an organization in the drop-down list in the top-right corner of the page next to the login information.
b.
On the left navigation bar, click Service Desk, then click Configuration.
c.
On the Configuration panel, click Queues.
d.
Display the Queue Detail page by doing one of the following:
▪
Click the name of a queue.
▪
Select Choose Action > New.
2.
In the Email on Events section, select the options for sending email when the specified events occur. Each column represents a type of Service Desk user (role) and each row represents a ticket event.

Service Desk user (role)

Description

Owner

The person who is expected to resolve the ticket.

Submitter

The person whose issue is being resolved.

Approver

The person who can approve or reject the ticket for processing.

Ticket CC

One or more email addresses that are stored in the CC field of the ticket.

Category CC

One or more email addresses that are stored in the CC List of the Category Value of the ticket. See Configure CC lists for ticket categories.

When a ticket event occurs, email is sent to the selected roles or users. For example, if you select the Any Change box in the Owner column, email is sent to the ticket owner whenever the ticket is changed. For the Comment and Ticket Closed triggers, email is sent immediately. For other ticket changes, however, email is sent every few minutes to prevent email overload.

* 
NOTE: If users have the KACE GO mobile app installed on their smart phone or tablet, the system sends push notifications for the selected Service Desk ticket events.

Option

Description

Any Change

Any information on the ticket is changed.

Owner Change

The ticket's Owner field is changed.

Status Change

The ticket's Status field is changed.

Comment

Information, attachments, or screenshots are added to the ticket's Comments section. The system sends email notifications for comments when users add comments and click Submit on the ticket form. When users add comments and click Save on the ticket form, however, only the Any Change notification is sent.

Approval Change

The ticket's approval status has changed.

Resolution Change

The ticket's resolution has changed.

Escalation

The ticket has not been resolved within the escalation time defined by the ticket priority.

SLA Violation

The ticket has not been resolved by its due date.

Ticket Closed

The ticket's Status field is changed to Closed. This event is used to present a Satisfaction Survey to submitters. See Using the Satisfaction Survey.

New Ticket Via Email

A user sends an email message to the Service Desk and a ticket is created.

3.
Click Save.
Configure email templates

You can configure the email templates that Service Desk uses to generate email messages for a queue. If you have multiple queues, you customize the email templates for each queue separately.

1.
Go to the Service Desk Queue Detail page:
a.
Log in to the K1000 Administrator Console, http://K1000_hostname/admin. Or, if the Show organization menu in admin header option is enabled in the appliance General Settings, select an organization in the drop-down list in the top-right corner of the page next to the login information.
b.
On the left navigation bar, click Service Desk, then click Configuration.
c.
On the Configuration panel, click Queues.
d.
Display the Queue Detail page by doing one of the following:
▪
Click the name of a queue.
▪
Select Choose Action > New.
2.
In the Email on Events section, click Customize Emails to display the Service Desk Email Notifications page.
3.
Change the following email templates as needed.
* 
NOTE: If the default text for any of the templates is changed, the email messages will not be translated into different languages.
Ticket-related template
Description
Default recipients
Ticket Escalated
Used to send periodic notifications according to the Escalation Time configured for the ticket priority in the queue. For example, if tickets with the priority of High have an Escalation Time of 30 minutes, this email is sent every 30 minutes for High priority tickets until the ticket priority changes or until the ticket is closed.
Owners, the ticket CC list, and ticket Category CC list
Ticket Created from Email
Used to acknowledge that a ticket has been created through email.
Submitters
Ticket Modified
Used to notify recipients when ticket information is changed or added.
Owners and the ticket CC list
Comment Submitted
Used to notify recipients that comments have been added to tickets.
Owners, submitters, approvers, the ticket CC list, and the ticket Category CC list
Ticket Closed
Used to present a Satisfaction Survey to submitters when tickets are closed. See Using the Satisfaction Survey.
Submitters
Email Ticket Manually
Used to for messages that are forwarded using the Email Ticket action on Ticket Detail pages.
* 
TIP: If you use HTML/Markdown, the $ticket_fields_visible token must be enclosed in the <pre> tag to prevent formatting, such as line breaks, from being discarded. For example:
<pre>$ticket_fields_visible</pre>
Manually entered by the sender
SLA Violated
Used to notify recipients that a ticket has remained open past the due date calculated using the SLA (Service Level Agreement) settings and the ticket priority.
None. Configurable on the Queue Detail page
Error-related template
Description
Recipients
Error Creating Ticket from Email
Used to notify senders that the ticket could not be created for reasons other than unknown email address.
Submitters
Unknown Email Address Response
Used to notify senders that the ticket could not be created because the submitter's email address is unknown.
Submitters

Table 6. Tokens used in all email templates

Token

Description

$helpdesk_email

The email address associated with the Service Desk queue. This address is configured on the Queue Detail page.

$helpdesk_name

The name of the Service Desk queue. This name is configured on the Queue Detail page.

$userui_url

A link to the User Console. Access to the User Console requires login credentials.

Table 7. Tokens used in ticket-related email templates

Token

Description

$change_desc

A formatted representation of the changes that were made the last time the ticket was saved, including both field changes and comments.

$last_attachment

The most recent attachment added to the ticket.

$last_comment

The most recent comment added to the ticket.

$process_description

The process description. It can include important pre-requisites that the users need to complete before proceeding to create a ticket based on a process template.

$process_name

The name of the process template.

$process_status

The status of the process template such as Approval Required, Approval Timed Out, Approval Received, Approval Rejected, Process Cancelled, and Process Complete.

$process_type

The type of the process. In a default installation, only the Service Desk process type is included. You can create new process types, as required. For example, you can create a process type for accessing a specific application, or a group of applications. For more information, see Define process types.

$ticket_approver_email

The email address of the ticket approver. Having this address is especially useful for Comments email notifications.

$ticket_approver_name

The name of the ticket approver.

* 
NOTE: The approver name and contact information is derived from the USER record associated with the fields on the ticket.

$ticket_approver_phone_home

Contact information for the ticket approver.

$ticket_approver_phone_mobile

Contact information for the ticket approver.

$ticket_approver_phone_pager

Contact information for the ticket approver.

$ticket_approver_phone_work

Contact information for the ticket approver.

$ticket_custom_X_label

$ticket_custom_X_value

The label and value used for a custom field, where X represents the index number of the custom field.

For example, if a queue has a ticket field labeled, CUSTOM_5, and that field is configured with the label Location Name, the system replaces $ticket_custom_5_label with the text, Location Name. The token, $ticket_custom_5_value is replaced with the ticket value that was saved for the Location Name field, such as, Topeka or Albuquerque.

By default, all ticket queues are configured with 15 custom fields, but this number can be increased as needed.

* 
NOTE: Each queue can have different custom fields and different email template configurations.

$ticket_due_date

The due date as saved on the ticket. Administrators can override automatic due dates with manual due dates if necessary.

$ticket_escalation_minutes

The time, in minutes, between periodic notifications. This time is determined by the Escalation Time configured for the ticket priority in the queue. For example, if tickets with the priority of High have an Escalation Time of 30 minutes, this email is sent every 30 minutes for High priority tickets until the ticket priority changes or until the ticket is closed. This token is typically used in the Ticket Escalated email template, to inform recipients of the frequency of email notifications.

$ticket_fields_visible

Include all the ticket fields that are visible for the user who is forwarding the ticket by email.

* 
TIP: If you use HTML/Markdown, the $ticket_fields_visible token must be enclosed in the <pre> tag to prevent formatting, such as line breaks, from being discarded. For example:

<pre>$ticket_fields_visible</pre>

$ticket_history

The complete history of the ticket.

* 
NOTE: For some tickets, the history information can become very detailed and too large to send through email. If the complete history is not needed, use $ticket_history_X to limit the number of records to include.

$ticket_history_X

A specified number of records in the ticket history. X indicates the number of records to include, beginning with the most recent.

$ticket_id

A unique identifier assigned to the ticket, also called the ticket number. Using this identifier is the primary method for users to identify tickets.

$ticket_number

A formatted version of the ticket ID. This version begins with TICK followed by a minimum of five digits. For example, a ticket with ID 4321 is displayed as TICK:04321. This format is especially useful in email Subject lines to make sure that email replies link to the correct tickets.

$ticket_owner_email

The email address of the Service Desk administrator assigned to the ticket.

$ticket_owner_name

The name of the Service Desk administrator assigned to the ticket.

* 
NOTE: The owner name and contact information is derived from the USER record associated with the fields on the ticket.

$ticket_owner_phone_home

Contact information for the Service Desk administrator assigned to the ticket.

$ticket_owner_phone_mobile

Contact information for the Service Desk administrator assigned to the ticket.

$ticket_owner_phone_pager

Contact information for the Service Desk administrator assigned to the ticket.

$ticket_owner_phone_work

Contact information for the Service Desk administrator assigned to the ticket.

$ticket_priority

The priority assigned to the ticket. Default values include High, Medium, and Low.

$ticket_resolution

Information about what was done to resolve the ticket as described in the ticket’s Resolution field.

$ticket_status

The status of the ticket. Defaults include New, Opened, Closed, Need More Info, Reopened, Waiting Overdue, Waiting on Customer, and Waiting on Third Party.

$ticket_submitter_email

The email address of the submitter.

$ticket_submitter_name

The name of the submitter.

* 
NOTE: The submitter name and contact information is derived from the USER record associated with the fields on the ticket.

$ticket_submitter_phone_home

Contact information for the submitter.

$ticket_submitter_phone_mobile

Contact information for the submitter.

$ticket_submitter_phone_pager

Contact information for the submitter.

$ticket_submitter_phone_work

Contact information for the submitter.

$ticket_title

The title of the ticket as it appears on the Ticket Detail page.

$ticket_url

A link to the ticket in the User Console. Access to the User Console requires login credentials.

$ticket_http_url

A link to the ticket in the User Console. This format is used for backward compatibility on older systems. Access to the User Console requires login credentials.

$ticket_https_url

A secure link to the ticket in the User Console. Use this token if SSL is enabled on your appliance. This ensures that links sent through email work correctly.

$userui_url

A link to the home page of the User Console. Access to the User Console requires login credentials.

Table 8. Tokens used in error-related email templates

Token

Description

$error_text

Used to identify a problem processing the submitted tokens. This error appears when:

•
The system does not recognize a variable
•
A variable is recognized, but the user does not have permission to change the field
•
The variable attempts to change the approval status of the ticket but the user is not the approver

$quoted_mail

The content of the original email message.

$subject

The subject of the original email message.

* 
NOTE: Tokens that are invalid are ignored and they are not replaced in email messages. For example, if you add an unknown token such as $today, it is ignored, and it appears in the email message as $today.
4.
Optional: Select Use HTML/Markdown to use a simple HTML-based email instead of plain text.
* 
NOTE: To use HTML/Markdown feature, the email text must be fully formatted in HTML/Markdown. The default email text will not automatically convert to HTML/Markdown without the appropriate tags in the email text.

For example:

Default Email Notification

Email Notification with HTML

5.
Click Save.

For instructions on how to configure the appliance to use SMTP email, see Configuring SMTP email servers.

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