ServiceDesk 4.6.5 Update 05/08/12

For those of you using SD-Mobile (it's most of you), we've found that many have not known that to see when each of your techs last connected (and which version of SD-Mobile each is running in), you can simply click, within your in-office SD-MobileLink program, on its "Test Connection / Check Link Activity" button.  This produces a quick little report, on the details just mentioned. 

Of course, the above-described program is only accessible from a single desk (the one which runs the MobileLink program), and we've learned folks at multiple desks would in some instances like to stay informed, throughout each day, as to the status of each tech in terms of informationally connecting with the system.  So, we added a new display:

Besides needing this new version of ServiceDesk to deploy, this new feature also requires an update in the MobileLink program to its (currently offered) 1.4.97 or above Version (absent that update the enhanced display in ServiceDesk will show nothing but blanks for the indicated times). 

In the ServiceDesk ScheduleList form (F6), there has always been the ability to click on the "New" button, and create a straight appointment entry that is not tied to a job.  These can be used to put "Vacation" entries into the schedule, for example.  Or, to put into the schedule an office meeting that you expect particular techs to attend.  Or, to schedule a time for a tech to have his truck serviced, etc.  The possibilities are almost endless, and we've determined to call these "naked" appointments because, well, they're not tied to a job.  These appointments show up (just as do job-tied appointments) within the DispatchMap, providing a nice, on it's face indication of how each applicable tech will be occupied during the times in question. 

When we created the mechanisms in SD-Mobile that pull appointments from ServiceDesk, our thinking was entirely tied to the standard, job-connected appointment scenario, and we neglected to accommodate this other kind.  Thus, until now, SD-Mobile has not been displaying these "naked" appointments for the tech. 

We realized this oversight early-on, but have been slow to address it because there was an easy, user-based solution.  Many companies created one or more fake "jobs," to stand-in for such things as office-meetings, and made appointments for those fake jobs as needed (thus, these show up for the tech in his Mobile interface just fine).  Though the expedient has served well, it's nevertheless been a little less than elegant. 

The current releases of SD-Mobile and SD-MobileLink (updates in both are needed) address our original oversight.  Now, "naked" appointments as made in ServiceDesk will port directly to the tech in Mobile.  There is no longer any need to maintain fake jobs, within ServiceDesk, to "clothe" them. 

You may note that, directly speaking, it's an improvement in Mobile mechanisms we're announcing here, and, normally, Mobile-side improvements are announced in the SDM-WorkDiary (as opposed to this, the SD-WorkDiary).   However, it's within ServiceDesk where you need to know about this improvement, in order to take advantage of it. 

Since long before it was first introduced to the public, ServiceDesk has had a companion program called SD-Backup.  It's designed to run in the background from any non-server station in the network, and automatically makes regular backups of ServiceDesk's primary operating data.  We highly recommend you have this program rigged to run automatically, at least every day throughout the day, if not (indeed) 24/7. 

Having been developed so early, this program had grown somewhat archaic in comparison to the SD system whose job it's been to backup.  Josh, here, undertook the task to fully update and modernize this little program.  While he's been doing a ton of very sophisticated web-side programming for us, it's his first foray into programming directly for the desktop on behalf of Rossware.  I think he's done a fine job.  Please update to this latest copy of SD-backup.  Unlike ServiceDesk, the update is not automated.  You'll need to go to the ServiceDesk downloads page, pick the update there, and be sure to unzip to the correct folder (where you otherwise have ServiceDesk itself installed and running).  This means you may need to change from the default "Unzip-To" path.  Also, please be sure you don't have the old SD-Backup running when you unzip.  If you do, Windows won't allow the old program file (in-use for the running program) to be replaced.