[Date Prev][Date Next] [Thread Prev][Thread Next] [Date Index] [Thread Index]

Re: open source workflow management for ISP needs?



On Mon, 2002-12-02 at 18:59, Christian Hammers wrote:
> Hello
> 
> Can anybody recommend me an open source (for money or not) workflow and
> problem tracking system for Linux? 
> 
> I guess most ISPs have roughly the same tasks so this might be of
> general interest here.

There is Request Tracker (free open source, but backed by a company that
sells support, may be cheaper than trying to customize it yourself).

It is a general ticketing system, not specialized for ISP or any other
special need, but I found it can be customized relatively easily, and
the user community is very helpful. (It's Perl, btw).

> 
> The system should be capable of handling
> 	- workflows (prepare line, configure router, visit customer)
>           maybe even with different default users for each task

This part would require a bit of coding, but I think it can be done by
defining triggers on actions (like 'reassign to the configure queue when
ticket state is set to 'line prepared'), so it would all be using
official APIs, not changing some obscure internals.

> 	- priorities (low,medium,high)
Supported.

> 	- employees/users vs customers/others
> 	- single users as well as groups of users (marketing/tech/..)
> 	- classes (tech,marketing,support)

you can define user classes, with a very flexible permission system.

> 	- ticket numbers
Yep.

> 	- optional: reminder mails
> 	- resubmission after X days
I think this is available as contributed add-on (Not sure what the
difference would be between the above two points.)

> 	- quick handling via E-Mail possible
This is the part where request tracker is currently lacking. I haven't
used rt for a few months, and when I quit they were working on it.
Simple operations like creating a ticket on incoming mail, and then
assigning it to the first person who answers it (for example) are
already there.

> 	- web interface for overview and more complicated changes
web interface is default.

Be sure not to install request-tracker from the Debian Package. There is
a newer version available, and (last I looked) the .deb was being
reworked. All required Perl modules are easily available as packages,
though. A big plus: the request-tracker team takes upgrading *very*
seriously and provides good and simple upgrade instructions even when
you skip a few releases.

I've never used Double Choco Latte, also opensource, but I think they
claim to be able roughly the same things. dcl is imho interesting (long
term perspective!) because it is being integrated into the GNU
Enterprise suite of programs.

cheers
-- vbi

-- 
this email is protected by a digital signature:  http://fortytwo.ch/gpg

NOTE: keyserver bugs! get my key here: https://fortytwo.ch/gpg/92082481

Attachment: signature.asc
Description: This is a digitally signed message part


Reply to: