This contribution will deal with i-doit’s new functions, that we will be presenting for the first time to a wider public at this year’s Cebit. As these pretty much speak for themselves we do not waste any time, but rather get right to the point. …Oh one more thing: you will find us at the fair, which this year is to take place the 6th-10th of March, in Hall 2, D58, Stand 146 (Open Source Park).

Data net/IP address management

Through new data net and related address space imaging models, i-doit delivers the tools necessary not only for documentation of any Layer2 (VLAN for example) or Layer3 configuration (IPv4 and IPv6), but for comfortable overviews and editing functions for the administration. This is how free and occupied addresses may be seen, reallocated and managed, while still enabling individual editing within the documented object. 

In the Layer2 documentation much has also been done for the overview, as well as for the central management elements. Whether for the imaging of company-wide VLAN or the documentation of complex trunk configurations - i-doit offers integrated net management. 

Enhanced Request Tracker (RT)

The already existing link between i-doit and the leading worldwide free help desk system Request Tracker has been considerably upgraded, as a result of a customer project. The achieved integration of documentation (i-doit) and incident management (RT) has made an integrated data usage for operations, as well as helpdesk possible. A potential that leaves many existing applications in the dust.

Now ticketing in RT can access i-doit’s service and workplace trees in order to refer to disruptions directly, or directly allocate  the ticket details from the documentation to the relevant environment. Conversely, tickets and their status are referenced within i-doit and provide the foundation for extended problem management. Coupled with the link to existing monitoring programs such as Nagios or inventory solutions such as OCS, the result for i-doit is a comprehensive, integrated data view.

The effect: The changes to the RT code are, thanks to standardized RT extensions, update safe and low maintenance.

Prototype: link to OTRS

Taking into account the variety of uses and the wide spread of free ticketing systems present in Germany, we will present a functioning prototype of the link and wish to discuss further configurations with interested users at the CeBIT.

More

In addition to a "workplace-centered" grouping level, which especially combined with the previously described RT link supports the client help desk, the long-awaited multi-processing in list view has been implemented, and mass changes have become possible.

In addition to that the report manager shines in its new design, integrates itself at various points in the program and may for example be used for the dynamic filtering in views. User-specific queries can be stored. The query scope has been noticeably expanded.

The i-doit academy

Already available in the beta status, we will go live with the academy in the second quarter of 2012, providing an attractive alternative to support and workshops for many users. Regular webinars and expert sessions complement the future offer and collaborations with research institutions will make future certification possible. By the way, the free e-learning platform Ilias has become popular in academic circl

Without cultivating information - all is nothing. To cultivate information means: making isolated data visible and to connect it; thereby saving time and easing the workload. That this works well has been shown by i-doit in the QSC, the city of Frankfurt am Main, or in Bosch Software innovations just as in the city of Teterow or the AGES.

ITSM needs more democracy. The current selection of free solutions, for the most part specialists in ITSM fields is vast, professional and offers users not only attractive license models, but also the possibility to influence and (co)design further developments. This is all too seldom - particularly where interaction of components is concerned - taken into account by the market. Synetics wants to tackle this problem with its Smart ITSM initiative and has already shown the impressive potential in specialists becoming team players.

On that note, we wish all successful documenting and perhaps a personal talk during the Cebit 2012.

Your Joachim Winkler