Support Services Manager ("SSM")
Documentation
version 1.0 BETA (Standard Version)

INTRODUCTION…

Support Services Manager ("SSM") is a powerful Support Desk and Knowledge Base application. It includes many powerful features to allow you to easily add a full-featured Knowledge Base along with a robust support request or "trouble ticket" management system to your existing support services. Through SSM, you will be able to easily manage these effective systems and reduce the time and effort required in providing award-winning technical support. In addition, certain versions of SSM allow you to integrate your Knowledge Base, Support Desk, and Web Community into one single sign-on environment, creating an easy, beneficial system to your users. This level of integration is only possible with SSM or expensive custom development work, making SSM very cost-effective. We hope that you find SSM to be a worthwhile addition to your online network.

SUMMARY FEATURE LIST…

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS...

In order to successfully install and use SSM on your system, you will require the following components:

SSM was tested and run successfully under Apache on Linux with PHP version 4.0.6 & under Personal Web Server on Windows with PHP version 4.0.4.

It is also recommended that you be somewhat knowledgeable in installing server-side PHP scripts. If, after reading this document, still require assistance with your installation of SSM, please read and follow the steps in the Getting Help section of this document.

BEFORE INSTALLING…

Please adhere to the following guideline BEFORE installing SSM:

    1. Please make sure that the web server which you will be running SSM on is capable of handling PHP applications requiring MySQL support.
    2. Make sure that you have an FTP client with which to transfer files to your web server and a text editor with which to edit the required files.
    3. Please read all enclosed documentation before installing SSM.

INSTALLATION…

The Installation process:

    1. Extract the archive file, which you downloaded from the web. We recommend that you use the default file/folder locations.
    2. Upload these files to your web server. Please make sure that you upload PHP/HTML/TXT files in ASCII format and Image files in BINARY format in your FTP client. In most cases selecting the Auto format should also accomplish the same thing.
    3. CHMOD db.php so that it can be written to by the web server.
    4. Use your browser and navigate to the folder in which you installed SSM into on your web server. Then select the subfolder ‘install’. From this folder, please run setup.php . Follow the on-screen prompts to setup and install the software and supporting database tables.
    5. After you have completed all steps as directed by Setup, remove the install directory and all of the files that it contains.
    6. SSM is now able to run on your server. Please see below for a set of suggested guidelines before making SSM public.

SETTING UP SSM…

Tasks to accomplish before making your installation of SSM a public application for your site:

    1. You should add subjects through the administration area. These help describe the contents of any submitted support requests ("tickets") and also serve as the categories for articles in the Knowledge Base.
    2. It is suggested that you take time to add some useful articles to your Knowledge Base. Building the KB as a resource will help reduce the load on your support staff over time as users use the KB to help themselves. Therefore, should you find a question that is submitted frequently, add the answer to your KB as an article.
    3. Should you wish to make SSM fit into your existing site design, you can also take some time at this stage to customize the appearance of it. Two color variables have been included in the setup stage with the default values entered. These can be changed in the administration area. Should you need assistance customizing your copy of SSM, please post in our support community . It is beyond the scope of these documents to provide a complete guide to customizing SSM here. Unfortunately, templates are not a feature which have been included in the present release. They will be included in a future release, though so watch the update notification box in the administration area. News of any updates or patches will be shown there.
    4. You are now ready to make your copy of SSM public. We hope that you find SSM to be a useful addition to your support resources. If this is the case, we ask that you please read our list of small requests, which are included below.

USING SSM…

We feel that in most cases, SSM is a self-explanatory system. We have included detailed explanations in most administrator features and the client side system includes clearly labeled functions. We are at the present time developing additional Help documentation, so no detailed Help files are included at the present time. Should you find a feature of SSM that you need explained, please contact us as described in this document’s Getting Help section and we’ll be more than happy to assist you.

IF YOU FIND SSM USEFUL…

    1. We request that you rate our product at http://scripts.sheddtech.com . This allows you to show that you are pleased with our work and bring additional users into our community where they can provide assistance to you in return. Please help us increase our community so that it becomes a powerful resource for our users, providing a repository for knowledge and user contributed additions and themes.
    2. Please contribute to our community and share your comments with the development team. If you have found SSM useful, or if you have not, please let us know what you like and what you don’t. If there is a feature that you would love to see included – let us know!
    3. Please support the Sheddtech Script Shack. See the community for donation instructions. We thank you for your support in advance. The support of users like you is what allows us to produce products like SSM for the Open-Source Community.
    4. Should you find yourself in a position needing custom web development work, please consider Shedd Technologies International ( http://www.sheddtech.com/) . We provide high-quality web development tools and services at hard to beat prices.

GETTING HELP…

If you need additional assistance after reading the material in this document, there are several methods available for your use:

This is a queued system (powered by SSM) that allows users to submit threaded support requests. This system is intended to allow users to discuss support issues privately with the SheddNet Support Team. Use this system especially if you would need to divulge personal information such as usernames and passwords for installation support.

This support system is accessible through the link located at http://net.sheddtech.com/

Please use the Forums for the majority of your support issues. This allows other users to assist in answering your questions and it also allows for the development of a community based around developing and supporting SSM. Please also post feature requests in the appropriate section of the Forums.

These forums are located at:

http://net.sheddtech.com/forums/

CHANGE LOG…

Version 1.0 BETA Released

 

LICENSE AGREEMENT… 

Support Services Manager ("SSM") Software version 1.0 BETA
End-User License Agreement
This license is copyright 2001, by Shedd Technologies International
SSM is a product of Shedd Technologies International
copyright 2001-2002 by Shedd Technologies, All Rights Reserved

Your use of this product ("SSM") is governed by this End-User 
License that you agreed to upon downloading this product.  Any 
usage or modification of this product in anyway that is not 
specified or allowed under the following terms of this agreement 
may void your license agreement and result in action by law against 
you.


END-USER LICENSE AGREEMENT


Redistributions of source code must retain the above copyright 
notice, this list of conditions and the following disclaimer. 

Redistributions in any form other than the original source form must 
reproduce the above copyright notice, this list of conditions and the 
following disclaimer in the documentation and/or other materials 
provided with the distribution.
 
Shedd Technologies International may publish revised and/or new versions 
of this license, each with a distinguishing version number. Once covered 
code has been published under a particular version of the license, you 
may always continue to use it under the terms of that version. You may 
also choose to use such covered code under the terms of any subsequent 
version of the license published by Shedd Technologies International. No 
one other than Shedd Technologies International has the right to modify 
the terms applicable to covered product created under this License.

Redistributions of any form whatsoever must retain following acknowledgment 
that exists at the bottom of all generated pages.  Removing this text will 
void the license agreement and could result in legal action.

Shedd Technologies International reserves all rights in regard to this product, 
including the right to distribution.  Shedd Technologies also reserves the 
right to terminate this license agreement with the End User ("You") at any time 
for violating this agreement.  You will be notified in writing by Shedd Technologies 
International before a termination takes effect.

Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without modification, 
are restricted by Shedd Technologies International.  Please contact Shedd Technologies 
International for information of redistributing this product.



DISCLAIMER

THIS SOFTWARE IS PROVIDED ``AS IS'' AND ANY EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED
WARRANTIES, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES
OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE ARE
DISCLAIMED.  IN NO EVENT SHALL THE SHEDD TECHNOLOGIES INTERNATIONAL 
DEVELOPMENT TEAM OR ITS CONTRIBUTORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, 
INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, 
BUT NOT LIMITED TO, PROCUREMENT OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES; 
LOSS OF USE, DATA, OR PROFITS; OR BUSINESS INTERRUPTION) HOWEVER 
CAUSED AND ON ANY THEORY OF LIABILITY, WHETHER IN CONTRACT, STRICT 
LIABILITY, OR TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE OR OTHERWISE) ARISING IN ANY 
WAY OUT OF THE USE OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH DAMAGE.

 

Shedd Technologies International Development Team

Robert Shedd, Project Manager

Special Thanks to the Sheddtech Documentation Team

 

This document was created by the Shedd Technologies International Documentation Team. All content is copyright 2002 by Shedd Technologies International, all rights reserved.