OUTLOOK HELP DESK v 2.4

 

Installing VB Script for Converting Emails to Help Desk Tickets

 

Crow Canyon Systems, Inc.

www.crowcanyon.com

support@crowcanyon.com

 

NOTE: The script is available upon purchase of the program. If you are using the demo and need information on how the script works, please contact us.

 

Overview

The script can be set up on Exchange 5.5 Server or Exchange 2000. They use the same script. Note the slight differences in the instructions below. However, we strongly recommend using the Event Sinks in Exchange 2000. If you are using Exchange 2000, please see User Manual version 2.4 - Exchange 2000 Event Sink  

 

On the Exchange Server:

 

On the Outlook Client:

 

Notes: Email to the Help Desk folder will be converted to a Help Desk ticket through the use of Microsoft Exchange Event Service and a script running on the Help Desk folder. The script is set to convert every message of the class IPM.Note (normal email messages) into a Help Desk ticket except when the subject begins with “RE:” or “FW:” (that is, replies and forwards are not processed).

The script will:

 

 

I.                    Setting up the Microsoft Exchange Event Service

The Event Service comes as part of Microsoft Exchange server. You can check if it is running by going to Services and looking if it is started and set to Startup Automatically.

In Windows NT 4.0, go to Control Panel/Services.

 

In Windows 2000 Server, go to Administrative Tools/Services:

 

II.                  Give the folder an email address and/or show in GAL

The folder can be given an SMTP address so that anyone – inside or outside your Exchange organization – can send to this folder. This allows you to support users outside your organization.

Exchange 5.5: To add an email address, go to the Help Desk folder properties in Exchange Admin. Choose the Email Addresses tab to Add or change the SMTP address.

Also, the Help Desk folder can be made visible in the Global Address List so that inside users can address an email to this folder. To make the folder visible in the GAL, go to the Help Desk folder properties in Exchange Admin. Choose the Advanced tab and uncheck “Hide from Address Book”. Once the folder is visible in the GAL, users can send to it just as would to any recipient.

 

Exchange 2000: To add an email address, go to the Help Desk folder properties in Exchange System Manager. Choose the Email Addresses tab to Add or change the SMTP address.

Also, the Help Desk folder can be made visible in the Global Address List so that inside users can address an email to this folder. To make the folder visible in the GAL, go to the Help Desk folder properties in Exchange System Manager. Choose the Exchange Advanced tab and uncheck “Hide from Exchange Address Lists”. Once the folder is visible in the GAL, users can send to it just as would to any recipient.

 

 

III.                Granting Author rights to the System Folder

Exchange 5.5: In Exchange Admin, go to Folders, System Folders, Events Root, EventConfig_servername. Highlight this folder and choose File/Properties. On the General tab, choose “Client Permissions” and set the permissions to give yourself Author or greater rights. This will allow you to add and run scripts.

 

Exchange 2000: In Exchange System Manager, go to Folders/Public Folders, then right-click and choose View System Folders. Under the Events Root folder that comes up, find EventConfig_servername. Highlight this folder and choose Action/Properties. On the Permissions tab, choose the “Client Permissions” button and set the permissions to give yourself Author or greater rights. This will allow you to add and run scripts. (To see the Public Folders again, right-click Public Folders and choose View Public Folders.)

 

 

IV.               Exchange Server registry settings

Registry settings on the Exchange Server control the behavior of the Event Service. Under the following Key, you can set how quickly the Event Service processes messages in the public folders:

 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\MSExchangeIS\ParametersSystem

 

Find or Add ICS Notification Interval (It is a DWORD and the value represents seconds. It determines how often the Event Service will run on the folder, in other words how long before the message is processed. The default is 60 seconds.)

 

V.                 Owner Rights to the Help Desk folder

The person installing the script needs owner rights to the Help Desk folder. These can be granted by an owner of the folder in Outlook client by going to the folder’s properties and using the Permissions tab. Or it can be done by the admin:

Exchange 5.5: in Exchange Admin, go to the Help Desk folder, right-click and choose Properties. Select “Client Permissions” on the General tab.

Exchange 2000: in Exchange System Manager, go to the Help Desk folder, right-click and choose Properties. Select “Client Permissions” on the Permissions tab.

 

VI.               Exchange 2000 – users need Editor permissions on Help Desk folder

When the email is converted to a Help Desk ticket, the email is deleted. On Exchange 2000, in order for the script to programmatically delete the email message, every user needs to have Editor rights. This can be set using “Default” in the folder permission tabs described in “V.” above. Set the rights so that “Default” is an Editor (in Exchange 2000 only). Otherwise, the email messages will stay in the Help Desk folder even after a ticket has been created out of them.

 

 

VII.             Server Scripting Add-in in Outlook client

In Outlook, go to Tools, Options, Other, Advanced Options, Add-in Manager. Make sure “Server Scripting” is checked as an add-in. If not, check it. Then close and restart Outlook

 

 

VIII.           Installing the Script

 

  1. Open the appropriate HDScript file (HDScript242.txt for ver 2.4.2 release, HDScript243.txt for ver 2.4.3 release, etc.). It should open in Notepad as a regular text file. Keep it available, as you will need to copy the contents into the script later in these instructions.

 

  1. Go to Help Desk folder.

 

  1. Right-click and choose Properties

 

  1. Go to Agents tab. If you have followed all the above steps correctly and the Agents tab does not show up, see Appendix A below.

 

  1. If there is nothing in the list of “Agents for this folder:”, then press New. If there is a script already in there, highlight it and click Edit. Note that if a script already exists, someone put it in there. Make sure you know who put it there and why and ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT IS whether it can be overwritten or not. If it can be overwritten or deleted, proceed with these instructions. If not, find out why the script is there before proceeding.

 

 

  1. The New or Edit button will bring this screen up. The Agent Name does not matter, but you might want to change it to “Email Handler” so others will know the purpose of the script. Make sure the “A new item is posted in this folder” is checked (and that the others are not).

 

 

  1. Click “Edit Script” button. This will bring up a Notepad text file that is the current script or the default script (every folder has a default script that are just programming stubs).

 

 

  1. Go to HDScript file that you opened in #1.

 

  1. In this HDScript file, go to Edit/Select All, then Edit/Copy.

 

  1. In the script file from pushing the Edit Script button (#6 above), go to Edit/Select All, then Edit Paste. You should now have the contents of the HDScript file in the folder script file.

 

  1. In the folder script file, go to File/Save, then File/Exit, then do OK twice to get back to the main screen

 

  1. You can close the HDScript and save it.

 

A message sent to the Help Desk folder should now be converted into a Help Desk ticket.

 

 

APPENDIX A

Agent tab does not show up in Help Desk folder properties

 

This corrects the problem with the Agents tab not showing up on the Help Desk folder.

 

1.      Rename the Help Desk folder in the Public Folders to "Help Desk - old"

2.      Create a new Help Desk task folder at the same level as the old Help Desk folder and make sure you can see the Agents tab. Note: this must be a TASK folder.

3.      If you can, then you should now have 2 Help Desk folders in Public Folders -- the original one and the one you just created.

4.      Move the Assigned Help Desk Tickets folder and the Utilities/Numbering folders from the old Help Desk to the new Help Desk folder.

5.      Then follow this procedure:

 

A.     Highlight the new “Help Desk” folder in Public Folders.

B.     Right-click the folder and choose “Properties”.

C.    Select the “Forms” tab.

D.    Press the “Manage” button.

E.     In the “Forms Manager” dialog box, choose “Set..” above the left pane.

F.     In the “Set Library To” box that comes up, choose “Folder Forms Library”.

G.    Navigate to the old “Help Desk” folder in the public folders.

H.     Choose OK.

I.         The left-hand pane of the “Forms Manager” box should now say “Help Desk” in the grayed out area and  “Help Desk Ticket” in the white space.

J.      Choose “Help Desk Ticket” in the left-hand pane.

K.     Press “Copy”.

L.      Press “Close”, then “OK” to return to the main screen.

 

6.      Go to the new Help Desk folder, right-click/Properties/General

7.      Where it says "When posting to this folder use:" set that to Help Desk Ticket

8.      Make sure the Help Desk ticket form comes up correctly in the new Help Desk folder.

9.      Move any tickets in the old Help Desk folder to the new Help Desk folder

10. Set the permissions and views on the new Help Desk folder as per the User Manual or your earlier settings.

11. Once you are sure all the folders and tickets have been moved over, you can delete the old Help Desk folders.