OSU Helpdesk: A CostEffective Helpdesk Solution for Everyone

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OSU Helpdesk A Cost-Effective Helpdesk
Solution for Everyone
Chris Sinnett Manager IS Computer Consulting
Tammy Barr Director Technology Support Services
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Also Known asBuilding a Champagne Help Desk on
a Beer Budget

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About OSU

• Land, Sea, and Space Grant University
• Main campus located in Corvallis, Oregon
• Branch campus in Bend
• 19,100 students
• 4,000 staff and faculty
• IT both centralized and decentralized

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About Technology Support Services

• Information Services Computer Consulting
• Help desk for entire University
• Software Licensing and Distribution
• Community Network
• Contract desktop support for 50 of campus
  Colleges and departments

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Why Open Source?

• Attempts to acquire commercial help desk software
  were prohibited by
• Initial investment
• Recurring costs (maintenance and upgrades)
• Open Source cost savings substantial
• Ability to scale the system to campus
• Can easily customize for various units

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Project Launch

• Project launched in January 2003
• Identified feature set and project scope
• Met with Colleges and departments
• Gauged interest and gathered feedback
• Continued to meet on a regular basis to collect
  feedback and discuss possible feature enhancements

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Software

• Decided to base the system on Bugzilla
• Open Source bug tracking program developed for
  use at Mozilla.org
• Features secure logon, web and email-based ticket
  entry, powerful query and report tools
• Enhanced it to meet needs

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Software Components

• Module-based system
• Call tracking
• Knowledgebase (built on Support Information
  Tracker)
• Scheduling (based on WebCalendar)
• Equipment Inventory/Asset Management
• Service level agreements
• Folks can choose which modules they wish to
  implement

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Platform/Database/Languages

• Linux
• Apache
• MySQL
• Perl, PHP, Java

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Call Tracking

• Completed 2nd quarter 2004
• IS Computer Consulting using in a production
  environment since May 2003
• Several other IT units have also adopted OSU
  Helpdesk

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Knowledgebase

• Completed 3rd quarter 2004
• Content from tickets can be easily transferred
  into the knowledge base
• Ecampus students worked on enhancements during
  Spring term (their work funded by student
  Technology Resource fees)

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Scheduling

• Completed 3rd quarter 2004
• Service-desk module
• Can schedule on-site appointments with customers
• Appointments connected to help desk tickets

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Equipment Inventory

• Anticipate completion 4th quarter 2004
• Core programming developed by a pair of Computer
  Science majors for senior project
• Database can also handle service level agreements

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Queries and Reporting

• Powerful query and reporting tools built into
  Bugzilla
• Well be adding standard reports module

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Project Costs

• Development
• 1st year 27,000 (2003)
• Projected 2nd year costs 46,000
• Hardware (5,000)
• Tape backups (2,000)

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Where are we today?

• Scalability testing
• OSU pilot groups
• Outside interest from other Universities and
  agencies
• Release remaining module to Open Source community
• Conference presentations and poster sessions

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Fostering Collaboration

• Building bridges
• Invited participation
• Asked for input
• Provide regular status updates
• Parallel development
• Extended Campus
• OSU Open Source Lab

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Current Status

• Call Tracking, Knowledgebase Schedule are
  Done
• Code for above modules has been released
• Inventory Module in Beta
• Project Cost to Date 59,848

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Lessons Learned

• Open Source is a good thing
• You can retain control
• You reap the benefits of others work
• Be willing to Collaborate
• It can save you time
• It can save you money
• Beware of Scope Creep!

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Demonstration