Working with Domains
From Schoolforge-UK
Contents |
Summary
Domains can be used in three major ways; to group sites by geographic area, by association and by function. You can think of each separate domain as a separate installation of the helpdesk, that is, with it's own set of sites, problem types / details, prorities, statuses and escalation levels. The only information that is shared between domains is: (1) user accounts - so that a user of one domain does not require a new account to become a user of another domain, their account can just be imported - and (2) the published knowledge base.
Using Domains
Most implementations of small helpdesks will only ever require one domain, but larger organisations may require numerous domains to be set up. As mentioned above the three major ways to use domains are as follows.
Geographically
This could be due to a company having numerous sites around the world, where they want all their helpdesks to reside and be managed from one location. The sharing of users means that migration of helpdesk operatives between locations is inherently supported.
Associatively
A company that provides helpdesk services to a number of different clients, giving each client the ability to log onto the helpdeks themselves to view and lodge issues, could use domains to partition those clients. It is desirable to give each client the impression that they and they alone use the helpdesk, and the structure of domains allows this to happen.
Functionally
A company or organisation that may have a number of different helpdesks serving different needs, such as the initial implementation of HelpMeICT, could make use of different domains to partition functionality. For example, the IT helpdesk would reside within one domain, while the maintenance department (caretakers and engineers) would have their own domain on which people would post requests for doors to be fixed (for example).
These uses of domains are just semantic extensions of the software, and as such are just suggestions of how to organise your helpdesk(s). As long as the functionality of the software lends itself to a particular use there is no limit to the number of different implementations that can be utilised.
Domain Administration
Yet to be done.
Creating Domains
Yet to be done.
Modifying Domains
Yet to be done.
Disabling Domains
Yet to be done.
Importing Users to Domains
Yet to be done.
