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Installation Guide Help Desk Manager Version 12.3.0
Installation Guide
Help Desk Manager
Version 12.3.0
Contents
Introduction 1
Key Features 1
Parent/Child Service Relationships 1
Automated Ticketing Processing 1
Asset Management 2
Installation Requirements 3
Server Hardware and Software 4
Hardware 4
Operating System 4
Web Browser 5
Server Sizing Requirements 7
Supporting Less Than 20 Techs 7
Supporting More Than 20 Techs 7
Database Requirements 7
MySQL Requirements 9
SQL Server Requirements 10
Software 10
Hardware 10
Virtual Appliance Requirements 11
Installing the Application 12
Installing Help Desk Manager on a Microsoft Windows System 13
Uninstalling Help Desk Manager 14
Upgrading from Windows 32-bit to Windows 64-bit 14
i
Installing Help Desk Manager on a Linux System 16
Uninstalling Help Desk Manager on a Linux System 18
How do I backup and restore the embedded PostgreSQL database? 19
Customer Support 21
ii
Introduction
N-able® Help Desk Manager® software is a web-based automated ticketing solution that helps you manage yourIT support requests for both internal and external clients.
Help Desk Manager includes aWeb console with an integrated dashboard for performance reporting. Usingcustomizable widgets that you add to the dashboard, you can track metrics such as ticket activity, ticket status, andticket resolution in real time to help you decide how well your help desk is performing.
All help desk processes are managed through the Web console. After you set up the application, you can configureHelp Desk Manager to perform specific tasks, such as routing tickets to a specific help desk technician or work group,billing customers for parts and labor costs, and creating new tickets from email requests or alert messages from asupportedmonitoring application.
You can run Help Desk Manager on the following operating systems and platforms:
l Microsoft®Windows Server®l Apple® OSXl Red Hat® Enterprise Linux®l Fedora™l CentOSl VMware® vSpherel Microsoft Hyper-V virtual machines
Key FeaturesHelp Desk Manager provides the following features for managing your enterprise or managed service provider (MSP)help desk operations:
l Parent/Child service relationshipsl Automated ticket processingl Asset Management
Parent/Child Service RelationshipsYou can link multiple service requests to one parent ticket to address a repeated issue or task (such as on-boarding anew employee or tracking your IT projects). You can also pass notes, attachments, and custom fields between parentand child tickets to share data to relevant tasks.
Automated Ticketing ProcessingYou can generate tickets manually in the user interface or automatically by emails from any third-party monitoringtool. If you are running DameWare® Mini Remote Control (MRC) (includedwith SolarWinds Help Desk Essentials),you can establish a remote connection and troubleshoot a client's system directly from a ticket or asset and saveremote session details into a new or existing ticket. Additionally, you can create tasks to link a ticket automatically toan existing ticket that triggers an action rule.
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Asset ManagementUsingWindows Management Instrumentation (WMI) or supported third-party discovery tools, you can search aspecific IP address range in your corporate network and create a list of client assets (such as computer systems,installed software, and attached peripherals). When asset discovery is completed, you can use DameWare MRC toconnect remotely to a client system, troubleshoot the issue, and append remote session information to a new orexisting ticket.
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Installation Requirements
N-able recommends reviewing the following requirements before performing an installation, upgrade, or migration:
l Server Hardware and Software Requirementsl Server Sizingl Database Requirementsl Virtual Appliance Requirements
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Server Hardware and SoftwareThe following tables list the minimum Help Desk Manager requirements for:
l Hardwarel Web Serverl Operating Systeml Web Browser
Hardware
Component Requirements
CPU Intel® 64-bit Dual Core 2.0GHz or faster
RAM 3GB (up to 10 technicians)
Add 1GB for every 10 additional technicians
Hard Drive Space 20GB
Application Ports 8081 (or alternate browser port)
1433 (Microsoft SQL Server)
Product Version
Apache™ Tomcat™ 7.0.59
Operating System
Platform Supported Versions
Microsoft®Windows®
(less than 20 technicians)
Windows Server® 2003 32-bit
Windows Server 2008 (32- and 64-bit)
Windows Server 2008 Release 2 (R2) 64-bit
Windows Server 2012 64-bit
Windows Server 2012 R2 64-bit
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Microsoft Windows
(more than 20 technicians)
Windows Server 2008 64-bit
Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit
Windows Server 2012 64-bit
Microsoft Windows
(Trial evaluation only)
Windows 7 (64-bit)
Windows 8.1 (64-bit)
Apple iPhone
(for Help Desk Manager Mobile)
Apple iOS® 7
Apple iOS 8
Apple® OSX 10.8 (Mountain Lion)
10.9 (Mavericks)
10.10.2 (Yosemite)
Red Hat® Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) 6.5 64-bit
CentOS™ CentOS 6.5 (64-bit)
CentOS 7.0 (64-bit)
Fedora™ Fedora 20 (32- and 64-bit)
Fedora 21 64-bit
Web BrowserNote: Due to frequent updates of Google® Chrome® v32 andMozilla® Firefox® v32, check the SolarWinds SupportWebsite for the latest information about compatibility issues between these web browsers and the latest version ofHelp Desk Manager.
Type Supported Versions
Google Chrome Latest version
Mozilla Firefox Latest version
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http://www.solarwinds.com/support/http://www.solarwinds.com/support/
Microsoft InternetExplorer® (IE)
IE9
IE10
IE11
Apple Safari® Safari 7
Safari 8
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Server Sizing RequirementsN-able Help Desk Manager software manages help desk operations for networks of any size—from small corporateLANs to large enterprise and service provider networks. Most Help Desk Manager systems perform well on 3.0GHzsystems with 3GB of RAM. However, when you create a large number of techs, consider the existing hardware andthe system configuration. N-able recommends adding 1GB of memory to your Help Desk Manager server for every 10technicians.
Supporting Less Than 20 TechsFor a 32-bit operating system, Help Desk Manager uses a 32-bit Java Virtual Machine (JVM). The maximum memorythat a 32-bit JVM can address varies slightly by operating system. However, 1600MB is a common maximum value.This value supports 10-20 concurrent techs with nomemory issues.
Ensure you have enough physical memory in your Help Desk Manager system to support both the 1600MBrequirements for the JVM, as well as the server operating system and any additional services you run on the system.
To adjust the maximum memory setting, edit the MAXIMUM_MEMORY option in the HelpDeskManager/conf/whd.conffile.
Supporting More Than 20 TechsTo support more than 20 simultaneous Tech sessions, N-able recommends installing Help Desk Manager on a systemrunning a 64-bit operating system and a 64-bit JVM. On a 64-bit JVM, you can increase the max heapmemory tomultiple gigabytes in size by editing the MAXIMUM _MEMORY option in the HelpDeskManager/conf/whd.conf file.
To enable the 64-bit JVM, add the following argument to the JAVA_OPTS option in the/Library/HelpDeskManager/conf/whd.conf file:
JAVA_OPTS=“-d64”
For other operating systems, install your own 64-bit JVM (Java 5 or Java 6), then update the JAVA_HOME option in theHelpDeskManager/conf/whd.conf file to point to your Java installation.
Database RequirementsHelp Desk Manager uses an embedded PostgreSQL database as its standard database. See Embedded DatabaseRequirements for specific requirements.
The following table lists the supported databases.
Database Supported Versions
PostgreSQL PostgreSQL 9.2
PostgreSQL 9.3.2
PostgreSQL 9.4
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Java_virtual_machine
MySQL MySQL 5.6
MySQL 5.74
Microsoft SQL Server® SQL Server 2008
SQL Server 2012
SQL Server 2014
Note: For optimal external database performance, run Help Desk Manager and a supported external database onseparate servers.
See MySQL Requirements and SQL Server Requirements for more information about software and hardwarerequirements.
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MySQL RequirementsThe following table lists the minimum software and hardware requirements for a MySQL database server.
Software andHardware
Requirement
MySQL Database MySQL Community, Cluster, or Enterprise (version 5.5 orlater)
MySQL Workbench Tools
CPU Speed Intel® Dual core 2.0GHz or better
Hard Drive Space 20GB
Memory 2GB plus 1GB for every additional 10 techs
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SQL Server RequirementsThe following tables list the minimum software and hardware requirements for a database server runningMicrosoftSQL Server.
Software
Software and Hardware Requirement
Database Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise, Express, or Standard Edition
Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Enterprise, Express, or Standard Edition withthe following components and requirements:
l SQL Server Database Enginel SQL Server Management Studiol SQL Server Management Toolsl TCP/IP enabledl SQL authentication support
CPU Speed Intel® Dual Core 2.0GHz or better
Hard Drive Space 20GB
Memory 2GB (+1GB for every 10 Techs)
Hardware
Component Requirements
CPU Intel Dual Core 2.0GHz or better
Hard Drive Space 20GB
RAM 2GB with 1GB additional RAM for every additional 10 techs
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Virtual Appliance RequirementsHelp Desk Manager supports installations on VMware andMicrosoft virtual appliances when the hosting servers meetthe minimum configuration requirements. Virtual server requirements are the same as the Help Desk Managerserver requirements.
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Installing the Application
The following procedures describe how to install Help Desk Manager on Microsoft Windows and Linux servers.
Before you begin, ensure that the host system meets or exceeds the recommended requirements. See ServerRequirements for more information.
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Installing Help Desk Manager on a Microsoft Windows SystemTo install Help Desk Manager on a server running a supported version of the Microsoft WindowsServer operating system:
1. Using an account with local administrative privileges, log on to the server that will host the application.Before you begin, ensure that you:
l Do not use a domain account.l Verify the account is not subject to any local or group policy restrictions.l Use the Run as administrator option when launching the installer on a system runningWindowsServer 2008.
l Quit all other programs before running the installer.
2. If you are installing N-able Help Desk Manager from a downloaded .zip file, navigate to the file, extract the eval-uation package to an appropriate location, and launch the executable.If you are installing Help Desk Manager from a CD, locate and launch the executable from the CD.
If you are installing Help Desk Manager on a system runningWindows Server 2008, right-click the installerand select Run as administrator.
When you launch the executable, the Introduction window appears.
3. Review the Introduction text, and then clickNext.The License Agreementwindow appears.
4. Review and accept the terms of the license agreement, and then clickNext.The Choose Install Folder window appears.
5. Accept the default installation location or click Choose to select a new location.If you created a new installation folder but decide to accept the default location, click Restore DefaultFolder.
6. ClickNext to continue.The Choose Shortcut Folder window appears.
7. Select a location for the product shortcut icons, then clickNext.The installer creates icons in your selected location.
If you select a location other than the Program group, the icons will not appear in Start > All Programs.
Next, the Pre-Installation Summary window appears.
8. Review the information in the window, then click Install.The installation procedure begins, which requires several minutes to complete.
When completed, the Install Complete window appears.
9. ClickDone.The Install Complete window closes and the installation procedure is completed.
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Uninstalling Help Desk ManagerTo uninstall the application on aWindows Server system:
1. Quit all running programs.2. Using an account with local administrative privileges, log on to the server that will host the application.3. Navigate to:
C:\Program Files\Help Desk Manager
The HelpDeskManager directory appears.
4. In the directory, double-click UNINSTALL.bat.A command prompt window appears with a message prompting you to verify the uninstall.
5. Enter Y to continue.Help Desk Manager and its associated data are uninstalled from the system.
6. Close the command prompt window.
Upgrading from Windows 32-bit to Windows 64-bitIf you upgrade your system from Windows 32-bit to 64-bit, uninstall HDM 32-bit before you install HDM 64-bit.
Uninstalling the HDM 32-bit installation deletes everything in the HDM folder. Before uninstalling the HDM 32-bitinstallation, you must backup and then restore the following files from the /conf folder:
l .hdm.properties (contains database connection settings)l hdm.conf (contains port andmemory settings)l keystore.jks (contains SSL certificates, if there are any)l customlabel.properties (if available)
If the installation is using an embedded PostgreSQL database, you must also backup the database before uninstallingthe 32-bit version of HDM.
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Pay close attention to the instructions on how to safely backup the database file before upgrading in How do I backupand restore the embedded PostgreSQL database?
To perform a HDM 32- to 64-bit upgrade:
1. Stop HDM.2. Copy the following files from the /conf directory to a backup location:
l .hdm.properties (contains database connection settings)l hdm.conf (contains port andmemory settings)l keystore.jks (contains SSL certificates, if there are any)l customlabel.properties (if available)
3. If using an embedded PostgreSQL database, backup the database file, as described in How do I backup andrestore the embedded PostgreSQL database?
4. Uninstall the HDM 32-bit installation, as described in Uninstalling on Windows.5. Install HDM 64-bit, as described in Installing on Windows.6. Stop the newly installed, 64-bit HDM installation.7. From your backup location, copy the following files to the /conf directory:
l .hdm.properties (contains database connection settings)l hdm.conf (contains port andmemory settings)l keystore.jks (contains SSL certificates, if there are any)l customlabel.properties (if available)
8. Restore the embedded PostgreSQL database, as described in Use pgAdmin3 to connect to a server and restoredatabase files on Windows.
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Installing Help Desk Manager on a Linux SystemNote: Installing Help Desk Manager on a Linux system does not require appliance deployment.
To install Help Desk Manager on a system running a supported version of the Linux operating system:
1. Quit all running programs.2. Using an account with local administrative privileges, log on to the server that will host N-able Help Desk Man-
ager.3. Navigate to your downloaded executable or the CD containing the executable.4. Run the appropriate command based on your system configuration.
For 32-bit systems, run:
gunzip HelpDeskManager- HelpDeskManager-12.3.X.XXX-1.i386.rpm
For 64-bit systems, run:
gunzip HelpDeskManager- HelpDeskManager-12.3.X.XXX-1.x86_64.rpm
5. Run the appropriate installer command based on your system configuration.For 32-bit systems, run:
rpm -ivhHelpDeskManager-12.3.X.XXX-1.i386.rpm
For 64-bit systems, run:
sudo rpm - HelpDeskManager-12.3.X.XXX-1.x86_64.rpm
During the installation, the following message appears:
[root@loalhost ~]# r[m -ivh HelpDeskManager-12.3.X.XXX-1.x86_64.rpm
Preparing...HelpDeskManager-12.3.X.XXX-1.x86_64.rpm
######################################### [100%]
1:HelpDeskManager
######################################### [100%]
Setting up the HelpDeskManager-to start automatically at boot...Done.
To start the HelpDeskManager, use 'usr/local/HelpDeskManager/HDM: start'
Note: To upgrade an existing Help Desk Manager Linux installation, apply the command -Uvh, rather than -ivh.
6. Run the following command to start the application:/usr/local/HelpDeskManager/HDM start
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During start-up, the followingmessage appears:
[root@localhost ~]# /usr/local/HelpDeskManager/HDM start
Help Desk Manager 12.3.X.XXX
Copyright (c) N-able International Inc.
Using XX:MaxPermSize=256Starting postgresql-9.2 service:
[ OK ] Starting the Help Desk Manager on port 8081...
Using CATALINA_BASE: /usr/local/HelpDeskManager/bin/tomcat
Using CATALINA_HOME: /usr/local/HelpDeskManager/bin/tomcat
Using CATALINA_TMPDIR: /usr/local/HelpDeskManager/bin/tomcat/temp
Using JRE_HOME: /usr/local/HelpDeskManager/bin/jre
Using CLASSPATH:
/usr/local/
HelpDeskManager
/bin/tomcat/bin/bootstrap.jar:/usr/local/HelpDeskManager/bin/tomcat/bin/tomcat-juli.jar
Using CATALINA_PID: /usr/local/HelpDeskManager/log/.HDM.pid[root@localhost ~]#
Note: You can stop the application by running the following command:
/usr/local/HelpDeskManager/HDM stop
When you stop Help Desk Manager, the followingmessage appears:
[root@localhost ~]# /usr/local/HelpDeskManager stop
Help Desk Manager 12.3.X.XXX
Copyright (c) N-able International Inc.
Using XX:MaxPermSize=256Stopping the Help Desk Manager...
Stopping postgresql-9.2 service:
[ OK ][root@localhost ~]#
7. Launch your browser and navigate to the following URL:
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http://127.0.0.1:8081
The Introduction text appears.
8. Review the text, and then clickNext.The License Agreement text appears.
9. Review the terms of the agreement, and then click Agree.The Installation Information screen appears.
10. Review the information, and then clickNext.A prompt appears, stating that the installation is completed.
11. Click Close.A dialog screen appears.
To use the embedded PostgreSQL database, click Continue and go to step 12.
To use a MySQL database, click Cancel and perform the following steps to connect Help Desk Manager toMySQL:
a. Clear theUse Embedded Database check box.b. On the right side of the Vendor list, click the drop-down menu and select:
Microsoft SQL Server 2008+
c. In theHost field, enter the SQL server IP address.d. In the Port field, enter:
1433
e. In theDatabase andUsername fields, enter:HDM
f. Enter the SQL HDM user’s password, and click Save.g. Close the Help Desk Manager console.h. In the Applications folder, double click Stop Help Desk Manager.i. In the Applications folder, double clickHelp Desk Manager.j. Click Continue… to initialize the SQL database and start HDM.
12. In the Help Desk Manager Web console, enter admin for the user email address and admin for the password,and then click Log In.You are logged in.
Uninstalling Help Desk Manager on a Linux SystemTo uninstall Help Desk Manager on a Linux system:
1. Quit all running programs.2. Using an account with local administrative privileges, log on to the server that is hosting Help Desk Manager.3. Run the uninstaller using one of the following commands:
# rpm -e HelpDeskManager-12.3.X.XXX-1.i386.rpm
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or
yum remove HelpDeskManager-12.3.X.XXX-1.x86_64.rpm
The uninstall is completed.
How do I backup and restore the embedded PostgreSQL database?To back up the HDMv12.X.X PostgreSQL database using the HDM graphical user interface:
1. Navigate to Setup > General > Database.2. Select the Vendor PostgreSQL.3. Click Backup Now to perform a backup immediately.4. Click Save to save your settings. If you have defined a backup schedule, clickingSave saves and applies the
schedule set up for automatic backups.
To back up the database outside the HDM graphical user interface:
1. Stop HDM.2. Backup the database to another server, using the downloadedpgAdmin3 tool or apply the PostgreSQL com-
mands described in the PostgreSQL 9.3 Manual's Chapter 24, Backup and Restore. The pg_dump utility is loc-ated in the HDM_INSTALL_DIR/pgsql9/bin directory).
Use pgAdmin3 to connect to a server and restore database files on Windows:
1. Start pgAdmin3.2. Click the connector icon.3. In the pgAdmin3 New Server Registration window, enter only the following parameters in Properties,
leaving the other fields empty or with default data:Name:HDM
Host: localhost
Port:20293
Username:HDM
Password:HDM
Note: HDM is the default password. Change this password immediately.
4. Shut down HDM.5. Start the PostgreSQL service.6. In the pgAdmin3 Object Browser, expand Servers/HDM/Databases/HDM.7. Right-click HDMand select Delete/Drop.8. Right-clickDatabases and select New Database.9. Name the new database HDMand clickOK.10. Right-click the new HDMdatabase and then click Restore.11. Navigate to the desired database file or enter the filename.12. Select the RolenameHDM.
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http://www.postgresql.org/docs/9.3/static/backup.html
13. Click Restore.14. Restart HDM.
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Customer Support
Online: http://www.n-able.com/support/
Email: [email protected]
Phone us: 1-866-302-4689 (US/CAN)
+800 6225 3000 (International)
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© 2015 N-able Technologies, Inc.
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About SolarWinds N-able
SolarWinds N-able is the global leader in remote monitoring and management software for managed service providers and ITdepartments. SolarWinds N-able’s award-winning N-central platform and complementary toolsets, backed by best-in-class businessand technical services, are proven to reduce IT support costs, improve network performance and increase productivity through theproactive monitoring, management and optimization of IP-enabled devices and IT infrastructure. SolarWinds N-able is 100%channel-friendly and maintains operations in North America, the U.K., the Netherlands and Australia.
mailto:[email protected]
IntroductionKey FeaturesParent/Child Service RelationshipsAutomated Ticketing ProcessingAsset Management
Installation RequirementsServer Hardware and SoftwareHardwareOperating SystemWeb BrowserServer Sizing RequirementsSupporting Less Than 20 TechsSupporting More Than 20 Techs
Database RequirementsMySQL RequirementsSQL Server RequirementsSoftwareHardware
Virtual Appliance Requirements
Installing the ApplicationInstalling Help Desk Manager on a Microsoft Windows SystemUninstalling Help Desk Manager
Upgrading from Windows 32-bit to Windows 64-bitInstalling Help Desk Manager on a Linux SystemUninstalling Help Desk Manager on a Linux SystemHow do I backup and restore the embedded PostgreSQL database?
Customer Support
