Mike,
As you know, locking the submitter modes mean the submitter field cannot be
changed after it has been populated. But that doesn't mean that the
submitter field can't be initially populated with the value you want it to
have. For instance, if a customer calls your help desk and your customer
service agent submits the ticket, that doesn't mean that the initial value
of the submitter field can't be the ID of the person calling in, not the
person actually submitting the ticket. In this way, the person calling in
can still work the ticket on his own.

I would bet this other organization plans to "fix" this problem by changing
the workflow where the submitter value is originally set to $USER$ to some
other value. 

Scott Parrish
IT Prophets, LLC
(770) 653-5203
http://www.itprophets.com


-----Original Message-----
From: Action Request System discussion list(ARSList)
[mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Mike Wallick
Sent: Wednesday, July 18, 2007 3:46 PM
To: [email protected]
Subject: Providing Read/Write Access Without Buying Licenses? I Doubt It

Here's an interesting for for y'all.

We have a very good and fairly long relationship with a BMC partner
that we use for consulting/development/purchasing and, when the time
comes in November or so, we will also be using them for support
instead of BMC.

First, a little background.

We use Remedy Customer Support 5.6 with a not-too-customized version
of the Customer Access Interface deployed through the mid-tier. The
submitter mode on the AR server is locked, so that customers with
account using read licenses can submit and work their own tickets
through the web. However, we have many customers that insist on using
the phone for the initial submission of an issue, and then want to
work the ticket from then on through the web. You see where I'm going
with this? The customer can't update tickets via the web if they were
not the submitter, unless they have a fixed or floating license.
Floating licenses are expensive, so we've been reluctant to go down
that road.

Our VP of support doesn't like the BMC partner that we've been using
nearly full time for the past two years (they're GREAT, BTW), so now
this VP is bringing in another consulting firm who claims that for
$6400, they will solve the customer access interface licensing
"problem" without purchasing any new licenses from BMC and also in a
"BMC approved" manner.

I call B.S.

First, I find it hard to believe that BMC would allow some sort of
scheme where you can get away with not buying licenses and still give
your customer base read/write access to their tickets.

Second, how else would one run a server in locked submitter mode,
while still allowing customers to modify "their" tickets even if the
ticket was submitted on their behalf by a tech support agent? The
first thing that comes to mind would be to have a trigger or scheduled
job or something at the database level change the submitter column to
the customer's login name on insert of a new record. I seriously doubt
that's a "BMC approved" solution.

Perhaps this firm is going to suggest something like having the
customer's "log in" but all the actual interaction with ARS will be
proxied through a single user with a fixed license and all the
necessary permissions. But even that seems like something that BMC
might balk at.

Thanks.

Mike

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