Table of Contents
Stats and reports are essential for companies. On the basis of stats, information can be evaluated and rated, and eventually informed decisions can be made.
A stats module should meet a multitude of requirements:
Various OTRS modules are to be evaluated,
the user permission settings of the respective installation should be considered,
it should be able to generate complex statistics,
configuration of stats should be easy and quick,
performance should be high,
and a number of output variants should be supported.
The stats module tries to meet all these requirements. The core feature is a GUI which allows to configure stats with the click of a mouse.
Statistical elements, i.e. files which supplement the functionalities of the stats module for specific requirements, can be integrated to model complex stats.
All requirements concerning the evaluation of personal data have been considered. It is, for instance, not possible to directly evaluate the activities of individual agents in the standard configuration.
All things considered, the stats module enables OTRS users a quick and easy evaluation of the activities on their system.
As soon as the stats module has been installed and configured successfully by the OTRS admin, the navigation bar of every agent with read and/or write rights displays the additional module link "Stats".
After the link has been activated, various action links for the stats module are shown in the navigation bar.
"Overview"
is also shown automatically if the module link "Stats" is chosen
"New"
rw rights required
"Import"
rw rights required
"Preferences"
OTRS user interface for personal settings
A list of all pre-configured stats the agent can use.
The easiest way to access the overview is to select the "Stat" link and then the action link "Overview" in the navigation bar. The stats overview is called up automatically when the module link "Stats" in the navigation bar is chosen.
The following information is provided about the stats listed in the overview:
"Stat#"
the unique stat number
"Title"
the stat title
"Object"
Object used for generating the stat. In the case of a static stat no object is displayed as no dynamic object is used for the generation.
"Description"
Excerpt of the description
A results display can be found above the list. It provides information about the number of accessible stats. If the overview covers more than one page, the agent can browse through the different pages.
The agents can sort the stats according to their needs with the blue "up" and "down" icons in the headline.
To generate a stat the right one is chosen by clicking the link with the stat number which leads to the "View" user interface.
A few sample stats are imported when the stats module is used for the first time.
The view user interface is supposed to provide the agent with an overview of the stat's pre-configuration.
The agents can perform configurations within the range of the pre-configuration. The originator of a stat configuration can determine the degree to which the stat generation can be influenced. The most extreme examples of this would be agents who cannot effect any changes or can change all attributes, respectively.
The page shows the following:
the menu links
"Back"
Link back to the starting point
"Edit"
Link to the edit user interface of the stat (rw rights required)
"Delete"
Delete a stat (rw rights required)
"Export Config"
Export a stat configuration via file download (rw rights required)
Usage: export and import functions allow for the convenient creation and testing of stats on test systems and subsequent easy integration into the production system.
Meta data (grey block on the right)
Provides information about the stat originators. Information is provided about who created the stat and when as well as who last changed it.
The stat data itself
can be found in the central block of the user interface.
In the following, details to the stat input are provided as this input contains the core information.
General information is provided first.
"Stat#"
The stat number
"Title"
The stat title
"Object"
Object used for generating the stat
"Description"
The description provides more detailed information about the intention of the stat.
"Format"
Stat output format. Depending on the configuration, following output formats can be chosen:
"CSV" -> stat download in csv format
"Print" -> printable html or pdf table
Graph-lines
"Graph-bars"
"Graph-hbars"
"Graph-points"
"Graph-lines-points"
"Graph-area"
"Graph-pie"
"Graphsize"
size which the graphic / chart may have
indicated in pixels
this option is only given when the stat pre-configuration allows for a chart.
All generally usable graphic sizes are configured by the OTRS admin in the SysConfig. The agent can then pre-select all relevant formats while configuring the stats.
"Sum rows"
Indicates whether the stat is amended by a column whose cells state the sums of the respective rows.
"Sum columns"
Indicates whether the stat is amended by a row whose cells state the sum of the respective columns
"Cache"
Indicates whether the generated stats are cached in the file system.
"Valid"
The "valid" element is set "invalid" if a pre-configured statistic is still being created or must not be used temoprarily for certain reasons. Also the "Start" button in the bottom right of the block is then no longer displayed. The stat can no longer be generated.
"Exchange axis"
Using this function, the agent can exchange the x and y axes (only when activated by the OTRS administrator).
The general information is followed by information about the stat itself. There are two different stat views:
Static stat view
Complex stats cannot be generated dynamically. Static stat generators can be integrated into the stat module for that reason. They were developed specifically for the particular evaluation. The various job definitions result in different views.
Dynamic stats can be displayed in two different ways:
Unchangeable settings
In this case, the originator of the stat has not allowed for alterations on the part of the agent who wants to generate a stat.
changeable settings
The pre-configuration of such stats can be changed by the agent.
Pressing the "start" button at the bottom right end of the block is the last simple step to generate a stat. There are two possible reasons if the "start" button is not displayed:
The stat was set invalid and thus deactivated
The stat was not configured neatly and is therefore not yet executable. In this case, the necessary information can be found in the OTRS notification section (below the navigation bar).
If the settings on the view page are incorrect, the page is shown again after the "start" button was pushed and information about which input was incorrect is provided in the notification section.
Agents can call up the edit user interface of the stat module in two different ways:
via the "edit" menu link in the stat view to edit an existing stat configuration.
via the "new" link in the navigation bar.
These links are only visible to agents with write rights for this module.
The stats are edited with a wizard in four steps:
General information about the stat
Definition of the element for the x axis
Definition of the value series
Definition of the restrictions
Points 2-4 are only needed for the generation of dynamic stats. For a static stat only the entering of general information in point 1 is required.
Information about how to handle the page is provided below the input forms on all input user interfaces of the stats module.
If incorrect data is entered nevertheless, the previously processed user interface is displayed again and amended by information about the incorrect input. This information can be found in the OTRS notification section. The next input use interface is only displayed after the form has been filled out correctly.
"Common specification"
The first page of the wizard is the input user interface "Common specification". A great number of common specifications and settings can be edited on this page.
"Title"
Should reflect the stat's purpose in a concise manner.
"Description"
More detailed information about the job definition, type of configuration parameters etc.
"Dynamic object"
If the OTRS installation provides various dynamic objects, one of them can be selected at this step. The objects meet the requirements of the particular modules.
"Static file"
A static file can be selected at this point. Usually this selection is not shown as only static files which are not yet assigned to any stats are displayed! If "Static file" is displayed, however, it is important to tick the option field and select a generation mode (dynamic with a dynamic object or static with a file). If a static file is selected, the input user interfaces 2-4 are not shown as the static file contains all configurations required.
"Permission settings"
The permission settings facilitate a restriction of the groups (and therefore agents) who can later view and generate the preconfigured stats. Thus the various stats can be allocated to the different departments and work groups needing them. It is possible to allocate one stat to various groups.
Example 1: the "stats" group was selected. The stat is viewable for all users having at least ro rights for the "stats" group. As the base requirement for accessing the view mode of the stat module in the default configuration is to have ro rights in the "stats" group, all users with permission to create statistics can view it in this configuration.
Example 2: a group named "sales" was selected. All users with ro rights for the "sales" group can see the stat in the view mode and generate it. However, the stat will not be shown to other users with permission to generate stats.
"Format" - output format of the stat
Depending on the configuration, the following output formats can be chosen:
"CSV" -> stat output in csv format
"Print" -> printable html or pdf table
"graph-lines"
"graph-bars"
"graph-hbars"
"graph-points"
"graph-lines-points"
"graph-area"
"graph-pie"
More than one format can be selected.
"Graphsize"
Select which size the charts can have.
indicated in pixels
this selection is only necessary if a graphical output format has been chosen under "Format".
all graphic sizes that can generally be used are defined by the OTRS admin in SysConfig. When configuring the stat, the agent can pre-select all relevant formats.
"Sum rows"
If "yes" is chosen in the pulldown menu, the stat is amended by a column whose cells display the sum of the respective row.
"Sum columns"
Indicates whether the stat is amended by a row whose cells contain the sum of the respective column.
"Cache"
The generated stats are cached in the file system if "yes" is selected in the pulldown menu. This saves computing power and time if the stat is called up again.
This function should only be used if the stat's content is no longer changing. Thorough checking is required before the caching function is used.
Caching is automatically prevented in the following situations:
if the stat contains no time designation values (new data is added continuously)
if a time designation value points to the future
If a cached stat is edited, all cached data is deleted.
"Valid"
The "valid" element is set "invalid" if a pre-configured stat is still being created or must not be used temoprarily for certain reasons. Also the "Start" button in the bottom right of the block is no longer displayed. It is impossible to generate the stat.
By clicking the "Next" button the next user interface of the wizard is called up.
"xaxis"
The "Common statements" section is followed by the "xaxis" form.
Configuration of the element used for the depiction of the x axis or, if tables are used, of the column name chosen for the stat.
First of all, an element is selected using the option field. Then two or more attributes of the element must be selected. If no attributes are selected, all attributes are used including those added after the configuration of the stat.
If the "Fixed" setting is disabled, the agent generating the stat can change the attributes of the respective element in the "View" user interface.
Time elements are different as time period and scale have to be stated.
Type and number of elements result from the used dynamic object and vary depending on it.
If all input is correct, the "next" button leads to the "Value series" form. It is also possible to go back to editing the "common statements" section again.
"Value series"
In the third step of the stat pre-configuration the value series are defined. They will lateron form the individual graphs of a diagramm or the various series (tabular view).
If an element is selected, each chosen attribute corresponds to a value series.
Example 19.1. Definition of a value series - one element
Element Queue:
Value series 1 = Raw
Value series 2 = Junk
....
If two elements are selected, each selected attribute of the first element is combined with an attribute of the second element to form a value series.
Example 19.2. Definition of a value series - two elements
Element 1 queue and element 2 status:
Value chain 1 = Raw - open
Value series 2 = Raw - successfully closed
Value series 3 = Junk - open
Value series 4 = Junk - successfully closed
Selection of three or more elements does not make sense and is therefore prevented by an error message.
Additionally the same conditions apply to the selection of the attributes and the "Fixed" checkbox as to the "Xaxis" selection.
If no attributes of the element are selected, all attributes are used including those added after the configuration of the stat.
If the "Fixed" setting is disabled, the agent generating the stat can change the attributes of the respective element.
"Restrictions"
The fourth and last step of the pre-configuration is the definition of restrictions. These restrictions facilitate to limit the results and are comparable to entering data into a search window.
In quite a few cases, no restrictions at all must be set up.
After all restrictions are set, the pre-configuration of the stat is finished with the "Finish" button and the "View" user interface is called up.
The import user interface can be accessed by chosing "Import" in the navigation bar (rw rights required).
Facilitates the import of stats and is, combined with the export function of the module, a very handy functionality. Stats can be created and tested conveniently on test systems and be imported into the production system afterwards.
The import is effected by an easy file upload. The "view" user interface of the imported stat is opened automatically afterwards.