Features

OTRS has many features. The following list gives an overview of the features included in the central framework.

The features of OTRS

New features of OTRS 2.1

New features of OTRS 2.1

  • Stable Support of MicrosoftRSQL Server: The first time OTRS offers an interface to MS SQL Server platforms. Thatþs why OTRS supports all popular operating systems like Linux, Windows, UNIX, Mac OS X etc. as well as all major Databases like MS SQL, MySQL, PostgreSQL, MaxDB/SAP, Oracle and DB2.

  • Multi-Calender Function: This Feature simplifies working in distributed surroundings. National teams are supported by permitting different local working schedules and public holiday regulations. International organiszations are additionally supported by a time-zone feature.

  • New Statistics-Framework: Gain access and define your Reports- and Statistics in a more flexible way than ever. A powerful and easy to use Wizard will guide you through the process. Once defined OTRS may deliver periodicaly needed Reports automatically to a predefined Mailing List. Export- and Importfunctions allow to transfer Statistics between different OTRS Installations. So you can define and test your Statistics before loading them up to your productive System.

  • Optimized Synchronization of authorizations from LDAP-Directory Services: That simplifies the connection of all known LDAP-Directory Services like Microsoft Active Directory, OpenLDAP, Novell eDirectory, Oracle Internet Directory, etc. A usefull Feature which saves time and effort of maintaining authorizations in the local Database of OTRS.

  • PDF-Generator: OTRS now supports the Output of Reports and Statistics as well as the results of a ticket search and ticket zoom in the PDF-Format.

  • New implemented Knowledge Database / FAQ-Module: OTRS makes allowance for the need of an efficient Knowledge Management within daily Service Request handling. Fundamental in this context is a quick access towards existing problem-solving Know-How and standardized answers. Advantages: optimized search-functions, more effective administration of FAQ-Articles, faster Navigation and opportunities to rate an existing FAQ-Article.

  • Tracking of Sub-orders and Support of hierarchical Team-Structures: New Features like the Ticket Supervisor and the Ticket Watchers support working within hierarchical Teams and enable you to define and depute Work packages temporarily to another Service Agent. While the Ticket Supervisor enables authorized Team members to depute a Ticket to another Service Agent without loosing the right to edit this ticket the Ticket Watcher allows you to track a ticket passive on the basis of an individual watchlist.

  • Optimized Follow-Up-Detection: In addition to the subject heading, OTRS also checks for referable ticket numbers inside the Email-body and further attachments. This new feature aims to automatically assign an incoming Service Request to an existing Incident much faster than before.

New features of OTRS 2.2

New features of OTRS 2.2

  • Support of Services and SLAs: As major step towards IT Servicemanagement OTRS 2.2 brings in the new attributes 'Service' and 'Service Level Agreements (SLA)'. While creating a new ticket a service requester has to select both a service (e. g. email-service) and a related SLA . SLA attributes are "response time", "update time" and "solution time". These attributes are used by the IT Service Organization for notification and escalation purposes in order to keep the agreed SLA. Service- and SLA-related informations within incoming email headers might also be used by the Postmaster-Filter as already known before.

  • Support of native ticket types: Ticket types can now be managed over the admin interface. You do not longer need to use ticket free text field for this purpose. Installations which already use a ticket free text field for ticket type classification do not need to migrate. This feature will also be shown in zoom and print view for agents and customers and can be changed via the agent interface.

  • Support of multiple authentication backends: Added support of multi authentication feature for agent and customer backend. By using this feature it is now possible to use multiple trusted authentication sources (i.e. use LDAP as a first source for authentification and in case of an unsuccessful authentification try a SQL DB as a second source).

  • Support of different password crypt types: Supported and permitted password authentication types for agent and/or customer login are:

    • unix_crypt()

    • md5()

    • plain()

    Default is 'unix_crypt()'. The administrator can easily switch from unix_crypt() to md5() on the fly by changing the related configuration parameter.

  • Changed OTRS internal CustomerUser structure: Customer datas (CustomerUser) are restructured and split into the objects "CustomerCompany" and "CustomerUser" within the internal OTRS database. Company related attributes like company name and address will be managed separately from those attributes related to a single contact (e.g. prename, surname, phone etc.).

    This information will be shown in zoom and print like the current customer info.

  • Enhanced OPM-Format: OPM Packages are now delivered with an additional online help. The introducing page will inform the user about new features and will also give a short overview about the next steps to do after having installed the packages.

  • PostMaster-Admin-Interface: The improvement has lead to a more detailled definition of those email adresses which have to be matched by PostMaster filter.

  • SysConfig Improvement: A quicker page view and page saving leads to essential time savings during configuration process.