From: millerma@dragon.cpe.ulowell.edu (Mark Miller)
Subject: Re: Software for multiple-sysadmin sites?
Followup-To: comp.unix.admin
Organization: CPE: University of Lowell -- Lowell, MA
Date: Thu, 9 Apr 1992 23:19:40 GMT

In article <1992Apr3.195736.22809@anasaz> rusty@anasaz (Rusty Carruth) writes:

   I'm looking for software which will assist us here at Anasazi, where
   we have 2 system administrators supporting <n> machines in a cooperative
   effort (where n is approximately 30 unix boxes + 100 dos boxes).

   What we would like to do is track such things as:

	   Calls to support lines for bugs.  As a minimum, I think that
	   we will need who made the call, who they talked to, what
	   the outcome was, when it happened, what SPR or SR # is (or 
	   whatever in the world the vendor uses as an identifier
	   for usr calls), when/if the vendor will call back (and a
	   tickler to remind us that they were supposed to call us
	   or we were to call them would be nice), primary (local)
	   sysadmin contact for the issue, primary (local) "user"
	   contact for the issue, .....  And I'm sure I've missed
	   something.

	   Internal projects - who is working on what, what the
	   current status is, priority, deadline, ....  (I'm probably 
	   missing a LOT here!)

   Anybody seen anything like this?  Or have any additions to what
   it should do?

   Email or post, I'll do my best to keep up on the newsgroups
   I've posted this to.  If enough interest, I'll summarize the
   email I get to comp.unix.admin (so be aware of this when you email -
   I will of course honor requests to not include you in the summary).

   Rusty@anasazi.com

I have been working on some project management software that has
been modified slightly to help us keep track of our system-related
problems.  It is menu-driven, with the current version implemented
in curses.  It is possible to keep track of the following information
with it (Release 1).  I have it set up right now so all the menus are
definable at compile time.  There are a series of fields associated
with each item.  Some fields are selectable from a list defined at
compile time, and others are selectable from a list defined at run-time.

The current fields are:  

Brief Description (80 chars or less)
Project Name (or machine name/type) - Compile Time
Item Poster (automatically uses the poster's username)
Personnel List (People who should be notified about the item) - Run Time
Item Status - Compile Time
Item Type - Compile Time
Item Priority - Compile Time
Posted Date - (automatically grabs the time from the system)
Deadline Date - Select from a calendar
Description Field - If the brief description is not enough, you can add
		in as long a description as you want.


After an item is added, updates to it can be performed.

Update Field - When an update is performed, you are put into your editor
		of choice, and you type the update text.  The date is tagged
		on for you.

Mail will be automatically sent out to everyone listed in the personnel
list, and the original poster.


When an item is "finished off", the status gets set to finished, and you
get put into your favorite editor to type in a final report.

Final Report Field - Type in as much text as you want.

Mail will be automatically sent out to everyone listed in the personnel
list, and the original poster.


You can search for strings.
You can create sub-lists for reviewing, mailing, printing, etc.
For instance, you could create the following list:

Items in Project Ultrix of high priority that are not finished.


It could be modified quite easily to accomodate the few differences that
you listed.  If you're interested, let me know and I'll get you some
more info.



				Mark



--
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