Service Desk (SolarWinds) User Guide
Introduction
A well‑written ticket tells a story. It captures the context, behaviors, and environment surrounding an issue so support analysts can diagnose and resolve it efficiently. The more clearly you describe what you experienced, what you expected, and what actually happened, the faster your issue can be reproduced, understood, and resolved.
This guide walks you through the steps for preparing, submitting, and managing tickets in the SolarWinds Web Help Desk (WHD) system.
Before Opening a Ticket
Before submitting a ticket, review the following resources to ensure your request meets intake requirements:
- Service Level Agreement (SLA) – Severity levels, response times, and client/analyst responsibilities
- Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) – Functional‑area processes and troubleshooting expectations
These documents outline what information must be gathered before a ticket is opened.
Analysts rely entirely on the information you provide. Before submitting a ticket, ask yourself:
- Can the issue be reproduced?
- Does it occur in one browser or all?
- Did I clear cache/cookies and try again?
- Is there an error message?
- Does this affect only me or multiple users?
These questions align with the Service Level Agreement (SLA) requirements for initial troubleshooting. Completing these steps first ensures your ticket is actionable and reduces back‑and‑forth delays.
Why Ticket Quality Matters
Tickets are triaged based on the SLA’s Severity Levels, which consider:
- Functional impact
- Number of users affected
- Workflow disruption
- Urgency and mission‑critical dependencies
And are prioritized as low, medium and high:
- Low - Does not impact productivity, but it would be an improvement to productivity or not time-sensitive. (This is different from an enhancement request.)
- Medium - Work can continue, but the work is impaired. Production can proceed, but in a significantly impaired fashion.
- High - One or more pillars is not functioning. The issue is stopping the college from serving students or staff and/or not doing major functions, such as running payroll.
Review the SLA’s First Response, Resolution Time, and Severity Level definitions before submitting a ticket. This helps you choose the correct priority and set realistic expectations for follow‑up.
Supporting Information
- Your college's ctcLink College Leader determines which college staff are designated ticket submitters and provides this information to Dani Rider and Roger Curry at SBCTC.
- Not sure who to work with? Please follow your college's communication best practices and reach out to your manager and/or ctcLink College Leader to determine if you have or should have access to submit tickets or if there is a designated ticket submitter for your college that you should coordinate with.
- Know Your Limits. For routing and ticket management purposes, we can only address one student (or issue) in a ticket.
- Report duplicate records for only one student per ticket. We will close any tickets submitted with multiple students and ask you to resubmit separate tickets, one ticket for each student.
- For SVR requests, please limit the ticket to one EMPLID.
- For SXF tickets, please attach one file for each ticket and limit number of records reported on a file to 500 or fewer EMPLIDs.
- Can’t Respond? If SBCTC created the ticket on your behalf and the ticket won’t let you respond, set the Customer Priority Level. This tends to be the solution.
- Don’t Hide Your Response. Put your response where it says “Type your comment here.” Please don’t put your response in the Carbon copy box: We aren’t likely to see it.
A strong ticket includes:
- A clear problem statement
- Steps taken before the issue occurred
- Expected vs. actual results
- Environment details (browser, device, module, navigation path)
- Screenshots or error messages
If it’s not in the ticket, analysts cannot assume it happened.
Our ticket response and your ticket resolution are delayed when we need to request details or ask clarifying questions. Please help us by providing as much information as possible about your initial request.
- WHO is experiencing the issue that you are reporting? Just you? Everyone on campus? A specific student (if so, what is their EMPLID)? This helps us determine if it might be security and, if so, if we should look at a specific user's security or an entire security role.
- WHAT settings were involved? If there is a query involved, what prompts were you using? If it's a process, we need screenshots of your run control. Save your time and ours by providing example EMPLIDs of students and/or staff experiencing the issue.
- WHEN did this happen? When did you start noticing this?
- WHERE are you experiencing this? Telling us the exact ctcLink page or location helps us in our attempts to recreate the issue and makes sure we are focusing on the right pages and processes. What environment were you in? What browser are you using?
- WHY would you not include screenshots? Screenshots are AMAZING. Screenshots that show the browser window (not just a cropped screenshot of an error message or a value entered on a single field) are even better! Screenshots help us match the text in the ticket to what you/the user is seeing on the screen. You don't have to insert your screenshot into a Word document if you don't want to. Save it as a .jpeg or .png image and upload it to the ticket.
- HOW have you already attempted to resolve this problem? Did you look at QRGs (which QRGs)? Canvas courses (which Canvas courses)? This helps us refine our training materials. It also prompts us to start with new rabbit holes (as opposed to following you down the ones you have already been explored). More importantly, you can solve problems using available resources, saving your time and our time!
- WHICH ticket? This may sound silly, but it's true. It is NOT uncommon to hear a college has submitted a ticket or is waiting on a ticket response… only to find that no one submitted a ticket. Make sure you (or your colleague) have submitted the ticket you are waiting on, and record the ticket number! An email to someone at SBCTC is not a ticket. An email to a listserv is not a ticket. A discussion in a Webex or Zoom meeting is not a ticket. Only a ticket is a ticket.
Avoid sharing:
- Sensitive personal data
- Passwords
- Confidential student or employee information
- Unrelated issues (submit one issue per ticket)
- Always ask yourself: If it were MY data, how would you expect it to be treated? Give student data the same respect you would want for your own. Don't provide biodemo information unless it's specifically relevant to the issue you're reporting; we can see all of the biodemo information we need in ctcLink! Just provide us with an example of EMPLIDs.
- Do not include SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBERS in tickets. We do not need or want to see student/employee SSNs in the original request details of the tickets. When an SSN is included in a ticket, we must take additional time to work with our administrators to remove it. If you need to provide more information about an SSN, use more discreet strategies, such as referring to "the SSN on X EMPLID," instead of providing full or partial SSNs in tickets.
- Remember to adhere to FERPA regulations.
Creating a Ticket
Use your ctcLink credentials to access the Service Desk, Ticketing System.
You will land on the main dashboard where you can submit new requests and view existing ones.
Select Request Type
What were you trying to do?
Write a concise, meaningful subject line and a clear description. Use the drop‑down menus to select:
- Request Type
- Module
- Category (if applicable)
Begin by accessing the Request Type drop‑down list. Click the black down arrow and select ctcLink Support.
Once ctcLink Support is selected, a new blank field will appear to the right. This field must be completed before you can continue.
Select the Correct Module and Criteria
Next, access the drop‑down list in the newly displayed field and select the appropriate module. Choosing the correct module is essential because it determines which support team your ticket will be routed to.
After selecting a module, additional required fields will automatically appear based on your selection. Populate each field to progress to the next section.
Enter a Meaningful Subject
Once all drop‑down criteria have been entered, enter a Subject that clearly reflects the purpose of your ticket.
Below the Subject field, you will see a blue Instructions box. This section reminds users to include screenshots of pop‑ups, error messages, or any unexpected system behavior.
Provide Important Information about the Issue in the Request Details
What did you expect to happen?
In the Request Detail textbox describe:
- The task you were attempting
- The environment (browser, device, module)
- Navigation steps leading to the issue
This helps analysts reproduce the problem.
What actually happened?
Include:
- Error messages
- Screenshots
- Unexpected behavior
- Frequency (always, sometimes, only once)
What are you trying to achieve?
State the goal of the task. This helps analysts understand the functional impact and desired resolution.
What actually happened?
In terms of what to include in a description, it is helpful to think that “if it is not in the ticket it did not happen.” A good communication here prevents confusion. Look for details and include screenshots and error messages.
Select Priority Level
Priority levels should be selected based on the severity level of the issue being reported.
- Low - Does not impact productivity, but it would be an improvement to productivity or not time-sensitive. (This is different from an enhancement request.)
- Medium - Work can continue, but the work is impaired. Production can proceed, but in a significantly impaired fashion.
- High - One or more pillars is not functioning. The issue is stopping the college from serving students or staff and/or not doing major functions, such as running payroll.
Enter Carbon Copy Recipients
To include colleague(s) in the ticket, enter their email(s) in the Carbon Copy (Cc:) field and check the Enabled box. Any time content is added to the ticket and the Cc field is populated, an email communication will be routed to the additional email recipients.
Note: Only authorized users in SolarWinds staff can view any notes and updates to the ticket.
Add Attachments
To attach a file to your ticket, select the Add File button and use the Choose File option to locate the appropriate JPEG or PNG image on your device. After selecting the file, click Upload to add it to your ticket. Once uploaded, you can verify that the attachment appears directly beneath the Add File button.
Select Location
Select your college location from the list provided in the drop-down menu.
Select the Save button in the lower-right corner of the screen to submit your ticket. After pressing Save, a notification will appear in the middle of your screen confirming your ticket submission. A confirmation email will be sent to the address of the person submitting the ticket.
You have successfully created and submitted a Help Desk ticket!
Once ctcLink Support has received the ticket, updates will be communicated via a notification email. Then, you must log into the ticketing system to view any updates or responses. (To view updates, click the History icon (clock symbol) in your ticket.)
Our SLA is built on shared values: partnership, respect, accuracy, timeliness, quality, and efficiency.
As a client, your responsibilities include:
- Staying engaged in the ticket conversation
- Responding promptly to analyst questions
- Providing additional details when requested
- Testing proposed solutions
- Confirming resolution
A ticket is a dialogue — your participation is essential to resolving issues effectively.
Manage Profile Information and Ticket History
Ensure your contact information is accurate so analysts can reach you if questions arise regarding your ticket submission.
- In the Web Help Desk console toolbar, select the Profile option to display your profile.
- Verify that your contact information is correct. You can also enter additional contact information. For example, you can add a secondary email or phone number.
- Select the Save button to save any changes.
In the following section, you’ll walk through several key actions in Web Help Desk that will help you quickly find, open, and organize your tickets. You’ll start by locating tickets through the History screen, then learn how to open individual tickets in a separate window for easier viewing. You’ll also see how to search for specific tickets using keywords or ticket numbers, and finally, how to sort your ticket list using the available filters.
Ticket History Page
- To locate a ticket, in the Web Help Desk console toolbar, select the History option. The History page lists all entered tickets.
- The History page includes filters on the left side panel that allow you to sort your tickets based on status and request type. The drop-down menu provides additional sorting options, allowing you to sort the ticket history by updated status, ID number, and subject.
- If you wish to view the details of a particular ticket, select the icon (square with an arrow) aligned to the ticket to open the information in a separate window.
Search for a Ticket
- To search for a ticket, enter any or all of the following information into the Search field and then select the Search icon (looking glass).
- ticket number
- ticket status
- a group of words contained in the Subject or
- request details
- The Ticket History page displays a list of tickets that match the search criteria.
- A blue dot next to the ticket number indicates that the ticket was updated by the tech (the person responsible for resolving issues), and you have not viewed the new information.
Sort the List of Tickets
- Select a filter heading drop-down list to sort by the values: Id, Subject, Updated or Client.
In the next section, you’ll learn several ways to add information to an existing ticket using the Web Help Desk console. You’ll start by locating the ticket and updating it directly through the Ticket Notes or Request Details areas, including adding written notes and attaching files. You’ll also see how to attach files either to a note or directly within the request details, depending on what you need to provide.
In addition to updating tickets through the console, you’ll learn how to add notes using email when Web Help Desk sends you a notification. This allows you to respond quickly when a tech requests more information by adding your note directly from the email rather than logging into the system.
Add Notes to a Ticket Using the Web Console
Under Ticket Details, you can add a note, then attach files to accompany the new information.
- Select the History option on the Web Help Desk console toolbar . The History page lists all entered tickets.
- Locate the targeted ticket and select the right facing arrow aligned to the targeted ticket to display the Ticket Details in the right column.
- Under Ticket Notes section, add any additional information for the note in the text box and then select the Save note button. (A message displays, reminding you to save your changes.)
Attaching Files to Ticket Notes or Request Details
- If a screenshot, document or other files should be added to a note or the request detail of a ticket, select the Browse button. (A message displays, reminding you to save your changes.)
- Choose the file to attach and double-click the file.
- A message displays, reminding you to save your changes. Select the Save note button if attaching to a note or the Save file button if attaching to the Request Details section.
- The file will display under the Browse button, and the assigned tech is notified.
Add Notes to a Ticket Using Email
Web Help Desk can send emails when a change is made to your ticket. For example, if a tech needs additional information, the tech can add a note to describe the required information and Web Help Desk sends an email to request it. You can add a note to the ticket from the email.
- Select the Add Note link in the body of the email. Do not reply to the email. A new email is created.
- Replace the email text with the note you want to add.
- Send the email.
Web Help Desk automatically updates the ticket and notifies the assigned tech that new information is available.
If you no longer need the requested service, you can cancel the ticket.
- Select the History option from the Web Help Desk console toolbar. The History page lists all entered tickets.
- Locate the targeted ticket and select the name, number of the ticket or the right facing arrow aligned to the targeted ticket to display the Ticket Details in the right column.
- Under Ticket Details, select the Cancel ticket button.
- The question "Are you sure you want to cancel ticket #xxx?" will display. Select the Yes button to confirm.
- The ticket status is changed to Cancelled and the assigned tech is notified.
When the assigned tech resolves your request, Web Help Desk sends you an email. The email contains notes to describe what was done to resolve the reported issue, or what was provided to complete your service request.
If you are satisfied with the resolution and the issue was resolved:
- Choose the green "Yes" option to close the ticket.
- Select the Send button to send the generated email. You will receive an email confirmation that the ticket is closed.
If you are not satisfied with the resolution and the issue was not resolved:
- Choose the red "No" option to notify the assigned tech.
- Select the Send button to send the generated email.
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