1.1. Welcome to Otis!

Welcome to OTIS, the Online Technical Information System for Rust Communications.

With this system, you can submit a request for technical support, view Knowledge Books for information on how to do common tasks, and participate in forums where you can discuss tech topics with the IT staff and other employees.

The system can be reached by using any web browser and going to http://otis.semissourian.com.

There are three main parts to OTIS.

Support
The first part allows you to submit a request for support and also check on the status of a support request. To submit a request, click the "Submit a Request" link at the left and fill out the form. You may also submit requests by sending an email to otis@semissourian.com. More information can be found in Chapter 2.

Knowledge Books
The next major part of the system is Knowledge Books. These are written by the IT Department and will cover everything from how to check your junk filter to font troubleshooting and other common problem that can be resolved by you. Before submitting a request through the web form or email, please check the Knowledge Books to see if your problem has a documented solution. More information can be found in Chapter 3.

Forums
The last major part of the site is Forums. The forums will be used to address topics that are not or cannot be covered in the Knowledge Books. Things such as known issues with hardware and/or software (such as the CS2/Intel problem) and other pertinent IT related topics will be addressed. More information can be found in Chapter 4.

2.1. Submitting Support Requests

There are two ways you can submit a support request in OTIS.

The first way is to use the Submit A Request link at the left and fill out the web form. Below is a summary of the fields you will find on the web form. All fields in red are required.

First Name - Enter your first name.
Last Name - Enter your last name.
Email - Enter your email address. This will be used for all coorespondence regarding the support ticket so make sure this is accurate.
Phone - Enter your phone number. Although not a required field, it is recommended and can lead to a faster resolution.
Is this request urgent? - If your problem or request has to be addressed within the hour. This does not necessarily mean it will be resolved within the hour. Only that we will start working on it.
How would you categorize this request? - Choose the category that best describes the type of problem you are having. If there isn't a category that fits, choose "other".
Location - Choose your location. If your location isn't in the list, choose "Cape - Broadway".
Department - Choose which department you are in or that is having the problem.
Are you using a Mac or PC? - Please select the correct system you are using. This will help us troubleshoot your problem faster. If you are unsure about what system you have, there is an easy way to determine this. If you use a Mac and your Apple logo at the top left is Blue, you are running OSX. If it is multicolor, it is OS9. If you have a G3, G4, or a G5 processor, you have a PowerPC Mac. If you use Windows and your Start Menu is a green rectangle, it is Windows XP. If it is a circle, it is Windows Vista. If you are still unsure, choose PC - Other.
How critical is the problem? - This is on a 1-5 scale where 1 is the most critical.
   5 - Not Critical. When you get a chance.
   4 - Low. An inconvenience, but I can work around it.
   3 - Medium. It's affecting my work, but I can work around it.
   2 - High. It's affecting my work and I can't work around it.
   1 - Critical. We can't publish until resolved.
What were you doing just prior to the problem occuring? - Please enter as much information as possible about the conditions leading up to the problem. What programs did you have open? Were there any preceding errors? Were any other applications acting up at the same time? These are only examples of the type of information that is needed here. The more information you provide the faster we can resolve the problem.
Describe in detail the problem or request - This field forms the initial request. Please be as detailed and specific as possible as this helps us determine what caused the problem. Insufficient detail could result in a delay resolving your problem.
Attach a supporting document (optional) - In some cases you may want or need to attach a file to better describe the type of problem you are having. This is useful for attaching screenshots of any errors that may have popped up. You can attach any kind of file (images, PDFs, etc) that would help us understand what happened.

After you have filled in all the information and submitted the request, you will be taken to a new page where you will receive an access key to track the status of your request. A summary of the information you entered on the request form will also be shown, along with another box to provide additional information regarding the problem that you may have missed.

You may also submit requests by sending an email to otis@semissourian.com. This email account is monitored by the system and automatically enters all submissions sent to it. However, requests submitted via email lack significant detail, and for that reason are automatically treated as low priority (Level 5). With the web form we have more information that will help us in resolving the problem faster and you have the option of specifying priority.

2.2. Viewing Request Status

When you submit a support request you will be given an access key which you can use to view the status of a support request. to view the status of a request, click the Check on a Request link at the left and enter your request key in the box. At any time while the request is still open, you can enter your access key and update information from this screen.

As updates are made to the request, either by you or the IT staff members, you can return to this screen to view the status. Assuming you submitted a valid email address in the request, you will also receive updates via email. If you reply to these emails, the information will be automatically added to the request.

After a ticket is closed you will no longer be able to view the status of a support request. Any email replies to status update emails will be logged in the ticket but will not be visible by you or the support staff. If the problem has not resolved itself, please log a new support request and reference the old request key in the box What were you doing just prior to the problem occuring?

3.1. What are Knowledge Books?

Knowledge Books are written by the IT Department and will cover everything from how to check your Postini junk filter to font troubleshooting and other common problem that can be resolved by you. Before submitting a request through the web form or email, please check the Knowledge Books to see if your problem has a documented solution. This part of the site will be evolving and growing over time, so check it first before submitting a request. If you have any suggestions for additions to the Knowledge Books, please submit these requests to the Knowledge Book Additions forum.

3.2. Searching the Knowledge Books

4.1. What are Forums?

The forums will be used to address topics that are not or cannot be covered in the Knowledge Books. Things such as known issues with hardware and/or software (such as the CS2/Intel problem) and other pertinent IT related topics will be addressed.
These are open forums available to any Rust employee. If you have a question, comment, or suggestion please feel free to post a topic or reply to an existing one. The information will be used to improve our IT infrastructure and make your job that much easier.

4.2. Using Forums

In Progress...

4.3. Searching the Forums