Hitch-free IT management

Salute, Habr! Let's tell about the IT management tool Quest KACE, namely about the part of it that is responsible for the Service Desk.

In the field of IT management, there is a stereotype that the introduction of automation systems is a long and expensive process: regulation, installation and configuration of an automation tool, and user training. Cloud systems seem to be easy to use, but not everyone is willing to give corporate data to external storage, even if there is nothing to hide. In the article we will try to break the stereotype and prove that the management of incidents, inquiries and knowledge can be so simple that they do not cause personnel resistance after their automation.



Quest KACE is a combine that can not only serve users, but also manage assets, licenses and even monitor a little. The product should not be considered as a replacement for monsters like ServiceNow or Remedy, it’s rather an entry level ITSM. But with advanced functionality. It will be useful to those who began to grow rapidly and no longer have time to maintain the infrastructure and users who have ceased to have the functions of a free solution, and everyone who decided to do automation in the company.
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Incident and query management

These are processes that need to be automated in any growing company. With increasing work with letters, messengers or verbal requests are able to clog any system administrator. Without automation, installing a new version of the Word can take a week, but the cartridge in the printer has not yet been replaced, because the sysadmin forgot how Katya from the personnel department approached him with a request last month.


When requests are forgotten

In KACE, you can customize the types of requests (request or incident), add custom fields, configure different types of criticality, auto-assignment, etc. The usual service desk functionality.

Meanwhile, Katya conducted an interview, a successful candidate was approved, and a new employee enters the company. We need workplace equipment, domain accounts, a mailbox, remote access, a magnetic pass ... In some situations, this list may not end at all. This is a typical process that is repeated from time to time in direct (when hiring) or in the reverse (when dismissing) order. To automate this heel, ten or more applications, KACE provides for processes.


An example of typical processes for which a set of hits is automatically started.

Process - a set of related bids that are entered automatically. Initially, the process is started by the user in the form of a single request, and already further related applications for each of the tasks are automatically generated. Depending on the settings, they can be run sequentially or in parallel.

Appeals related to the “New Employee” process

Each of the applications is automatically assigned to a group, a specialist or remains hanging in the general list. Depends on the settings. For each motion of the application, you can configure the sending of notifications.

In KASE, users can independently initiate a call via a web interface, mail, or mobile application. Professionals who work out the treatment are also available to work all three interfaces.

One of the nice additions is the mobile app. Works on iOS and Android. Through it, you can practically fully manage incidents and requests, run diagnostic scripts, distribute software, manage assets with the ability to scan a barcode, and much more.

You can enter the mobile application as a user, as well as a specialist / administrator, start or solve an incident.

Through the application is also available institution process, solving incidents and applications. The only thing that needs to be done before use is to connect a VPN.

Knowledge management

Let's return to Kate from the personnel department. After the employee comes to work and provides him with a workplace, a new MacBook, iPhone and iPad, you need to pass on the adaptation guide in the company (or whatever it may be called), instructions on how to set up remote access, rules on working with clients and so on. If these or other documents are frequently updated, then it is easier to have them on the portal than in the form of documents.


Knowledge Base Articles

A KACE user with sufficient rights can create, edit or delete knowledge base articles. From each incident, you can also create an article.

For filling the section with knowledge in KACE there is a convenient editor that supports the layout.

Employees who work for a long time in a company usually become carriers of unique knowledge. Firing comrades is a potential risk for an organization. The description of the mechanism of operation of IT systems in the knowledge base will allow you to leave the data in the ownership of the company and not be held hostage to individual employees.


An example of creating a knowledge base article

Each article is assigned a link that can be shared. Articles can be viewed through the mobile application.

Of the additional buns - here you can publish ads and customize the interface with your logo.


On the main login screen you can place your logo and any text.


KACE user interface, on a yellow background ad

This was the first article in the series about KACE. In the next we will talk about KACE's asset management, licensing, and software distribution capabilities.

We will be happy if you tell us what tools your IT management tasks are solved in your company, which services you prefer: cloud or on-premise, whether you adhere to the regulations (if any).

Try a free limited version of KACE or a full-featured 30-day version . Distributions are provided as images for VMware and Hyper-V.

You can learn about other Quest IT management and monitoring products on our website .