AccessAble Help Desk Client Server Edition (c) is a full featured program for providing IT staff an easy way to record and update information about users, their hardware and software, and requests they make for support. There are two ways to access the data (which is stored in a Microsoft SQL Server Database: the DSN for the windows app must be named AAHDPESQL but the database itself may have a different name) users and support personnel can utilize the web interface and support personnel/IT managers can use the windows based portion of the application. The web based part of the application uses security levels to make certain pages available to users and other pages available to support staff. When accessing the web interface, no additional software needs to be installed other than web browser software.
he web interface uses a connection string in the common.asp file and you will need to edit that file for your server and database details. As an example you would start with something like: ConnectionString = "Provider=SQLOLEDB.1;Password=password;Persist Security Info=True;User ' ID=yourusername;Initial Catalog=aahdpesql;Data Source=ipaddress,port"
User = "yourusername"
Password = "yourpassword"
but put in your server information.
The main menu allows quick access to the main files, lookup tables (speed data entry and insures data consistency), reports and utilities are readily available. Button icons on the main menu allow access to the main database tables.
Additionally, the windows based part of the application requires a user login name and password to enable you to connect to your Microsoft SQL Server database. This should be set up in the Control Panel, Data Sources, ODBC Applet.
The program is easy to learn and use because a Browse/Update Form design is used throughout the program. A browse style screen shows many records of a table in rows and columns like a spreadsheet. An update form or screen is similar to a fill in the blank style form, where you can view, add, or update a single record from the table. Additionally, data entry is fast and consistent through the use of "look up" tables. These tables let you select a field from an unrelated table to fill in the data for a field on a data entry form. By selecting from drop down lists of values stored in these lookup tables, you can also insure consistency in the way data is entered. If the desired value is not already in the lookup table, you can enter a new value in the drop down list and populate the lookup table "on the fly".
While the program makes it easy to get data in to the database, the wide variety of standard (pre designed) reports combined with the Report Wizard for creating simple list style reports, and the new Report Builder for visually designing more complex reports, make it easy to get data out of the database for reporting and analysis. These reports are supplemented by an Output All button which will automatically create and open an Excel spreadsheet with the data as sorted and filtered on the browse screen.