Advanced Portal for SCSM 2012

System Center Service Manager’s (SCSM) current stock SelfService Portal component features basic functionality. When introducing the system to clients, several questions are raised that the site does not answer. Several advanced services that are needed on a daily basis – detailed search/filters, opening attached files, managing approving activities in a more detailed, user friendly way, customizing the site – are not adequately supported.

Advanced Portal for SCSM 2012 is an alternative end-user interface for Microsoft System Center 2012 R2 Service Manager. The system allows users via a web interface to report errors, file requests, check their open or already closed reports online, and to exchange information between themselves.

End-user perspective

  • Quick and user friendly display
  • Support for selectable display mode
  • Classic web display
  • Metro Design (tile) display
  • Customizable even on the user side
  • Structured display of service requests and searchability
  • Simple, user friendly and clean screen display
  • Ability to open files attached to work elements
  • Ability to attach multiple files to a work element
  • User friendly management of review activity
  • Advanced search and filter functions for the user’s own work elements
  • Support for several custom settings that increase usability:
  • Setting search/filter criteria, save views
  • Select to display results in table or tile format
  • Set display order for service catalogue elements
  • Turn dinamic tiles on/off
  • Setting displayed datatypes
  • Turn displaying work element classes on/off
  • Support for mobile and touch screen devices

Enterprise perspective

  • Identification and role management based on Microsoft Active Directory user accounts
  • The portal interface can be accessed by users identified in Microsoft Active Directory in single-sign-on mode
  • Displaying SCSM announcements to users
  • Modularity, dinamic extendability, Ability to insert third-party developments, according to unique needs.
  • Management of manual activities.

Technological perspective

  • Efficient client-server asyncronous communication
  • HTML5-based technology
  • Based on SCSM 2012’s stock customization settings, compatible with them when installing updates.
  • On the server side, only SCSM SDK-based and Microsoft supported methods are allowed.
  • Support for popular browsers (IE9 and newer, FireFox, Chrome, Safari, Opera)
  • HelpDesk functionality
  • For the HelpDesk role, it allows filing reports in the name of any user authorized to file reports