Chapter 6: Support
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Server hardware problems (servers running Exchange or domain controllers)
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Server connectivity problems (to domain controllers, other servers running Exchange or
the Internet)
Educating your users is one of the key ways to reduce support costs. If users know how to
use their clients efficiently and effectively, they will need to contact the Service Desk much
less frequently. This results in fewer Service Desk incidents and reduced costs.
In the other areas, the main way of reducing costs is to ensure that the problems occur less
frequently in the first place, and that they are resolved quickly when they do occur. This is
covered in detail in the other chapters of this guide.
A best practice for reducing the cost of user support is to provide a Web site containing
help information that is accessible to all messaging users. There are significant cost savings
any time users can obtain the information they need without assistance from the Service
Desk. The following are some examples of the type of information that might be included
in the Web site:
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Assistance for creating and managing mailboxes
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How-to guides for client configuration (according to your standards) and for resolving
common connectivity problems
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Answers to frequently asked questions
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Workarounds for known problems (related to the problem-management process
discussed later in this chapter)
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Links to other online help information (internal or external)
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Server status and instructions for determining a user’s mailbox server
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Information about current incidents that affect more than one user. This will reduce the
number of calls that tend to flood Service Desks when there is a major incident. A good
example is when you’ve disabled parts of the system to scan for and remove virus-
infected messages and/or attachments.
Even in the best of environments, you will still need to resolve end-user problems on
occasion. If you are going to deal with client-support issues effectively, you will need to
make sure that you clearly define which clients are supported and in what configuration
they are supported. Your change and configuration management strategy should include a
complete record of your client base. You can use Windows 2000 Group Policy and/or
Systems Management Server to ensure that workstation configuration is controlled and
that the Change Management Database (CMDB) remains accurate.
Note:
It is important to periodically audit the CMDB to ensure that it reflects your inventory.
If you are dealing with clients outside the company firewall, it is much more difficult to
have tight control over the configuration. You can, however, minimize support costs by
insisting that only certain clients are supported. For example, you may choose to support
Outlook Express as a POP3 client, but not Eudora. You can also choose to minimize the
