IssueNet Items

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1 Issues

An issue outlines a goal or a problem that needs to be resolved and triggers the tasks needed to achieve the goal or resolve the problem. Some common types of issues are:


Within any business process there is the need to capture, manage, and resolve a variety of issues. Requests, problems, requirements, and defects are just a few examples of the types of issues that require a formal resolution process. The process for resolving an issue may be simple or complex, but it will typically involve several steps and multiple resources. For example, in an information technology group, a request to change a network security policy would require distinct processes for review and approval, implementation, verification, and sign-off. Although the overall process may be complex it can best be analyzed as a series of steps, each with its own resources and rules for completion. To allow teams to better model and manage these processes, IssueNet makes a distinction between an issue and the activities initiated to resolve the issue. Within IssueNet, issues are used to describe what is to be resolved and to capture supporting information such as the description, status, documentation, files, and contacts. Tasks are created to manage the activities necessary to resolve the issue, the resources required, and the rules for completing each activity.

Tasks created as a part of the issue resolution process can be created ad hoc. However, in a typical environment, tasks are created automatically based on the workflow the issue requires.

In the case of a network security issue, a typical IssueNet workflow would create individual tasks for review and approval,implementation, verification, and sign-off. Each task would be automatically assigned to the correct resource and be governed by a specific workflow. Each task’s workflow defines the steps and enforces the business rules required for each task.

The distinction IssueNet makes between issues and tasks provides many advantages over other systems that track all information within each issue. By creating tasks linked to an issue, IssueNet can:

  1. Provide distinct workflows for each type of task and business function
  2. Better support parallel work by multiple resources on individual issues
  3. Enable better project estimation by automatically generating necessary tasks for an issue
  4. Organize groups of tasks into projects distinct from the issues
  5. Simplify the amount of information each user must manage

By organizing work efforts using issues and tasks, IssueNet more realistically models how groups of resources work together to resolve issues.

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1.1 Creating and Editing Issues

To create a new issue:
  1. Select New|Issue.
  2. A new issue item will appear. You can define the issue item by selecting the Folder in which it will reside and giving it a Subject.
  3. Select Actions|Save or click the Save button.

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1.2 The Issue Form

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The Issue Form

An issue form is typically divided into the following tabs:

General tab
The General tab allows the user to enter descriptive information regarding the issue, as well as to set the issue’s attributes (e.g.,the Status, Priority, etc.). The General tab is the default tab displayed when a user opens or creates an issue.

History tab
The History tab provides a read-only record of the modifications made to an issue since its insertion into the database. The issue history entries displays changes made to those fields specified by the IssueNet administrator.

Task tab
The Tasks tab lists those tasks required to work the issue.

Issues tab
The Issues tab allows users the ability to relate IssueNet issues to one another. To add an issue, click the Add button on the Issues tab, select a query from the Query drop-down list to return the desired results, highlight the contact in the Find Issue(s) List field and click OK.

Contacts tab
The Contacts tab allows users the ability to relate IssueNet contacts to a particular issue. To add a contact, click the Add button on the Contacts tab, select a query from the Query drop-down list to return the desired results, highlight the contact in the Find Contact(s) List field and click OK.

Documents tab
The Documents tab allows users to relate IssueNet documents to a particular issue. In addtion to the steps outlined below, you may also drag a document to the Documents tab, which will open the Select Document Store dialog.

To relate a document to an issue:
  1. Click the Add button on the Documents tab
  2. In the Document Store field of the Add Document dialog, select the desired document store.
  3. To relate a document that already resides in the document store:
    • Highlight the document by selecting it in the Available Documents list.
    • Click Select to add it to the Selected Documents field.
    • Click OK to return to the Documents tab.
  4. To relate a document that resides either locally or on the network:
    • Select the Add File button.
    • Click Browse to browse to the directory containing the desired document and select it by double-clicking on the document.
    • (Optional) Add descriptive information to the Description field.
    • Click OK to add the document to the Selected Documents field OR Select Link Only prior to clicking OK to create a link to the selected document.
    • Click OK to return to the Documents tab.
  5. To relate a URL to an issue:
    • Click the Add URL button.
    • Enter the URL into the URL field.
    • (Optional) Add descriptive information to the Description field.
    • Click OK to add the URL to the Selected Documents field.
    • Click OK to return to the Documents tab.
  6. Select Actions|Save or click the Save button.

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2 Projects

One of the basic features of IssueNet is the organization of issues and tasks within hierarchies of folders and projects. Within IssueNet, Issues are organized into folders and tasks into projects. One function of projects is to define the resources and workflows available for each task. Based on the project a task is placed in,only certain resources can be assigned to the task and only certain workflows used to define the business process to complete the task. For example, if a workflow generates a task to create documentation for an issue, the specific documentation resources and workflows will be defined by the project the task is added to. Similarly, an organization may have several ongoing product development efforts. By defining each effort as a project the specific resources available for each effort and the specific elements of each workflow can be easily defined.

Another function of projects is to allow an organization to organize tasks into units distinct from the folder structure used to organize issues. This allows an organization to easily provide views, reports, and other information about task activity distinct from how an organization chooses to organize and track issue information. Issues organized within a single folder may have linked tasks organized into many different projects.

As an example, consider an organization that delivers multiple products, or services, to both internal and external customers. By creating folders to organize issues by product, the organization can easily track and report on where and how issues occur, who is submitting them, and establish a product centric knowledge base of issue information. However, each issue may need to be resolved by different teams of resources each using different processes. For a single product one issue may need to be resolved by a support or maintenance team, another issue may be resolved in a new product release still in planning, and yet another may be related to customization that is the responsibility of a services group. In each of these cases, the use of projects allows the work activity to be allocated to the correct resources and processes while maintaining the benefits of organizing issues by product or service.

As with folders, IssueNet can also apply tracking features and security at different locations in the project hierarchy. Workflow rules, notifications, fields, forms, user access, reports, documents, and other features can be applied to specific projects and sub-projects.

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2.1 Creating and Editing Projects

To create a new project:
  1. Select New|Project .
  2. A new project item will appear. Now you can define the project document by naming it and determining its hierarchical position in the project tree.
  3. Select Actions|Save or click the Save button.

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2.2 The Project Form

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The Project Form


A project item is typically divided into the following tabs:

General tab
The General tab allows the user to enter descriptive information regarding the project, as well as to set the project’s attributes (i.e., the project Status and project Manager.). The General tab is the default tab displayed when a user opens or creates a project.

History tab
The History tab provides a read-only record of the modifications made to a project since its insertion into the database. The project history tab displays changes made to those fields specified by the IssueNet administrator.

Workflows tab
The Workflows tab lists all workflows assigned to the current project. To view a diagram of a workflow listed on the Workflow tab,either select the desired workflow and click Open or simply double-click on the workflow.

To add a workflow, click the Add button on the Workflow tab, select a query from the Query drop-down list to return the desired results, highlight the workflow in the Find Workflow(s) List field and click OK.

Resources tab
The Resources tab lists those resources associated with the current project. To relate IssueNet resources to a particular project, click the Add button on the Resources tab, select a query from the Query drop-down list to return the desired results, highlight the resource in the Find Resource(s) List field, and click OK.

Documents tab
The Documents tab allows users to relate IssueNet documents to a particular project. To relate a document to a project:
  1. Click the Add button on the Documents tab
  2. In the Document Store field of the Add Document dialog, select the desired document store.
  3. To relate a document that already resides in the document store:
    • Highlight the document by selecting it in the Available Documents list.
    • Click Select to add it to the Selected Documents field.
    • Click OK to return to the Documents tab.
  4. To relate a document that resides either locally or on the network:
    • Select the Add File button.
    • Click Browse to browse to the directory containing the desired document and select it by double-clicking on the document.
    • (Optional) Add descriptive information to the Description field.
    • Click OK to add the document to the Selected Documents field OR Select Link Only prior to clicking OK to create a link to the selected document.
    • Click OK to return to the Documents tab.
  5. To relate a URL to an issue:
    • Click the Add URL button.
    • Enter the URL into the URL field.
    • (Optional) Add descriptive information to the Description field.
    • Click OK to add the URL to the Selected Documents field.
    • Click OK to return to the Documents tab.
  6. Select Actions|Save or click the Save button.

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3 Folders

One of the basic features of IssueNet is the organization of issues and tasks within hierarchies of folders and projects. Within IssueNet, Issues are organized into folders and tasks into projects. Folders can be created as a hierarchy of folders and sub-folders.

This approach to organizing issues and tasks provides many advantages including:


At the most basic level, the concept of organizing issues into folders can be understood simply as how an organization organizes documents and other items into directories and sub-directories. If you are developing a product, you may want to have specific folders for organizing issues by product and product area. If your work involves specific customer engagements or product support, you may want to organize issues by customer. Some types of issues may best be organized geographically or by location – as it might be in the management of facilities maintenance or security issues. In a specialized discipline, such as software engineering, issues are sometimes organized by source code module. Regardless of business process or industry, the organization of issues into folders provides a very flexible approach to how issues submitted, aggregated, and reported.

In addition, IssueNet can apply issue tracking features and security at different locations in the hierarchy. Workflow rules, notifications, fields, forms, user access, reports, documents, and other features can be applied to specific folders and sub-folders.

As a result IssueNet can provide powerful issue tracking features that are intuitive and easy to administer.

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3.1 Creating and Editing Folders

To create a new folder:
  1. Select New|Folder.
  2. A new folder item will appear. You can define the folder item by selecting the Parent folder in which it will reside and giving it a Name.
  3. Select Actions|Save or click the Save button.

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3.2 The Folders Form

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The Folder Form

A folder is typically divided into the following tabs:

General tab
The General tab allows the user to enter descriptive information regarding the folder, as well as to set the folder’s Primary Contact. The General tab is the default tab displayed when a user opens or creates a folder.

History tab
The History tab provides a read-only record of the modifications made to a folder since its insertion into the database. The folder history entries display changes made to those fields specified by the IssueNet administrator.

Documents tab
The Documents tab allows users to relate IssueNet documents to a particular folder. In addtion to the steps outlined below, you may also drag a document to the Documents tab, which will open the Select Document Store dialog.

To relate a document to a folder:
  1. Click the Add button on the Documents tab
  2. In the Document Store field of the Add Document dialog, select the desired document store.
  3. To relate a document that already resides in the document store:
    • Highlight the document by selecting it in the Available Documents list.
    • Click Select to add it to the Selected Documents field.
    • Click OK to return to the Documents tab.
  4. To relate a document that resides either locally or on the network:
    • Select the Add File button.
    • Click Browse to browse to the directory containing the desired document and select it by double-clicking on the document.
    • (Optional) Add descriptive information to the Description field.
    • Click OK to add the document to the Selected Documents field OR Select Link Only prior to clicking OK to create a link to the selected document.
    • Click OK to return to the Documents tab.
  5. To relate a URL to an issue:
    • Click the Add URL button.
    • Enter the URL into the URL field.
    • (Optional) Add descriptive information to the Description field.
    • Click OK to add the URL to the Selected Documents field.
    • Click OK to return to the Documents tab.
  6. Select Actions|Save or click the Save button.



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4 Tasks

An IssueNet task is created as a step toward resolving a particular issue. Regardless of the type of issue, there are activities that need to be completed to resolve each one based on business process. IssueNet tracks these activities as tasks. Each task in IssueNet is assigned to a particular resource and governed by a particular workflow. Each issue may have many linked tasks assigned to many different resources, each governed by a distinct workflow.

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4.1 Creating and Editing Tasks

In most cases Tasks are created by Workflows.

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4.2 The Task Form

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The Task Form

A task form is typically divided into the following tabs:

Issues tab
The Issues tab displays the following items by default:
Tasks tab
The Tasks tab lists those tasks that are related to the current task. To add a task to the Tasks tab:
  1. Click the Add button.
  2. Choose the desired query from the Query drop-down list.
  3. Select the task that you wish to relate and click OK.
  4. Click the Update button on the toolbar to update your changes to the database.

Souce Code Changesets tab
Source Code Changesets tab lists the Source Code Changesets associated with Software Task only; this tab does not display on other types of Tasks. Source Code Changesets are typically added via the IssueNet Source Control Integrator Service.

History tab
The History tab provides a read-only record of the modifications made to a task since its insertion into the database. The task history entries display changes made to those fields specified by the IssueNet administrator.







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5 Contacts

IssueNet uses contacts to represent and track individuals. A contact may be linked to an IssueNet user account or created to capture information about a person of interest who is not an IssueNet user. Accordingly, a contact might be selected to identify the team member who submitted an issue, linked to an issue to track a customer, or other non-user who has an interest in the issue.

To make processes that rely on resource roles easily managed, IssueNet allows users to link contacts to resources. Each resource is defined by a contact, a role, and any other properties you choose to add to the resource item – such as billing information or availability.

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5.1 Creating and Editing Contacts

To create a new contact, do the following:
  1. Select Contact from the New toolbar.
  2. A New Contact dialog will appear. You can define the contact by entering a Name, Email address, Phone number, etc.
  3. Select Actions|Update from the menu bar or click the Update button.

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5.2 The Contacts Form

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The Contact Form


A contact form is typically divided into the following tabs:

General tab
The General tab allows the user to enter descriptive information regarding the contact, as well as the contact’s personal information (e.g., Email, Phone, Job Title, etc.). The General tab is the default tab displayed when a user opens or creates a contact.

Address tab
The Address tab lists the mailing address for the contact.

Documents tab
The Documents tab allows users to relate IssueNet documents to a particular contact. In addition to the steps outlined below, you may also drag a document to the Documents tab, which will open the Select Document Store dialog.

To relate a document to a contact:
  1. Click the Add button on the Documents tab
  2. In the Document Store field of the Add Document dialog, select the desired document store.
  3. To relate a document that already resides in the document store:
    • Highlight the document by selecting it in the Available Documents list.
    • Click Select to add it to the Selected Documents field.
    • Click OK to return to the Documents tab.
  4. To relate a document that resides either locally or on the network:
    • Select the Add File button.
    • Click Browse to browse to the directory containing the desired document and select it by double-clicking on the document.
    • (Optional) Add descriptive information to the Description field.
    • Click OK to add the document to the Selected Documents field OR Select Link Only prior to clicking OK to create a link to the selected document.
    • Click OK to return to the Documents tab.
  5. To relate a URL to an issue:
    • Click the Add URL button.
    • Enter the URL into the URL field.
    • (Optional) Add descriptive information to the Description field.
    • Click OK to add the URL to the Selected Documents field.
    • Click OK to return to the Documents tab.
  6. Select Actions|Update from the menu bar or click the Update button.

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6 Resources

An individual will often play many roles within different projects. For example, a single team member may be both a project lead and a technical writer in one project, and sales support resource in another project. Based on the different roles this single individual plays in each project, different tasks may be assigned. In addition, if the projects are billable, different types of resources may have different billable rates. To make processes that rely on resource roles easily managed, IssueNet allows users to create resource roles and link existing contacts to those resources. Each resource is defined by a contact, a role, and any other properties you choose to add to the resource item – such as billing information or availability. Once you have defined resources, you can assign them to tasks ad hoc, or use workflow rules to assign resources to tasks automatically based on resource role. For a single contact defined as both a project lead and a technical writer on a single project you would typically have the workflow rules assign different types of tasks to that resource based on role.

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6.1 Creating and Editing Resources

To create a new human resource, do the following:
  1. Select New|Human Resource.
  2. A New Human Resource dialog will appear. You can define the human resource by selecting the Contact to which the resource is to be associated, as well as the Role that the human resource is to play within the organization.
  3. Select Actions|Update or click the Save button.

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6.2 The Resources Form

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The Human Resource Form


A human resource form is typically divided into the following tabs:

General tab
The General tab allows the user to enter descriptive information regarding the human resource, as well as to set the human resource’s Charge Code and rate of Hourly Cost. The General tab is the default tab displayed when a user opens or creates a human resource.

History tab
The History tab provides a read-only record of the modifications made to a human resource since its insertion into the database. The human resource history entries display changes made to those fields specified by the IssueNet administrator.