CompounDev Support Tracker

Product overview

Support Tracker is a Client-Server solution that is designed to help in a software development cycle. The main focus of the functionality is set on tabular archiving of found / fixed and closed errors with availability to use them as a reference for a future development.

The functionality is extended to control the quality of a development and controlling a quality of done work of particular users of the system. The system is designed to help speed up the development cycle and improve the software quality checking during the cycle.

Because in the system there are various types of users inserted data are separated from each other and securely stored in a database. There is no way how a user A could modify or damage data inserted or managed by a user B. The only way how to modify data is through the system functionality.

The functionality of the system is mainly focused on easy-to-use way of working with the software. Many of features of the system are automatics so there are no additional requirements to user to do some extra work.

The key features of Support Tracker are:

Easy to use and user friendly
Client-Server solution
Secure data storage
Support of e-mail notification
Scalability
Hi-functionality

Product architecture

Support Tracker is a pure Windows application. It is running under Windows ME, Windows NT4.0/2000 and Windows XP. For its run doesn’t need some extra system extensions. For its administration it doesn’t need some extra knowledge or support.

It may run on one machine either as a typical Client-Server server solution with a server and many clients.

The solution is called distributed component solution (DCOM). It means that the server is designed to run on a different machine that the client (but it should run on the same as well). The different machine means not just a machine in the same network; it could be a machine that is a member of another network or workgroup, even a machine that is a member of a public network. The clients are connecting the server when they are requesting a co-operation. The server distributes wanted information through Extensible Mark-up Language (XML). When the clients receive the requested data the result of that is displayed.

For example, when a user wants to add a new error, in the user interface just use Add Error functionality. The client calls the server and delivers up error data. The server process input data and generate a specific client output that is deliver back to the client. Client process input data and does appropriate reaction.

Support Tracker could be separated into two main parts:

Server – it is the base of the system. The server is managing the database in that is stored data. The server is also managing an e-mail communication extension.
Client – it is the user interface of the system. Through the client are managed all functionality of the server, the server is configured, and information provided by the server is displayed.

Extended server components are:

Database - there are supported various types of databases. Every database’s engine that support OLEDB is supported. Supplied database differ from the version of Support Tracker and license conditions. These databases are recommended:

MS Access – especially recommended for a small solutions
MS SQL

E-mail extension - the main supported & recommended mail system is MS Exchange Server.

There are more then one type of e-mail system supported; please contact the company for additional details.

Product architecture scheme

Fig. 1 – Support Tracker architecture

Description:

Server – the base of the product, Windows 2000 service that distributes interfaces (Administration Interface and System Interfaces)
Client – Windows application that consumes the server interfaces
Configuration – Windows registry settings that are used for setting up the Server and the Client.
Images Storage Area – the ‘database’ that is used by server as a storage area
Tracker Database – database that is used for storing product’s data
E-mail Subsystem – subsystem that is consumed by Server and used for sending automatics notifications messages

Product Usability

The main focus has been set to the software development process. When software is made there are many steps that have to be followed to gain the goal – a quality software product. One of the last steps is testing of the pre-released product. Through testing there are found usually many problems that have to be fixed in a post-development process. The found error is becoming as expensive as the time period needed to localise it.

Support Tracker cannot change this time scale and it isn't designed to change it. But because friendly easy-to-use functionality it would change the amount of problems that will have to be solved in the post-development process. When the product will be used as is designed many problems should be localised before post-development part of the process just because:

All users of Support Tracker would be able to record found errors and track them after that. There is not difference between developer, tester or manager - all those users are enabled to record whatever they find or are not satisfied with
Support Tracker post-analyst should show the most critical part of development so more resources should be allocated on
The Support Tracker knowledge base that is built by recording & fixing errors should be used by support and testers to recognise problem before is assigned to developer

The product as is shouldn't be used as a development tool only. Because it is an intelligent tracker tool you can use it whenever you think that is usable. You can use it as a global problem-tracking tool in your company as integrated part of your company system - do you need to report failure of your PC or just change your chair? If yes, you can record it as a problem and assign to a responsible person. When your enquiry is fixed, everything is stored in Support Tracker knowledge base and database, so you can find that you have mostly problem with hard drives or that some software doesn't run properly on your systems. And Support Tracker should advise the solution; so you will not waste your business time next when the same problem occurs.

There should be listed many scenarios of usability of Support Tracker but is it needed to list all of them? Just try to remember how often you have to ask somebody else to do something and you are never sure if he done it. By using Support Tracer you can set up the standard way of solution of how to let somebody know that something have to be done and control the state of doing that.

System requirements

Please refer to Support Tracker White Paper or another documentation.

User pre-requirements

For users there are no special requirements to use Support Tracker. The knowledge of using of operating system is recommended. When E-mail subsystem integration is used an additional requirements to users is to know how to operate with used E-mail client such as MS Outlook and fully understand the mechanism of notification that is used by Support Tracker.

It is fully recommended to read “Client guide” and “How to effectively work with Support Tracker” manuals before using the system. For system administrators is essential to read “Installation guide” before installation and “Administration guide” afterwards.

For all users of the product is fully essential to understand the process in which Support Tracker would be involved the same as to understand their role in the business process. Without understanding the particular role in the business usage of the product is not guaranteed efficiency of the product. Please pay your attention to it.

The system is using message boxes for notifying the user about a malfunction. The description of the error always says what is wrong and it usually contains a straightforward notice to solve the problem. When you get confused with the description please contact the technical support of the company through our web site or through the E-mail.

Support

In the case of any interest or with an enquiry please contact the company through or web site or through the E-mail:

Company web site: http://www.compoundev.com/
Support E-mail: mailto:support@compoundev.com

When you contact the company because of the support please do not forget to include these information:

Your customer registered name and ID
Your system configuration
The error description
Both log files (server & client)
Short description of your problem from your point of view

The company’s support department will solve your problem as soon as possible and it will advise you the solution that will always fit your requirements.

With other enquiries please contact the company.