Overview
Requirements
IMS is a Web interface to the bug tracking system, using a Web browser as
a client. The preferred browsers are Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0
or higher, Mozilla 1.3 or higher, and Netscape Navigator 7.0 or higher.
We strongly recommend enabling JavaScript, both for better convinience of
working with IMS interfaces and for access to some functions realized via JavaScript.
For more comfortable viewing, use a screen resolution of at least 1024 by 768.
Session
Every time you log in, the Web server starts a new session. This session keeps your
login info, your role and other necessary data. You can open two or more sessions
at the same time, using different browsers or different independent IE windows. A new
window inherits the parent session, therefore you can open the incidents info or whatever you like
in the new window. If you stay inactive for 1/2 hour
(depending on PHP settings), the session is closed and you have to log in again.
Due to such use of sessions, changes made by administrator take effect after the next login.
Use the "Logout" link, to close the session after completing your work.
Roles
The administrator sets your role (assignes to user group) in every project and can change this role at
any time. The possible roles (set by default) are: "manager",
"developer", "tester" and "unsigned".
An "unsigned" user has no access to the project.
Every role defines its scope. An "unsigned" user views nothing
in any project. The users of other roles can view everything
except for logins of users with higher roles (i.e. a tester will see "developer"
instead of the developer's login). And testers cannot see the attachments of other incidents.
Every role defines a set of available incident actions. Administrator or project manager
can do everything with an incident: change its status to any valid value, transfer the incident
to a developer, change the target date, change the incident's type and severity, add attachments,
etc. A manager has to accept the incident and assign it to a developer. The administrator
can delete attachments. Developers can transfer the incident to them and add comments
and attachments. Users of any role can subscribe to email notifications about the incident
or cancel the subscription.
Two more attributes are: "assigned to" and "created by". The creator of an incident
can close it. The owner can change its status to "fixed" and ask for
a transfer. However, the owner cannot close the incident.
The administrator can change the group settings, as well as add or delete new groups,
using the IMS administrator site.
Security
If you use OpenSLL above IMS, security of all transfers, from login to incident editing
and file transfers is provided by OpenSSL.
Pages and files cannot be downloaded without a valid login with a proper role.
Email notifications
A user may get email notifications about role changes, about incident, if the user is a
creator, owner or has subscribed to these notificaitons.
Users don't receive notifications about their own actions.
Notifications are sent to email address specified in user's profile. So, if you receive
no notifications, please check the email in your profile.
Fine tuning of your account
You can update your personal data and user settings via a profile page. Here you can change the number
of displayed rows in bug lists, subsribe to email notifications about new incidents, select the
presentation of other users (just "Name",
"Name"-link to user's email), etc.
Top right corner links
There are three links at the top right corner of the screen: go to the home page, send email
to administrator and show printable version of the current incident.
Adding and tracking an incident
An incident record for any product contains the incident's type, status and severity with the possible
values controlled by the administrator. There are built-in values for the status that cannot
be changed or deleted: "submitted", "accepted", and "closed".
Adding an incident
To add a new incident, use the link "add new" at the top. Next, if you are
assigned to more than one product, select the required one. You will get a form with
the product-related incident types and severities and only one required field, "text".
If you do not enter the title, it will be generated automatically as "IR" plus incident ID.
As the creator, later you can add attachments or change incident type and severity.
Life cycle of an incident
An incident's life cycle starts with the status "submitted". A manager will receive the "new incident"
notification, read the incident and accept it, assigning appropriate developer to the incident and
setting the target date. The status is now changed to "accepted". Next, few actions are possible, e.g.,
adding attachments, discussion via "free text", status changing
(i.e. to "fixed" or any other by the developer), and finally manager or creator
closes the incident.
However, an incident may be reopened later.
Actions
You can add a comment for a status change and you can comment on your other actions. Use the
textbox on the left and click on the corresponding button.
As a developer, you can transfer the incident to you at any time. As the creator, you can ask other
developers to transfer it.
Attachments
The creator, developers and managers can attach one file a time to the incident record.
The attachments can be downloaded by the creator, developers or managers. This right is
controlled by the administrator.
History
Every action is displayed in the history list at the bottom of the page which can be sorted in a usual way.
Browsing the incidents
You can access an incident, using the form on the left, simply entering its ID or title.
Browsing
You can get the list of all incidents, using the "browse" link at the top.
With the links on the left(or digits from statistics) you can browse the incident list
with special constraints.
Filtering
You can filter the incident list by several parameters. If no items are selected in a selection list,
this list is not regarded in the filter (same as when all items are selected). The system preserves
your last filter and applies it in your next session. The selected items are always on top.
Sorting/paging
The incident list can be sort by every column and by the date of change.
Click on the column title to sort data in ascending order (date columns in descending order).
One more click sorts table in descending order.
For convenience, the output is devided into pages. You can set the number of rows per page in your profile.
Quick access and statistics
Using the blocks on the left, you can access special incidents (e.g., last visited )
or an incident list with special parameters as well as the incident statistics.
Reports
On the reports page you can get the forecast of overdue incidents. You can list the past weeks as well
and see the amount of overdue incidents in the course of time.
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