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H O T N E T Hotline Phone Calling/Tracking A Networked Phone Support System Version 1.12 Copyright 1990,1991 - Joey Robichaux P.O. Box 91016-199 Baton Rouge, La. 70821 (504) 752-2620 1 HotNet - Phone Support System BASICS HOTNET was originally designed as a tool to help provide technical telephone support for a software package. It captures information about user telephone calls and problems. It captures solutions to those problems, as well as information about number of calls, amount of work done by support personnel, unresolved "open" calls, and other types of managerial information. HOTNET has been adapted for NETBIOS LAN use -- this lets multiple telephone support personnel use a common database. Support personnel can query the database to discover if particular problems have already been "solved" -- this saves a great amount of time not having to re-invent the wheel over and over again. It also captures information in a common database that can be used for managerial decisions. HOTNET is now being distributed as a copyrighted shareware package for LAN or single-user use. DEFINITION OF SHAREWARE The author is a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals. Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and continue using it, you are expected to register. Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software, and the copyright holder retains all rights, with a few specific exceptions as stated below. The main difference between shareware and commercial software is the method of distribution. The shareware author specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of software. You should find software that suits your needs and pocketbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try before you buy. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee -- if you don't use the product, you don't pay for it. This program is produced by a member of the Association of Shareware Professionals (ASP). ASP wants to make sure that the shareware principle works for you. If you are unable to resolve a shareware-related problem with an ASP member by contacting the member directly, ASP may be able to help. The ASP Ombudsman can help you resolve a dispute or problem with an ASP member, but does not provide technical support for members' products. Please write to the ASP Ombudsman at 545 Grover Road, Muskegon, MI 49442 or send a CompuServe message via CompuServe Mail to ASP Ombudsman 70007,3536. 2 HotNet - Phone Support System DISCLAIMER - AGREEMENT Users of HOTNET must accept this disclaimer of warranty: "HOTNET is supplied as is. The author disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, including, without limitation, the warranties of merchantability and of fitness for any purpose. The author assumes no liability for damages, direct or consequential, which may result from the use of HOTNET." HOTNET is a "shareware program" and is provided at no charge to the user for evaluation. Feel free to share it with your friends, but please do not give it away altered or as part of another system. The essence of "user-supported" software is to provide personal computer users with quality software without high prices, and yet to provide incentive for programmers to continue to develop new products. If you find this program useful and find that you are using HOTNET and continue to use HOTNET after a reasonable trial period, you must make a registration payment of $49 per file server to the author. The $49 registration fee will license one copy for use on any one file server at any one time. Up to 4 workstations attached to the file server may use this copy of HOTNET. Commercial users of HOTNET must register and pay for their copies of HOTNET within 30 days of first use or their license is withdrawn. Site-License arrangements or arrangements for use by more than 4 workstations may be made by contacting the author. Anyone distributing HOTNET for any kind of remuneration must first contact the author at the address below for authorization. This authorization will be automatically granted to distributors recognized by the (ASP) as adhering to its guidelines for shareware distributors, and such distributors may begin offering HOTNET immediately (However, the author must still be advised so that the distributor can be kept up-to-date with the latest version of HOTNET). You are encouraged to pass a copy of HOTNET along to your friends for evaluation. Please encourage them to register their copy if they find that they can use it. 3 HotNet - Phone Support System REGISTRATION If you like and use HOTNET after the initial trial period you must register, and pay for, this program. Full details and a registration form can be found in the file HOTNET.REG which is distributed with HOTNET. When you register HOTNET you will receive: * a copy of the latest version of HOTNET on diskette, direct from the author and guaranteed virus-free; * a printed copy of this reference manual; * notification of upgrades and new releases; * access to 3 months of free technical support. ADDRESS FOR ENQUIRIES, REGISTRATIONS & SUPPORT For Technical Support and General Enquiries, the author can be contacted in the following ways (in approximate order of preference): * On Compuserve, via EASYPLEX to ID [71336,336]. Registrations should be sent by mail to the address below. * By US Mail to : Joey Robichaux P. O. Box 91016-199 Baton Rouge, La. 70821 * Telephone : (504) 752-2620. Please note that the author will not normally be available at this number during working hours, but please leave a message and he will return your call as soon as possible. 4 HotNet - Phone Support System TABLE OF CONTENTS SECTION I. INTRODUCTION Why should I use HOTNET .............................. 6 Hardware Requirements ................................ 7 How to Install HOTNET ................................ 8 Files and Buffers .................................... 10 SECTION II. GETTING STARTED Starting HOTNET ...................................... 11 A Menu Tour .......................................... 12 SECTION III. USING HOTNET Maintain Call Records ................................ 14 Edit an Existing Record .............................. 16 The Free-Form Comments Field ......................... 18 Adding a New Record .................................. 19 Deleting an Existing Record .......................... 22 Returning From the Scrolling Call Record Window ...... 23 The Utility Menu ..................................... 24 Log In ............................................... 25 Choose a Printer ..................................... 26 Build New Index ...................................... 27 Purge Old Records .................................... 28 Export Range of Records .............................. 29 Import Records ....................................... 30 Return from the Utilities Menu ....................... 31 The Report Menu ...................................... 32 Return from the Report Menu .......................... 33 Terminate HOTNET ..................................... 34 5 HotNet - Phone Support System SECTION I. INTRODUCTION 1.1 WHY SHOULD I USE HOTNET? Do you provide some type of "hotline" phone support -- perhaps from users of a software package you support, or maybe from business owners needing tax advice. You may be trying to trouble-shoot mechanical problems from lawn-mower dealers; perhaps you're part of a legislative committee that's explaining new laws introduced in the current session. Maybe you're just trying to collect feedback from people on a new product you've introduced. All of these scenarios have common business problems: 1) They're fielding questions from a wide body of end-users. 2) Many different people may be answering the phone. 3) These people may not know the "product" or "service" in great detail. 4) Many common questions are asked frequently. 5) The phone personnel may not know if a question has already been solved or not. 6) Managment needs some kind of way to track what kinds of questions and problems end-users have. 7) Management needs to know which problems are unresolved so they can concentrate resources to solve those problems. 8) Management needs a way to track the activity and performance of phone personnel. HOTNET, a PC-based multi-user shareware system, can help solve these business problems. HOTNET is network capable and supports NETBIOS record locking. HOTNET is designed to capture caller information to help phone personnel record and solve common problems and also to provide management with the necessary information to help make business decisions. 6 HotNet - Phone Support System 1.2 HARDWARE REQUIREMENTS HOTNET will run on any 100% IBM compatable PC-DOS/MS-DOS machine. It will run on 8088 class machines, although performance is best with 80286 and above machines. A hard drive and printer are recommended for optimum performance. You should have 640K conventional RAM to use HOTNET, especially if you are accessing a network. HOTNET will run on a NETBIOS-compatable network. It has been tested on Novell Advanced Netware and on TopShare. It uses standard NETBIOS record locking techniques. The physical type of network should not be important. HOTNET has been tested on both Arcnet and Ethernet LAN's. Note that some types of networks require a great amount of memory in each workstation to be reserved for network software use. You must have at least 374K of free memory to use HOTNET. Most network software leaves this much free memory. HOTNET supports both color and monochrome video monitors. HOTNET supports the following types of printers (and compatables): * Epson EX/FX/JX/RX/LQ printers * HP LaserJet 500/+/II/III * Generic ASCII printers * HP LaserJet I * IBM Proprinter * Panasonic KX * Diablo 620 & 630 * Toshiba P341/P351 7 HotNet - Phone Support System 1.3 HOW TO INSTALL HOTNET Installing HOTNET is fairly simple. Simply create a subdirectory on the hard disk of the system which will contain HOTNET. This will be your personal hard disk if you are installing HOTNET for non-LAN personal use. It will be the file server's hard disk if you are installing HOTNET for multi-user access. If you are installing HOTNET on a LAN, you must have the proper supervisory rights to create the subdirectory. Contact your Network Adminstrator if you have problems doing this. Furthermore, you must grant create/delete/read/write rights to all potential HOTNET users. Again, contact your Network Administrator if you need assistance. If you are installing the archived version of HOTNET (HN.EXE), you may unarchive the system as follows: 1) Create the proper subdirectory on the target hard drive. 2) Make that drive/subdirectory current. (ex: F:\PUBLIC> MD HOTNET (create subdirectory) F:\PUBLIC> CD HOTNET (make it current) F:\PUBLIC\HOTNET> 3) Insert HOTNET diskette in disk drive. 4) Enter the following command (assumes using drive B): F:\PUBLIC\HOTNET> B:HN HN.EXE is a self-extracting version of HOTNET. It will extract the necessary HOTNET files and place them in the current drive\subdirectory. You will install the following files: HOTNET.EXE HOTNET.DOC PHONE.DBF PHONE.DBT PHONE1.NTX PHONE2.NTX PHONE3.NTX PHONE4.NTX REPORTS.RP1 RR.CNF RR.UDF RRC.OVL RRUN.EXE RRUNC.OVL RRUNTIME.EXE RRUNIN.DBF WWCUST.DBF REGISTER.DOC UPDATES.DOC Next, you should create an environment variable called LOGNAME. Each user should have this variable. You can do this easily in each user's LOGIN script if they are networked users. Contact your Network Adminstrator for assistance in doing this. The LOGNAME variable should be set to the person's name. This name will be used to track who is answering calls and will be used in HOTNET reports. 8 HotNet - Phone Support System HOTNET has a method to override this variable -- you can select an option called "Log in" (See LOG IN). However, if you have the LOGNAME variable, users will be automatically logged in when they access HOTNET. If you do not use the LOGNAME variable, HOTNET will still work. It will then be necessary for users to log in manually with the "Log in" utility function. If you don't set the LOGNAME variable in the network LOGIN script, you can use the DOS "SET" command. For example, "SET LOGNAME=JOEY" will create an environment variable called LOGNAME and assign it the value "JOEY". If you then access HOTNET, you'll that user "JOEY" has automatically been logged in. You can place the SET command in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file. 9 HotNet - Phone Support System 1.4 FILES AND BUFFERS HOTNET requires you have an ample amount of FILES and BUFFERS reserved in your CONFIG.SYS file. The amount depends on the type of network software you use and possibly on what TSR programs you may have installed. In general, you should have at least the following figures: FILES = 30 BUFFERS = 8 If you have problems running HOTNET, you should try increasing the number of FILES. Again, this depends on your network software and also on what else is running on your workstation. If you don't know how to check your CONFIG.SYS, you should contact the Network Administrator for help. You could also try the following: The CONFIG.SYS file should be in the root directory of your boot disk (probably your hard drive; probably drive C). If, for example, you boot from drive C, enter "C:" to make drive C current. Then, enter "CD \" to return to the root directory. Enter "DIR CONFIG.SYS" to make sure you have a CONFIG.SYS file. If you see one, you can check the contents by entering "TYPE CONFIG.SYS". If necessary, you can edit your CONFIG.SYS with a text editor or word processor. Make sure and read and save the text in ASCII format. For example, if you're using WordPerfect, be sure to use "TEXT IN/TEXT OUT" to access your CONFIG.SYS file. 10 HotNet - Phone Support System SECTION II - GETTING STARTED 2.1 STARTING HOTNET To start HOTNET, first make sure the proper hard drive and subdirectory are current. If you're using network software, you may want to MAP a pseudo-drive to this drive and subdirectory. Next, type HOTNET and press enter. HOTNET displays a brief copyright notice; you can wait a few seconds for the copyright notice to clear, or you can press a key to clear it instantly. HOTNET then routes to the main menu; you can begin using HOTNET. The first time you access HOTNET, you'll notice that a small sample database has been loaded. You can practice editing, scanning, deleting, and printing this database. To clear the small database, you must delete each of the individual records (see EDITING THE CALL DATABASE). 11 HotNet - Phone Support System 2.2 A MENU TOUR HOTNET uses scrolling menus. You can use the up and down arrows to move a highlighted bar and select menu options. You can also use the HOME key to highlight the first option on each menu and the END key to highlight the last option. You must press the ENTER key to select an option. An alternate method is to press the first letter of the desired option. HOTNET has three menus. They are: * Main Menu * Utilities Menu * Reports Menu The Main Menu looks like this: ******************************* * * * Phone Calls * * Utilities * * Reports * * Terminate * * * * Select a function * * * ******************************* The first option, Phone Calls, lets you access the phone call database. You can work with the call database sorted in four possible ways -- sorted by call number, caller, problem description, or date. The default sort sequence is problem number. 12 HotNet - Phone Support System The second option activates the Utilities menu. The Utilities menu looks like this: ******************************* * Log in * * Choose a printer * * Build new Index * * Purge old records * * Export range of records * * Import records * * * * Select a function * * * ******************************* The options on this menu let you override the automatic log in function, select a printer, rebuild corrupted index files, purge old records, and export/import ranges of call records. These reports give you access to the number and types of calls fielded during specified periods, the types of unresolved calls, the phone activity and activity per person, and the types of calls fielded by person. Finally, the last option Terminates the HOTNET program and returns you to DOS. 13 HotNet - Phone Support System SECTION III - USING HOTNET IMPORTANT*** HOTNET is a multi-user system that supports NETBIOS record locking. It's possible that two users may access the same record and attempt conflicting actions -- both editing at the same time, or editing and deleting. At these times, the user who accesses the record first has preference. The second user will receive a message noting that a record locking failure has occured and that he should try again in a moment. *** 3.1 MAINTAIN CALL RECORDS Select the first option on the Main Menu -- Phone Calls. Now you're prompted to select the order -- you'll see the prompt in the box on the bottom of the screen. You can select problem number order (N), caller name order (C), problem description order (P), or date call answered order (D). HOTNET defaults to problem number order. You can override this by pressing either C, P, or D. You don't need to press the ENTER key; you don't need to enter the upper-case letter. Once you select a new order, it remains active for your entire session. For now, take the default sort order -- Number. Just press the ENTER key. You now see this screen: *********************************************************** * Problem Number Sequence * *********************************************************** * 22 First Lastname Sample error call 01/24/91* * 23 First Lastname Sample error call 01/25/91* * 24 Another Lastname Printer error #8 01/26/91* * * * * * * * * *********************************************************** The first option is marked by a highlighted bar. You can move the bar up and down with the up and down arrows. As you enter more records, you'll find the PgUp and PgDn keys also work -- they move you a screen at a time. You can also use the Home and End keys to move quickly to the beginning or end of the call database. You can do four things at this point (sometimes there's a fifth). You can: 14 HotNet - Phone Support System * Insert a new record * Edit an existing record * Delete an existing record * Return to the previous screen (the Main Menu) The message in the bottom box prompts you to press the Enter key to edit the currently highlighted record, press the Insert key to add a new record, press the Delete key to delete the currently highlighted record, or press the Escape key to return to the Main Menu. If you are not accessing the calls in call number sequence - - if you selected caller sequence, or problem description sequence, or date sequence -- you can use "keys" to locate specific records. For example, suppose you've accessed the calls in problem description order and you want to see if any existing records deal with the problem "Printer error #8". You're looking at the scrolling window full of call records. If you press the capital "P" key, the call record scrolling window will move to the first record whose problem description begins with the letter "P". Next, press the lower case "r" key. The window scrolls to the records matching "Pr". You can continue this successive refinement process until you locate any desired records. You can then use the arrow keys to highlight that record, or you can continue to type the rest of the key until the record is highlighted. If, at any time, you type a sequence that does not match a key, you'll see the message "Key not found" in the bottom box. You can use the backspace key to remove keystrokes. Also, any time you use an arrow key, Home/End, or PgUp/PgDn key, you clear the key portion that you've entered. This lets you quickly re- enter a key from the beginning. 15 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.2 EDIT AN EXISTING RECORD Press the Enter key to edit the currently highlighted record. You'll see a screen that looks like this: ******************************************************** * Log: Master User Track: 22 * ******************************************************** * Desc: Sample error call * * Who: First Lastname * * Where: Denver * * Phone: (303)555-8291 * * Time: 13:50:42 * * Date: 01/24/91 Solved: 01/24/91 * ******************************************************** ************************************************************** * This is a sample call logging. The whole key is to select * * meaningful values for the "Short" description field. This * * makes it easy to display problems by problem type -- you * * can then "discover" problems that another answerer has * * already solved. * * * ************************************************************** The data fields are: LOG : The phone answerer currently logged in. This is the name in the environment variable LOGNAME or it is the name used in the LOG IN utility option to override LOGNAME. You cannot edit this field. TRACK : A tracking number assigned when the call was originally added. You cannot edit this field. DESC : a short problem description. This is the field that's used to sort by problem order. WHO : The caller's name (if desired). This field makes it easy to reference previous calls from the same caller. WHERE : The caller's location (if desired) PHONE : The caller's phone number TIME : The time the call was added. DATE : The date the call was added. SOLVED: The date the call was solved. plus : The comments box. This box contains a free- form memo field. This field can be thousands of bytes long. You can scroll within the box using several navigation keys. Your cursor is initially set to the DESC field. You may change this data by typing new data. You can use the INSERT key to toggle OVERSTRIKE or INSERT mode. You can also use the DELETE and BACKSPACE keys to edit data. 16 HotNet - Phone Support System Using either the left or right arrow keys move the cursor one character at a time within the data field. Pressing either the HOME or END key bring the cursor to the beginning or the end of the field. Pressing CTRL-RIGHT ARROW or CTRL-LEFT ARROW move the cursor one word at a time in the desired direction. You can move the cursor to the next data field by pressing the ENTER key or by pressing the down arrow key. Pressing the up arrow key moves you up to the previous data field. Once your cursor has reached the SOLVED field, pressing ENTER brings the cursor into the free-form comments field. Once you've reached the free-form comments field, you cannot up arrow to return to the previous data fields. You must return to the call record scrolling window and select the record to re-edit. You can also quickly reach the free-form comments field by pressing CTRL-W at any time while editing the DESC, WHO, WHERE, PHONE, TIME, DATE, or SOLVED data fields. You may also abort the edit at any time by pressing the ESCAPE key. This will return you to the previous scrolling window of call records. 17 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.3 THE FREE-FORM COMMENTS FIELD When you're entering free-form comments, you're in a mini- word processor mode. This simple word processor does word- wrapping and responds to many standard word processing commands, including the following: Up arrow or CTRL-E Cursor up Down arrow or CTRL-X Cursor down Left arrow or CTRL-S Cursor left Right arrow or CTRL-D Cursor right CTRL-left arrow or CTRL-A Cursor left one word CTRL-right arrow or CTRL-F Cursor right one word HOME Beginning of current line END End of current line CTRL-HOME Beginning of current window CTRL-END End of current window PgUp Previous edit window PgDn Next edit window CTRL-PgUp Beginning of comments field CTRL-PgDn End of comments field Return Move to beginning of next line Delete Delete character at cursor Backspace Delete character to left of cursor Tab Insert tab character or spaces CTRL-Y Delete the current line CTRL-T Delete word right CTRL-B Reformat paragraph Insert Toggle insert mode CTRL-W Finish edit and save data ESCAPE Abort edit without save You may use these commands to enter any free-form comments you wish to describe the call and any resolution. Note that the information will scroll within the window; you can enter thousands of characters of information on a free-form comment. This information can be printed on selected reports. You can abort the edit process by pressing the ESCAPE key. This will return to the previous scrolling window of call records without saving any of the changes you've made. The only way to exit from free-form edit and save the information is by pressing the CTRL-W key combination. Pressing ENTER simply adds carriage returns to the comment field. 18 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.4 ADDING A NEW RECORD From the scrolling call record window, press the INSERT key. You'll receive a screen that looks like this: ******************************************************** * Log: Logname Track: 25 * ******************************************************** * Desc: * * Who: * * Where: * * Phone: ( ) - * * Time: 13:50:42 * * Date: 01/24/91 Solved: 01/24/91 * ******************************************************** ************************************************************** * * * * * * * * * * * * ************************************************************** The data fields are: LOG : The phone answerer currently logged in. This is the name in the environment variable LOGNAME or it is the name used in the LOG IN utility option to override LOGNAME. You cannot edit this field. TRACK : A tracking number assigned when the call was originally added. You cannot edit this field. DESC : a short problem description. This is the field that's used to sort by problem order. WHO : The caller's name (if desired). This field makes it easy to reference previous calls from the same caller. WHERE : The caller's location (if desired) PHONE : The caller's phone number TIME : The time the call was added. Defaults to the current machine time. DATE : The date the call was added. Defaults to the current machine date. SOLVED: The date the call was solved. Defaults to the current machine date. Assumes most calls are solved the first time. plus : The comments box. This box contains a free- form memo field. This field can be thousands of bytes long. You can scroll within the box using several navigation keys. 19 HotNet - Phone Support System Your cursor is initially set to the DESC field. You may enter data here to describe the nature of the call. It's best if you take a little time and use consistent descriptions. For example, suppose three different callers call with the same problem -- a printer problem where the printer double spaces instead of single spacing. The first call is described as "Double spacing instead of single", the second call is described as "Using too much paper", the third call is described as "Problems with printer spacing". With these three different descriptions, it's not likely that a new call answerer fielding a fourth call on the same problem would locate these three earlier calls and their solutions. In this case, it would be best to describe the problem as "Printer problem - spacing". This way, an answerer could access the call database in problem description order. The answerer could use successive refinement to locate the Printer problems, and then search for spacing problems. Back to the data entry screen. Enter your data in the same manner that you used for the Edit screen. You can use the INSERT key to toggle OVERSTRIKE or INSERT mode. You can also use the DELETE and BACKSPACE keys to edit data. Using either the left or right arrow keys move the cursor one character at a time within the data field. Pressing either the HOME or END key bring the cursor to the beginning or the end of the field. Pressing CTRL-RIGHT ARROW or CTRL-LEFT ARROW move the cursor one word at a time in the desired direction. You can move the cursor to the next data field by pressing the ENTER key or by pressing the down arrow key. Pressing the up arrow key moves you up to the previous data field. You'll note that the TIME, the DATE, and the SOLVED fields all default to current values. You may alter these values if desired. Once your cursor has reached the SOLVED field, pressing ENTER brings the cursor into the free-form comments field. Once you've reached the free-form comments field, you cannot up arrow to return to the previous data fields. You must return to the scrolling call record window and select the record to re-edit. You can also quickly reach the free-form comments field by pressing CTRL-W at any time while editing the DESC, WHO, WHERE, PHONE, TIME, DATE, or SOLVED data fields. 20 HotNet - Phone Support System You may also abort the edit at any time by pressing the ESCAPE key. This will return you to the previous scrolling window of call records. See the section "THE FREE-FORM COMMENTS FIELD" for details on the comments field. Remember, you MUST press CTRL-W to exit the comments field and save the data; pressing ESCAPE aborts the insert process without saving any data. 21 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.5 DELETING AN EXISTING RECORD From the scrolling call record window, press the DELETE key to delete the currently highlighted record. You're now prompted with the message: "Please press 'D' to confirm delete" The system waits for you to press a key. If you press anything other than the D key, the record will NOT be deleted. If you press the D key (or the d -- upper or lower case will both work), then the record will be deleted. Once you've deleted a record, you cannot recover it without restoring the system from a backup copy. After you've either deleted a record, or aborted the delete, you'll return to the scrolling call record window. 22 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.6 RETURNING FROM THE SCROLLING CALL RECORD WINDOW At any time while in the scrolling call record window, you may press the ESCAPE key to return to the Main Menu. 23 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.7 THE UTILITIES MENU The second option on the Main Menu activates the Utilities menu. The Utilities menu looks like this: ******************************* * Log in * * Choose a printer * * Build new Index * * Purge old records * * Export range of records * * Import records * * * * Select a function * * * ******************************* The options on this menu let you override the automatic log in function, select a printer, rebuild corrupted index files, scan through the phone call database, purge old records, and export/import ranges of call records. 24 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.8 LOG IN The name used in the LOG IN function is automatically assigned to any call records that are added in this session. You cannot change this name when you are adding a call record. You can only change the call answerer's name in the LOG IN function. Note that if you have an environment variable called LOGNAME, you can set this variable to the call answerer's name. A discussion of this feature is found in the section, "HOW TO INSTALL HOTNET". If you use the LOGNAME feature, you may not need to use the LOG IN function of UTILITIES. If, however, you wish to override the automatic LOG function, or if you don't wish to use the LOGNAME feature, you can manually log in a call answerer. When you select this option, the prompt box on the bottom of the screen prompts: Log In: You may enter the call answerer's name in this field. Press the ENTER key when you are finished, or press the ESCAPE key to abort without changing anything. You may use any of the editing keys (insert/overstrike, delete, backspace, HOME/END, etc) that were effective in the data entry screens. After you either enter a name or escape, you'll return to the Utilities menu. 25 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.9 CHOOSE A PRINTER This option lets you select one of several printers. If your printer is not supported, the "Generic printer" option will most probably work. Note that most printers are capable of emulating other printers. You should select the emulated printer over the physical printer. For example, a Toshiba P351 printer can be set to emulate an IBM ProPrinter. In this case, you should select IBM ProPrinter rather than the physically correct Toshiba P341/351. If you press ESCAPE, you'll return to the Utilities menu without changing the already selected printer. You can use the arrow keys to highlight a new printer. Press the ENTER key to select this printer and return to the Utilities menu. 26 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.10 BUILD NEW INDEX Occasionally, it's possible that a data index may become corrupted. The most likely cause is a power loss while you are using the system. Selecting this option will rebuild the index files. This option is a protected option -- only the user logged in as "Master User" is allowed to perform this option. If a user other than "Master User" is selected, the user will receive the message "Sorry, authorization failure". If "Master User" selects this function, HOTNET will reorganize the call record file and build a new set of data index files. Since the call record file is reorganized, this function should be selected every month or so simply for housekeeping functions. This will help if performance starts to slip. After this function finishes, you'll return to the Utilities menu. 27 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.11 PURGE OLD RECORDS This is another protected feature. It may only be accessed by the user logged in as "Master User". If "Master User" selects this option, HOTNET prompts: Purge all before: / / You can press the ESCAPE key to abort the purge process. The date does not default to any value. If you enter this blank date, then no call records will be purged. Once you enter a date, you'll receive the prompt: Confirm? N The default value is No -- do not purge. If you press the Y key (or the y key -- upper and lower case act the same), then all call records with a DATE less than the purge date will be deleted. Records with a DATE equal to or greater than the purge date will not be deleted. Once the purge process is complete, you'll return to the Utilities menu. 28 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.12 EXPORT RANGE OF RECORDS This is another protected feature; it may only be accessed by "Master User". When you select this option, you're prompted to enter a beginning date and an ending date. All call records that fall within these two dates will be selected for export. These records will only be copied -- they will not be removed from the call record database. You're then prompted to enter a diskette drive. Enter the desired diskette drive. The selected records will be copied to the disk. You can press the ESCAPE key at any of the above data entry fields to abort the Export process and return to the Utilities menu. HOTNET will not span large files over multiple diskettes. If you need to export a large number of records, then use dates so that you can do it in several smaller steps. You may wish to use this feature if you wish to share call record with a remote HOTNET user. This lets call answerers in physically different locations use a common database of information. When the Export feature finishes, you will return to the Utilities menu. 29 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.13 IMPORT RECORDS This is another protected feature that is only allowed to "Master User". You can only import records that have already been exported with the "Export range of records" option. You're prompted to select a diskette drive. Select the drive that contains the exported records diskette. The records will be imported and added to the current call record file. When this function finishes, or if you press ESCAPE at a data entry prompt, you'll return to the Utilities menu. 30 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.14 RETURN FROM THE UTILITIES MENU At any time while you're in the Utilities menu, you may press the ESCAPE key to return to the Main Menu. 31 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.15 THE REPORTS MENU The third option on the main menu activate the Reports menu. The Reports menu looks like this: ************************************ * Activity Reports * * Open Calls * * Daily Call Frequency * * Daily Call Frequency/Person * * Individual Activity * * * * Select a function * * * ************************************ Reports are generated with a run-time version of R&R Report Writer (R & R Report Writer is a registered trademark of Concentric Data Systems). You may select any of these reports: * Activity Report - Details full call activity chronologically between two dates. * Open Calls - Lists all unresolved calls. * Daily Call Frequency - Lists number of calls by day between two dates. * Daily Call Frequency/Person - Lists number of calls by day by call answerer between two dates. * Individual Activity - Details full call activity chronologically between two dates sorted by call answerer. Once you've selected a report, you may be prompted to enter a beginning and end date. You can press ESCAPE at these prompts to abort the report process and return to the Report Menu. After you've entered any necessary date information, you'll see an informational message on the bottom of the screen as HOTNET calls R & R Report Writer. You can press ESCAPE while R & R Report Writer is in control -- you'll receive a prompt asking you to Cancel or Resume the print process. After the print has finished, HOTNET resumes control. You'll return to the Report Menu. 32 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.16 RETURN FROM THE REPORTS MENU At any time while you're in the Reports menu, you may press the ESCAPE key to return to the Main Menu. 33 HotNet - Phone Support System 3.17 TERMINATE HOTNET At any time while you're in the Main Menu, you may select the Terminate option to exit HOTNET and return to DOS. Pressing ESCAPE will not exit HOTNET. 34