Knowledge Base

Created as a combination of FAQ and search utility, the KnowledgeBase system helps to improve customer support.

Understanding Knowledge Bases

Knowledge Base is implemented in the control panel TechSupport System. It helps TechSupport admins and TechSupport assistants to compose answers to customer questions and problems. Technically, the KnowledgeBase system checks the trouble ticket against the knowledge base to find the most relevant suggested replies that appear on the trouble ticket page.

There are 2 knowledge base utilities in the Support Center menu:

• KnowledgeBase Admin allows creating, editing and removing knowledge bases. This option is available under TechSupport Admin account only.
• KnowledgeBase option allows only viewing records and searching suggestions. This option is available under TechSupport and TechSupport Admin accounts.

Before version 2.4, resellers could not create, export, import, and edit knowledge bases. Instead, they could use the default knowledgebases of their hosts. In 2.4, resellers can't use your knowledgebases. They need to create their own knowledgebases, or you can export your knowledgebase for resellers to import.

Knowledge base can be created only under Admin and Tech Support Admin plans. We presume you have already created Tech Support Admin account as a necessary step to create knowledge base and configure your technical support system.

Creating Knowledge Bases

Knowledge base works as a standard search system. When creating knowledge base records, make sure to compose logical entries that contain important keywords and avoid wordiness.

To create a knowledge base, do the following:

1. In your admin control panel, select KnowledgeBase Admin from the Support Center menu.
2. On the page that shows, enter the name of the knowledge base in the Create Knowledge Base section:



3. Click the Create button. The newly created knowledge base appears in the Existing Knowledge Bases section.
4. To create a category in this knowledge base, click the Edit link next to the new knowledge base.
5. On a page that shows, enter a category name in the Add Category section.



6. Click Create. New category appears in the list of existing categories.
7. To create actual records in knowledge base categories, click Add in the necessary category.
8. Enter the problem in the Question field and a solution in the Answer field:
   

   

9. Click Submit Query.

Editing and Removing Knowledge Bases

You can edit existing knowledge bases, e.g: add and remove categories, edit and remove posted records, move records between categories. To edit a knowledge base, do the following:

1. In your Tech Support Admin account control panel, select KnowledgeBase Admin from the Support Center menu;
2. Click the Edit link next to the knowledge base. On the page that shows, you can:

• Delete categories by clicking the Delete link next to it
• Edit records by clicking Edit next to it, and, when done, clicking Submit Query.
• Remove records by clicking Delete next to it
• Switch records between categories:
  1. Click Edit against the necessary record;
  2. In the drop-down box, select the category;
  3. Click the Change button. The record moves to the selected category.

  Note: think twice before removing categories and records, they won't be restored.

Important: after you made significant changes in your knowledge base, like removing a number of records or adding a lot of new entries, the search system needs to be re-indexed and updated to a number of new keywords. To do it, click Fix against the modified knowledge base.

To remove an existing KnowledgeBase, simply click the Delete link next to it.

Exporting Knowledge Base

You can export existing knowledge bases from your H-Sphere control panel and download them to a chosen location. All knowledge bases are downloaded from H-Sphere in 'jar' format. To export a Knowledge Base:

1. In your Tech Support Admin account control panel, select KnowledgeBase Admin from the Support Center menu.



2. Click the Export link next to a Knowledge Base and the standart dialog window shows.
3. Perform common steps to download file: choose location and click Save.

Importing Knowledge Bases

You can import knowledge bases that have been previously backed up or created on other H-Sphere systems. An imported knowledge base is automatically added to H-Sphere. To import a knowledge base:

1. In your Tech Support Admin account control panel, select KnowledgeBase Admin from the Support Center menu;
2. Click the Browse button next to Import Knowledge Base:
   

   

3. Select the database file, then click Upload.

Spellcheck

Knowledge Base allows checking answers to trouble tickets and knowledge base records for spelling. To spellcheck records:

1. Click the spellcheck link under the message field. Pop-up window shows with misspelled words, if any, being underlined:



2. Point your mouse to a misspelled word and a number of suggestions shows.
3. Choose the correct variant and click Done.

Search

Knowledge base has a search function. It allows not just viewing suggestions in trouble tickets, but also searching the queries with the search utility. To find an answer to your question:

1. Go to Knowledge Base in the Support Center menu. At the top of the page, Search function shows.
   Alternatively, go to KnowledgeBase Admin and click Edit next to the knowledge base. At the top of the page, Search function shows.



2. Enter query in the Search field.
3. Select the category from the drop-down box.
4. Click Search. The list of search results appears showing relative categories in brackets.

Settings

Here you will learn how actually to make knowledge base work in your trouble ticket system. You can set a default knowledge base and the number of suggestions it will put in trouble tickets. To do this:

1. Select TechSupport in the Settings menu.



2. On the page that appears, choose the Default Knowledge Base that will be available to end users as well as TechSupport admins and TechSupport assistants in the control panel from Support Center -> KnowledgeBase.
3. Choose the Default Support Knowledge Base that will be used to suggest trouble ticket answers to all TechSupport admins and TechSupport assistants. Clicking the necessary suggestion will automatically fill out answer box for the ticket.
   Note: you can choose between other suggestions, edit and change your answer to make it most suitable for the question.
4. Set the maximum number of suggestions to show in trouble tickets.
5. Click Save.