Spiceworks Experimentation: tickets and VMs

I've used Jira once or twice, but wanted some more experience with a ticketing system. Spiceworks is a great free option. I set up an account and have been experimenting with its various features: basic ticketing, of course, but also installing remote agents, supporting users with remote desktop, etc.

Creating and editing tickets is straightforward: on the Tickets tab, click on New Ticket. Enter a title, summary, priority, and any other details you need. There is also an option to attach a screenshot or other file.

To edit tickets, click on the ticket in question. You can change assignees, add comments, show time spent, etc.

I added another "employee," using a different email address, to practice sending myself tickets and changing assignees. You can do this under Settings > Employee Administration > New employee

There are some more interesting options under Settings: you can set up ticket rules, to automatically sort incoming tickets by assignee, priority, and more. You can also create "Canned Responses" to send in response to repeated issues or user errors. I created a simple one of each for practice.

The Tools & Apps page offers other features, like Remote Support. I used this to open a remote session with my Ubuntu VM. The end user is provided with a link and a session key to begin the session. The GUI was very simple and intuitive to use.

Installing the Spiceworks Agent Inventory software

I decided to install the Spiceworks Agent software on my Windows 10 Enterprise VM. Step one is to send the download link to the device you want to deploy it on. There is a simple installation wizard; it requires you to enter a key provided by the Spiceworks supervisor.

You will also need to install the Scanning Agent on your managing device. Download the file and enter the key when prompted.

Then check your Device Inventory page (check the left-hand toolbar). Your scanning device should now be listed. Click the menu buttons next to its name, and select "Rescan." It will scan for the Agent device and give you more information.

Spiceworks has many other functionalities I haven't yet explored, including integrating Active Directory, and a Connectivity Dashboard for monitoring remote devices. This was a fun introduction!