Ticket merge/link - bulk notification

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pmepereira
Znuny newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: 15 Feb 2018, 16:52
Znuny Version: OTRS 6 Patch Level 5
Real Name: Pedro Pereira

Ticket merge/link - bulk notification

Post by pmepereira »

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EDIT: I found the same subject on a post, in this link: viewtopic.php?f=62&t=31989
But there was no definite answer.
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Hello,

I'm having some issues regarding Ticket Merges and subsequent notifications...

Setup:
User1 sends an email to a queue with Message1, creating Ticket1 (T1, for simplicity).
User2 sends an email to a queue with Message2, regarding the same subject (e.g. "the website is down"), creating Ticket2 (T2).

What I usually did on our previous ticketing system (RT) was, I merged T2 into T1, having T2's full history inserted into T1 as well as keeping User2 alongside User1. In replying to T1, User1 and User2 were notified.

In OTRS, when I merge T2 into T1, T2's history is merged but I lose all User2 info from T2. Thus, replying to T1 does not notify User2.

I want to merge the tickets because the problem is the same, is treated/solved the same way, and everyone with the same problem should be notified of it (IMO, of course).


Unless merging is not the way to go... maybe Linking?
I understand the concept of Parent/Child/Normal linking.
In this case, T2 would be a child of T1. But how do I notify all users from linked tickets, so I can inform them that "the website is up again"?


I know that I can reply to any number of tickets using Bulk Actions, but that requires manually selecting T1 and T2 every time an interaction is needed. It quickly gets out of hand if "the website is down" and we receive 15 tickets... Manually selecting all of them is prone to errors (not including the correct tickets, including non-related tickets, and so forth...)


So, I come here asking for your help, in figuring out the best way of doing this...

Simple solution: in merging tickets, copy User2 to the T1 customer list, to be used as a CC in all comunications. How?
Simple Solution 2: in linking tickets, have a "reply to all linked" option. How?
Not so simple (as in, I don't even know how to start): developing a widget (or modifying the Linked objects widget on Ticket Zoom view), adding a Select All / Reply to All button. Is it even possible?


Thanks in advance,


Pedro
seberget2
Znuny newbie
Posts: 74
Joined: 17 May 2013, 09:30
Znuny Version: 6.0.30
Real Name: Stein Erik Berget

Re: Ticket merge/link - bulk notification

Post by seberget2 »

I believe you are attacking this the wrong way with OTRS. If the users are from different companies, these tickets should be handled as two separate tickets. However, OTRS have a feature/plug-in that would help you do both. Namely the master/slave plug-in. You would then need to create a new 'master' ticket and link the two ticket to it as 'slaves'. When you then answer the 'master' ticket, both slaves will be updated with the same message.

The specific questions the individual customers would have, can thereafter be answered and handled as without the master/slave relationship.

Hope this will help you along!

Have a happy day!
OTRS 6.0.12 on Ubuntu with MySQL DB, and various plug-ins and a hack or two :-D
pmepereira
Znuny newbie
Posts: 7
Joined: 15 Feb 2018, 16:52
Znuny Version: OTRS 6 Patch Level 5
Real Name: Pedro Pereira

Re: Ticket merge/link - bulk notification

Post by pmepereira »

I just tried out the Master/Slave funcionality.

I still have to test ticket interaction (reply, close) to see if it replicates the info from the Master to the Slave(s), but this seems to be the answer to my problem.
I believe you are attacking this the wrong way with OTRS. If the users are from different companies, these tickets should be handled as two separate tickets.
In my case, there is only one Company, so there shouldn't be any problem merging the tickets and dealing with the problem that way.
In reality, this was simply a naming problem. I expected that a function ("Merge") with the same name in different platforms (OTRS vs RT) would roughly have the same effect... I was wrong. Think, McFly, think!! :lol:


For future reference, for someone with the same problem as me:

Same user, same problem, same company: Merge tickets.
Same problem, different user/company: use Master/Slave plugin.
Simple Parent/Child relationship (i.e. dependent tickets): Link tickets.
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