$BEFORE_TIT2Using the PVCS Tracker$AFTER_TIT2

PVCS Tracker (Program Version Control System, hereinafter — Tracker) is a web based bug trace product providing an everyday workflow automation of team development processes having different project teams and departments involved within our company during a full project life cycle.

We use Tracker mainly to track issues (Client Messages, CLM) submitted by our customers and describing the improvement suggestions, detected bugs, or other information. The issues are stored in the Tracker database and can be processed. Their status can be captured by the certain authorized persons within the $COMPANY company. Depending on the message processing resolution its status can be changed to one of the following values:

Message statusDescription
AuthorizedCreated message was captured in the Tracker and enqueued for studying and processing.
StudyingThe message is being studied by the Support Group.
ReceivedThe error was simulated (confirmed) or the project improvement suggestion was received and the message with this status was sent to the Development or Marketing department.
Fix in next version/patchSuggested improvements will be implemented in the new application version (fixing the error or modifying supported features).
Nothing to changeThe project improvement suggestion was rejected; described situation is not an error, the problem can be resolved by setting up the certain parameters, the needed feature can be modified by implementing the other suitable alternative solutions; the message was closed.
PostponeThe message is no longer actual; associated activities were postponed and can be resumed by special request; the message was closed.
Correction is doneThe project improvement suggestion was implemented (fixing the error or modifying supported features); the message was closed.

Submitting client messages

To shorten the client message processing cycle we recommend you to submit several client messages separately for each project improvement suggestions and for detected errors since their processing cycles may differ. If described problem is related to more than one subsystem, you should select only main one in the drop-down list and specify all other ones in the Note field.


Fig.1. Submitting new message

To accelerate the message processing you may attach files containing additional information: log file of SQL Monitor, screen shot illustrating the problem in graphics (for example, in JPEG format).

While creating a message that can be initially classified as an improvement request you should also specify the reasons for creating such message (the message must contain references to the demands of the customer's departments, such as, for example, Marketing department, references to standards etc.), as well as information on desired implementation period.


Fig. 2. Attaching file to the message

The client message submitting form contains the following fields:

Field nameMandatoryDescription/recommendations on entering
SubjectyesMessage title - brief description of the event or message subject being a reason of this submitting.
We don't recommend you to specify a name of subsystem in this field since you may use special field - Application.
Support team reserves the right to edit the contents of this field to clear the subject description.
DescriptionyesMessage body - detailed description of the problem and actions which have provoked it; for the project improvement suggestions you must specify a reason of such suggestion (event, business processes) and approximate algorithm of its implementation.
ApplicationnoName of the application associated with the message.
If you can't specify a certain application or the problem described covers several applications, you may select a main one or only that within which the problem was detected.
Installed versionnoVersion number of the application associated with the message.
You can retrieve the version number of the current application installed from special report.
Installed DB versionnoVersion number of the database schema installed while submitting the message.
You can retrieve the version number of the current DB schema installed from special report.
UrgencynoPriority of the message. The field determines the urgency of the message processing among the other Operator's messages depending on the specified priority.
Allowed values:
À - Urgent: the highest priority, the message must be processed first.
 - ASAP: as soon as possible; the message must be processed after the messages with priority À.
Ñ - Ordinary: ordinary; the issue must be processed after the messages with priorities A and B.
"None" - no priority.
If you want the message to be processed the within a certain period, specify a desired date of implementation.

Adding Files and Notes to CLM

You can attach files or add notes when submitting or updating messages to include more specific information in the message. To add note enter its title in the "Note Title" field or select it from the drop-down list (see also Fig.3):


Fig. 3. Adding Note to the message

Note TitleDescription/recommendations on entering
Demand to close messageThe note can be added by the Support group employee when closing a message. You must enter the reason for closing the message, for example, if the error correction is already done in the certain application version.
Grounds of conclusionYou must describe the reasons of changes while processing the message.
Message analysis orderRequest/order to perform analysis, for example, the order to send log file etc.
Message analysis resultFinal result of the message analysis.
Note of responsible concerning the message analysisNote of person responsible for the message analysis.
Pilot message analysisPilot message analysis.
PVCS Tracker Administrator NotePVCS Tracker Administrator note.
Quality NoteQA Group Note.

Setting automatic notifications

You can set automatic notifications to receive notice automatically on the specified user e-mail addresses when a message changes. The following Notification Rules are used by default:

If you want to change how the Tracker notifies you, send your requests on such Notification Options modification (as well as any questions concerning the administering of users) to the PVCS Tracker Administrator e-mail: PVCS_admin@billing.ru. Please send your requests on adding new users to the Support Group. $BILLING_BACK