FAQ Approval doesn't work as promised

[slub]

hello,

i'm very new to otrs but very absorbed the last couple of days

i set up a new 3.1.7 otrs (basic install) with the faq packet and some config stuff. now i wanna use the faq article approval feature, so i created a queue, the approval group and so comes with the packet install. then i changed some options via Sysconfig -> enabled FAQ::ApprovalRequired, the group at FAQ::ApprovalGroup got full rights on the queue at FAQ::ApprovalQueue. then an agent account created a new faq entry but after this nothing happend - no mail to the approval group, no new ticket in the approval queue. but the entry state is non-approved, that works fine. i also reinstalled the faq packet, nothing.

so what's wrong with my otrs? i'm thankful for any hint.

regards
Simon

[NormanPSI]

Found this very old post via Google.

I have the same problem with OTRS 4.0.11 and FAQ module 4.0.13.

Did you get a solution?

[NormanPSI]

I went through the manual of the latest version of the FAQ module. It refers to a script named "otrs.UnitTest.pl" to check the functions of the modules. So I executed the command

Code: Select all

./otrs.UnitTest.pl -n FAQ:FAQSearch:GenericInterface/FAQConnector

and got plenty of errors that I don't understand.

For example:

ERROR: OTRS-otrs.UnitTest-10 Perl: 5.16.3 OS: linux Time: Mon Dec 7 11:35:11 2015

Message: No Priority for 3 normal found!

Traceback (11958):
Module: Kernel::System::Priority::PriorityLookup Line: 352
Module: Kernel::System::Ticket::TicketCreate Line: 388
Module: Kernel::System::FAQ::_FAQApprovalTicketCreate Line: 2270
Module: Kernel::System::FAQ::FAQAdd Line: 680
Module: (eval) Line: 20
Module: Kernel::System::UnitTest::Run Line: 175
Module: ./otrs.UnitTest.pl Line: 62

ERROR: OTRS-otrs.UnitTest-10 Perl: 5.16.3 OS: linux Time: Mon Dec 7 11:35:11 2015

Message: No PriorityID (invalid Priority Name?)!

Traceback (11958):
Module: Kernel::System::Ticket::TicketCreate Line: 399
Module: Kernel::System::FAQ::_FAQApprovalTicketCreate Line: 2270
Module: Kernel::System::FAQ::FAQAdd Line: 680
Module: (eval) Line: 20
Module: Kernel::System::UnitTest::Run Line: 175
Module: ./otrs.UnitTest.pl Line: 62

ERROR: OTRS-otrs.UnitTest-10 Perl: 5.16.3 OS: linux Time: Mon Dec 7 11:35:11 2015

Message: Could not create approval ticket!

Traceback (11958):
Module: Kernel::System::FAQ::FAQAdd Line: 691
Module: (eval) Line: 20
Module: Kernel::System::UnitTest::Run Line: 175
Module: ./otrs.UnitTest.pl Line: 62

ERROR: OTRS-otrs.UnitTest-10 Perl: 5.16.3 OS: linux Time: Mon Dec 7 11:35:11 2015

Message: ParentID cannot be empty!

Traceback (11958):
Module: Kernel::System::FAQ::Category::CategoryUpdate Line: 1027
Module: (eval) Line: 345
Module: Kernel::System::UnitTest::Run Line: 175
Module: ./otrs.UnitTest.pl Line: 62

DebugLog error: Summary: Error in SOAP call: 500 Can't connect to [hostname]:443 at /opt/otrs/Kernel/GenericInterface/Transport/HTTP/SOAP.pm line 578. Data : No data provided.

and many more.

The last one is the one I'm most confused about. It obviously uses the FQDN set in Framework -> Core. But no matter which value I enter (hostname or IP address), the unit test can't connect. I created the webservice as shown in the FAQ manual, but the connection to
https://[hostname]/otrs/nph-genericinterface.pl/Webservice/GenericFAQConnector
first creates a SSL security warning (which makes no sense index.pl and customer.pl work fine) and then says "ERR_EMPTY_RESPONSE"


Does anyone have any idea what's wrong with our system.

[NormanPSI]

This stupid unit test totally messed up our system!

We have now several tables where you can find some sort of test entries. Multiple test users, test groups, test system_address and so on.

DON'T USE IT!!!

[EXG133]

Eh feel free to use the UnitTest script for what it's meant: unit testing ( https://otrs.github.io/doc/manual/devel ... tests.html ). Defintely don't use it on your production system, these are scripts to help during development.

You can check out what the script did in the file $OTRS_HOME/scripts/test/FAQ.t

[NormanPSI]

The approval still doesnt work and there are still errors in the log like above, but there are more "module" entries now.

ERROR: OTRS-CGI-10 Perl: 5.16.3 OS: linux Time: Wed Jan 13 11:08:32 2016

Message: No Priority for 3 normal found!

RemoteAddress: 192.168.x.x
RequestURI: /otrs/index.pl

Traceback (8637):
Module: Kernel::System::Priority::PriorityLookup Line: 352
Module: Kernel::System::Ticket::TicketCreate Line: 388
Module: Kernel::System::FAQ::_FAQApprovalTicketCreate Line: 2270
Module: Kernel::System::FAQ::FAQAdd Line: 680
Module: Kernel::Modules::AgentFAQAdd::Run Line: 363
Module: Kernel::System::Web::InterfaceAgent::Run Line: 996
Module: ModPerl::ROOT::ModPerl::Registry::opt_otrs_bin_cgi_2dbin_index_2epl::handler Line: 41
Module: (eval) (v1.99) Line: 207
Module: ModPerl::RegistryCooker::run (v1.99) Line: 207
Module: ModPerl::RegistryCooker::default_handler (v1.99) Line: 173
Module: ModPerl::Registry::handler (v1.99) Line: 32

ERROR: OTRS-CGI-10 Perl: 5.16.3 OS: linux Time: Wed Jan 13 11:08:32 2016

Message: No PriorityID (invalid Priority Name?)!

RemoteAddress: 192.168.x.x
RequestURI: /otrs/index.pl

Traceback (8637):
Module: Kernel::System::Ticket::TicketCreate Line: 399
Module: Kernel::System::FAQ::_FAQApprovalTicketCreate Line: 2270
Module: Kernel::System::FAQ::FAQAdd Line: 680
Module: Kernel::Modules::AgentFAQAdd::Run Line: 363
Module: Kernel::System::Web::InterfaceAgent::Run Line: 996
Module: ModPerl::ROOT::ModPerl::Registry::opt_otrs_bin_cgi_2dbin_index_2epl::handler Line: 41
Module: (eval) (v1.99) Line: 207
Module: ModPerl::RegistryCooker::run (v1.99) Line: 207
Module: ModPerl::RegistryCooker::default_handler (v1.99) Line: 173
Module: ModPerl::Registry::handler (v1.99) Line: 32

ERROR: OTRS-CGI-10 Perl: 5.16.3 OS: linux Time: Wed Jan 13 11:08:32 2016

Message: Could not create approval ticket!

RemoteAddress: 192.168.x.x
RequestURI: /otrs/index.pl

Traceback (8637):
Module: Kernel::System::FAQ::FAQAdd Line: 691
Module: Kernel::Modules::AgentFAQAdd::Run Line: 363
Module: Kernel::System::Web::InterfaceAgent::Run Line: 996
Module: ModPerl::ROOT::ModPerl::Registry::opt_otrs_bin_cgi_2dbin_index_2epl::handler Line: 41
Module: (eval) (v1.99) Line: 207
Module: ModPerl::RegistryCooker::run (v1.99) Line: 207
Module: ModPerl::RegistryCooker::default_handler (v1.99) Line: 173
Module: ModPerl::Registry::handler (v1.99) Line: 32

I don't know if related, but right before those entries, there were these:

[Wed Jan 13 10:39:25 2016] -e: Use of uninitialized value $Service{"Criticality"} in hash element at /opt/otrs//Kernel/Modules/AgentTicketActionCommon.pm line
1088.
[Wed Jan 13 10:39:25 2016] -e: Use of uninitialized value within @_ in list assignment at /opt/otrs//Kernel/System/DynamicField/Backend.pm line 411.
[Wed Jan 13 10:41:43 2016] -e: Use of uninitialized value $Service{"Criticality"} in hash element at /opt/otrs//Kernel/Modules/AgentTicketActionCommon.pm line
1088.
[Wed Jan 13 10:41:43 2016] -e: Use of uninitialized value within @_ in list assignment at /opt/otrs//Kernel/System/DynamicField/Backend.pm line 411.
[Wed Jan 13 10:43:40 2016] -e: Use of uninitialized value $Service{"Criticality"} in hash element at /opt/otrs//Kernel/Modules/AgentTicketActionCommon.pm line
1088.
[Wed Jan 13 10:43:40 2016] -e: Use of uninitialized value within @_ in list assignment at /opt/otrs//Kernel/System/DynamicField/Backend.pm line 411.
[Wed Jan 13 10:47:09 2016] -e: Use of uninitialized value $Service{"Criticality"} in hash element at /opt/otrs//Kernel/Modules/AgentTicketActionCommon.pm line
1088.
[Wed Jan 13 10:47:09 2016] -e: Use of uninitialized value within @_ in list assignment at /opt/otrs//Kernel/System/DynamicField/Backend.pm line 411.

Can anyone help?

[jojo]

as the error states:

Message: No Priority for 3 normal found!

[NormanPSI]

OK, thanks. I corrected a typo (a dash was missing), and now those errors are gone.
But the FAQ Approval still does not create a new ticket.

[NormanPSI]

We got the FAQ Approval kind of running now. Missing was a valid entry for the "FAQ::ApprovalTicketType". It creates a ticket now, but it does not trigger an email to the agents in the FAQ_Approvers queue. Is that normal or what could be the problem here?

BTW, I think that OTRS is hard to understand at some points. Fields that require a valid entry, such as the above, should have a drop-down menu that shows all possible values and then the user only has to choose one of them. That would be much easier and would avoid a lot of hassle.
Just my 2 cents.

[CV_itsm]

Norman
We need to use this function and we cannot advance. I believe we are a step behind you, but we may work it together. In our development Otrs we have declared:

Approval required = YES
Approval Group = our group
Approval queue = our queue
ticket type = a type already in use

When we create a new FAQ a new field appears "Approval" (YES/NO), but no matter its value, no new ticket is created.
Please tell us how you solved this issue.

[NormanPSI]

José

Here's what we have now:
FAQ::ApprovalRequired --> Yes
FAQ::ApprovalGroup --> Enter an existing group (Agent Management > Groups). Don't forget to assign agents to that group.
FAQ::ApprovalQueue --> Enter an existing Queue (Queue Settings > Queues)
FAQ::ApprovalTicketPriority --> Enter an existing value (Ticket Settings > Priorities). We first had the problem of a typo. The value was "2 normal", but it should have been "2 - normal" (the dash was missing). This is an example where I would think a drop-down of possible values would be great to avoid issues (see my last post).
FAQ::ApprovalTicketType --> Enter an existing ticket type (Ticket Settings > Types). This was our second problem. We did not change the default value to one of our types. Again, a drop-down would help here.

While troubleshooting this, I also created a role for FAQ Approval and assigned the ApprovalGroup to it, but I don't know if that was needed.

That's it. Tickets for FAQ Approval are now created and shown in the lists of the agents that are in the ApprovalGroup, but no mail is generated to inform them about it.

Hops this helps.

[CV_itsm]

Hi Norman
Thanks a lot. We are a step ahead. Now we have a ticket created in the assigned queue.
However, every agent sees the FAQ that was recently been created no matter if it is approved or not. We expect that an agent assigned to the approval group and queue should take an action to approve the ticket and since then the FAQ should not be used. We do not know how it is supposed to work. Is the mechanism only intended to authorize publications to customers?

[benjamin1]

Yes, this behaviour only affects customers being able to view the FAQs. Agents can view all FAQs approved or not approved.