Access Keys:
Skip to content (Access Key - 0)

Request Tracker (RT) Queue Administrator's Guide

On this page:

1. Introduction

As a queue administrator, you can make the following changes to your queue:

  • Set up spam screening
  • Set up an automatic email reply using:
    • Scrip templates, and
    • Scrips
  • Change access rights to your queue
  • Send email notification when ownership is assigned
  • Create a custom field for your queue
  • Automatically populate custom fields on an email-generated ticket
  • Assign Watchers to your Queue

There are other changes that can be made to your queue, on request:

  • Add consultants who are not listed in RT: Send email to the RT queue administrators at tooltime@mit.edu.
  • Create custom fields: Send email to the RT queue administrators at tooltime@mit.edu.

2. Set up spam screening

Spam screening in RT is fully automated and managed through a bank of mail filtering appliances, similar to personal email at MIT. There is no manual way to tune screening for individual queues. If there is a particular address that RT is treating as legitimate but should not, for example because it is autoresponder on a third-party system, please notify Tooltime at tooltime@mit.edu to have that address blocked from interacting with RT.

3. Set up an automatic email reply

RT lets you set up automatic email replies, based on specified conditions, by creating a Scrip Template and setting up a Scrip:

3.1 Scrip templates

A template is essentially a form letter that goes along with a Scrip action. A simple example could be, "Dear (name of requestor), your ticket has been created and its ticket ID is (this number)."

3.1.1 Creating a new Scrip template

  1. Click Configuration > Queues.
  2. Click your queue name, then click Templates > New template in the left navigation bar.
  3. Enter a name, description, and content:
    • Name: the name of the template, preferably something descriptive. We recommend that you not use the same name as any of the global templates. If you name a template the same name as a global template, RT will default to using your template only, even if you choose the global template.
    • Description: The words that will appear under the name of the template in RT's list of templates.
    • Content: The form letter the users will see. This can include the subject line of the email at the top, just leave two lines between the header/subject and body/letter
      • Note: The blank lines are extremely important to separate an email header from the body. If your template does not include them, malformed email will be generated and the autoreply will fail silently!
      • Content can be simple or be personalized by including code like:
        We received you request regarding: {$Ticket->{{Subject()

        where $Ticket is the ticket number and Subject() is the subject line from the requestor's messsage.

      • Note: You can send the content of your message as an attachment, rather than in the body of the auto-reply. To do this, add the following header to the top of the Content field of the template:
        RT-Attach-Message: yes
  4. Click Submit
Example (and default) autoreply template
Subject: AutoReply: {$Ticket->Subject}


Thank you for your message! This is an automated confirmation
that we have received your request and assigned it ticket
number {$Ticket->id()} in our tracking system.

Please keep the subject line above for future correspondence
relating to this case.

If you wish you may also follow up on your ticket on the web at:

     https://help.mit.edu/SelfService/


-----Original Message-----
Date: {$Transaction->Attachments->First->GetHeader('Date')}
To: {$Transaction->Attachments->First->GetHeader('To')}
From: {$Transaction->Attachments->First->GetHeader('From')}
Cc: {$Transaction->Attachments->First->GetHeader('Cc')}
Subject: {$Ticket->Subject}

{$Transaction->Content()}
Remember to leave two lines between the header and the body text.

3.1.2 Modifying a Scrip template

  1. Click Configuration > Queues.
  2. Click your queue name then click Templates in the left navigation bar.
  3. Click the name of the template to modify.
  4. Make the necessary changes
  5. Click Submit.

3.1.3 Deleting a Scrip template

  1. Click Configuration > Queues.
  2. Click the name of the queue.
  3. Click Templates in the left navigation bar.
  4. Check the box next to the template to be deleted then click Submit.

3.2 Scrips

You can use the Scrip feature in many ways, one of them being an automatic email reply when a new request is submitted. A Scrip contains three parts:

  • condition: something that has to happen to activate the Scrip, like a ticket being created.
  • action: what the Scrip does in response to the condition, e.g., notify the ticket's requestor.
  • template: essentially a form letter that goes along with an action.
    • A simple example could be, Dear (name of requestor), your ticket has been created and its ticket ID is (this number).

Scrips can apply to queues but an individual ticket can't have its own Scrip.

The default global Scrips installed with RT 3 are:

  • On Create, Autoreply to Requestors with Global Template: Autoreply: When a ticket is created, email notification is sent to the Requestor.
  • On Create, Notify AdminCcs with Global Template: Transaction: When a ticket is created, email notification goes to the Admin Cc's that a ticket has been created.
  • On Correspond, Notify AdminCcs with Global Template: Admin Correspondence: When a Watcher type of Admin Cc adds a reply to a ticket, email notification is sent.
  • On Correspond, Notify Requestors and Ccs with Global Template: Correspondence: When a Watcher adds at public reply to a ticket, the Requestor and any other watchers (i.e., Cc's and Admin Cc's) receive email notification.
  • On Comment, Notify AdminCcs as Comment with Global Template: Admin Comment: When a comment is added to the ticket, email notification is all Admin Cc's.
  • On Resolve, Notify Requestors with Global Template: Resolved: When a ticket is completed, a form letter is sent to the Requestor stating that work is completed.

3.2.1 Creating a Scrip

  1. Click Configuration > Queues.
  2. Click the name of the queue then click Scrips > New Scrips in the left navigation bar.
  3. Enter a description in the Description box.
  4. Select a condition from the Condition dropdown list, e.g. On Create for when a new request is submitted.
  5. Select an action from the Action dropdown list, e.g. AutoReply to Requestors to send email.
  6. Select a template from the Template dropdown list.
  7. Click Submit.

3.2.2 Modifying a Scrip

  1. Click Configuration > Queues.
  2. Click your queue name then click Scrips in the left navigation bar.
  3. Click the name of the Scrip to modify.
  4. Make the necessary changes, then click Submit.

Note: You cannot modify scrips that apply to all queues.

3.2.3 Deleting a Scrip

  1. Click Configuration > Queues.
  2. Click the name of the queue then click Scrips in the left navigation bar.
  3. Check the box next to the Scrip to be deleted then click Submit.

Note: You cannot delete global Scrips, i.e., Scrips that apply to all queues.

3.3 Change access rights to your queue

RT comes with a default set of rights defined: system-wide and Requestor rights. Additionally, the RT administrators set up a queue administrator group and queue consultant group for each queue they create. The names for these groups typically include the name of the queue.

System-wide: Everyone who has access to RT on help.mit.edu has the following rights:

  • CreateTicket (Create Tickets)
  • ReplyToTicket (Add replies to Tickets)
  • SeeQueue (Know that your Queue exists, i.e., Queue will appear in visible listings for this user.)
    Requestors:
  • ReplyToTicket (Add replies to Ticket)
  • SeeQueue (Know that your Queue exists, i.e., Queue will appear in visible listings for this user.)
  • ShowTicket (View tickets)

Administrators:

  • AdminQueue (Administer the queue.)
  • CommentOnTicket (Enter comments to tickets.)
  • CreateTicket (Create tickets.)
  • DeleteTicket (Delete tickets.)
  • ModifyACL (Modify access rights.)
  • ModifyQueueWatchers (Add/remove queue watchers.)
  • ModifyScrips (Create and change Scrips.)
  • ModifyTemplate (Create and change Scrip templates.)
  • ModifyTicket (Make changes to tickets.)
  • OwnTicket (Assign self as owner of tickets.)
  • ReplyToTicket (Enter replies for tickets.)
  • SeeQueue (Know that your Queue exists, i.e., Queue will appear in visible listings for this user.)
  • ShowACL (View access rights to your Queue.)
  • ShowScrips (View Scrips.)
  • ShowTemplate (View templates.)
  • ShowTicket (View tickets.)
  • ShowTicketComments (View comments in tickets.)
  • StealTicket (Take ownership of tickets away from a consultant and own them.)
  • TakeTicket (Take ownership of tickets.)
  • Watch (Become a Watcher of a ticket by making self a Requestor or Cc Watcher.)
  • WatchAsAdminCc (full rights) (Assign self as an Admin CcWatcher of a ticket.)

Consultants: Users who are members of the consultants group for your Queue:

  • CommentOnTicket (Add comments to tickets)
  • CreateTicket (Create tickets)
  • ModifyTicket (Modify fields in Tickets, e.g., status, dates, etc.)
  • OwnTicket (Set self as Owner of Tickets)
  • ReplyToTicket (Add replies to Ticket)
  • SeeQueue (Know that your Queue exists, i.e., Queue will appear in visible listings for this user.)
  • ShowACL (See rights granted to users and groups)
  • ShowScrips (See Scrips that have been created for the Queue.)
  • ShowTemplate (See a Scrip's e-mail template.)
  • ShowTicket (View tickets)
  • ShowTicketComments (See Comments entered into Tickets.)
  • TakeTicket (Take ownership of a Ticket by clicking on the Take button.)
  • Watch (Become a Watcher of a ticket by making self a Requestor or Cc Watcher.)
  • WatchAsAdminCc (Assign self as an Admin CcWatcher of a ticket.)

You can add or remove rights for the group associated with your queue and for other groups in RT.
To change rights,

  1. Click Configuration > Queues, then click on the name of your queue.
  2. Click Group Rights in the left navigation bar.
  3. Scroll to your group under User defined groups.
  4. To remove a right, click in the check box next to it. To add a right, choose it from the dropdown list.
    For example, if you want to give another User defined group, outside of your Queue, rights to view your Queue's Tickets, find the group and select ShowTicket from the dropdown menu.
  5. Click Submit when you're finished making modifications.

Note: The administration of RT at MIT is fundamentally through the use of user-defined groups set up for each queue by the RT administrators. Typically, you will not want to modfy System Groups, Roles or User rights, but rather make access right changes through the User Defined groups. If you think that you need to make changes to the System Groups, Roles, or User Rights, contact the tooltime@mit.edu RT administrators to get guidance on doing this.

4. Send email notification when ownership is assigned

If you want consultants in your queue to receive email notification when they are assigned as owners, do the following:

  1. Click Configuration > Queues.
  2. Click the name of the queue then click Scrips > New Scrips in the left navigation bar.
  3. Enter a description in the Description box.
  4. From the Condition dropdown list, select On Owner Change.
  5. From the Action dropdown list, e.g. Notify Owner.
  6. From the Template dropdown list, choose Global Template: Transaction.
  7. Click Submit

5. Using Custom Fields to manage meta-data for your queue

Please see Creating and managing Request Tracker Custom Fields

6. Automatically extract ticket custom field values from email

Please see Automatically extract ticket custom field values from email

7. Assign Watchers to your Queue

If you need someone to track email reply activity for all tickets in your Queue, you can assign someone as Cc Watcher for the Queue.

To do this,

  1. Click Configuration > Queues, then click on the name of your Queue.
  2. Click Watchers.
  3. Under Find People,enter the username of the person you want to assign as Watcher, then click Go.

Result: Your name displays under the Add new Watchers, Users section.

  • From the dropdown list, choose Cc, then click Save Changes.

The assigned person will receive email activity for all tickets created in your Queue. You can remove the person at any time, and add new people, by repeating steps 1 and 2, then clicking on the checkbox next to the person you want to remove, then clicking Save Changes.

8. Change Your Queue's Email Address

Please see Can I change my RT queue's email address ?

IS&T Contributions

Documentation and information provided by IS&T staff members


Last Modified:

July 28, 2021

Get Help

Request help
from the Help Desk
Report a security incident
to the Security Team
Labels:
rt rt Delete
queue_administrator queue_administrator Delete
request_tracker request_tracker Delete
c-rt-queue-admin c-rt-queue-admin Delete
c-rt-queue-admin-queue c-rt-queue-admin-queue Delete
Enter labels to add to this page:
Please wait 
Looking for a label? Just start typing.
Feedback
This product/service is:
Easy to use
Average
Difficult to use

This article is:
Helpful
Inaccurate
Obsolete
Adaptavist Theme Builder (4.2.3) Powered by Atlassian Confluence 3.5.13, the Enterprise Wiki