Helpdesk Support

Helpdesk & Maintenance

What's included

The assistance and maintenance service is provided through an exclusive versioning and deployment system (Forma DevOps), and includes the updating of the platform and the verification of all technical problems due to malfunctions of the services and applications offered.

1. Tech Check: Analysis of any bugs or software malfunctions, and evaluation of possible corrective interventions. Support for changes to the standard application configuration, or provision of standard instructions and documentation for the reported needs
2. Application Maintenance:
   1. Installation of release updates for standard features.
   2. Installing security patches and bugfixes available on community development repositories.
   3. BugFix: Functional bug fixes based on the chosen service level

Application update activities will always take place according to times and methods agreed with the customer, after checking any functional customizations developed for the customer.

Opening a support ticket

To open a support ticket just send an email to helpdesk@formafarm.com

This will automatically open a support ticket in our ticketing system, and our team will get back to you within 24/48hr (working days)

The following information, to the extent known and applicable, should be provided in any Support Request to address Incidents: 

1. Be Clear and Specific
   Provide a detailed description of the issue. Include what you were trying to do, what you expected to happen, and what actually occurred.

2. Include Relevant URLs
   Always include the exact URL(s) of the page(s) where the issue occurred.

3. Mention details about affected users and courses
   Specify (if applicable):

   • the username and the role (e.g., administrator, teacher, learner) of the affected account

   • the exact title, code, edition of the affected course
   • the exact title of the affected learning object

4. Add Screenshots or Videos
   Visuals help us understand the issue faster. Include clear screenshots or short screen recordings showing the problem.

5. List the Steps to Reproduce the Issue
   Outline the exact steps taken before encountering the issue. This helps us replicate and identify the problem.

6. Note the Date and Time
   Indicate when the issue occurred (date and time), especially for time-sensitive problems.

7. Specify the Browser and Device
   Tell us which browser (Chrome, Firefox, etc.) and device (PC, Mac, tablet, mobile) you were using.

8. Report One Issue per Ticket
   Submit separate tickets for different problems. This ensures each issue gets the proper attention.

9. Avoid Urgency Tags Unless Critical
   Use "urgent" or "high priority" only when the issue severely impacts access or functionality for multiple users.

10. Check Before Submitting
    If possible, verify whether other users can reproduce the issue or if it was a one-time occurrence.

Service Level Agreement

Definitions

Any malfunction reports will be verified according to a standard debugging procedure, classified and managed according to the following criteria and definitions.

Taking Charge: Registration of the Incident, assign the ticket number to the customer and saving the request in the help desk system.

Bug: a “bug” is considered an application error that generates an incorrect or unexpected result with respect to the expected behavior for any software functionality included and stable in the official releases of the forma.lms software.

Issue Types:

1. Not a bug: you do not find a technical bug, but a usage or process problem. Standard troubleshooting documentation or instructions will be provided, while customized support interventions can be requested by activating a helpdesk service.

2. Forma Lms Bug: native bug of the open source application. Fixes will be applied if already available on the community repository. If a fix is not available, the bug will be solved based on the priority of the problem and the activated service level.

3. Data Error: Errors or service requests on the DB, typically user-generated, which may require a restore from backup

4. Performance Issue: The software is slow or inaccessible due to problems in the cloud infrastructure.

5. Client Specific Bug: The error is specific to the client installation, it could be caused by:

   1. infrastructure problems

   2. errors in automatic deployment procedures

   3. errors on third-party plugins or custom code

6. Change Request: the system is working correctly, functional or graphic customization is required

Severity and Priority

1. Available Fix: The bug is known and a fix is already available on the community repository
2. High: The error is blocking for fundamental operations of the platform, no manual or configuration alternative is available
3. Medium: The error is blocking, but a workaround is available to achieve the expected result
4. Low: the reported bug is not blocking

Support availability

Helpdesk and support service will be available with the following schedule:

9AM - 6PM CET Mon / Fri
9AM - 6PM EST Mon / Fri

Exclusions and conditions of service

The following are always excluded from the maintenance service:

1. Fixes for plugin errors, third-party custom code, and change requests, which may be assessed and quoted separately at the discretion of the vendor

2. Interventions related to native forma.lms features released at a “beta” or declared unstable development level

3. Custom interventions related to design and graphic customization of the template

4. Errors and problems related to the use and tracking of specific learning objects

5. Data recovery from backup for manual errors in application management (e.g. incorrect deletion of users, additional fields, courses, etc.)

These interventions can be carried out on a post-payment basis based on the current daily rate.

It is not possible to schedule upgrades in the last month of the contract, unless renewed.