Requesting Activation

Once a document has been composed, configured, and readied for publication, set Activation and Expiration dates within 180 days and choose the "Request Activation" Status, then click the Submit button.

Submitting an Activation request will create a ticket with the UIUC-TechServices-KnowledgeBase group in TDX. A member of the Tier 2 Help Desk staff will respond the request within five business days and, if the document sufficiently meets the Article Content Standards, publish it. You'll receive a confirmation email when the article becomes Active.

Reviews and Expiration

The KB will send a reminder email asking for the content of an article to be reviewed 180 days after it is published. Similar reminder emails are sent when an article’s expiration date is approaching, as well as on a regular 180-day cycle following each edit or review.

When one of these emails arrives, take the time to closely read through the content of the article. Make sure that the processes, interfaces, and descriptions it documents still accurately reflect the present state of the offering it describes.

Changes Needed

As services change and improve over time, their documentation must be updated as well. Even if the offering itself has stayed the same, there are always improvements to be made to documentation to address feedback and frequently asked questions or make the page better fit the Article Content Standards.

From an article’s page in KB Admin, click the Edit button to reach the document composition screen. Make any changes necessary, pick a new Expiration date no more than 180 days (six months) in the future, and select the Request activation Status. The process will continue as described under Requesting Activation above.

No Changes Needed

Although rare, some documents do not need any changes, and can have their expiration extended without any modification.

If this is the case, simply click the Mark as Reviewed button on the article’s page in KB Admin. This will extend the expiration date by 180 days without any activation request.

Administrative Support

For assistance with any of the issues listed below, submit a request at Tech Services Answers KnowledgeBase. 

• Access requests (viewing permissions and role requests)
• Ownership/resource account creation and administration (Allows teams to manage multiple KB Articles)
• KB technical issues
• APIs and other connectors
• Data and reporting requests
• Functionality change or enhancement requests
• Assistance with creating or editing KB articles
• General inquiries

User Access and Permissions Change Requests

By default, new Tech Services employees are given internal and editor access (see the Users and Roles table below). Requests for student workers must be submitted by a full time employee.

Get a KnowledgeBase Site for Your Campus Unit

To operate your own KnowledgeBase site for an Illinois unit or department, separate from the main Technology Services instance, contact the Answers Admin https://go.illinois.edu/TechServicesAnswers. Please note the Answers Admin do not provide support for other Answers instances and your unit or department would be responsible for managing, administering, and paying the University of Wisconsin for your instance.

Article Feedback

To provide feedback or make suggested changes to articles, submit a request at the bottom of any article. Visit KnowledgeBase, Submitting Feedback and Suggestions for more information.

Escalation

If an article is time-sensitive, high-impact, and needs to be published in less than 5 working days (emergencies, major outages, high-impact/large audiences), the submitter can email HDNotify@illinois.edu and the Tier 2 Help Desk Staff will do their best to help meet the request.

The Answers KnowledgeBase is also represented as item 75414 in the Contacts Database. The CDB contacts should only be directly reached in case of emergency.

Users and Roles

Below are the standard user permissions for Answers. It is important to note that only the Answers team and the Tier 2 full time staff of the Tech Services Help Desk have the ability to publish articles. When creating and editing articles, editors will use the Request Activation feature, which will create a ticket to have their articles reviewed and published. 

Notes on permissions

• IT Pros/Staff/Faculty external to Tech Services may be given the ability to view Internal articles that would assist with their job duties.
• Tech Services student workers may be given Editor permissions through an exception approved by an FTE Supervisor. 
• Student Workers external to Tech Services may have Internal article viewing permissions to see Tech Services owned articles specific articles to assist with job duties and their campus unit's articles.