Request assistance#

You can select which user accounts in your domain are permitted to receive user assistance requests and which devices in your domain are permitted to request assistance.

Once you have configured at least one user account in the domain that can receive assistance requests, the operators of the selected remote devices can use Request assistance from a remote device to inform the FactoryTalk Remote Access service that there is a situation that is outside the normal routine and intervention is required on the system.

Important

Device installer permissions are required to enable or disable the Request assistance feature. For more information, see Managing permissions.

To enable a device to request assistance

  1. Sign in to the domain using an administrator account

  2. Select the device from the tree view or geographic map.

  3. In the Device access settings, enable Submit assistance requests.

  4. To limit the ability to request assistance to a specific time period specify a date in Expiration date. After that date, assistance requests will not be permitted from that device.

Note

This process must be done on a per-device basis, it is not applied globally to all devices in the domain.

Request assistance notifications

Notifications of an assistance request are made by:

  1. A pop-up notification to accounts that are signed in to FactoryTalk Remote Access and that have the permission to receive user assistance requests.

  2. An email to the account specified for the domain in the Assistance request notification email setting.

Note

You can activate both notification options or decide which one to activate according to your needs.

Usage notes

When Submit assistance requests is enabled on a device, the operator can select Request assistance from the Network Connection pane of the remote device to send the request.

If the domain option The user must provide contact details when assistance is requested is enabled, the operator will be prompted to complete the Name, Contact information and Description fields to send the assistance request.

Devices that have an active assistance request are identified in the tree view of FactoryTalk Remote Access with an assistance requested icon and status flag.

Closing a request

An assistance request can be closed from FactoryTalk Remote Access by selecting the device from the tree view or map and then in the Device access pane select either:

  • Cancel request assistance - Select this option if assistance is no longer needed.

  • Close - Select this option if a resolution has been provided.

The remote user can cancel the request from the remote computer by selecting Cancel request assistance from the Network Connection pane of the remote device if help is no longer needed.