I set up mantis and am getting ready to start using it for tracking software defects, but my boss has asked a question, and im wondering if it is opening a can of worms...
Can the software also be used to track "hardware issues"?
(as background, we are a hardware shop mostly, creating imbeddeded microchip based products, and I write software to configure our hardware)
I think what he wants to do is have (support) people log "issues" where customers call in and say "this device has this wrong with it" etc.
So, we would need to track customers, and resolutions, then produce reports on where defects were found etc.
I know mantis is "customizable" but is this something that I could reasonabaly do in Mantis? Has anyone done this?
I'm wondering if could I get away with making "Hardware" and "Software" projects, and then make sub-projects for each type of hadware device vs each type of software product
Or, should I make 2 different mantis installs, one for hardware and one for software? Im assuming this might make sense if I need custom fields for hardware but not software for instance.
I appreciate your thoughts and comments before I go too far down this road.
Cheers,
-Ding
will this work
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dingfelder
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I would define a project per hardware or software project. You can then define custom fields and link them to the projects where they make sense. For example, you can link a custom field to all hardware projects and another to all software projects. I don't know if there is benefit in using sub-projects.
Regards,
Victor
Mantis to Go?
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Regards,
Victor
Mantis to Go?
http://www.futureware.biz/mantisconnect/
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dingfelder
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custom fields
so, a custom field can be defined per project?
(i.e. if a field makes sense for one project but not another, you can set it up to not use that field for some projects?)
And if so, if you set up a custom field for a project, do subprojects enherit the field ?
What I am playing with now is to set a high level project called "hardware" and another called "software", and am setting them to be private.
under each, I am making a subproject for each of our actual products, and am setting them to be public.
Does that make sense?
(i.e. if a field makes sense for one project but not another, you can set it up to not use that field for some projects?)
And if so, if you set up a custom field for a project, do subprojects enherit the field ?
What I am playing with now is to set a high level project called "hardware" and another called "software", and am setting them to be private.
under each, I am making a subproject for each of our actual products, and am setting them to be public.
Does that make sense?
A custom field is defined globally, but then it only applies to the projects that you link it to. So if you have 20 projects, you can define the custom field once, then link it to 15 projects, but not the other 5.
I don't know if there is a benefit of using sub-projects, specially with the case where the parent project is public, but the sub-projects are public. Sub-projects is a new feature in 1.0.0 releases and what is and what is not inherited may still change.
Regards,
Victor
Visit Mantis Blog
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I don't know if there is a benefit of using sub-projects, specially with the case where the parent project is public, but the sub-projects are public. Sub-projects is a new feature in 1.0.0 releases and what is and what is not inherited may still change.
Regards,
Victor
Visit Mantis Blog
http://www.futureware.biz/
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dingfelder
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ok
ok, the custom field part sounds good.
If I create a defect under one project, how can I later change it to a different project, if I decide it was mis-categorized into the wrong project?
If I create a defect under one project, how can I later change it to a different project, if I decide it was mis-categorized into the wrong project?
There is a "Move" button on the issue view page, and there is a "Move" action in a combobox at the bottom of the View Issues page, the latter will allow you to move multiple issues.
If the new project is linked to the same custom fields, then they will be visible as well and the values will be maintained.
Regards,
Victor
MantisConnect
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If the new project is linked to the same custom fields, then they will be visible as well and the values will be maintained.
Regards,
Victor
MantisConnect
http://www.futureware.biz/mantisconnect
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Dimon
I think you need to make three projects in one mantis.
Like:
Private: Software
Private: Hardware
Public: Users reports
In that way you need make a clone with relation "related to" and move clone to proper project (but then need make sync between them).
You will be assured from unformal using of tracking in internal projects and end-user can report like he want. And no need to make for him custom fields. If he will tell in free form he will tell his suggestion more cleary.
The difference, for example from mantis, I think that not all people will have a proper knoledges and experience (In mantis most of all have it).
So there is a scenario:
1. End user report an issue to public project.
2. Marketing make a discusion (using bug notes) to define what exactly meen end-user.
3. Marketing discuss the clear issue with dev team.
4. Dev team report an issue to private project adopted to development.
5. ... time ... time ... time ...
6. Dev team resolve, QA test and close issues in public and private projects.
7. Delivering to end-user update.
8. Every-one happy.
That way is hard but the best. If user is not a technical it is real user at all.
This this book
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books
Here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0201615 ... eader-page
Chpter 7. The "User and the Developer" Syndrom
Or make both projects hardware and software public.
Maybe that you don't need two projects at all. And will be enough one project. And users will only customize needed field, maybe will be enough category. Like in Manis. :-)
Everything can work.
But all depend from goals, terms, budget and offcourse realization with organization.
Thanks
Like:
Private: Software
Private: Hardware
Public: Users reports
In that way you need make a clone with relation "related to" and move clone to proper project (but then need make sync between them).
You will be assured from unformal using of tracking in internal projects and end-user can report like he want. And no need to make for him custom fields. If he will tell in free form he will tell his suggestion more cleary.
The difference, for example from mantis, I think that not all people will have a proper knoledges and experience (In mantis most of all have it).
So there is a scenario:
1. End user report an issue to public project.
2. Marketing make a discusion (using bug notes) to define what exactly meen end-user.
3. Marketing discuss the clear issue with dev team.
4. Dev team report an issue to private project adopted to development.
5. ... time ... time ... time ...
6. Dev team resolve, QA test and close issues in public and private projects.
7. Delivering to end-user update.
8. Every-one happy.
That way is hard but the best. If user is not a technical it is real user at all.
This this book
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/de ... ce&s=books
Here:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/reader/0201615 ... eader-page
Chpter 7. The "User and the Developer" Syndrom
Or make both projects hardware and software public.
Maybe that you don't need two projects at all. And will be enough one project. And users will only customize needed field, maybe will be enough category. Like in Manis. :-)
Everything can work.
But all depend from goals, terms, budget and offcourse realization with organization.
Thanks