IRM brings SNMP into the help desk mix

The final item in our series on open source help desk packages is Information Resource Manager, or IRM.

Like most of the other systems we’ve looked at, IRM is a Web-based application that provides basic help desk features to small and midsized IT operations.

The system can be used to set up trouble ticket tracking systems, with ticket searching and sorting features, and the ability to generate reports based on the trouble ticket database data. In addition to these features, the system includes an asset tracking system for inventorying PCs and other equipment on a network.

The asset tracking and trouble ticket systems can be interfaced, allowing help desk users to gain better access to information about the systems that need their attention. An interface to standards-based e-mail servers also exists for integrating e-mail notification into the IRM help desk system. 

The software can also be used to create network maps, based on inventory information. An SNMP module is also included in the software, which can let users collect computer asset information from networked equipment, PCs, servers and other nodes.

To run IRM, you will need Apache Web server (Version 1.3.12 is recommended by the developers). Also, PHP Version 4 is needed, as well as a MySQL database, Version 3.22 or higher.

If deploying with SNMP, users will need to install a package called UCD SNMP, available at: https://www.ece.ucdavis.edu/ucd-snmp/

Besides these open source server application requirements, IRM operates independently of any server operating system platform, according to its creators. They say they have even gotten it to work on Microsoft Internet Information Server, but they make no guarantees.

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