ev|Self Help - Autumn 2020 - Release Notes
Current Version : 2023.4.118.1See the Previous VersionSee the Next Version
WarningReleaseNotes
Fix Autumn 2020 - Build 2020.2.108.9
(05/10/2021)
Online Studio - What's New
Content display language
You can now select the language for displaying the titles of Self Help projects and procedures in the Online Studio Home page.
- You can click the Content Language button found at the bottom of the Studio menu pane to show or hide the list of languages.
- Note: This will not change the language of the Online Studio interface.
Content language
Note: Interface displayed in English |
Display | |
---|---|---|
English | ![]() |
|
French | ![]() |
My Profile menu
When you click the user name in the Online Studio menu bar, information on the logged-in user will appear.
: Used to change the interface language.
- Display Profile: Used to access the logged-in user profile. This will display Self Help login information, the list of Self Help domains and projects for the logged-in user and the corresponding access rights.
- Change my Password: This enables the logged-in user to modify the password.
Online Studio - Enhanced user management
The Users menu now enables you to access the list of users directly.
- The Import users function has been moved to the toolbar.
- Group management has been reviewed to adapt to export files generated by different tools.
User import
1. Select Users in the menu and click Import users.
(1) | Select the CSV file you want to import |
(2) | Description
Note: Optional information |
(3) | Number of users to be imported
Note: The number of users is retrieved from the CSV file by the import tool. It is displayed automatically. |
2. Select the file you want to import and click Next.
3. Check that the user attributes in Self Help match those in the CSV file.
(1) | First ten rows of the CSV file |
(2) | List of user attributes in Self Help
Note: Only certain attributes such as the GUID, Email, First Name and Last Name are mandatory. |
(3) | List of columns in the CSV file (first row of the file) |
4. Click Next and click Close.
The new users will appear in the list of users.
User group management
You can now use two methods to associate users with user groups using the import file.
Note: You can combine these two methods in the same import file.
1. Prepare the import file and specify the groups associated with each user.
- Method 1: Associate groups using group names
- The names of groups associated with each user are specified in a dedicated column in the import file.
- Note: Use the comma to separate these names.
We recommend this method if you have multiple groups with few members in each group.
![]() |
(1) Dedicated column for specifying groups (2) User Mary Browne is associated with only one group, Marketing (3) User Ursula Faraday is associated with two groups, Admin and Marketing |
- Method 2: Associate groups using True/False values
- The names of groups are specified in a column in the import file.
- Value 0 or False means that the user does not belong to the group.
- Value 1 or True means that the user belongs to the group.
We recommend this method if you have a small number of groups with many members in each group.
![]() |
(1) Dedicated columns for specifying groups (2) User Mary Browne is associated with two groups, Admin and Marketing (3) User Bart Bennet is not associated with any group |
- Combination of both methods: Associate groups using group names and True/False values
2. Import the user file.
- Run the file import.
- In the step where the list of records is displayed, click the Groups column.
- Click Add and select the dedicated column containing the groups in the import file.
- Select the method for managing groups.
- Click Add and add the other dedicated columns containing the groups.
- Click Next and click Close.
Users will be associated with the relevant groups.
Fix Autumn 2020 - Build 2020.2.108.7
(15/02/2021)
Online Studio - What's new in Administration: Licenses
Server administrators can now select Administration > Licenses in the menu to consult the list of Self Help licenses enabled on the server and to manage them.
Details of licenses
Click one of licenses to display its properties.
Types of licenses | Possible values:
|
Server/Domain | Server and domain associated with the license.
Note: Associating a license with a domain is optional. |
Version | License version number. |
Start / End | License activation period. |
Grace Period | Number of days following license expiration during which users can continue to use the application. |
Grace questions | Number of executions tolerated following license expiration.
Note: This may be a fixed number or a percentage of the number of executions initially provided. |
Named Users | Number of sessions allocated specifically to named writers for a given period. |
Concurrent Users | Number of sessions allocated to simultaneous users for a given period. |
Questions | Number of executions allocated for a given period. |
Create a license
1. Select Administration > Licenses in the menu and click + Add.
2. Copy the contents of the license file or download the TXT file.
3. Proceed with the steps to display information on the new license.
Autumn 2020 - Build 2020.2.108.0
(10/06/2020)
New Self Help product names
To ensure consistency with the development of Self Help functionalities, products have been renamed.
- The Administration module is now called Online Studio. This is now the entry point to the Studio for writers. The current administration functionalities will remain available.
- To differentiate the two uses, the Studio for writers is called Desktop Studio.
Note: You can still log in to the Administration module using the login and password of yourSelf Help account defined on the server via the URL, <server name>.com/studio.
Accessing one Studio from the other
To facilitate the use of the Online Studio as a single entry point, administrators and writers can now switch easily from one Studio to the other without having to log in again.
Accessing the Desktop Studio from the Online Studio
1. Log in to the Online Studio as a writer or domain administrator.
2. The new Online Studio Home page will appear and display the latest modifications in a list. Click one of them to access the Desktop Studio.
3. The Desktop Studio will open in edit mode. The element you selected in the Online Studio will open in read-only mode.
If the Desktop Studio is already open
- If the Desktop Studio was opened by the same user and in the same domain as the current domain of the Online Studio:
- The Desktop Studio will automatically open in edit mode.
- The element you selected in the Online Studio will open.
- If the Desktop Studio was opened by another user or if it was opened by the same user but in a domain other than the current domain of the Online Studio:
- A message will ask you to confirm the closing of the active session.
- The Desktop Studio will open again in edit mode based on the user session and in the same domain as the current domain of the Online Studio.
Accessing the Online Studio from the Desktop Studio
1. Log in to the Desktop Studio.
2. Select Mode > Online Studio in the menu.
3.The Online Studio will automatically appear in a new Web browser tab. The Home page will appear.
Online Studio
New Home page
The new Online Studio Home page has been completely revamped to facilitate access to procedures in the Desktop Studio. It also offers writers a quick overview of activity for current Self Help projects.
(1) | Toolbar |
(2) | Menu pane
|
(3) | Filter zone |
(4) | List of procedures and resources available in edit mode in the Studio. Click one of the elements in the list to open the Desktop Studio in edit mode directly.
Note: This will not be visible to server administrators. |
(5) | Dashboard displaying the main KPIs for writers |
Toolbar
can now be used to access the contextual help page in the wiki.
- The other functionalities remain identical.
Filter zone
This enables you to filter the Recently changed and Activity fields using multiple criteria.
Note: Writers can only display the data for the Self Help projects and domains they are authorized to access.
(1) | Filter the Self Help projects and domains on the server |
(2) | Filter the authors of Self Help projects
Note: The Undefined author at the bottom of the list is used to display procedures and resources whose author has been deleted. |
(3) | Filter the period |
(4) | Filter procedures and resources based on their status within the approval workflow
Note: Only for the Recently changed field. |
Operating principle
- Selected filters will appear in the filter zone. For the period, only the last value selected will appear.
- Click x next to a filter to delete it.
- Click one of the workflow statuses to enable the corresponding filter for procedures and resources. The button color will automatically change when the filter is active. If no value is available for a status, the button will be grayed out.
Recently changed field
All procedures and resources authorized for the logged-in user profile will appear in this field based on the selected filters. The order of the list is from most to least recent.
(1) | Number of elements displayed as compared with the total number of elements
|
(2) | Filter based on the type of element, i.e. procedure or resource. The number of elements is indicated. |
(3) | Name of the procedure or resource displayed in gray. Click the element to open it in edit mode in the Desktop Studio.
The row under the name indicates:
|
(4) | ![]() Note: The procedure must be defined as executable by users. |
Activity field
This field displays the main KPIs for the Self Help project based on the selected filters.
(1) | Total number of procedure instances over a period of time |
(2) | Number of procedures published over a period of time |
(3) | The most popular procedure instances for the filtered period with the number of executions |
(4) | Number of unique sessions over a period of time |
Move the cursor over each chart to see details on the data displayed.
What's new in Administration: API keys
Third-party applications called in Self Help projects can now use the Self Help API by authenticating with a key. This reinforces access security and ensures secure exchanges with the server.
To create verified and secure access for the environment, server administrators can use a new menu called Authentication. This is used to manage API keys and create the required client certificates.
Manage API keys
You can manage API keys by selecting Administration > Authentication > API Keys in the new menu. This is used to consult and manage the list of API keys already generated by the server.
Create a new API key
1. Select Administration > Authentication > API Keys in the menu and click + Create a new API Key. Specify the information for the new key and click Add.
(1) | Name of the new API key |
(2) | Description of the key |
(3) | Client certificate
The Generate Certificate button enables you to access the integrated certificate generation tool. |
(4) | Expiration date of the key |
(5) | Authorizations granted to the third-party application authenticated using the new key |
2. The authentication information of the API key and the secret will be generated.
- You can copy and download the data for using the API key.
- The Download clientCertificate.cer button is used to download the client certificate in CER format.
3. The new API key will appear in the list of keys on the server.
- You can select to modify, duplicate or delete it.
- You can click Certificate.cer to download the client certificate.
Using an API key to integrate a Self Help project within a Service Apps application
In Service Apps, Self Help users will now log in using an API key. This must be specified when the Self Help/Service Bots connector is created.
(1) | Address of the Self Help | domain
(2) | Agent reference for the Service Bots connector or alias of the Self Help project for a Self Help | connector
(3) | Used to enable authentication via the API key |
(4) | ID of the API key |
(5) | Secret of the API key |
(6) | Upload the PEM file containing the API private certificate |
(7) | All new users created via Service Apps authentication will be added to this user group |
Generation of client certificates
You can now generate client certificates in a new menu by selecting Authentication > Cert Tools. The tool will generate an X.509 certificate with its private key. This information can then be used to generate an API key.
Operating principle
1. Select Administration > Authentication > Cert Tools in the menu.
2. Specify the information for the new certificate and click Generate Certificate.
(1) | Name of the certificate |
(2) | Cryptographic algorithm that encrypts the certificate |
(3) | Size of the key (in bytes) |
3. The certificate and the private key will be generated.
Note: The client certificates and the associated private keys generated by the tool are not stored once the pane is closed.
- Click Download apiCertificate.cer to save the CER file corresponding to the client certificate.
- Click Download apiCertificatekey.pem to save the PEM file corresponding to the private key associated with the certificate.
What's new in Administration: Beta-codes
EasyVista can now offer the beta testing of some functionalities to certain customers. These can be enabled only through a beta-code provided by EasyVista.
The new menu, Administration > System > Beta_codes enables server administrators to manage these codes.
Modifications to the menu pane
(1) | The Attributes menu has been renamed Projects. |
(2) | Service Bots is now a separate menu. |
What's new in the Users menu
User import
The functionality for performing a mass import of users on a Self Help server is now accessible to all server and domain administrators.
User list
New information is now displayed:
- The list of groups to which the user belongs
- The list of Self Help projects and domains that users in their role as writers are authorized to access
- The writer rights of the user for each Self Help project
What's new in the creation of extraction profiles
Options are now managed differently.
The Search Engine option is selected | The Executions and Procedures options will automatically be selected and cannot be unselected. | ![]() |
The Executions option is selected | The Procedures option will automatically be selected and cannot be unselected. | ![]() |
The Search Engine or Executions option is selected | Only procedures that have been run at least once will be extracted as well as the associated folders. | |
The Procedures option is the only one selected | All procedures and the associated folders will be extracted. |
What's new in Service Bots
New wizard for creating a virtual agent
The new wizard can only be accessed by domain administrators. This is used to create and configure the contents and visual appearance of the virtual agent in greater detail in three steps:
- Define the mission of the virtual agent. This will determine the contents of the associated Self Help projects.
- Define general information, such as the name, description, associated Self Help projects and domains, etc.
- Define the visual appearance (optional).
Note: Self Help projects imported by the creation wizard will not be published automatically. You must configure and publish them before you can deploy the virtual agent.
You must define the visual appearance of the virtual agent when you want to integrate the virtual agent within a Web page. You do not need to define its visual appearance if the virtual agent is used in Service Apps.
You can define multiple visual appearances for a given virtual agent.
example
Operating principle
1. Log in to the Online Studio. Select Service Bots > Agents in the menu and click + Add.
2. Select the mission of the virtual agent among the profiles available.
(1) | Theme-related profiles proposed by EasyVista: Used to automatically import all Self Help projects required for the virtual agent to the domain, e.g. social base or connection packages. |
(2) | Starter Pack: Used to import the social base and an empty Self Help project for the virtual agent's Knowledge Base. |
(3) | Creation of the virtual agent using existing Self Help projects in the domain. |
3. Proceed to the next step and specify general information on the virtual agent.
(1) | Name of the virtual agent |
(2) | Reference of the virtual agent |
(3) | Description of the virtual agent, the mission name is used by default |
(4) | Domain associated with the virtual agent |
(5) | List of Self Help projects associated with the virtual agent
Note: By default, all projects associated with the virtual agent's mission profile will be proposed. You can disable their import by unselecting the ones you do not want. |
(6) | Other Self Help projects in the domain associated with the virtual agent that you can add manually |
4. Proceed to the next step and configure the visual appearance of the virtual agent (optional). Click Finish.
(1) | Name of the visual appearance |
(2) | Options for defining the visual appearance of the virtual agent
You can select a template in the Preset menu. You can then customize its appearance using the other menus, e.g. font, size, color, etc. |
(3) | Preview of the virtual agent's visual appearance |
5. Self Help projects associated with the virtual agent will be imported to the domain. The new virtual agent will appear in the list of virtual agents defined on the server.
6. Click the name of the virtual agent to display its details and see its visual appearances.
(1) | General information on the virtual agent |
(2) | List of the virtual agent's visual appearances. You can modify or delete each visual appearance.
You can also retrieve the virtual agent's integration code in a Web page by clicking Copy Code. |
(3) | Creation of a new visual appearance |
7. Switch to the Desktop Studio to check that the virtual agent has been correctly created. Self Help projects associated with the virtual agent's mission will be imported and displayed in the Explorer pane in edit mode.
8. Complete the configuration of the different Self Help projects associated with the virtual agent and publish them. Deploy the new virtual agent.
Adding statistics related to Service Bots
New variables related to the use of the Service Bots virtual agent are now available in the statistics file generated using an extraction profile. They are added to the Search Engine sheet and are linked to the Search Engine.
- SpellCheck: Search keywords once the NLP engine has made corrections to the spelling. The field is blank if no corrections were made.
- SearchEngineCountResult: Number of results returned by the search tool.
- DecisionCountResult: Number of results returned after analysis based on relevance.
- ResultType: Type of results returned. The possible values are:
- WELCOME: Welcome message
- MISUNDERSTANDING: No results found by the virtual agent
- REPHRASE: Several results found by the virtual agent
- BYE: Procedure at the end of the user journey
- TAGSEARCH: Search for a tag
- IDSEARCH: Run a procedure using its ID
- Lemmas: List of significant terms in the user's query
- Channel: Mode for viewing the procedure. The possible values are:
- PORTAL: Procedures are viewed in the portal
- APICONTENT: Procedures are called via the Content API
- MSTEAMS: Procedures are viewed via MS Teams
- SERVICEBOTS: Procedures are viewed via a virtual agent
- AUTOMATIC: Procedures are viewed via the Portal API
- PREVIEW: Procedures are viewed in test mode to check their display
- DEBUG: Procedures are viewed in debug mode
Desktop Studio
New Import functionalities
To facilitate the start of the writing phase for a new Self Help project or to add new content quickly to an existing project, you can now use two new Import functionalities in the Desktop Studio:
- Perform a mass import of documents grouped in folders. This enables the automatic creation of procedures using Word documents.
- Import an Excel file dedicated to an FAQ. This enables the automatic creation of procedures using rows in the Excel file.
Accessing the Import functionality
You can access the Import functionality in edit mode in the Desktop Studio.
- By selecting File > Import in the menu.
- By right-clicking and selecting Import in the Explorer pane.
Note: The archive import functionality for importing Self Help projects from AAR archives has now been incorporated into the two new functionalities.
Importing folders
Importing folders enables you to create or complete existing Self Help projects by performing a mass import of the tree structure of folders and subfolders and the documents they contain.
- Word documents will automatically be converted into procedures. Page breaks in the Word documents will automatically create Page steps.
- The other files will be imported as resources.
Note: The folder import functionality replaces the Quick Start tool. This functionality has now been incorporated into the Desktop Studio to make it easier to use.
Operating principle
1. Prepare the folder you want to import by placing the relevant subfolders and documents in it.
2. Select File > Import > Folder in the menu.
3. Configure the archive of the project generated from the folder.
- Select the folder to be imported.
- Indicate if you want to keep the new Self Help project on your workstation as an AAR archive.
- Specify if the folder should be imported as a new Self Help project or if its contents should be added to the current project.
- Click Generate.
4. Configure the import of the archive.
- Select the status to be applied to all objects in the archive, i.e. procedures and resources.
- Click Import.
5. The import will be run.
- The number of folders, procedures and resources imported will appear.
- An archive will be created if you selected the Save Archive option.
- Imported folders and their contents will appear in the Explorer pane in the Desktop Studio.
6. You can now publish your new Self Help project.
Importing the FAQ from an Excel file
Importing the FAQ enables you to import all or part of a Self Help FAQ project (Frequently Asked Questions) from an XLS file. The hierarchy of the project is simple and comprises procedures, each containing a single Page step.
- Each row in the Excel file will automatically be converted into a procedure in the Self Help project.
- You can specify metadata in the Excel file. It will be imported and automatically associated with each procedure.
Note:
- In this first version, you can only import text to procedures.
- You cannot import translations. Translatable attributes must be imported in the same way for each language defined in the Desktop Studio. You can then modify them if required.
Contents of the Excel file
The XLS file must be in a workbook containing one or more sheets.
- Each sheet must contain a specific number of columns whose names are normalized.
- Cross-reference mapping
Excel element (XLS) | Desktop Studio element | |
---|---|---|
Name of the Excel file | Name of the level 1 folder (root of the Self Help project) | |
Name of each sheet | Name of the subfolders | |
Each row in the table | One procedure containing one Page | step|
Name column
(mandatory) |
Name of the procedure and title of the Page | step|
Content column
(mandatory) |
Content of the Page step in the procedure
Note: You can format the text using HTML. |
|
Other columns
(optional) |
Properties specific to the procedure
Note: The Keywords, DialogFriendly, AgentFlag and AlternativeIntents properties are used for virtual agent procedures. |
Operating principle
1. Prepare the Excel file in compliance with the required structure.
2. Select File > Import > FAQ in the menu.
3. Configure the archive of the project generated from the file.
- Select the XLS file to be imported.
- Indicate if you want to keep the new Self Help project on your workstation as an AAR archive.
- Specify if the file should be imported as a new Self Help project or if its contents should be added to the current project.
- Click Generate.
4. Configure the import of the archive.
- Select the status to be applied to all objects in the archive, i.e. procedures and resources.
- Click Import.
5. The import will be run.
- The number of folders, procedures and resources imported will appear.
- An archive will be created if you selected the Save Archive option.
- Imported folders and their contents will appear in the Explorer pane in the Desktop Studio.
6. Make the required modifications for translatable metadata.
7. You can now publish your new Self Help project.
Resources locked during the publication or export of a Self Help project
When you publish or export a Self Help project, this may sometimes fail because resources are being modified by another writer. An error message will appear.
This error message has been made clearer and it now specifies the names of the locked resources and the relevant writers.