Release Notes

What's new in version 8.7

August 2020

Version 8.7 provides a number of new features and enhancements over previous releases.

Launch third-party tools from the Web App

Now you can use your favorite remote access and network diagnostic tools right from the Web App. Ping affected computers, open a Remote Desktop session, search the Microsoft Knowledge Base, reset a user’s password — these and other solutions are available with a single click.

TIP: For additional information, see Integrations in the Web App.

Native Mobile App

Alloy Navigator Express now packs a native Mobile App supporting iOS and Android to provide all-new mobile user experience. The new app leverages mobile technology to handle IT tasks, deliver support, and communicate on the go. Push notifications will help your IT team stay on top of important events even when the Mobile App is closed.

TIP: For additional information, see Native API integration for the Mobile App.

Identify equipment easily

Now you can add real images of equipment to their hardware and computer records to help quickly identify IT assets at a glance.

Get more done, with fewer clicks

Now you can run workflow actions directly from grid views and dashboard widgets without having to open records first.

Make it faster, better usability

Alloy Navigator Express offers usability improvement with ever-faster automatic search. All drop-down and browse fields now fully support type-ahead functionality with automatic filtering of results.

Hardware inventory via QR codes out of the box

Alloy Navigator Express now offers a complete solution for physical inventory using QR codes. Now you can print QR code labels and perform physical inventory with QR codes using our native Alloy Inventory Scanner mobile app.

Audit Tools enhancements

Alloy Audit Tools has been updated to version 7.0.1. The new version includes these changes:

  • Now when you distribute the Audit Agent to your employees for offline installation on their travel laptops, the audit runs as soon as the Audit Agent finishes installing.
  • Fixed SMBIOS-related issues when running the Inventory Analyzer on Windows machines.
  • New modern device icons for the Device Drivers tab in the Audit Snapshot Viewer.
  • The Audit Snapshot Viewer now shows the complete numeric version (e.g. 10.0.18363 Build 18363) of Microsoft Windows 10.
  • Locale settings for Linux computers are reported more accurately.

Other Enhancements and Resolved Issues

Web App

  • Fewer clicks, better performance. In order to improve user experience and reduce redundant prompts for saving changes, changes are now saved automatically when running workflow actions.

  • Fewer clicks, better navigation. Now after opening an object record using links contained in email notifications, you can easily navigate to the grid view with other objects of the same type instead of having to use the Sidebar for navigation. The button for opening the grid view can be found in the upper-right corner of the toolbar.

  • Improved usability for record submission. Quick record submissions just got faster by allowing users to choose whether to navigate to the just created record. This saves unnecessary navigation in situations where technicians log multiple tickets in a row.

  • Stay updated with modification alerts. Modification alerts help users save their time when the ticket or object they are working on is modified by other users (or by the system) while the record is open on the screen: Now users can load most recent data and stay on top of record changes in real time.

  • Minimize the effort to find information. We have streamlined the Web App interface to avoid unnecessary slide-out windows by opening supporting records using middle-click or CTRL + click. This gives you immediate access to information you need without wasting time on extra clicks.

  • Improved interface with nifty slide out Action Bar. We have optimized the use of the screen real estate when opening a record’s full display page. The Action Bar can slide in on demand, or it can be pinned if users prefer to keep it permanently on the screen.

  • Faster and easier view control. You can save time managing views with most common functionality easily accessible in a view list. Now view selection and configuration is combined in one control.

  • Easier to access export commands. The grid’s module menu now features the Export Rows button that gives immediate access to commands for exporting rows.

  • More informative Related Objects grid. We have updated the Related Objects tab with icons for every record type making object relations easier to navigate.

  • Text edit controls are no longer getting overlapped by the Sidebar when the control is maximized while the Sidebar is pinned to the left side of the browser window.

  • The multiple records batch-update feature is no longer limited to 52 records. Now you can bath-update as many records as needed.

  • Now the Today and Now calendar buttons work as expected. For Date fields, Today updates the field with the current date. For Date/Time fields, Now updates the field with the current date and time.

  • Resolved the issue with using special characters in custom hyperlinks on the dashboard.

  • Resolved the issue with the Web App sometimes causing downloaded file attachments to be corrupted.

  • The batch update option is no longer available to users without the appropriate permission.

  • Resolved a performance issue with reference fields in the Web App.

Web App and Self Service Portal

  • Added the ability to add custom JavaScript code to the Web App and the Self Service Portal. This provides the ability to easily add a Chat functionality, Twitter Feeds, Google Maps, Facebook or YouTube videos, and more.

  • In order to address certain security considerations, we added an option for removing the product name and version from the Web App's and Self Service Portal's meta tags.

  • INFO: For instructions, see Administration Guide: Hiding the Product Name and Version from the Web App's Meta Tags and Administration Guide: Hiding the Product Name and Version from the SSP's Meta Tags.

  • Resolved the issue with date values entered in the Web App or the Self Service Portal getting recorded incorrectly when the client and server computers are in different time zones.

  • Resolved the "Access to the path denied" error when customizing the logo image for the Web App and for the Self Service Portal.

Web App and Desktop App

  • Streamline interaction with activities. Resolved the issue causing activity records to open when users intended to select and copy their content.

Desktop App

  • Give your eyes a break. In order to reduce eye strain in low-light environments, we have added support for a new Alloy Dark theme in our desktop apps.

  • The HTML editor comes with these fixes:
    • The Left, Center, and Right options now correctly align text inside table cells.
    • Inserting hyperlinks no longer affects the background color of the paragraph box.

    • Now you can remove empty bullet points from bulleted lists when needed.

  • Resolved the issue with object forms getting cut off at the bottom on Full HD monitors (vertical resolution 1080 pixels) with display scaling factor of 125% or above.

  • Resolved the issue causing an unexpected scrolling of the screen content on auto-refresh when working with grouped grids.

  • Resolved the issue with bar charts stopping alternating bar colors above a certain number of bars.

Self Service Portal

  • Know your users via avatars. Now the profile picture (avatar) is displayed in the Self Service Portal.

  • Now applying a workflow Action to update a Ticket works as expected — SSP users can see that the Ticket changes its status to In Progress.

  • Now the Self Service Portal displays the correct title (Information) for message boxes triggered by workflow.

  • Corrected some security vulnerabilities that were detected in previous versions.

Web App, Self Service Portal, and Desktop App

  • Improved the formatting of announcements and KB articles and removed unused space.

Web App and API Module

  • The new version of the Web App and the API module supports LDAP user authentication, previously available only for the Self Service Portal. Now technicians can use their domain credentials with standard authentication to sign in to all our web and mobile applications.

    INFO: For instructions, see Administration Guide: Administration Guide: Enabling LDAP Authentication.

Audit and discovery

  • In order to improve security, we revised minimum necessary permissions required for the Network Folder Audit method.

Default workflow updates

  • The new version enables you to remove personal information for GDPR data policy by triggering the Purge Personal Info workflow action.

  • Now you can update current statuses of Requests manually by triggering the Change Status workflow action.

  • The Push Notifications feature has been revised. Now you can manage push notifications from Escalation Business Policies for Tickets, Change Requests, and Approval Requests.

Integration with email

  • Secure communication. Added support for OAuth 2.0 and Microsoft Graph API to ensure the latest Microsoft standards in Office 365 Email protocols for better security and connectivity.

  • Fixed the issue causing discarded email messages not record a reason for rejection in Mail Connector’s log.

  • File attachments from the original message are no longer sent back to the requester along with the "Your ticket has been received" notification.

  • Now you can configure Mail Connector to read mail from a non-standard folder (not Inbox) when working with the EWS and Graph protocols.

Workflow management

  • Use PowerShell scripts within your workflow. This release offers a new powerful tool for Alloy Navigator Express administrators. Now they can execute PowerShell scripts within workflow to run external commands and utilities. For example, the administrator can create a workflow integration to disable any User Account in the Active Directory.

    IMPORTANT: This change may affect your customizations. For details, see PowerShell instead of CMD in integrations.

  • Easier working with push notifications. The UI for managing mobile push notifications in the Settings App has been improved and expanded for convenience and ease of operation.

Documentation

  • Added description of date range values (such as Last 7 days, This month, etc.) that you choose when running reports. See online help for the Report Parameters dialog box.