Schedule for imap mail delivery + Pseudo cron

[Mitch2]

We've been using IMAP based mail for a while with a hosted account. But just read this link with some concern..

https://support.kayako.com/index.php...barticleid=110

I need some clarification on what this link is telling me. It says:

"This however has some caveats, If you have POP3/IMAP or Escalations setup then they will be executed only when a web page is accessed. It is therefore recomended that all clients setup a cron job to execute the following URL every 5 minutes"

Is this saying that i need to run my own cron job to trigger the kayaho cron job?

Meaning that i need to check my support page other 10 minutes or so or I will not get any tickets from customers?

If this is true, has it always been the case?

Mitch

[supportskins]

It says that you need to set a cron on your server to execute the URL - http://domain.helpserve.com/cron/index.php?_t=parser on regular basis.

[craigbrass]

For help desks that are staffed 24/7, the pseudo cron is fine. If it isn't, use a cron job.

[supportskins]

I believe pseudo cron is only executed when you login to the Admin or Staff CP and not on regular basis while you "use" the helpdesk.

[craigbrass]

Oh right, I thought it ran on each action. I honestly haven't tested it as I use a cron.

[Jamie Edwards]

Originally Posted by supportskins

I believe pseudo cron is only executed when you login to the Admin or Staff CP and not on regular basis while you "use" the helpdesk.

That is correct - once the dashboard has loaded.

[mbalsam]

So, a user will never get a response to an email they send in, and i will never get a notification, unless I remember to check for tickets every 5 minutes?

I purchased a full license and found it was way to complicated to maintain. So i used the hosted account because i did not want to have to maintain cron jobs etc.

Being a developer my self, i can say. This should be a case study showing how technology people get so far away from the actual problems their trying to solve by getting so wrapped up in new features etc..

Does that not sort of invalidate the entire purpose of having a trouble ticket system???

Another question: Has this always been the case for hosted accounts?

[craigbrass]

E-mails will not get pulled in unless you login.

As you are a hosted customer, submit a ticket (http://support.kayako.net -> "Get Support") and ask them to setup the cron. They will do all the work for you.

[mbalsam]

Thanks for the info craig. But dont you think this would be the type of thing that would do by default. Whats the reason for not doing it. Are they trying to save CPU cycles?

Boggles the mind.

[craigbrass]

Correct. It would be pointless to enable it by default and waste CPU cycles if people are not using email fetching.

[mbalsam]

So CPU cycles are more important than my customers? This is exactly what i said about technologists (which i am one of) think technology is more important than the problem it solves.

You say, if people are not using email fetching.. What else does this product do other than get and send response to emails?

Craig with all due respect I think that many in the Kayako comunity are in the state of "denial" about these sort of issues.

"Denial is a defense mechanism in which a person is faced with a fact that is too painful to accept and rejects it instead, insisting that it is not true despite what may be overwhelming evidence. The subject may deny the reality of the unpleasant fact altogether (simple denial), admit the fact but deny its seriousness (minimisation) or admit both the fact and seriousness but deny responsibility (transference)"......

[bear]

Originally Posted by mbalsam

So CPU cycles are more important than my customers?

Not in the least, but it doesn't make sense to enable it for all accounts if some are using piping, for instance. That's automatic, so cron for that would be wasteful. I would agree it should be made quite clear when setting up.

You say, if people are not using email fetching.. What else does this product do other than get and send response to emails?

Stores, records and groups responses to an issue together. Also allows for various reminders, knowledgebase articles and quite a bit more. It's not just an email aggregator.

[craigbrass]

Craig with all due respect I think that many in the Kayako comunity are in the state of "denial" about these sort of issues.

We are not in denial. I personally know a number of issues that are a problem and will be the first to admit Kayako aren't the fastest company at fixing them. This is down to the fact more developers are needed.

I think a compromise would be good for this issue....placing an enable / disable cron icon inside the members area.

[Jamie Edwards]

Originally Posted by mbalsam

Thanks for the info craig. But dont you think this would be the type of thing that would do by default. Whats the reason for not doing it. Are they trying to save CPU cycles?

Boggles the mind.

Originally Posted by craigbrass

Correct. It would be pointless to enable it by default and waste CPU cycles if people are not using email fetching.

Originally Posted by mbalsam

So CPU cycles are more important than my customers? This is exactly what i said about technologists (which i am one of) think technology is more than the problem it solves.

You say, if people are not using email fetching.. What else does this product do other than get and send response to emails?

Craig with all due respect I think that many in the Kayako comunity are in the state of "denial" about these sort of issues.

This is correct - the system is designed to cater for the largest market, and the largest of our client base is concerned with 'CPU cycles' and resource usage, where they are unable to afford a large part of or a whole dedicated server for their SupportSuite. If the execute-by-login is not frequent enough for you, it is easy on any system to configure a system CRON job to execute the pseudo-CRON system in SupportSuite at any interval you require.

[mbalsam]

Im want to keep this a constructive conversation about the facts but Kayko's entire response is not letting this occur. If you just took responsibility for it and not shifted blame to your customers it would not require 14 postings on this subject. If I were you i would say

sorry, this is a nuance we should have fully documented, and did not, I will have your account added to CRON ASAP. Sorry for the inconvenience.

Instead you're making technical explanations as to why its my responsibility to make my business work around your system.

Craig was nice enough to tell me that I should ask your service group to add a cron script for me.. But the question is: Why does Craig, a very well meaning (18 year old non-employee) provide me with this information???

Also, why is it that you need a part time "thought police" that blocks people's postings that are in contradiction with your corporate "denial" about facts that are not comfortable for you to read.

I think that the fact that my account has one IMAP connection and ZERO pipeing connectors setup is sufficient information for you to configure you system to do the job under which its sold. Im not sure why i even have to ask for this to be added to my account.

I will ask again, is this optimization a recent addition to the system or just something that I managed to overlook for over a year.

I hope you take these comments as "constructive" criticism.. If I did not like your product i would have just stopped paying and disappeared. Instead im wasting my Saturday trying to explain this from the customers perspective...