Apparatus, and associated method, for generating an information technology incident report

Abstract

Apparatus, and an associated method, for generating a trouble ticket related to an IT incident. When an IT incident occurs, a worklog is formed by a reporter that enters information associated with the incident. Successive inputs, made by appropriate personnel, are made to update the status of the incident. A table-of-contents is formed, associated with the collection of entries of information. And, each entry of information is categorized, to identify the entry by an associated category.

1 . A computing device for generating a ticket related to an information technology (IT) system incident, said computing device comprising:
 a processor; and   a worklog display generator to, when executed by the processor, generate a displayable worklog in which information related to the IT system incident is includable, the worklog forming part of the ticket; and   an anchor link generator to, when executed by the processor, generate at least a first anchor link associated with a corresponding at least first portion of the information related to the IT system incident that is includable in the displayable worklog generated by said worklog display generator, the first anchor link forming a first table of content entry associated with the corresponding at least first portion of the information.   
     
     
         2 . The computing device of  claim 1  wherein the information related to the IT system incident comprises user-entered information entered at successive times. 
     
     
         3 . The computing device of  claim 2  wherein said anchor link generator is to permit generation of an anchor link with each entry of the user-entered information. 
     
     
         4 . The computing device of  claim 3  wherein the user-entered information comprises a plurality of portions entered at a plurality of successive times and wherein said anchor link generator is configured to generate a plurality of anchor link forming a plurality of table of content entries. 
     
     
         5 . The computing device of  claim 1  wherein the at least the first anchor link generated by said anchor link generator comprises a hyperlink linkable to the corresponding at least first portion of the information. 
     
     
         6 . The computing device of  claim 5  wherein the displayable worklog generated by said worklog display generator comprises a first worklog display part and a second worklog display part, the first anchor link forming the first table of content entry forming part of the first worklog display part. 
     
     
         7 . The computing device of  claim 6  wherein the information related to the IT system incident forms part of the second worklog display part. 
     
     
         8 . The computing device of  claim 7  wherein the at least the first anchor link further forms part of the second worklog display part. 
     
     
         9 . The computing device of  claim 6  wherein the first worklog display part and the second worklog display part of the displayable worklog generated by said worklog display generator are concurrently displayable. 
     
     
         10 . The computing device of  claim 6  wherein said worklog display generator is configured successively to display the first worklog display part and the second worklog display part. 
     
     
         11 . The computing device of  claim 1  further comprising a category menu generator to generate a category menu populated with menu entries selectable to categorize a corresponding portion of the information includable in the displayable worklog by said worklog display generator. 
     
     
         12 . The computing device of  claim 11  wherein each portion of the information includable in the displayable worklog comprises an update to a prior portion and wherein said category menu generator is to generate the category menu with each update of the displayable worklog. 
     
     
         13 . The computing device of  claim 11  wherein said worklog display generator is further configured to generate the displayable worklog that includes display of the menu entries selected to characterize the corresponding portions of the information related to the IT system incident and includable in the worklog display. 
     
     
         14 . The computing device of  claim 1  further comprising a searcher configured to search for and locate selected text that forms part of the information includable in the worklog display. 
     
     
         15 . The computing device of  claim 1  further comprising a spell-checker configured to check correctness of text forming the information related to the IT system incident. 
     
     
         16 - 19 . (canceled) 
     
     
         20 . A user interface apparatus for facilitating generation of a ticket worklog configurable to identify log entries associated with an information technology (IT) incident, said user interface apparatus comprising:
 a central processing unit (CPU);   a worklog generator to, when executed by the CPU, form an input worklog responsive to input of log-entry information related to the IT incident; and   a content table generator to, when executed by the CPU, generate a table of contents that identifies successive parts of the worklog formed of the log-entry information, each entry of the table of contents linkable to a corresponding part of the worklog.   
     
     
         21 . The user interface apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising an anchor link generator to generate at least a first anchor link associated with a corresponding at least first portion of the information related to the IT incident that is includable in the input worklog generated by said worklog generator and wherein the at least the first anchor link generated by said anchor link generator comprises a hyperlink linkable to the corresponding at least first portion of the information. 
     
     
         22 . The user interface apparatus of  claim 20 , further comprising a category menu generator to, when executed by the CPU, generate a category menu populated with menu entries selectable to categorize a corresponding portion of the information includable in the displayable worklog by said worklog display generator. 
     
     
         23 . A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by a processor of a computing device generating a ticket related to an information technology (IT) system incident, causes the processor to:
 create a worklog in which information related to the IT system incident is includable wherein the worklog forms part of the ticket and wherein the worklog is displayable on a user display;   create a first anchor link associated with a corresponding first portion of the information related to the IT system incident; and   include the first anchor link in the created worklog;   wherein the first anchor link forms a first table of content entry associated with the corresponding first portion of the information.   
     
     
         24 . The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of  claim 23 , wherein the information related to the IT system incident comprises user-entered information entered at successive times.