How to disable sending emails in Service Desk.

Products

• CA IT Asset Manager
• CA Software Asset Manager (CA SAM)
• ASSET PORTFOLIO MGMT- SERVER
• SUPPORT AUTOMATION- SERVER
• CA Service Desk Manager - Unified Self Service
• CA Service Desk Manager
• CA Service Management - Asset Portfolio Management
• CA Service Management - Service Desk Manager

Issue/Introduction

Description:

Suppressing sending of emails from Service Desk in totality can be useful, such as when building test and development systems.

It allows full construction of Contact Details, Notification functionality and full testing of the system, without adversely impacting users with spurious test messages.

However, "uninstalling" the email options in Options Manager does not suppress email sending. The reason is that the default values for the "uninstalled" options are still populated, and the mails will still send. Note that "uninstalled" does not equate to "inactive" in Service Desk Manager "Options." Instead it indicates that functionality has been restored to a "default value." In this case, Service Desk considers sending mail to be default behavior.

The solution documents is a workaround.

Environment

CA Service Management 17.X

Resolution

The workaround is to use "dummy values" in the Options Manager email settings. Service Desk will still attempt to send the emails, but will not be able to reach the mail server.

Steps

1. In Service Desk Manager, Administration, Options, Email: set the following two variables away from their defaults to values that will NOT reach a mail server in your environment:
   
   
   • Option 'mail_smtp_host' (Default 'mailhost mail localhost').
     
     
   • Option 'mail_smtp_host_port (Default '25.')
     
     
2. Install these options.

Note: It is not necessary to recycle Service Desk Manager for the changed options to take effect.

Warning

Using this method will cause messages to be written to the Service Desk Manager stdlogs whenever an email notification is attempted.

This is not a fault, but a symptom of pointing to a non-existent mail server:

"ERROR hunny_mail_intf.c 1921 ThrdLogger Sess:1:0:0 Unable to connect to mail servers (d112363). Last message: Can't connect to server at d112363 Error (0)"

This message may be ignored.

Other Methods:

There are other methods to consider when suppressing email which may be more appropriate depending on situation.

• Rename the Service Desk Manager File "pdm_mail.exe" so that email cannot be activated at all.
  
  
• Remove all email addresses from Contacts OR assign dummy values.
  
  
• Change all Contact Notification Methods from "Email" to another type such as "Notification." This has the advantage of avoiding the messages noted in the workaround. A SQL query could be considered for a mass change - see your DBA.
  
  
• An Enhancement Request has been submitted to review functionality in this area. Add your voice if you would like to see this in a future version of Service Desk by advising your local User Group. (Reference 20033114;2.)