A record is a general term that refers to the distinct items created within Service Desk when technicians add incidents, problems, changes, releases, or knowledge articles. Though each type of record has a different function and different information, they all use similar features and an interface that contains the same components.

All records include a similar format and features (such as tasks). The following items are all considered Service Desk records:

An incident is a single event, disturbance or query that affects the quality of a service to a customer. When a customer is affected by an incident which is then resolved, the service for that customer is restored to normal levels. Incidents can be logged by technicians, and administrators can allow customers to submit incidents as well using the Customer Portal. Because incident management focuses on getting the customer back on track as quickly as possible, fixes for incidents are often "band-aid" fixes and do not always allow the underlying root cause to be further explored and resolved.

See the following articles to learn more about incidents:

• Use Incidents and Incident Management
• Create Incidents
• Import Multiple Incidents
• Resolve and Close Incidents

Incidents and their associated data are automatically archived 2 years from the date they were last updated (e.g., reopened, comment added, etc.), then removed from our system 1 year from the date they were archived. For more information, please see About Automatic Incident Data Archival.

A problem is a recurring issue that affects the quality of a service to a customer, such as a technical glitch, something unclear about the user interface or the absence of a feature or certain information repeatedly requested by customers. Problems are typically incidents that continue to arise, sometimes despite a short-term fix. When a customer is affected by an incident which is resolved with a"quick fix" or workaround, the service for that customer will likely be impaired again because the problem is still active and waiting to produce the recurring incident again and again.

See the following articles to learn more about problems:

• Use Problems and Problem Management
• Create Problems
• Resolve and Close Problems

Changes – short for ITIL's term "Request for Change (RFC)" – refers to any changes being made to the service or any of its components (including configuration items). Change records allow technicians to not only justify why time and money is being spent on the change effort, but also to track and streamline the effort and any other components that might be related. Changes can stem from many sources, such as fixes for incidents or problems, new or improved functionality within the service, additions or modifications to configuration items or updates to the service (e.g., new compliance obligations). Service Desk change forms are designed to enable the following development process: planning, approval, building, and testing.

See the following articles to learn more about changes:

• Use Changes and Change Management
• Create and Approve Changes
• Build Changes
• Test Changes
• Close and Delete Changes

Releases are the implementation of incidents and changes into services. When incidents are resolved and changes are completed, they are ready to be deployed to customers. Releases provide a way of tracking when incidents and changes are implemented and who is responsible for aspects of the release process. Service Desk release forms are designed to enable the following development process: planning, approval, testing and deployment.

See the following articles to learn more about releases:

• Use Releases and Release Management
• Create and Approve Releases
• Test Releases
• Deploy Releases
• Close and Delete Releases

Knowledge articles are articles that are written and maintained by Service Desk technicians and are a way of providing your staff and/or customers with a clear and common understanding of your services. They can be internal only or made available to your customers via the Customer Portal, allowing you to keep your staff and customers in the know by sharing insights and experiences of your services.

See the following articles to learn more about knowledge articles:

• Use Knowledge Articles and Knowledge Management
• Create and Publish Knowledge Articles
• Remove Knowledge Articles
• Solicit Feedback (Knowledge Articles)