Knowledge Base

Introduction

This article contains documentation for Knowledge Base (officially released in February 2023, available from version 12.6 and higher), which is the successor of an older (independent) plugin - Knowledge Base.

Knowledge Base is a natively integrated solution of Easy Redmine with BlueSpice, which is built on MediaWiki, and developed by our technological partner Hallo Welt!. This is a truly dedicated knowledge sharing application which works in synergy with Easy Redmine's team cooperation capabilities.

Data from the original plugin can be migrated into KB .

Setting up KB

From technical perspective KB is a separately running application that is closely connected to Easy Redmine. Understanding the potential hassle for application administrators, we committed to making it as smooth as possible.

Cloud

For Cloud users, the whole process is automatic. The KB instance is automatically established and connected to your Easy Redmine. When you decide to test it, or use in production, it works the same way as in any other standard functionality - add-on is activated (you will find a new item in the MORE menu) and you can start using it right away.

Server

The Server solution of KB is provided as a Docker image. After you run it in your infrastructure, you will connect it to your Easy Redmine via user interface in ER administration.

Please read the detailed installation manual here.

Trials

KB is not available in regular trial applications. To test it, please contact your account manager or Easy Support.

Live demo

There is a shared live demo available at https://demo-kb.easysoftware.com/ (manager / easy848). The data in this application is shared and reset regularly.

Administration in Easy Redmine

To access administration of KB , go to Administration >> Plugins >> Knowledge Base - Edit

BS oauth2 provider settings for API

This part is for general connection between ER and KB. As mentioned above, in Cloud, it is generated automatically.

Check button should be the first thing you test if you feel that KB is not working (for example KB search doesn't return results). It is also important to always click Check in case of any changes in the settings.

Easy oauth2 provider settings for SSO

SSO is generated automatically on Cloud as well as Server solution. There is important information to possibly debug access issues from ER to KB.

Update permissions on BS for all users

The button is just for emergency situations. The mechanism behind it works automatically.

Example: When you lower someone's permission from manage to view, it may take up to an hour for that change to be propagated into KB. If you don't want to wait for the automatic propagation of the change, just click this button.

Roles and permissions

There are three access levels that are configured within Easy Redmine.

 

In Roles and permissions, you will find section for KB

• View articles - User in a role with this permission allowed may only read the pages
  
• Manage articles - User in a role with this permission allowed is an "Editor" in KB , which means he can create and edit pages, and has also allowed other (non-admin) operations.
  
• Administrator in ER has also access to KB administration
  

Migration from original Knowledge Base

If you have never used the original version, you can safely ignore this chapter.

If you are using the original Knowledge Base and you are planning to migrate to KB , it means that you have both of them installed (activated). In such case, you will find an additional section in Administration >> Plugins >> Knowledge Base - Edit

What happens after you click the button:

1. Original knowledge posts are validated whether they are seamlessly migratable
2. Seamlessly migratable posts are migrated
3. "Problematic" posts are listed and left for your decision

What does problematic mean?

Some page titles (name of knowledge post) which were allowed in original KB are not allowed, or have special meaning. As a result they would be either transformed during the migration or they would migrate content in an unexpected way.

Details about all special or illegal title characters are available here:
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:Page_title
https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Manual:%24wgLegalTitleChars

In practice, an example of a special functional character is slash "/", such as title: How to create/update task. In KB "/" represents delimiter for subpage. That would mean that migration would import page: How to create and its subpage update task. Which is certainly not what you expect or want. In this case, you would rather edit the title of the knowledge post to How to create or update task.

After editing the title, click Validate and migrate button again, this page will not be listed as problematic anymore, but directly migrated.

Another example are simply disallowed characters, such as ">" or "&", which may be removed or replaced by migration. It depends on the specific situation. We also recommend changing these titles rather than importing without validation.

Migrate without validation

If there are articles that did not pass validation, this button will allow you to migrate those have passed and ignore the rest.

Accessing KB

From the side of Easy Redmine, KB can be accessed via various touch points.

More menu

As with many other features, KB also can be entered via More menu. You will find it under add-ons section. Clicking here will take you to the main page of KB .

Sidebar (service bar)

Just like in the original one, KB has a search widget in the ever present right bar. The icon is a bit different to avoid confusion during the temporary period when you may have both KBs activated.

Simply search your keyword. By clicking on the result, you will be directed to the article in KB application.

This search looks through all indexed content in KB .

Related articles on task

When a task has related articles, you will access them directly from the task detail. The search available in this section look only through article titles, not the whole content.

Working in KB

Since KB is a separate application, it also has its own user manual available at: https://knowledge-base.easysoftware.com

The manual is itself an implemented instance. It consists of 4 main books and takes you through your first steps and introduces the most crucial organizational and administrational areas. Please remember that there is no rush in implementing a whole knowledge sharing system. Take it step by step so that you first fully understand the basic logic before you roll it to your organization.

Easy Redmine + KB data relations

Easy Redmine contains projects and tasks (very simply put), KB contains articles (again, a simplified formulation). Let's look at how they intertwine.

Task - article

The most natural connection that comes to mind is between the most used entities.

On every task you will find a section to search knowledge articles, to link them to the task by a single click. This search goes only through article titles, not the whole content.

Unlinking is as usual by the unlink button

This is how it looks from the side of knowledge article.

Project - article

Knowledge articles can be linked to projects from the side of KB

Embedded article on Easy page

An interesting option is embedding an article into any type of customizable page in Easy Redmine, such as the Overview page of a project.

The page module is called Knowledge article. Just search the article, select it and save the page. This search looks through all indexed content in KB .

Professional implementation

In accordance to the standards of robust enterprise systems, Knowledge Base may also come with a dedicated consultant who will guide you through the implementation reflecting your business specifics. Please ask your account manager or support about this option.

Easy Software can confidently recommend professional implementation based on our own experience with this service provided to us by our Partner, the author of the application.