General details about the issue

After receiving a support request, we often need to ask for additional details. The problem will be resolved faster if you can clarify the situation within your organization beforehand and provide as precise a description as possible in your support request, including:

• How is the software malfunctioning
• Is the person reporting the issue a power user, a regular user, or a restricted user (do permissions affect the issue)
• How did the user encounter the problem; what were they doing, how, and in which view/window/CSI MyDesk/CSI Mobile
• Does the issue occur only for this user and can someone else print the invoice, report, etc.
• Does the same issue occur when handling other customer's/matter's/invoice's data, or is it tied to a specific record
• When did the issue first appear, and have any changes been made recently, e.g., software version updates
• If the software prompted to check details, what additional information appeared when hovering over the red cross
• Did the software display an error message and what kind of error
• Can the user send the error log to CSI support by selecting Menu > Send error log in the software

If the problem is software slowness…

Slowness experienced by the user can have several causes, such as internet connection, database status, or even data in the database. You can rule out some possible causes yourself as follows:

Is the user’s internet connection slow?

A slow internet connection is often the reason for slow response times of the software. Other tools, such as Office, may work fine, but the SQL query-intensive CSI software requires a sufficiently fast connection.

• Is the user working remotely or in the office - and with what kind of connection
• Does slowness occur for other office users as well, e.g. is the same search function faster for others
• What results does the Database Connection Checker (found under the Menu button) show
• If the software is slow on the user’s normal wireless connection, does it speed up when switching to a wired network or using a mobile hotspot

Could the database cause slowness?

• Compatibility level: For optimal performance, the SQL Server compatibility level setting must be correct. It determines which SQL Server features are enabled and affects query optimization.
  • If you use the OnPremise version installed on your own server, ensure the compatibility level is correct. If you use CSI Cloud, ask CSI to check it.
• Database indexing: Indexes must occasionally be rebuilt/reorganized to optimize performance. Adding, updating, and deleting data can disrupt indexes or leave empty space.
  • As a power user, you can find the “Reindex Database” function under Database Management in the software settings. Note: Do not run this during working hours on large databases, as reindexing may take several minutes and freeze the software during the process.

Could the slowness be caused by data in the database?

If internet connection, compatibility level, or indexes do not explain the slowness, ask the user reporting the issue for as detailed information as possible and report it to CSI. It is important to know the area, folder, view, or window where the user was, what they were doing (searching, adding, editing, saving), how long the function took, or whether the software crashed during the process.

The reason for slowness in a specific function may sometimes be the structure of the customer’s database, i.e., how much data has accumulated in different tables. Thus, an SQL query that works efficiently in one customer’s database may be slow in another. Based on the information you provide, we can investigate and, if necessary, optimize the SQL statement to improve software speed.