The status field represents stages in the task life cycle. The life cycle of a typical task goes something like this:

• Unassigned - The task has been created and is in the queue.
• Assigned - The task is in the queue, and someone is responsible for furthering its closing. The initial assignment of tasks is usually handled by a manager, but subsequent reassignments are usually handled by technicians.
• Completed - One or more technicians fulfilled the task request. Note that the task is still considered "active" at this point. It may still be owned by the testing group, for example.
• Verified - Someone has verified the completion of the task. Typically this would be done by either the task creator or by the testing group, if you have one.
• Closed - Someone has decided that the task is no longer relevant. This can happen for a variety of reasons: the task has been verified, or maybe the task has been completed and you don't wish to verify. A task can be closed at any point for any reason.

Closed tasks are considered deactivated. Tasks may be deactivated in other ways:

• Deferred - Someone has decided that the task should be completed, but not at this time. The expectation is that the task will be reactivated at some point in the future.
• Non-Issue - Someone has decided that there is no need to do the task. Perhaps the task duplicates a task already in the system, or perhaps the task was entered in error.

A task may be deactivated at any point in its life cycle. To reiterate, "Deactivating" a task means changing its status to Closed, Deferred, or Non-Issue. Technicians and Administrators can deactivate any task.

Deactivated tasks can be reactivated at any point.