Enterprise Audit v2.10 ====================== Release Notes ------------- SB 03-Nov-03 Copyright (c) 2003, Vector Networks Limited. All Rights Reserved Contents ======== 1 Introduction 2 Changes in this Release 3 Performing an Audit 4 Customizing the Audit Procedure 5 Problems Outstanding 6 Request for Feedback 7 Vector Networks Web Site 1 Introduction ================ This document accompanies the Enterprise v2.10 Audit Client. It contains notes on platform support, known problems, etc, and should be read in conjunction with the User Manual, Evaluation Guide and Client README that accompany this release. The User Manual contains comprehensive instructions on using Enterprise's Audit mode. Please refer to that for further explanation. 2 Changes in this Release =========================== Please refer to the main Client README file for details of changes to the general Client data capture process. There are no Audit-specific changes in this release (but see the note below regarding restrictions). 3 Performing an Audit ======================= Audit mode is supported on PCs running any of the following operating systems: o plain Windows 3.1 (See note below) o Windows for Workgroups (See note below) o Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows ME o Windows NT v3.51 o Windows NT v4 o Windows 2000 o Windows XP Audit mode is not supported on DOS PCs that do not run Windows. Note that the floppy disk Audit Client is split into two different floppy disk images: one disk supports 32-bit platforms and the other supports 16-bit platforms. All Client platforms use the 32-bit Audit Client disk except for Windows 3.1 and Windows for Workgroups, which use the 16-bit Audit Client disk. To perform an Audit, start Windows and run LUAudit from the appropriate Audit floppy disk, or from the DOS-format CD-ROM using path d:\product-root\Audit\LUAudit.EXE, or from a network drive which holds a copy of these files. LUAudit.EXE is a Windows program which should be run from the Start menu, Run option, or from Program Manager's File menu, Run option, or a double-click in Explorer or File Manager or equivalent. Running the Audit executables from a hard disk or network server location is recommended, as is collecting the data back to a network server. The root directory for Audit data (the "Offline directory path") is specified by making an edit to the LUCLIENT.INI file, once, before starting the Audit process. Configuring LUCLIENT.INI is described below. The Audit process is automatic and, apart from deliberate user-prompted questions, such as department and phone number, it will only prompt the user if data is being captured back to a floppy disk (when it will prompt for the correct disk to be inserted), if there is an error (e.g. if a network connection could not be made to deliver the Audit results to a server location), or upon completion of the Audit sequence. Auditing would normally be performed by an Audit operator, who requires minimal training, or it can be driven by individual desktop PC users since the process is so automatic. The Audit process can be customized to specify the location for collected data (the "offline directory path"), to ask specific user-prompted questions, and to select categories of information to be collected. Please see below for details on the customization procedure. Once the data capture has been completed, you can customize the "Audit Loader" Operation in the host's Console to specify the Offline directory path and to import the Audit data into the Offline Area. Once this process has been performed, you can use normal Console inventory Operations to analyze and report the data. The Console knows which nodes are 'Offline' (this category includes nodes that have been Audited), and it will automatically load data from the Offline Area when required. You can perform a Software Inventory scan, for instance, across a mixture of normal, Online nodes, Audited nodes, and Offline nodes (which repeatedly push their data up to the Offline area). The Console presents all of the PCs in a uniform way, concealing details of the mechanism involved in obtaining data from each type of node. 4 Customizing the Audit Procedure =================================== The Audit sequence is controlled overall with the LUCLIENT.INI file which must exist in the same directory that contains the other Audit executables. This text file is in a format that is also used by the normal Client software as the Audit mode is just a variation on the normal offline mode. You can edit LUCLIENT.INI directly with a text editor, using the LUCLIENT.INI in the Audit directory as a template, and this allows you to disable categories of inventory data collection, and to set details for several items. Non-networked PCs: Note that PCs which are not part of a network will typically not have a node name and since the node name is used as the principal means by which nodes are identified, it may be necessary to use the user-prompting facility to obtain an asset code, or a location, or user name, which can be used to identify PCs subsequently in the host's database. NOTE: If you add a user-prompted question with a database key of "$NODENAME", the Console's Audit Loader will automatically use the user's answer to that question as the node name for those nodes which do not have a real node name of their own. The User Manual contains comprehensive instructions on customizing Audit mode. Please refer to that for further explanation. 5 Problems Outstanding and Miscellaneous Notes ================================================ Note that collection of advanced bus device information (e.g. PCI card details, PCMCIA card details, IDE disk details, etc) is not supported in Audit mode on Windows NT/2000/XP. Please take care to execute the correct Audit program, LUAudit.EXE. There are several other programs in the Audit executable area and it could be easy to accidentally execute the wrong one. This is not dangerous but could cause confusion. Windows 3.x Support ------------------- Vector Networks intends to freeze support for Windows 3.x Clients with this release. Subsequent releases of the Enterprise Host software will continue to support Windows 3.x Clients but the Client software is not expected to be updated beyond v2.10. Please retain your v2.10 media if you need ongoing support for Windows 3.x Clients. 6 Request for Feedback ======================== We are very interested to hear your comments on the appearance and usability of this software, and your suggestions on relative priorities for new features. Please send your comments to: Vector Networks Ltd., 4 Mercury Park, Amber Close, Tamworth, Staffordshire, B77 4RP U.K. Tel: +44 (0)1827 67333 Fax: +44 (0)1827 67068 support@vector-networks.com sales@vector-networks.com support@vector-networks.co.uk sales@vector-networks.co.uk 7 Vector Networks Web Site ============================ Visit our World Wide Web site for new product, software update, and release information. Point your Web browser at the following URL: http://www.vector-networks.com