Enterprise User Manual

Chapter 9

User Prompting

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To aid in asset data gathering, PC-Duo Enterprise's User Prompting facility collects user information and desktop-related information such as location, department, cost code, phone number and other asset information.

This information gathering can be targeted at any subset of your managed PCs, to build a total picture of PC deployment of maximum relevance and value to your organization. User data entry is simplified and made more reliable with pick-lists and data validation control. This feature also helps walk-round audits because expensive specialist staff do not need to spend time typing.

To Start RefEdit:

1. In the PC-Duo Enterprise Console window, right-click on the User Prompt Refresh Operation, then choose the Customize command from the shortcut menu.
2. In the Customize Hardware Inventory dialog, select the Hardware tab.
3. Click the Edit button to display the RefEdit window.

   You can now use RefEdit to create a user prompt file.

   You can also create a Command Launch Operation to target the RefEdit.exe application in the PC-Duo Enterprise installation directory. This provides an alternative method of editing User Prompt files.

The RefEdit Interface

The RefEdit interface contains the following areas:

List View

on the left of the RefEdit window, lists all the user prompts in the current prompt file. The order in which the prompts are listed represents the order in which they appear on the Client PC.

Edit View

in the top right of the RefEdit window, shows the details of the currently selected User Prompt.

Comment View

In the bottom right part of the window enables you to enter comments for the current prompt file. You can also specify a Title caption for the prompt window which is presented to users.

Toolbar

Use the Edit window's toolbar to create a new user prompt file, to open an existing file and to save the current file.

You can work with only one user prompt file at a time. User prompt files have a file extension of .REF.

Using the Edit View

The Edit View, in the top right of the RefEdit window, shows the details for the currently selected User Prompt. It contains a series of tabs, which enable you to control how users can reply to the prompted questions:

General

Specifies the basic settings for prompted questions that are displayed on Client PCs. Use:

• The User Prompt field to change the text with which the user is prompted when the Client Kit is installed. Type the prompt text in this field and reselect the entry in the List View to update it.
• The Help field if you want to provide the user with extra information about the prompt. The information is displayed at the bottom of the Prompt dialog when the field is selected.
• The Default Value field if you want to supply a default answer for the prompt.

To collect environment and network variables, or INI file information with this prompt, click the Browse button to open the Value Browse dialog. For more information, see "Collecting System Variables". Because no user intervention is required for these prompts, you can make these invisible to the user by selecting Hidden in the Type tab.

Type

enables you to specify the data that the user prompt can accept:

• AlphaNumeric prompts accept alphabetic and numeric characters.
• Alphabetic prompts accept only alphabetic characters.
• Numeric prompts accept only numeric characters.
• Non-Editable prompts must have a pick list and only the values in the list can be selected. (Use the Pick List tab to specify the pick list values.)
• Hidden prompts collect environment variables, .INI file information and network settings without the users intervention. They are not displayed to the Client PC user.

Case

Selects the case for answers to the prompt. Forcing a consistent case is recommended, as it improves the consistency of the data. The Case tab applies only to prompt types of AlphaNumeric and Alphabetic.

Length

Controls the maximum length of a value to be entered for this prompt. The length value must be between 1 and 50. The Length tab applies to all prompt types, except Non-Editable and Hidden prompts.

Pick List

Restricts users to the replies presented in a drop-down list. To use a pick list in a prompt, check the Include pick list information box, and select the values from which a Client PC user can choose in the list box.

To add a value to the list, click the Add button, enter the value in the Add Value dialog, and click the OK button.

To remove a value from the list, select the entry, click the Remove button, then click the Yes button in the confirmation message.

To sort the items in the list box into alphabetical order, click the Sort button. To define the order of the list items, drag and drop items in the list box.

The Pick List tab can be used with all prompt types except Hidden prompts.

Using RefEdit

PC-Duo Enterprise's RefEdit utility enables you to create and edit User Prompt files. These User Prompt files can then be distributed to Client PCs to collect user information.

To add a new User Prompt:

1. Click on the Add button at the bottom of the List View. The Add Database Key dialog is displayed.
2. Enter the name of the Node Property which appears in the Host Database.
3. Click the OK button to return to the RefEdit window. The new prompt is selected in the List View ready for editing in the Edit View.

To change the order of User Prompts:

1. In the RefEdit List View, click and hold the mouse button on the prompt you want to move.
2. Without releasing the mouse button, drag the prompt to its new position, then release the mouse button to reposition the prompt.

To remove a User Prompt:

1. Select the prompt you want to remove in the List View.
2. Click on the Remove button at the bottom of the List View. In the confirmation message, click the Yes button.

   Database keys prefixed with $ are reserved for Vector Networks. If you delete any of the existing $ keys, the corresponding fields in the Host displays will have blank entries.

Collecting System Variables

As well as user-specified information, such as name and telephone number, PC-Duo Enterprise enables you to collect system variables directly from Client PCs. These User Prompts are defined from RefEdit's Value Browse dialog.

You can use it to collect three types of variable:

• Local environment variables.
• Network variables, such as DOMAINNAME, MACHINENAME and USERNAME.
• Specified values from INI files.

Collecting Environment Variables

To collect an environment variable, select the Environment variable option, then select the variable from the list box.

Note that the list shows environment variables for the current PC and the variables available on Client PCs may differ. To collect a variable which is not displayed in the environment variable list, select a variable from the list, click the OK button to choose the correct format string, then edit the variable name in the Default field of the General tab.

Collecting Network Variables

To collect a Network variable, select the Network variable option, then select the variable from the network variable list.

Collecting INI File Variables

RefEdit's Value Browse dialog enables you to specify INI File variables for collection by the User Prompt facility. For example, you can use this procedure to collect PC-Duo Enterprise INI file variables, such as OfflineIDs.

To collect an INI File Variable:

1. Open the User Prompt file in RefEdit.
2. In the Database Keys list, click the Add button. In the Add Database Key dialog, enter a name for the key, and click the OK button to create a new Database Key.
3. In the Edit View's General tab, enter a User prompt name, and click the Browse button to open the Value Browse dialog.
4. Select the INI file value option, then click the Browse button.
5. In the Open dialog, select the INI file you want to target, and click the Open button to close the dialog.
6. In the Section name field, enter the name of the INI file section you want to target, without the square brackets. You can use a text editor, such as Notepad, to view the contents of the INI file and identify which sections are available.
7. In the Key name field, enter the name of the variable or parameter name you want to retrieve.
8. Click OK to close the Value Browse dialog. The Default value box contains the specified value. This value is constructed based on the settings entered in the Value Browse dialog.
9. Click RefEdit's Type tab, then select the prompt type Hidden. (The PC user does not need to see the INI file prompt as the information is collected automatically.)
10. Click the Apply button at the bottom of the Edit View. The INI file variable is specified for collection along with any other prompts in the current User Prompt file.

    When specifying INI file values, ensure that you take account of file location differences between the Console where you are creating the User Prompt file and the Client PCs on which it will be used. Always test the INI file variable collector before distributing the User Prompt file.

Testing User Prompt Files

When you have created a User Prompt file, click the Test button on the RefEdit toolbar to check how the file will appear on Client PCs.

The testing phase consists of two dialogs:

• The first dialog shows you how the User Prompt file will be presented to users. Answer the prompts and click Close to display the Test Results dialog.
• This second dialog shows the values, including system variables, retrieved by the User Prompt file.

Distributing User Prompt Files

You can distribute a new prompt file to selected Clients from the PC-Duo Enterprise Console by using the User Prompt Refresh Operation, or by distributing the questions as part of a customized Hardware Inventory Operation.

The User Prompt Refresh Operation is a variant of the Hardware Inventory Operation that is supplied with PC-Duo Enterprise, and is represented with a Hardware Inventory Operation icon.

To Distribute Prompt Files:

1. Right-click on the User Prompt Refresh Operation, and choose the Customize command from the shortcut menu.
2. In the Customize Hardware Inventory dialog, select the Hardware tab.
3. Check the Refresh user prompt questions box and click the Browse button to display the Open dialog.
4. In the Open dialog, select the user prompt file you want to distribute, then click the Open button.
5. Click the Reload button to reload the user prompt file.
6. In the Customize Hardware Inventory dialog, click the OK button.

   The user prompt file is distributed to the specified Clients when you next perform the User Prompt Refresh Operation. The Clients are prompted with the questions at the next restart, or on the next Offline Push.

   The prompt file is distributed to Client PCs every time you run this operation until you deselect the Refresh user prompt questions check box.
   
   You can use the Edit button in the Customize Hardware Inventory dialog's Hardware tab to modify the specified user prompt file in RefEdit.

User Prompt Files and Clients

User prompts are stored in a file called LUTINFO.REF. When the LUTINFOW program runs on a Client PC, it reads the questions from this file together with any default answers and help text associated with each question, then prompts the user.

When an entry has been supplied for all questions, and the user closes the LUTINFOW program, it saves the user's answers in a file called LUTINFO.INF. The Client boot control program (CLBOOT) checks for a LUTINFO.REF file every it runs, and then takes the following actions:

• If it finds a LUTINFO.REF, it looks for a LUTINFO.INF. If it finds a .INF file that is newer than LUTINFO.REF, it assumes the user's answers are up-to-date, and the user is not reprompted.
• If no LUTINFO.INF file is present, or if the .INF file is older than the .REF file, the LUTINFOW program prompts the user to answer the questions.

  If default answers are provided for all of the questions in the .REF file, the user can accept them and close the LUTINFOW program immediately.

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