"Vector Networks offers a feature-rich product with strong asset inventory and management capabilities. "

The Windows Asset Configuration Management Console is aimed at the IT Pro and other technical users. It provides -

• Access to the entire Asset Management functionality in a convenient tree-view organization.
• The ability to switch between multiple SQL Server-hosted Site Databases, each of which can have its own fully independent settings for automated asset management tasks.
• Configuration and scheduling of automated Asset Management tasks, such as Inventory scans, and simple administration of the scalable distributed processing of Inventory and Software Usage Monitoring data.
• Access to log files of tasks such as Inventory scans and detailed PC-by-PC, stage-by-stage feedback of Software Distributions.
• Definition of Fixed and Dynamic Groups. Dynamic Groups are defined using a natural language wizard, to target groups of PCs such as all PCs with Office 2022 with less than 4GB RAM.
• Column-selectable grid views of the Clients in the AM Database, with convenient right-click access for popular functions such as display of configuration detail, network location, etc.
• Management of the Asset Management installation and infrastructure, such the Client agent settings, the Web communications settings, data purging options, etc.

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"Vector offers a rich feature set for its price point, along with strong usability scores."

Vector’s PC Discovery is a low-touch process designed to create a simple catalog of PCs to be reference by higher level Components such as Inventory, Application Package Policy Manager (PPM), Software Usage Monitoring and Software Distribution. PC Discovery also enables customers to invest in selected Vector solutions without necessarily duplicating the results of an incumbent inventory product or in-house method. For example, the PC name, OS and IP address delivered by PC Discovery is enough to enable several customers to exploit Software Distribution for rapid, flexible deployment of configuration updates. Software Distribution can of course exploit the rich data which Vector’s PC Hardware Inventory and PC Software Inventory Components deliver to the Vector IT Asset Database, but it can function without. The PC Discovery process can also install the multi-function Vector Asset Management agent, but the functions performed by the agent are pre-defined, and can be restricted to no more than the initial OS and IP discovery. Network device information is made available in a special section of the AM Console tree view. The richest information will come from fully SNMP-enabled devices. Sophisticated analysis techniques not only build a map of your network topology, but will also – dependent on the extent to which intelligent network devices are being used – identify precisely which physical port each networked item (PC, printer, VoIP phone) is connected to. The Asset Reporting Portal provides Web-based access to the Network Device Asset Information reports. Given the popularity of MS Visio™ in compiling network documentation, Vector AM exports network maps in Visio format. Vector Asset Vizor supports the definition and storage of information on any other asset types. Further detail on Vector Asset Vizor click here.

"...exceptional data collection capabilities to help organizations ensure that software stays up to date and in compliance."

Software License Compliance, and Software Asset Optimization, are not activities that suit a corner-cutting approach. Our customers rely on the Vector AM Software Inventory component to analyze their installed software accurately and in depth. Vector Software Inventory uses a ‘Triple Pass’ technique, in which three methods are employed to maximize software identification and minimize the extraneous noise seen in other simplistic software inventory tools. The raw results generated by the three methods are presented in the tabbed display of the Software Identification Manager. The first pass uses a rules based analysis, where directory contents are analyzed against the identification rules in the Known Applications Library. Rules may be based on file information – names, sizes, dates, etc – or on VersionInfo file header data, or on ARP registry information. A RuleWizard facilitates the creation of additions to the Known Applications Library. If an application is not recognized from the Known Applications Library, Vector Software Inventory will interrogate file headers to determine a Provisional Identification – one of the three tabs in the Identification Manager display. Using the raw information collected from the networked PCs, you have the ability inspect the file header information yourself, to make a final decision on how that header information can be employed in a permanent identification rule. If no identification can be made from file header information, Vector Software Inventory will look for correlation of executables with information in the Add/Remove Programs Registry. Applications are ‘promoted’ from provisional identification with file header or ARP Registry information to confirmed identification and addition to the Known Applications Library through the RuleWizard. The Software Inventory results are stored in the Asset Management database, and are accessible through a comprehensive set of Web-based reports in the Asset Reporting Portal. Software Inventory employs a two stage process of data collection and analysis. A collection agent (either permanent or transient) collects raw file information from the PC and sends it across the network or over the internet to a collection point. This raw information is then processed away from the PC, using scheduled tasks which can be distributed to optimize processor loads and network traffic. This combination of raw data collection and offline analysis permits the highest level of sophistication in the analysis phase while minimizing the impact on the client PCs. Our customers regularly analyze software inventory for populations of over 10,000 PCs held in a single database. The drill-down reporting in the Asset Information Portal provides information at every level from organization summary to individual PC. Hardware Inventory organizes data into categories for easy viewing and analysis. This structured approach is particularly productive in the PC-PC comparison function in the Hardware Inventory viewer in the Administrator Console. This function provides support staff with a fast, easy to use method of comparing one PC’s configuration with another’s to determine root cause of performance problems. The Console and the Asset Information Portal both also provide a comprehensive suite of Change History reports; any suspected exceptional changes to memory, disk, processor speed or any other key characteristics will be easy to find. Vector Software Inventory meets the key practical demands of following ISO 19770-1 and ITIL best practices in Software Asset Management, and of implementing a program of Software Asset Optimization. The Known Applications Library enables you to record your total license entitlement for each application, and this information is used in the drill-down Compliance Reports in the Asset Reporting Portal. Vector’s multi-pass approach to software identification is ideal for extension to embrace the new software asset tag technology being developed under ISO 19770-2. Vector Asset Vizor supports the definition and storage of information on any other asset types. Further detail on Vector Asset Vizor click here.

"Vector offers a rich feature set for its price point, along with strong usability scores"

Vector AM Hardware Inventory component is shared by all Asset Management solutions. It provides configuration information necessary for user support, configuration management and problem resolution, PC refresh planning and asset valuation. Vector Hardware Inventory uses a range of techniques from WMI down to low level hardware interrogation to maximize detail and accuracy. The data is accessible through a comprehensive set of Web-based reports in the Asset Reporting Portal. Hardware Inventory employs a two stage process of data collection and analysis. A collection agent (either permanent or transient) collects raw configuration information from the PC and sends it across the network or over the internet to a collection point. This raw information is then processed away from the PC, using scheduled tasks which can be distributed to optimize processor loads and network traffic. This combination of raw data collection and offline analysis permits the highest level of sophistication in the analysis phase while minimizing the impact on the client PCs. Our customers regularly analyze hardware inventory for populations of over 10,000 PCs held in a single database. The drill-down reporting in the Asset Reporting Portal provides information at every level from organization summary to individual PC. Hardware Inventory organizes data into categories for easy viewing and analysis. This structured approach is particularly productive in the PC-PC comparison function in the Hardware Inventory viewer in the Administrator Console. This function provides support staff with a fast, easy to use method of comparing one PC’s configuration with another’s to determine root cause of performance problems. The Console and the Asset Information Portal both also provide a comprehensive suite of Change History reports; any suspected exceptional changes to memory, disk, processor speed or any other key characteristics will be easy to find. The Platform Analysis reports in the Asset Reporting Portal allow you to review your PCs to see which meet combinations of disk, memory, OS, IE, and other key parameters. These combinations of platform characteristics can be easily saved (and re-edited) as Vector AM Dynamic Groups – a particularly powerful capability in the Administrator Console. The data generated by both Hardware and Software Inventory is also accessible from inside Vector HelpDesk, in Vector’s Service Management Solutions Group. Vector Asset Vizor supports the definition and storage of information on any other asset types. Further detail on Vector Asset Vizor click here.

• Maintain standard desktop software configurations.
• Deploy OS updates, Java and other security updates.
• Install applications to accurately targeted groups of PCs.
• Provide traceability of any software deployments.
• Uninstall software - typically unused application copies.

Vector Software Distribution enables desktop managers to distribute all types of PC software from driver updates, security patches, Java updates, etc, to complete application suites. Distributions can be targeted to groups of PCs created dynamically through applying sophisticated filters based on configuration and installed software. This capability is an essential element of effective PC desktop management. Our customers use Software Distribution to distribute any installable software, from drivers, to OS patches, application updates and complete application suites. Software Distribution creates and manages a privileged environment on the target PCs so that software can be installed silently, in the background, with zero user interaction. Because Vector Software Distribution will execute any valid code (including batch files) it is most commonly used to manage the deployment of silent installation MSI packages, and silent Setup scripts generated with leading packagers such as Installshield™ and Wyse™. Simply use Installshield (for example) to record the installation of the software with the desired options, to generate the distribution kit. Vector Software Distribution does not impose any proprietary packaging methods or demands. Pre- and post- operations can be executed before and after the main installation process. Administrators can use this for a variety of purposes, such as generating special conditions for the installation, or running a tutorial once the software has been installed. Central Control. Vector’s Software Distribution uses a combination of push and pull techniques. Copy a distribution kit to your kit server, then from the Console a definition of the software installation (Package Definition in Vector jargon) is transmitted (pushed) to an intermediate shared data repository (‘Offline Area‘). The agent collects (pulls) the Package Definition and executes it in a privileged environment. Precision Targeting. If an organization has deployed Vector's foundation PC Hardware Inventory and PC Software Inventory components (both are included in the Asset Manager Pro Solution and the Configuration Manager Pro Solution), there will be a rich set of characteristics on which groups of PCs can be based - such as Department, CPU, OS version, and detail of installed applications. These 'Dynamic Groups', which many administrators use heavily, are re-evaluated every time they are used. So administrators can be confident that PCs that have just been added to a Department, for example, will automatically be targeted for an application update for that Department. Feedack and Audit Trail. For many organizations, a Software Distribution audit trail is needed for reporting under a Service Level Agreement, and the Client Software Distribution service generates progress information, tracking every major stage of the installation process. This information is collected and presented through the Software Distribution Monitor. Overall status is presented for all known Distribution Jobs, and each Job can be expanded into a summary of the stage that each Client last reported. Selecting a particular Client then drills down to a list view of every stage completed and its timestamp.

• Central control.
• Precision targeting to groups of PCs.
• Manages privileged install environment on PC with zero user interaction.
• Installs applications, updates, drivers, OS patches and Service Packs.
• No proprietary scripting to learn and support. Installs standard MSIs and other installer scripts, batch files – any valid code can be executed.
• Can execute uninstalls to remove unused applications.
• Unique step-by-step feedback function provides an audit trail of the progress of the distribution on each target PC.
• Meets key functionality targets for organizations pursuing ITIL, or ISO 19770-1 best practices.

Drill-down reports are organized in sets related to asset optimization, asset status and history, and change planning. The reports provide operational and strategic decision support information, and answer a wide range of practical and commercial asset-related questions. The Portal supports controlled access to multiple Asset Management Site Databases. Data can be exported in multiple formats, and distributed as email attachment without leaving the Portal.

Vector's reports fulfil key roles for any organization seeking to follow today’s best practice frameworks such as ISO 19770 and ITIL. Examples -

• Which PCs would support upgrade to Windows 10?
• Which PCs are running below 1G of free disk space?
• Have any PCs had a change of memory size in the last week?
• Has anyone missed the recent Explorer upgrade?
• Are all my installed copies of Application X of precisely the same version?
• When was Application X last updated on the PCs in a particular department?
• Based on patterns of use, are there some applications we should consider moving to a server or to streamed provision?

In the specific area of Software Asset Optimization, the reports provide drill–down access to information that identifies opportunities for software re-deployment and cost savings. Examples -

• What software do we have installed?
• Do we have sufficient licenses for all our Microsoft / Oracle / Adobe / etc software?
• Are all the installed copies of our expensive accounting / marketing / business intelligence / etc packages regularly used?
• How many copies of each application package in our portfolio do we really need? Do my installed copies match our assessment of what we need?
• What reductions can we make in our annual software maintenance costs?
• Do the patterns of use of the MS Office component programs justify my current annual costs? How many copies of Office Pro could be downgraded to Standard?
• Are all my installed copies of Application X of precisely the same version?
• When was Application X last updated on the PCs in a particular department?
• Based on patterns of use, are there some applications we should consider moving to a server or to streamed provision?

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