- Inventory reports are displayed either for a single Client, Department, Dynamic Group or for the overall Company.

� Multi-platform support. Support for all Windows systems from 98 and above, Red Hat 9, Red Hat Enterprise, SuSE 9 and Fedora Core 6 Linux distributions are also supported.

- Inventory frequency can be configured to run at different time intervals. Specific settings can be set for the overall Company or for separate departments. Furthermore, the DNA Operator is able to run a quick Inventory outside of the pre-selected settings whereby all current hardware information from an individual Client, Department or the Company can be updated on demand.

Hardware Inventory

History

Effective Asset Management not only relates to knowing what assets are currently located on the network but also to being able to identify historical changes.

The History option enables you to track changes to a Clients Hardware and Software. Each time DNA gathers Inventory data it compares the current details against information already held on the server and if there are any differences they are recorded in the History.

The History component provides a full chronological summary of all activities recorded.

These include:-

Hardware History - full summary by PC and Hardware item detailing previous and current inventory data and all changes detected for a given period. If a PCs performance has deteriorated, using the Hardware history an Operator can identify in seconds any changes to the specific PC that have occurred previously.

Software History - a full summary for all PCs of applications installed, removed and updated for a given period. Quickly identify which new applications have been installed on a users PC, and review those that have been uninstalled over a given period.

User History - a full summary of all changes made to both standard and custom user details within DNA. Identify changes to user contact details or maintenance agreements in force.

Alert History - a full summary of all Alerts triggered for a given period. Provide support notes on the resulting resolution and assigned DNA Operator details. All Historical can be archived and exported for storage and future use on a component by component basis.

Alerting:-

 

Alerting & Reporting

System Alerts - (Win 98, ME, NT, 2000, 2003 and XP Clients)

Identify any changes across the overall enterprise, including alerts for:

- New PCs Added.

- Changes in key Hardware Inventory (i.e. Memory / CPU changed on a PC, New Monitor installed).

- Application installation or removal.

- Application licensing warnings (i.e. total copies of Acrobat installed now exceeds company license limit).

- Changes to user details.

- Internet and Application Metering behaviour (access to restricted sites or applications attempted).

- Software Distribution delivery alerts (delivery fail, or advertised package used).

Console Alerts refers to any changes in conditions not related to a specific PC, for example when a PC is removed / deleted or a change is made to an operator's rights or configuration.

PC Alerts - (Win 2000, 2003 and XP Clients)

Identify real-time changes or conditions that occur on a specific PC, including alerts for:

- CPU or Network utilisation alerts (i.e. CPU utilisation exceeds 90% for X mins).

- Process alerts.

- Disk space alerts (i.e. Free Disk space below X Gb or Y %).

- Application and Services Start / Stop alerts (i.e. alert if Antivirus service is stopped).

- File size change alerts.

- Print spooler alerts (number of outstanding jobs).

- Security alerts - failed login attempts.

- Security alerts - USB device activation alerts (i.e. a memory stick is installed).

- Security alerts - New drive mappings alert.

- Security alerts - CD / DVD disk insertion alert.

- Windows systems event logs - Alert based on new entries posted in the windows event log for application, security or system categories.

- Alerts can be configured to trigger based on their recorded status of Error, Warning, Information, Audit Success, Audit Failure or All.

PC alerts can also be grouped into user-defined profiles (i.e. server alerts, desktop alerts) to allow for easy allocation to enterprise systems.

All alerts can be assigned on either an enterprise or departmental basis with variable priority levels. Alert notifications can be directed to specified email recipients and/or active console users (on a per alert basis, so the nature of the alert may dictate which operators are notified). In addition outstanding alerts are identified against matching PCs on the main company hierarchy tree view.

Once Alerts have been identified, suitable action notes are added by the Console Operator and the Alert is subsequently closed and a full history of all PC alerts is then accessible from the History component.

Metering:-

Application Metering

Knowing how frequently a specific application is being used, will allow for both effective trimming of software budgets and a realistic prediction of future software investments.

NetSupport DNA offers an Application Metering component which reports back all applications used on a target PC, detailing the time the application was both started and finished and the actual time in use. Additionally, when the data is viewed at "department" level, summaries by frequency of use or by duration are shown.

Application usage can be restricted on target PCs by time of day, for all users or usage can be limited to specific nominated PCs. This information can be shown for any preferred time-scale and also allows for further customisation whereby the collection frequency of activity information can be specified.

In essence, Application Metering enables the Operator to perform the following critical functions:

• Monitor and Report current license usage levels of selected applications.
• To improve management effectiveness by controlling and restricting application usage throughout the enterprise.
• To ensure that application usage complies with corporate policy.
• Lists of Approved and Restricted applications together with "apply" time frames for when restrictions apply can be created and enforced by the Operator.
• Analysis and reporting by PC or Logged on User.

  Internet Metering

  Details a summary of Internet (or Intranet) activity on a users PC, allowing for effective monitoring of current URL viewing levels across the enterprise.

  Reporting:

  • Start and Finish time of each URL visited.
  • Active time spent viewing each website.
  • Page analysis within a specific URL.
  • Quick URL link provided for reviewing specific URL's.
  • Internet metering information detailed by Client, Department, Dynamic Group or overall Company.
  • Analysis and Reporting by PC or Logged On User.

  Restrictions:

  • To ensure that Internet usage complies with corporate standards, lists of Approved and Restricted URL's together with "apply" time frames for when restrictions apply, can be created and enforced by the Operator.
  • Use the "Filter" option and enter a keyword used to identify a website or a generic theme of sites to be Approved or Restricted.
  • Internet usage restrictions by time of day, available for complete enterprise or on a per user basis.
  • Internet activity information can be ignored if active for less than a preset configurable time period.
  • Metering records are print optimised and available in multiple pre-defined report formats.

  Distribution:-

  Software Distribution over Local and Wide Area networks

  NetSupport DNA provides a multi-delivery option for Software Distribution. Firstly, an Operator will define a software package to be deployed, either a collection of Files and Folders specified with appropriate action parameters once successfully delivered to a target system or by recording and scripting any user prompts required during an application install so that the package can be deployed onto a users' system without the need for intervention. Once created, the application package can be automatically "Pushed" to the target PCs for deployment or alternatively "Published" centrally on the DNA server. Once published, a user can check to see which applications are available for their PC, based on their departmental membership and install these on demand. However, when initiating large scale deployments, the need to minimise network traffic congestion becomes a priority. In this case, NetSupport DNA allows a Client PC, ideally local to the target machines, to be nominated as a "Distribution Warehouse". When the package is deployed, rather than distributing the package individually to each PC, it delivers the package directly to the "Warehouse" Client which then takes over and distributes it to the target PCs on its local LAN segment.   Schedule When operating across a range of locations and networks, the timing of any major package deployment is critical as this may result in a detrimental effect on other critical applications and services, in terms of performance degradation. To reduce this threat, a "Scheduling" facility, whereby a specific date and time can be scheduled by an Operator for initiating the package deployment - usually out of core office hours when network traffic is at its lowest. To further simplify the package deployment process, an "Application Packager", designed for situations where the application to be rolled out does not include its own silent install routine. The Packager enables the operator to record and playback a 3rd party installer, including all the necessary keystrokes and movements. These are stored in a script which is then replayed back at the Client PC without the need for user intervention.

  Software Distribution

  - Software Distribution now provides a range of Retry options allowing control of frequency, delay between attempts and support for PCs powered off at time of distribution. On power on they will be notified of a pending distribution and deployed to automatically.

  - Software Distribution: Broadcast. When deploying to computers on a local subnet from the server or distribution warehouse, UDP can now be utilised for significant performance benefits. For example:
  
  To Distribute a 50Mb package to 90 computers over a regular 100mb network: Traditional deploy:
  - 8 minutes 48 seconds
  - UDP deploy: 1 minute 39 seconds

  
  Both distribution methods are supported.

  Remote Control:
  
  

  Watch, Share and Control Remote Systems, manage real time problem resolution.

  
  As networks continue to evolve, organisations are faced with the continuous challenge of providing support to a diverse range of platforms, protocols and physical assets.

  To ensure that critical IT infrastructure is available when needed most, NetSupport DNA offers 2 types of PC Remote Control providing differing levels of remote user support.
  
  NetSupport Manager (NSM) - the leading PC Remote Control software solution, offering complete remote PC Management and Support.

  NetSupport Manager offers comprehensive multi-platform support for Windows, Linux, MAC, Solaris, CE, Pocket PC and Windows Mobile systems, providing complete compatibility to match today's business environment. In addition NetSupport Manager now offers support for 64 bit Intel and AMD platforms, including Windows XP 64 and Windows 2003 64. The support is available for x64-based systems.
  
  For Microsoft based systems NetSupport Manager supports: Dos, Windows 95, 98, ME, NT 4.0, 2000, 2003, XP and Vista.

  

  
  
  Features available for all Windows devices include:

  Environment

  - Browse, locate and connect to all systems across your LAN or WAN.

  - Fully integrated remote deployment utility.

  - Connect over TCP/IP, IPX/SPX, NETBIOS, NETBEUI or HTTP protocols.

  - Communicate over LAN, WAN, Internet, PSTN, ISDN, CAPI/TAPI, GSM, GPRS, 3G or Wireless connections.

  - Support for 64 bit Intel and AMD processors.

  - Communicate seamlessly between systems that are all located behind different firewalls using the included NetSupport Internet Gateway component.

  Remote Control

  - Watch, Share or Control the screen, keyboard and mouse of a workstation irrespective of colour resolution, network protocol or operating system.

  - Optimise the Remote Control colour quality when managing systems over very slow connections.

  - Monitor the screens of all connected systems with real time thumbnails of each connected system. Mouse over a selected PC to Zoom your view.

  - Scan multiple systems, cycle through one or multiple workstations' displaying their screens on your control console.

  - Show your screen, a selected Monitor or just a selected application to any number of connected computers for real-time instruction.

  - Annotate your screen with a range of drawing tools during a Remote Control session or Show session.