Background situation:
While implementing services to our customers, we came to realize that the market lacks a complex tool for monitoring, analyzing and tackling problems relating to operation of smaller-sized firm networks. Much of the software used by then constituted either a large solution - unsatisfactory in both price and technology terms made - or programs were only focused on a narrow range of functions. Their output was data unfit for further e-processing or had to be summarized laboriously. This shortcoming got deepened as the number of customer rose.

Solution:
As a result, in our development department we launched a quest for a method with a view to making the whole management of computer networks effective. The result is a product simplifying managers´ job, complying at the same time with the following requirements:

To illustrate CM benefits, we have chosen example situations with their handling thanks to CM which might arise also with you:

Problem No. 1 - Backup control

A firm asked their manager to set up backup and check for its successful execution on a regular basis. Over time the manager conducted this control randomly. A critical situation occurred when he was asked to recover data deleted by mistake, finding out that the backup was not carried out because of a program failure. 

Solution: CM monitors the state of backup and archives it on the internet portal. In a backup record error or lack a notification is emailed to the manager. Unless that error is remedied by the specified time, CM sends an error message to the superior as well. CM also contains a tool to check for the proper storage of files (e.g. it finds out whether the user under corporate policy stores documents in reserved folders).

Problem No. 2: Computer getting infected

The user´s computer slowed down and would get frozen several times a day. An inspection by the manager revealed that the antivirus program was not set up properly and the PC got infected.

Solution: In CM, antivirus program virus database versions for all the computers are concentrated at a single point. If any of the computers has a delayed update, the manager will be warned thereof (eventually the warning is escalated to a higher level) and it cannot happen that the computer gets infected because of a non-updated virus database (Note: thus far the antivirus program NOD is monitored this way, under preparation also for others).

Problem No. 3: Non-functional mail program because of mailbox overfill

The user gave notice to the manager that his mail program would get jammed and fail to open e-mails. The manager found out that the problem was caused by an internal program error which allowed for the data file to exceed the maximum permissible size after which it ceases to run correctly (repair often involves lost mail).

Solution: CM registers data files of mail programs and evaluates their size. If any of them approaches the critical limit, the user is forthwith informed thereof and the request is escalated to the manager, too.

Problem No. 4 - HW a SW evidencia

The manager uses shareware obtained through RTF output configuration to register hardware. Because of computers recovery he was asked to develop a document on firm hardware. It will take several hours for the manager to download configurations for 30 PC´s and arrange them in table.

Solution: In CM, hardware (partially also software) data are updated on a periodic basis. It will take several seconds to create a transparent XLS table.

Problem No. 5 - Computer reinstallation:

Due to a hardware error, the user´s computer went down and the manager was asked to reinstate the computer. Following the reinstallation, the user complained about defects - printers wrong setting, missing programs, signature in the mail program, etc.

Solution: CM automatically archives the majority of common computer settings. This means that even in the case of the computer complete failure information is available by which the computer can be reinstated. (Note - within configurations passwords are not registered)

Problem No. 6: Access rights to files on Microsoft Windows server

A number of managers not maintaining documentation on access right settings were in charge of the management of the corporate server. After the discovery of their wrong setup, the new manager was asked for expedited remedy and documentation on hitherto accesses. The manager read off at length the respective folder settings and summarized accesses.

Solution: CM also contains a module reading off Windows systems settings of folder and file rights. It offers the manager an immediate summary of access right settings without having to painfully click through. These can also be imported to XLS format or stored for later use.

Problem No. 7: Addition purchase of the memory for the customer computer

The customer asked the manager to extend his computer to 512 MB RAM. The manager found out that the computer had 256 MB and asked the business department to supply a  256 MB DDRAM. When the manager came over to the customer to install the memory he found the computer to have occupied memory slots (2x 128MB) and type of memory was expected to be SDRAM, and he could not handle the request to the satisfaction.

Solution: CM registers on computers occupied memory slots. Displayed is the processor type and on many computers also the accurate type of the motherboard, based on which the type of memory for extension van reliably be established. The RAM extension can thus be carried out with least costs for the first time.

Problem No. 8: Network service setup based on MAC address

The customer purchased a network device which he did not want to be used by the whole of the firm and wanted to enable to restrict access by MAC address. About 20 computers needed to be approved. The manager in person went through the computers and summarized MAC addresses. Because several employees asked him to perform this later on and some of the notebooks had not longer been in the firm, it took as long as two weeks to complete the setup and the very collection of MAC addresses involving communication with users took several hours.

Solution: CM registers MAC addresses of network cards in the computer at a single point. Rewriting MAC addresses into the network device was a matter of several minutes. In the case of a computer´s replacement or move data are constantly updated in CM and a long-term summary can be kept. An advantage of CM is also that based on MAC address you can locate immediately the computer which the network card belongs to. 

Problem No. 9: Installation of a new software which caused a problem

The customer extended the line of business involving the purchase of three new softwares. Upon completion of installations the customer noticed that the computer did not allow him to click the menu in the old programs. On other computers both the new and old softwares worked. The manager tried to uninstall all the softwares yet with no success. He had long searched for differences between the computers until he found a program run through a service which he stopped and the problem ceased to occur. Coincidentally the supplier of one of the new softwares installed one more routine on this computer only. It still took a lot of time for the manager to reinstate the softwares. 

Solution: CM records the history of installed and removed softwares, of changes in services and other configuration parameters. The manager would see immediately the complete history of changes on the computer including the installation of that critical software and this information would save him a lot of valuable time.

Problem No. 10: Assistance in handling a slowed-down computer

A customer started complaining about his computer having become considerably slower. The manager conducted routine controls (antivirus control, spyware control, cleaning registers, defragmentation), yet the state did not get improved. The manager did not manage to fix the problem better than reinstall the computer. Upon reinstallation the computer got slower again, which was not a simple situation. Following the reinstallation, it could already be identified that a file reference similar to the system file name kept on returning back to the “after start” section. Thus the computer got infected with a worm which the antivirus program was still unable to identify, but there was already description on in on the Internet. The manager had spent several days fixing the problem until it was fully resolved.

Solution: CM offers in addition to the history of programs installed, changes in services also the history of changes in programs after running (from various sources). Using it the above problem can be considerably simplified when the appearance of a new reference in to the section after running is immediately identified, and in connection with additional information from the Internet it can be solved in the right way and protective measures immediately ensured.

Problem No. 11: Lack of space on the network disk

For a customer, shortly after the start of working hours, their main database system stopped to response. They shortly found that this happened on all the 40 computers in the firm and directly prevented 30 firm personnel from working. In an attempt to resolve the situation they restarted the server however the situation did not change even then, they called the manager. He immediately found the system to have ceased to work due to running out of free space. Though even after the clearing the database system failed to run. The database system programmer was unable to resolve the problem until evening hours. The firm had idled for the whole working day because of a simple error.  

Solution: CM registers the size of every disk drive and the manager is warned on time of running out of free space. Should he incidentally overlook the message and fail to free the space, the manager´s superior is informed by email in further free space decrease. If even this was to fail, in further decrease also the customer is informed by email. The above escalation virtually rules out for you to know failures for this reason (and many others).

Conclusion:
The presented problems and their solutions constitute just a part of practical situations in which CM increases the value of the manager job and brings the customers trouble-free operation of computer networks.
We believe that also you will soon appreciate the benefits of this system the stability of which we base on the fact that the current release is used on 500 or so computers - without any impact whatsoever on the PC functionality.

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