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LIINTRO.TXT
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LAN Inventory Version 3.1.2
Copyright 1994 by McAfee, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 1994 by McAfee, Inc. All rights reserved. McAfee is a
registered trademark of McAfee, Inc. LAN Inventory, NetRemote, SiteMeter
BrightWorks, and LAN Support Center re trademarks of McAfee, Inc.
All other products or services mentioned in this document are
identified by the trademarks or service marks of their respective
companies or organizations.
McAfee, Inc.
2710 Walsh Avenue
Santa Clara, CA 95051-0963
U.S.A.
Technical Support Information
-----------------------------
Phone (908) 530-9650
FAX (908) 576-8867
Hours 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. EST
McAfee BBS (408) 988-4004
1200 bps to 14,400 bps
8 bits, no parity, 1 stop bit
24 hours, 365 days a year
Compuserve GO MCAFEE
Internet customer_service@brightwork.com
If you are not a customer located in the U.S. or Canada, you can
contact a McAfee authorized agent. Agents are located in more than
50 countries aroudn the world and provide local sales and support
for our software. Please refer to the AGENTS.TXT file for a complete
list of McAfee agents.
About LAN Inventory's Text Files
The LAN Inventory manual is split into three different text files as follows:
o LIINTRO.TXT - Contains product overview, installation, quick start guide
and a tutorial.
o LIUSAGE.TXT - Contains complete instructions on using LAN Inventory.
o LIREF.TXT - Contains error messages, equipment database lists, and a chart
describing additional appendices.
Each text file has its own list of headings.
LIINTRO.TXT Headings:
1.0 Introduction
1.1 About LAN Inventory
1.1.1 The Purpose
1.2 Maintaining Your LAN Inventory
1.2.1 The Problem
1.2.2 Where Does the Time Go?
1.2.3 The Cost
1.2.4 The LAN Inventory Solution
1.2.5 How Does a LAN Inventory Work?
1.3 LAN Inventory's Features
1.4 LAN Inventory Modules
1.4.1 LAN Inventory Console and Administrative Program
1.4.2 PC Inventory Collection Programs
1.4.3 MAC Inventory Collection Programs
1.4.4 Database Access
1.5 Environment
1.5.1 Server Requirements
1.5.2 Administrator Console Requirements
1.5.3 Workstation Requirements
1.6 How This Manual Is Organized
2.0 Installation
2.1 Before Installation
2.1.1 Determining Version Numbers
2.2 LAN Inventory Installation Instructions
2.3 Basic Install
2.4 Upgrade Procedures
2.5 Installing NLMs
2.6 Troubleshooting
3.0 Getting Started
3.1 Introduction
3.1.1 What's in this Chapter
3.2 The LAN Inventory Console
3.2.1 Windows Terms
3.2.2 Accessing LAN Inventory
3.2.3 Exiting LAN Inventory
3.2.4 LAN Inventory Menu Bar
3.2.5 LAN Inventory Tool Bar
3.2.6 Using the Keyboard
3.2.7 LAN Inventory's Help Facility
3.3 Printer Setup and Administration
3.3.1 Changing Print Settings
3.4 Error Handling
3.5 Inventory Configuration Options
3.5.1 Assigning Rights To a Common Directory
3.5.2 Establishing a Separate Transaction Directory
3.5.3 Consider Improving LAN Inventory's Database Performance
3.5.4 Consider Placing EQUIP in the Login Script
3.6 Quick Start Guide to Inventory
3.7 Tutorial
3.7.1 Collecting Inventory Data
3.7.2 Configuring the Audit Parameters
3.7.3 Running the Audit
3.7.4 Viewing Audit Results
1.0 Introduction
Welcome to LAN Inventory, a comprehensive inventory management solution for
your local area network.
LAN Inventory is a member of McAfee's family of intuitive LAN support tools,
a group of network applications all designed to reduce the cost of LAN
ownership.
1.1 About LAN Inventory
1.1.1 The Purpose
LAN Inventory's features assist LAN managers in collecting and maintaining
information about the hardware and software components of their LAN. The
capabilities focus on performing, recording and reporting the inventory of
your stand-alone and networked PCs and MACs.
The benefits realized from using LAN Inventory include:
o enabling access to a vast amount of valuable information about your LAN
o reducing and controlling LAN management and maintenance costs
o performing inventories quickly, without leaving your desk
o automatically updating your inventory after each audit
o gaining control over users changing their own PC settings
o tracking detailed vendor, warranty and service information on any
hardware or software component
o eliminating the costs of carrying unnecessary or defective equipment on
your LAN
NOTE: LAN Inventory fully integrates with BrightWorks, McAfee's software
management solution. If you purchased BrightWorks, this manual is provided
to describe the functionality of BrightWorks' Inventory component.
1.2 Maintaining Your LAN Inventory
1.2.1 The Problem
Effective management of your local area network requires the ability to
recognize and track every network component. When your local area network
is first installed, you are aware of all of its components. As you add users
and expand the network, however, monitoring the network's hardware and
software becomes increasingly difficult.
Network configurations change constantly to accommodate new users and new
applications; plus, existing applications are upgraded and memory capacities
are ever-changing. As a result, maintaining a manual inventory of your
network is a tedious, if not impossible, task.
1.2.2 Where Does the Time Go?
Manually assessing the hardware and software components of a network
requires an average of 30 minutes per workstation. A simple calculation
shows that performing an inventory on a network having 10 workstations would
take five hours. Because the inventory data is quickly outdated, additional
time is required to keep the inventory current.
1.2.3 The Cost
The cost of conducting a manual audit of your network depends on the time it
takes to perform an inventory, as calculated in the above discussion.
Use the following worksheet to calculate the cost of performing an inventory
of your network.
Enter the average hourly wage earned by your LAN manager. A _____
Enter the number of workstations on your network. B _____
Enter the time required to conduct a manual audit (30 mins x B) C _____
Total cost of network inventory (C/60 x A) D _____
For example, the approximate hourly wage of a LAN manager who earns $40,000
a year is $19.23 (as derived from the following calculation:
40,000/52 weeks = $769.23 per week; 769.23/40 hours = $19.23 per hour). Five
hours are required to perform an inventory on a network having 10
workstations (30 minutes x 10 workstations = 300 minutes or 5 hours).
The cost of performing an inventory of this network is $96.15 ($19.23 x 5
hours). This doesn't sound like a great deal of money, but if the inventory
had to be maintained weekly then the cost jumps to almost $5,000. And if the
inventory had to be maintained daily, then the cost jumps to almost $25,000!
1.2.4 The LAN Inventory Solution
LAN Inventory collects and maintains information about the hardware and
software installed on your network. LAN Inventory puts the inventory
information at your fingertips! Now you can perform a complete network
inventory without even leaving your desk.
1.2.5 How Does a LAN Inventory Work?
LAN Inventory accesses several modules that collect and maintain information
about your network configuration. The collected inventory data includes
information regarding all file servers, and networked and stand-alone
PC/MAC workstations.
During each inventory, LAN Inventory detects the changes made to the network
components and updates its database. LAN Inventory can be configured to
alert you of the inventory changes. The detailed hardware and software
records can include serial numbers, purchasing information, warranty and
maintenance data. LAN Inventory helps you perform your network inventory and
audit quickly and easily, giving you complete control over your LAN assets.
1.3 LAN Inventory's Features
The key features listed below help you maintain a complete asset management
system for your LAN.
LAN Inventory's features include:
o Recording and updating detailed hardware and software inventory
information on networked and stand-alone PCs and MACs, file servers, and
remote LANs
o Automatically integrating remote configurations into the LAN equipment
baseline
o Multiple site support
o Detecting application software changes and hardware configuration changes
o Tracking software versions
o Enabling the viewing of system files
o Tracking detailed vendor and warranty information
o Audit scheduling
o Extensive alerting capabilities
o Extensive import and export capabilities
o Pre-defined and custom report generation
1.4 LAN Inventory Modules
LAN Inventory interacts with four major functional modules. As an
introduction to performing inventories with LAN Inventory, this section
briefly describes the following modules:
o LAN Inventory console and administrative functions
o PC inventory collection programs (EQUIP and SA_EQUIP)
o MAC inventory collection programs (MACEQUIP 3.1 and MACEQUIP AUTOMATIC 3.1)
o Inventory databases
1.4.1 LAN Inventory Console and Administrative Program
LANINV.EXE is the LAN Inventory console and administrative program. This
program provides access to all LAN Inventory capabilities. This main module
is a Windows-based program and is intended to be used by the LAN network
manager to perform all asset management functions. The inventory functions
available from the LAN Inventory console include:
o Inventory auditing
o Site and database administration
o Inventory viewing and editing
o Audit notification
o Pre-defined and custom inventory report generation
1.4.2 PC Inventory Collection Programs
LAN Inventory provides two programs for collecting PC inventory:
o EQUIP.EXE - The program used to collect the hardware and software
information for networked PCs. EQUIP's command line options allow you to
specify how often inventory collection should be performed and what type of
item should be inventoried. For example, you may choose to collect hardware
information once per day or software information once per week. Inventory
collection for networked PCs can also be initiated at login time.
o SA_EQUIP.EXE - The program used to collect the inventory information on
stand-alone PCs. Stand-alone PC data is saved to a "collector diskette"
and later merged with the LAN inventory information. Using a unique
identification method, multiple stand-alone inventories can be conducted
without duplicating records in a central database.
Both programs are DOS-based and are executed from the machine on which you
want to perform an inventory.
All data collected by the PC inventory collection programs is written to
central transaction files and later accessed by LAN Inventory's
administrative functions.
1.4.3 MAC Inventory Collection Programs
LAN Inventory provides two programs for collecting MAC inventory. Both
programs are used to collect inventory information on stand-alone and
networked Macintosh computers; however, their execution is slightly different:
o MACEQUIP 3.1 - Performs inventory collection and provides a menu from
which you can choose to view the collected inventory and/or close the
program.
o MACEQUIP AUTOMATIC 3.1 - Automatically closes the program when inventory
collection is complete.
Both MACEQUIP programs are MAC-based and are executed from the machine on
which you want to perform an inventory.
Macintosh machines on NetWare systems do not execute login scripts; however,
the MACEQUIP program can be added as a Startup Item in the System Folder.
1.4.4 Database Access
Every LAN Inventory module accesses at least one database. Novell's Btrieve
is used to manage the database records.
LAN Inventory databases consist of the following:
o Transaction inventory files - maintain inventory information detected by
EQUIP, SA_EQUIP and MACEQUIP.
o Transactions log file - maintains inventory changes detected during
collection by EQUIP, SA_EQUIP and MACEQUIP.
o Baseline inventory files - maintain all inventory information following
an audit. All information viewed in the main console is obtained from the
baseline inventory files. Conducting an audit transfers information from the
Transaction Inventory files to the Baseline Inventory files and enables the
inventory data to be viewed from the console.
o Qualification lists - act as reference lists which aid in data entry and
maintain the integrity of the data files.
1.5 Environment
The following criteria must be met in order to run LAN Inventory:
1.5.1 Server Requirements
o Network Operating System: Novell NetWare 2.x, 3.x, 4.0
o Network Disk Space: 15 MB required 25 MB recommended
o Btrieve Database Access: BTRIEVE.NLM
1.5.2 Administrator Console Requirements
o Operating System: DOS 3.3 or greater
o User Interface: Microsoft Windows 3.1 in enhanced mode
o Btrieve Database Access: server based: BREQUEST.EXE 6.1 or greater
local based: BTRIEVE.EXE
o CPU: 386SX or higher
o RAM: 2 MB
o Disk Space: 15 MB + 50K per workstation
o Monitor: VGA or better
1.5.3 Workstation Requirements
o Operating System: DOS 3.3 or greater
o Btrieve Database Access: server based: BREQUEST.EXE 6.1 or greater
local based: BTRIEVE.EXE
o RAM: minimum of 640K
o CPU: 386SX or higher
NOTES: a - LAN Inventory operates on Novell NetWare via IPX/SPX. It is
compatible with NetWare 4.0 and NMS. Refer to Appendix E for instructions
on enabling LAN Inventory smart-launch within NMS.
b - LAN Inventory includes multi-user BTRIEVE 5.10a.
c - Verify that you are running the latest versions of the Btrieve files.
Updated Btrieve files can be found on Compuserve in the Novell Libraries
(GO NOVLIB).
1.6 How This Manual Is Organized
CHAPTER DESCRIPTION
1.0 Introduction Background information & environment
requirements
2.0 Installation Complete instructions for installing LAN
Inventory
3.0 Getting Started Description of the console, quick start
guide and tutorial
4.0 Set-up and Administration Describes the procedures for defining and
managing the inventory databases, audit
control information, notification parameters
and printer set-up.
5.0 Collecting Inventory Describes how to collect inventory information
from networked PCs and MACs and stand-alone
PCs and MACs.
6.0 Conducting an Audit Provides an audit checklist and instructions
for running an audit.
7.0 Reviewing Audit Results Discusses how to review and manage the Audit
Log and Unidentified Software information.
8.0 Maintaining the Baseline Explains the inventory screens, and the
Inventory viewing and editing of equipment, system
files and software applications.
9.0 Inventory Reports Discusses procedures for generating
pre-defined/custom inventory and distribution
reports.
Appendix A Equipment Database Discusses equipment inventory record types
and their contents and information collected
by the EQUIP.EXE program.
Appendix B: Troubleshooting Complete list of LAN Inventory's error
messages, explanations and solutions.
Appendix C: Using Brequest Description of the use and configuration of
the server-based Btrieve record manager.
Appendix D:Btrieve Status Codes List of the return status codes for Novell's
Btrieve Record Manager
Appendix E: NMS Smart-Launch Instructions for enabling LAN Inventory
Support smart-launch within NMS.
Appendix F: Introduction to Brief overview and descriptions of screens,
Crystal Reports error messages and the help facility
Appendix G: Using Crystal Methodology of creating a report
Reports
Appendix H: Practical Crystal "How To" chapter with a variety of report
Reports creation topics
NOTE: Chapters 1-3 are in this file. Chapters 4-9 are in LIUSAGE.TXT. The
appendices are in LIREF.TXT.
2.0 Installation
Chapter 1 introduced LAN Inventory. This chapter describes the installation
procedures for LAN Inventory.
NOTES: a - Before continuing, use the DOS DISKCOPY command to make a working
copy of the LAN Inventory distribution diskettes, unless you are installing
the BBS release.
b - If you are installing the BBS release, unzip the files into a directory
on your local or network drive.
2.1 Before Installation
To install LAN Inventory, you must:
o Run Windows 3.1 in enhanced mode
o Have the following line in the [386Enh] section of your SYSTEM.INI file:
network=*vnetbios, vnetware.386, vipx.386
o Have a drive mapped to your system volume
NOTE: It is highly recommended that you use BREQUEST as this will improve
the performance of data collection, auditing and reporting by at least 50%
and by as much as 500%. It also improves upgrade performances. Refer to
Appendix C for detailed information about using Btrieve.
The following file versions are recommended for LAN Inventory's installation
and use:
o IPX version 3.10
o NETX version 3.26 or greater
o Windows version 3.1 (enhanced mode) or Windows for Workgroups 3.11
o VIPX version 1.13
o NETWARE.DRV version 2.02
o VNETWARE.386 version 1.06
NOTE: If you are using ODI drivers instead of IPX, you must have the
following:
- LSL version 1.2 (2.01 is recommended)
- IPXODI.COM version 1.2 (2.1 is recommended)
The latest versions of these files can be found on Compuserve in the Novell
Libraries (GO NOVLIB). As of this writing, the current IPX, NETX, and IPXODI
are contained within the self-extracting file named DOSUP9.EXE.
The current versions of the Novell support drivers for Windows (VIPX.386,
VNETWARE.386, NETWARE.DRV, etc.) can be found in the self-extracting file
WINUP9.EXE.
NOTE: As these drivers are updated and added to the Compuserve file, the
number within the Compuserve filename will increment. For example, if Novell
were to release a newer IPX and add it to DOSUP9.EXE, the name would change
to DOSUP10.EXE.
2.1.1 Determining Version Numbers
You can determine the versions of the above software by using the following
methods:
o To determine the installed version of IPX and the NETX shell, use the
Novell NVER command.
o To determine the version and mode of Windows, run Windows and choose the
About Program Manager command from the Program Manager Help menu.
o To determine the version of your Novell Windows support drivers, use the
Novell VERSION command. For example, type:
VERSION VNETWARE.386 <ENTER>
o To determine the version of your IPXODI.COM file, use the Novell VERSION
command. For example, type:
VERSION IPXODI.COM <ENTER>
2.2 LAN Inventory Installation Instructions
LAN Inventory has a quick install procedure which simplifies LAN Inventory's
installation by including several default settings. The following describes
the default that will be executed during the quick install:
o LAN Inventory modifies your existing WIN.INI file and backs up the old
file as *.BDI. The change made does not affect your Windows performance.
NOTE: Please refer to Appendix C for information about installing and
setting up Btrieve.
Use the following procedure to install LAN Inventory on your network. You
can exit the installation at any time by choosing the Exit button in the
lower right corner of the installation screen.
1. Start Windows in enhanced mode.
2. Place distribution diskette #1 in your floppy drive if you are
installing from diskettes. (If you are installing from the BBS release,
skip to step 3.)
3. Choose Run from the Program Manager File menu.
The Run dialog box displays.
4. At the prompt, enter the drive letter of the floppy drive where you
inserted the distribution diskette or where you unzipped the program
files from the BBS and then type SETUP.
For example, type:
A:\SETUP <ENTER>
or
F:\LANINV\SETUP <ENTER>
At this point a Log File is created and placed in your WINDOWS
directory. A Log File is an ASCII file listing the date, time and
location of the LAN Inventory installation.
he Log File also lists any errors that occurred during installation. If
an error that prevents completion of the installation process occurs, the
Log File displays.
6. From the Choose Server dialog box, choose the file server on which you
want to install LAN Inventory, and choose the OK button.
The Choose Server dialog box displays all the file servers to which you
are currently attached and have a drive mapped.
7. Select one of the following install options:
o Basic Install - runs the install process with minimal user input;
automatically creates the Program Manager group McAfee (if not found)
containing the LAN Inventory program and Readme file icons and the
Crystal Reports program and the Readme file icons. For instructions
refer to section 2.3 entitled "Basic Install".
o Upgrade - allows you to automatically upgrade from previous LAN
Inventory with minimal user input. For instructions refer to section
2.4 entitled "Upgrade Install".
Refer to the appropriate section in this chapter for procedures regarding
the selected install option.
2.3 Basic Install
The Basic Install process automatically performs the following operations:
o Copies LAN Inventory files to the network
o Creates the Program Manager group McAfee and icons for LAN Inventory and
the Readme file
Continue with the following steps to complete the Basic Install procedure:
8. Enter the full path name to where LAN Inventory should be installed, and
choose the OK button.
The drive letter and full directory must coincide with the file server
you selected earlier. LAN Inventory will create the directory if it does
not exist. The default drive letter is the first one found on the server
you specified. LANINV is the default directory.
NOTES: a - The installation procedure allows you to specify a drive letter
that is mapped to a different server than the one you originally chose.
b - If you wish to upgrade from versions prior to LAN Automatic Inventory 3.1,
follow the upgrade procedures in section 2.4.
If LAN Inventory already exists in the specified directory, an option box
displays asking whether or not you wish to overwrite this copy of LAN
Inventory.
If you are installing over a LAN Automatic Inventory 3.1 or greater, you
will be prompted "Do you wish to overwrite your existing Inventory data
files?" If you answer YES, you will need to collect the data again.
Answering NO preserves your data.
As indicated in this message box, the minimum space required for LAN
Inventory is 12867K; the recommended free space is 24414K. If you do not
have the minimum space in the path you specified, an error message
displays and you are prompted to select a different path. If you have
the minimum but not the recommended free space, you are given the option
of continuing the install in the specified path or choosing another one
with more space.
If you are installing from diskettes, you are prompted to insert the
remaining 4 disks to complete the installation process.
9. Enter your Company Name, and choose the OK button.
The Company Name must be between 1 and 20 characters.
10. Choose the OK button in the information box indicating that the
installation completed. View the Readme file for any updated product
information.
11. A dialog box displays asking you if you want to restart Windows at this
point to enable the changes that LAN Inventory 3.12 made. Choose the
Yes button to restart Windows.
If you do not wish to restart Windows at this point, choose the No button.
2.4 Upgrade Procedures
The Upgrade Install offers you several options. You either can 1) install
LAN Inventory over a previous copy or 2) install LAN Inventory in a different
directory but import data from a previous copy of LAN Inventory into the new
LANINV directory. Your existing database information is retained while your
LAN Inventory system is upgraded.
NOTE: Before upgrading LAN Inventory, make sure you backup all existing
product files.
The Upgrade option automatically performs the following actions:
o Copies LAN Inventory files to the network
o Creates the Program Manager group McAfee and icons for LAN Inventory and
the Readme file
Continue with the following steps to complete the Upgrade Install procedure:
8. Select an option from the Install Options dialog box.
The dialog box gives you the following options for upgrading:
o Upgrade from LAN Automatic Inventory 3.1x or LAN Automatic
Inventory 3.1.1.
o Upgrade from LAN Automatic Inventory 1.0-3.0x
The first option installs the files into the same directory as the
previous copy of the product. The second option installs the files into
a different directory.
9. Enter the full path name to where LAN Inventory should be installed, and
choose the OK button.
The drive letter and full directory must coincide with the file server
you selected earlier. LAN Inventory will create the directory if it does
not exist. The default drive letter is the first one found on the server
you specified. LANINV is the default directory.
NOTE: If you chose the first upgrade option, you are prompted with the
directory where the original product files are installed. If you chose the
second option, you should install in a different directory.
If LAN Inventory already exists in the specified directory, an option
box displays asking whether or not you wish to overwrite this copy of LAN
Inventory.
If you are installing over a LAN Automatic Inventory 3.1 or greater, you
will be prompted "Do you wish to overwrite your existing Inventory data
files?" If you answer YES, you will need to collect the data again.
Answering NO preserves your data.
As indicated in this message box, the minimum space required for LAN
Inventory is 14379K, the recommended free space is 24414K. If you do not
have the minimum space in the path you specified, an error message
displays and you are prompted to select a different path. If you have
the minimum but not the recommended free space, you are given the option
of continuing the install in the specified path or choosing another one
with more space.
If LAN Automatic Inventory files are detected in the specified directory,
you are prompted to choose whether or not you want to use the new LAN
Inventory Software list. Either choose the Yes button to use the new
Software list, or choose the No button to convert your existing Software
list. (Note that converting your existing list may result in duplicate
software entries.) We highly recommend using the new list for the most
up-to-date software information.
If you are installing from diskettes, you are prompted to insert the
remaining 4 disks to complete the installation.
10. Enter your Company Name, and choose the OK button.
The Company Name must be between 1 and 20 characters.
11. At the prompt, enter the path name for the existing copy of LAN Inventory
whose data you want to import and choose the OK button. (If you chose
the first upgrade option, skip this step.)
LAN Inventory verifies that you have a previous version of LAN Inventory,
makes a duplicate copy of the files and then converts them to the LAN
Inventory software.
12. Choose the OK button in the information box indicating that the
installation completed. View the Readme file for any updated product
information.
13. A dialog box displays asking you if you want to restart Windows at this
point to enable the changes that LAN Inventory v3.12 made. Choose the
Yes button to restart Windows.
If you do not wish to restart Windows at this point, choose the No
button.
NOTE: If you have upgraded to LAN Inventory from LAN Automatic Inventory
v2.xx (and if you have installed LAN Inventory in your existing LAN
Automatic Inventory v2.xx directory), you must re-inventory hardware only on
each workstation (i.e., run EQUIP/MACEQUIP) before performing your initial
LAN Inventory audit. For all workstations that are not re-inventoried before
performing the initial LAN Inventory audit, their inventory will be removed
from the baseline and reported as "missing." If you do not perform EQUIP
prior to performing an audit, you will lose the information on the PCs from
the old database.
2.5 Installing NLMs
These instructions review the installation process and provide important
information about installing the product NLMs.
WARNING: BTRIEVE Version 6.10 or later must be properly loaded to run LAN
Inventory. For instruction on setting up server-based Btrieve, please see
Appendix C. For instructions on setting up local PC-based Btrieve, please see
Step 3 below.
NOTE: Btrieve version 6.10c is loaded in Compuserve. Simply GO NOVLIB,
Library 7 and download BTR61.EXE (947,265 bytes, December 6, 1993).
If you get the following error message (and are running the BrightWorks
product)
BrightWorks: Brequester has not been loaded. BrightWork databases
will not be optimized. To optimize performance of this program, load
the Btrieve.NLM on your server, the Brequest.EXE TSR on your
workstation (with argument /d:17000), and restart Windows and
BrightWorks.
and to the best of your knowledge Btrieve has been properly loaded, please
read the following and take the appropriate steps.
If you want to run BREQUEST for server based Btrieve, this error could be
occuring because you have loaded the incorrect WBTRCALL.DLL file. Take
the following steps:
1. Exit Windows.
2. Change to the \LANINV directory (or BWORKS).
3. Run USEBRQ.BAT.
This program will copy the proper WBTRCALL.DLL file into the \LANINV
directory for BREQUEST.EXE.
4. Copy the new WBTRCALL.DLL into your \Windows directory.
5. Restart Windows.
6. Run LAN Inventory again (or BrightWorks).
This error also may occur if the BTRIEVE.NLM or the BSPXCOM.NLM is not
loaded on the fileserver. Please take the following steps:
1. At the fileserver console, type BSTOP.
This unloads the NLMs.
2. Type BSTART.
This loads both BTRIEVE.NLM and BPSXCOM.NLM on the fileserver.
If you want to work with the client-based BTRIEVE instead of the server
based BTRIEVE (BREQUEST.EXE), then take these steps.
1. Exit Windows.
2. Run USEBTR.BAT.
This ensures that you are running the proper WBTRCALL.DLL file for
client based BTRIEVE.
3. Add the following section to your WIN.INI:
[btrieve]
options=/p:3072/f:22/t:btr.trn/e
4. Restart Windows.
5. Run LAN Inventory again.
2.6 Troubleshooting
If you receive any errors while installing or upgrading LAN Inventory,
display the log file to view the errors and possible solutions.
Error calling DLL function. This indicates that install was unable to find
PROGLIB.DLL or NETWARE.DRV didn't load or wasn't configured in your
SYSTEM.INI file.
This could happen if the NetWare shell was not loaded before running
Windows or if the wrong NetWare driver was loaded for Windows. Please
refer to the installation requirements in this manual.
Also, make sure:
-The shells are loaded.
-The following line is included in your SYSTEM.INI file in the
[386Enh] section: network=*vnetbios, vnetware.386, vipx.386
-You have Write and Modify rights to your Windows directory.
Install requires temporary storage on your hard drive, approximately 300K
bytes. There is not enough space on your XXXX.
XXXX is the drive name specified. This message will display if the
drive you specified does not have the space required to run the
installation program.
Unable to copy or decompress file: FILENAME. Make sure that you have
permission to write to the designated path and that you included the drive
letter and that there is enough space on the destination disk.
FILENAME is the file to be copied or decompressed. This message will
display if 1) you do not have the write permission 2) there is not
enough space on the destination disk or 3) the volume (i.e., SYS)
that the install is trying to write to does not exist. Log in as
supervisor or equivalent.
Install did not find a previously installed copy of XXXXXX in YYYYYY. Choose
OK to choose another path.
XXXXXX is the name of the product which you want to upgrade. YYYYYY
is the name of the path you gave for the install to check for the
previously installed product. This message will display if the
install did not find the previously installed product which you want
to upgrade in the path you specified. Make sure you give the correct
path to the install to find the previously installed product for
upgrading.
This installation failed. Please run the install again to be sure that LAN
Inventory is installed correctly. Choose OK to exit install and view the
install log file.
This message will display when the installation has encountered
severe problems and has aborted. A log file may have the error
message. Use Windows Notepad utility to view this file. Make the
required change and then run the install again.
Fatal Error: [Error #]
Verify that you meet the LAN Inventory configuration requirements
and then contact McAfee Technical Support with the Error #.
Install detected problems with your Configuration. Click on OK to exit and
view log file.
View the Log File for information to correct your configuration in
accordance with the LAN Inventory installation requirements. Once you
have corrected your configuration, re-run the installation process.
Unrecoverable Error
Verify that you meet the LAN Inventory configuration requirements,
and then contact McAfee Technical Support with the Error #.
3.0 Chapter 3 Getting Started
Chapter 2 described the LAN Inventory installation and upgrade instructions.
This chapter introduces and discusses the LAN Inventory application window.
3.1 Introduction
3.1.1 What's in this Chapter
The following chart describes the sections in this chapter:
SECTION DESCRIPTION
The LAN Inventory Console Provides instructions for launching the LAN
Inventory console, selecting menu bar items,
using the tool bar as an alternative to the
menu bar, and using LAN Inventory's on-line
help.
Printer Setup & Administration Provides procedures for defining the global
print settings on which you want to generate
LAN Inventory reports.
Error Handling Discusses how to handle errors.
LAN Inventory Configuration Verifies that the program directory has the
Options appropriate rights and establishes
transaction directories.
Quick Start Provides brief instructions for setting up
LAN Inventory on your network.
Tutorial Offers a brief walk through some of LAN
Inventory's main features.
3.2 The LAN Inventory Console
This section describes the LAN Inventory console. In addition to instructions
for launching and exiting LAN Inventory, it discusses the menu bar, tool bar,
and help facility.
3.2.1 Windows Terms
LAN Inventory should be used with a mouse. The table below briefly defines
several Windows terms regarding the use of the mouse and product windows.
TERM DESCRIPTION
Cancel Button Choosing the Cancel button exits the current dialog box
without saving any changes you made in this dialog box or
without executing a command you selected in this dialog box.
Choose Click the left mouse button (or use a key combination) on an
item to initiate an action. For example, "Choose the LAN
Inventory icon."
Click Press the left mouse button once.
Double click Press the left mouse button twice in quick succession.
Icon A graphic representation of an executable in Windows.
Point Position the mouse until the tip of the pointer on the screen
rests on the desired item.
Scroll Use the scroll bars and buttons to move through a list of
items.
Select Mark an item by clicking on it or by highlighting it with
either key combinations or the mouse. For example, "Select
the Include Path option."
NOTE: The remainder of this manual assumes that you are familiar with
Windows. Refer to your Microsoft Windows manual for information on the
fundamental operating conventions of the Windows environment.
3.2.2 Accessing LAN Inventory
After successfully installing LAN Inventory, a McAfee Program Manager group
and a LAN Inventory program icon are created on your Windows desktop.
Use the following procedure to launch LAN Inventory.
1. Load Brequest.
Either server-based or client-based Btrieve can be used with LAN
Inventory. Server-based Btrieve is strongly recommended due to its
increased database access speed.
Upon installation, LAN Inventory is configured to run with Brequest. If
you are running client-based Btrieve, you must run the USEBTR.BAT file in
the LANINV program directory before launching LAN Inventory. This batch
file configures LAN Inventory to run with local Btrieve. For example, from
within the LANINV program directory, issue the following command:
USEBTR <ENTER>
2. Run Windows, and double click on the LAN Inventory program icon.
If you are using Novell's local Btrieve, a message is displayed
recommending that you use BREQUEST for increased database access speed.
This message will only display when LAN Inventory cannot detect Brequest.
It will also display when LAN Inventory is configured to run with client-
based Btrieve (i.e., by running the USEBTR.BAT file). To disable the
warning message under all circumstances, place a checkmark in the
"Disable warning message when Brequest isn't running" field.
(To re-enable the warning message, the.INI file must be edited.)
Choose the OK button to continue the LAN Inventory program launch. The
LAN Inventory application window is displayed.
The application window consists of the following items which are
discussed in this section:
o The LAN Inventory Menu Bar
o The LAN Inventory Tool Bar
o Access to LAN Inventory's On-Line Help
3.2.3 Exiting LAN Inventory
Use the following procedure to end a LAN Inventory session.
1. Choose the Exit command from the File menu.
A dialog box is displayed prompting you to confirm the exit action.
2. To save your monitor configuration, check the 'Save monitor
configuration' option.
Checking this option will save the configuration of any metering windows
that are currently open in your LAN Inventory application window. All
open metering windows will be automatically restored upon starting your
next LAN Inventory session.
3. Choose the OK button to close the LAN Inventory application.
3.2.4 LAN Inventory Menu Bar
To choose a menu, point to the menu name and click the left mouse button.
The menu is displayed.
The general purpose of each menu item is defined below:
o File - Lists file oriented commands, including those for configuring
global print settings and exiting LAN Inventory. For several of the File menu
commands, the command text and its associated action when selected depend on
the currently active window in the LAN Inventory application window.
o Administration - Lists the commands necessary to collect inventory on your
network and conduct an audit.
o Tools - Lists commands for viewing and managing inventory information.
o Reports - Lists commands for accessing specific categories of LAN
Inventory reports.
o Window - Lists commands for positioning the open document windows in the
LAN Inventory application window.
o Help - Lists commands to access LAN Inventory's on-line Windows hypertext
help.
NOTE: Holding down the left mouse button over a menu command displays the
function of the command in the LAN Inventory title bar at the top of the
application window.
3.2.5 LAN Inventory Tool Bar
When using LAN Inventory with a mouse, LAN Inventory's tool bar buttons
provide an alternative for accessing the most frequently used LAN Inventory
functions.
Instead of choosing commands from the drop-down menus, you can choose the
tool bar buttons to perform the same tasks.
The function of each tool bar button is described below:
o Inventory - Displays the View Inventory dialog box used for viewing and
managing the inventory of each audited workstation.
o Remote - Provides access to optional McAfee NetRemote software for
automated user support.
o NetShield - Provides access to optional McAfee NetShield software, which
is a Novell NetWare loadable module (NLM) and provides uninterrupted
server-based virus protection.
o Tickets - Provides access to optional McAfee LAN Support Center software
for help desk automation.
o Alerting - Displays the Alerting Options dialog box used for defiing and
scheduling auditing alerts.
o Reports - Displays the report generator that was last selected from the
Report menu. For example, if the Inventory and Distribution command was last
chosen from the Reports menu, then the Choose Report dialog box will display,
enabling you to generate inventory and distribution reports.
NOTE: Holding down the left mouse button over a tool bar button displays the
function of the button in the LAN Inventory title bar at the top of the
application window.
3.2.6 Using the Keyboard
To use LAN Inventory without a mouse, perform the standard Windows keyboard
actions to navigate through the program.
Each menu item on the LAN Inventory menu bar has a keyboard mnemonic. Press
the <ALT> key in combination with the keyboard mnemonic key to choose a menu
and cause the menu to drop down. For example, press the <ALT><F> keys to
choose the File menu and display its commands.
Each command also has a keyboard mnemonic. Once the menu is displayed
(i.e., "dropped down"), press the keyboard mnemonic of the command you want
to choose. For example, from the File menu, press <P> to choose the Printer
Setup command. You can also use the <up/down arrow> keys to move the
highlight to a desired command and press <ENTER> to select the command.
For detailed information on using a Windows application with the keyboard,
refer to your Windows documentation.
NOTE: Some LAN Inventory features require the use of a mouse and cannot be
accessed with the keyboard.
3.2.7 LAN Inventory's Help Facility
LAN Inventory's help facility provides on-line assistance for using the LAN
Inventory software. To get information quickly about a LAN Inventory feature
or procedure, choose the Help Index command from the Help menu.
Choosing the Help Index command displays an index list of topics. Choose the
topic for which you require assistance.
LAN Inventory's Help system is written in a standard Windows hypertext format.
This means that you can jump from one topic to another by simply choosing
topic names from a list. Several buttons display across the top of the Help
dialog box allowing you to search for topics and also to view a list of the
topics you have visited.
For detailed information on using a Windows help facility, refer to your
Windows documentation.
3.3 Printer Setup and Administration
Before printing LAN Inventory reports, you should review the global print
parameters to be sure they reflect the printer settings that you require.
Printer settings include:
o Printer destination
o Page orientation (portrait/landscape)
o Paper size and source
o Graphics resolution
The procedures for customizing the contents of individual LAN Inventory
reports are discussed in Chapter 9. This section briefly presents the
procedures for viewing and changing Windows global print settings
(e.g., target printer, paper size).
NOTE: Please refer to your Windows manual for detailed procedures on
modifying the Windows print settings.
3.3.1 Changing Print Settings
Use the following procedure to review and change your print settings.
1. Choose the Printer Setup command from the File menu.
The Print Setup dialog box is displayed.
2. Select the printer you want to use for printing LAN Inventory reports.
The printer selected from your Windows printer control is selected as the
default. To use another printer, select a Specific Printer from the
drop-down list associated with this field.
NOTE: Choosing a specific printer does not permanently change your printer
setting.
3. Select the desired orientation and paper parameters.
Choose either the Portrait (long) or Landscape (wide) Orientation setting.
Use the drop-down lists to define the Paper Size and Paper Source
settings.
4. To make additional changes to the selected printer configuration, choose
the Options button.
Additional settings include dithering and intensity control.
5. Choose the OK button in the Print Setup dialog box to save the print
settings.
3.4 Error Handling
If you encounter an error while using LAN Inventory, a message box is
displayed with a description of the error. Choosing the OK button returns you
to either the previous screen to select another choice or to the LAN
Inventory application window if no other choices are available.
Appendix B of this manual lists and describes all LAN Inventory errors.
3.5 Inventory Configuration Options
Before you begin to inventory your LAN components, you must verify that the
appropriate rights have been granted to the LAN Inventory program directory.
3.5.1 Assigning Rights To a Common Directory
Users of NetWare 4.X, 3.X or 2.2 systems need READ, WRITE, FILESCAN, CREATE,
and ERASE rights to the directory from which the EQUIP file will be executed.
These rights are required in order to update the transaction and log files
upon executing the EQUIP.EXE program.
Users of NetWare 2.1X systems need READ, OPEN, SEARCH, WRITE, CREATE, and
DELETE rights to the directory from which the EQUIP file will be executed.
Upon the installation of LAN Inventory, EQUIP.EXE and all transaction and
log files reside in the LANINV program directory.
3.5.2 Establishing a Separate Transaction Directory
If granting extensive rights to a program directory (i.e., the LANINV
directory) is a concern, then follow the steps below to set up a separate
"transaction directory" from which your users can execute EQUIP. By doing so,
your users will no longer need any rights to the LANINV directory.
Another reason for creating separate transaction directories is for
maintaining individual LAN sites. Defining sites is useful for categorizing
your inventory data. By establishing a separate transaction directory, you
are defining a directory into which a site's inventory data will be collected.
For example, you might want to maintain a separate inventory for your Sales
Department. To do so, you must define a site for the Sales Department
(e.g., the SALES site). You also must establish a separate transaction
directory for the SALES site. The collected inventory data for all
workstations included in the SALES site will be maintained in the new sales
transaction directory.
NOTES: a - The LANINV program directory must always be defined as a site
because it maintains the file server, MAC and stand-alone inventory data.
b - BrightWorks' Software Distribution capabilities can be used to distribute
software and/or scripts to any workstation in the LAN Inventory local site
(i.e., the site which identifies the LANINV program directory). Sites are
discussed in detail in the section entitled "Maintaining LAN Sites" in
Chapter 4 of this manual.
Perform the following steps to establish a transaction directory in which
EQUIP can collect inventory data:
1. Create a transaction directory.
To allow all your network users access to the EQUIP inventory program,
create the new directory on the file server. For example, create a
directory named F:\LANINV\SALES.
2. Grant rights to the transaction directory.
Users of NetWare 3.X or 2.2 systems need READ, WRITE, FILESCAN, CREATE,
and ERASE rights to the directory from which the EQUIP file will be
executed. These rights are required in order to update the transaction
and log files upon executing the EQUIP.EXE program.
Users of NetWare 2.1X systems need READ, OPEN, SEARCH, WRITE, CREATE, and
DELETE rights to the directory from which the EQUIP file will be executed.
3. Copy the required administration files into the new transaction directory.
Several administration files must be copied into the transaction
directory; however, the files must first be configured using the LAN
Inventory console program.
a - To configure the administration files, choose the Software
Options command from the Administration menu to display the Software
Options dialog box.
b - Select the Workstation software option and define the unknown
file extensions and system files to be identified.
c - Choose the OK button to accept the configuration changes and exit
LAN Inventory.
d - Copy the following administration files into the new transaction
directory:
o WAUDCFG.DAT
o WFIDPC.DAT
o WIDPCSFT.DAT
o WSYSFLST.DAT
4. Copy the required EQUIP files into the new transaction directory.
The files required to execute EQUIP are:
o EQUIP.EXE
o BTRIEVE.EXE or BREQUEST.EXE (depending on the Btrieve method you
are using)
o ENDBTRV.EXE
o WPCSLIST.DAT
o NRCALL.PID
Several transaction files also need to be in the transaction
directory. The first time EQUIP is run in a new transaction directory,
you are prompted to instruct EQUIP to create the files.
o WEQTRN.DAT
o WEQLOG.DAT
o WTRSOFTT.DAT
o WSYSFTRN.DAT
o WSYSFLOG.DAT
NOTE: In order for EQUIP to properly execute, you cannot manually copy
the transaction files.
5. Define the transaction directory as a Site.
This can be accomplished in one of two ways:
a - From the LAN Inventory menu bar, choose Inventory from the
Administration menu, and then choose the Define Sites command to define
the new site and its path, or
b - When EQUIP first executes in the new transaction directory, you will
be prompted to enter a Site name (if the Site has not yet been defined).
You must then also define the site and its path from within LAN Inventory
by choosing Inventory from the Administration menu, and then choosing the
Define Sites command.
At this point, the new transaction directory is established. To include
the transaction site data in your baseline (i.e., include the data in an
audit), choose Inventory from the Administration menu, and then choose
the Scope of Audit command and include the transaction site in the audit
scope.
IMPORTANT:
a - From within the LAN Inventory console, any changes made to the PC
Software List, the "System Files to Inventory on Local Site" option, the
"Unknown Files to Identify on Local Site" option or the Audit Parameters
window options will update the files in the LANINV program directory. (The
file names are WPCSLIST.DAT, WSYSFLST.DAT, WFIDPC.DAT and WAUDCFG.DAT,
respectively.) To maintain the changes, you must copy the updated files into
the transaction directory before running EQUIP again.
b - Before you perform an audit, the WIDPCSFT.DAT file (the list of
unidentified software) in the transaction directory needs to be appended to
the same file name in the LANINV directory. Use a third party utility to
append one file to another file. For example, Novell's BUTIL.EXE or Magic
Solution's BU.EXE can be used to do this. (BU.EXE is shipped with LAN
Inventory. It is located in the self-extracting file named TOOLS.EXE in the
LANINV program directory.)
For example, the procedures for using BUTIL.EXE to append the files are as
follows:
1. Load Btrieve. (Either BTRIEVE.EXE or BREQUEST.EXE can be used.)
2. At the DOS prompt, enter the BUTIL -copy command, which has the following
syntax: BUTIL -COPY <source file> <target file>. The command you enter
may look similar to the following:
BUTIL -COPY f:\transdir\widpcsft.dat f:\fusion\widpcsft.dat
3. Use the ENDBTRV command to unload Btrieve.
Note also that the BU.EXE COPY syntax is exactly the same as the BUTIL
syntax; simply replace the BUTIL command with BU.
3.5.3 Consider Improving LAN Inventory's Database Performance
LAN Inventory uses the Novell Btrieve Record Manager as its record manager.
Btrieve is integrated with NetWare and offers an extremely high performance
mechanism for storing information. In addition, Btrieve is the basis for
Novell's Network Management System (NMS), which allows McAfee to integrate
with this important management platform more easily.
NOTE: Refer to Appendix E for instructions on enabling LAN Inventory
smart-launch within NMS.
Btrieve must be loaded before running the EQUIP program. There are two
methods of implementing Btrieve:
o Server-based - All data processing is done at the file server by the
Brequestor (the Btrieve NLM or VAP). Each workstation communicates with the
NLM or VAP by loading BREQUEST.EXE in the local PC's memory.
o Brequest uses 31-45KB of RAM, depending on the options specified. (Version
6.10 or greater is required when using Brequest with LAN Inventory.) It is
much faster than the local Btrieve; it requires, however, that the NLM or VAP
be loaded on the file server.
o Client-based - Workstations load an executable version of the record
manager (BTRIEVE.EXE) and perform all data processing locally.
o Btrieve uses approximately 85KB of RAM and is much slower than Brequest.
NOTES: a - General instructions for configuring the Btrieve NLM are provided
in Appendix C. Refer to your Novell documentation for details on configuring
Btrieve.
b - When running the Brequestor, BSPXCOM must also be loaded. Refer to your
Novell documentation for details on loading these programs.
c - Verify that you are running the latest versions of the Btrieve files.
Updated Btrieve files can be found on Compuserve in the Novell Libraries (GO
NOVLIB).
EQUIP is fully compatible with both methods of access. LAN Inventory is
shipped with BTRIEVE.EXE; it is highly recommended, however, that you use the
server-based method while running EQUIP, as this will improve the performance
of data collection by at least 50% and by as much as 500%.
LAN Inventory provides two batch files for loading Btrieve:
o BTR.BAT - loads local Btrieve (BTRIEVE.EXE)
o BRQ.BAT - loads server-based Btrieve (BREQUEST.EXE)
All batch files provided with LAN Inventory are placed in the LANINV program
directory upon installation.
3.5.4 Consider Placing EQUIP in the Login Script
To ensure that EQUIP is executed on a regular basis, the EQUIP command can
be placed in the system login script. The following example illustrates how
EQUIP can be executed from within a system login script. Note that BTRIEVE or
BREQUEST must be loaded before EQUIP is run and unloaded after EQUIP has
completed gathering the inventory. (Refer to Chapter 5 for information on
EQUIP's command line parameters. Refer to Appendix C for instructions on
configuring Btrieve.)
....
MAP F:=FS/SYS:BWORKS
DRIVE F:
#BREQUEST /D:17000
#EQUIP /H /S
#ENDBTRV
....
where F:=FS/SYS:BWORKS is the drive ID and complete path where the LAN
Inventory files are stored.
NOTE: When mapping to the LANINV directory, make sure that you use a
straight logical map. MAP ROOTS and MAP INS are not allowed.
3.6 Quick Start Guide to Inventory
This section provides the steps necessary to establish an inventory before
peforming software distribution (if you purchased BrightWorks).
1. Configure the BTRIEVE.NLM and the BSPXCOM.NLM at the file server console
and load accordingly.
See Appendix C for more information about BTRIEVE.
2. Load BREQUEST /D:17000 into memory at the administrative PC.
See Appendix C for more information.
3. Open Windows and choose the LAN Inventory icon.
4. Follow these five steps to configure the collection of the Inventory and
Audit.
a. DEFINE SITE (see Chapter 4). Assign another name to the LANINV
directory (the local site). This Site will appear in Red in the
Define Sites dialog box. RULE: All nodes that will participate in
Software Distribution must have a record in the Local Site (see
BrightWorks manual).
b. SCOPE OF AUDIT (see Chapter 4). Include the Local Site and the
File Server where LAN Inventory is installed.
c. SOFTWARE OPTIONS (see Chapter 4). This will allow you to collect
unidentified software (e.g., applications that do not appear on the
canned PC Software List).
d. AUDIT PARAMETERS (see Chapter 4). Select what to audit and when.
Additional options allos you to back up your baseline files prior to
conducting an audit as well as notification options when changes
occur.
e. Configure the PC SOFTWARE LIST to identify the desired
applications: Select Administration/Inventory/Qualification Lists.
Choose PC Software List and Un-hide the applicable applications. See
Chapter 4.
5. Modify the system login script to execute EQUIP.EXE on all workstations
that log into the file server where LAN Inventory is installed.
Suggested method:
MAP F:\SERVER\VOL:LANINV
DRIVE F
#BREQUEST /D:17000
#EQUIP /S /H /Y /W /SHOW
#ENDBTRV
MAP DEL F:
NOTE: All users will need READ, WRITE, CREATE, ERASE, and FILESCAN
rights to the LANINV directory.
6. Conduct an AUDIT.
See Chapter 6.
3.7 Tutorial
This tutorial outlines the major steps in using BrightWorks to perform an
inventory and a subsequent audit of the components of your LAN.
The steps in this tutorial include the following:
1. Collecting Inventory Data (using the EQUIP.EXE program)
2. Configuring the Audit Parameters
3. Running an Audit
4. Viewing the Audit Results (audit log and inventory details)
NOTES: a - LAN Inventory must be installed on your network before beginning
the tutorial. If you have not already done so, please refer to Chapter 2 for
installation instructions.
b - The options and features mentioned in this tutorial are discussed in
detail in rest of this manual.
You will realize the following benefits by using LAN Inventory on your
network:
o Reduce the time required to troubleshoot user and network problems with an
accurate, up-to-date hardware and software inventory
o Eliminate the need for manual inventory by automatically recording and
detecting changes in software and hardware configurations
o Inventory multiple sites to maximize resource usage
o Reduce the time required to input new applications with the auto-learning
feature
o Keep records up-to-date and inform purchase decisions with detailed vendor
and warranty data tracking
o Reduce downtime by detecting outdated equipment
3.7.1 Collecting Inventory Data
EQUIP.EXE is the program used to collect the inventory data of your networked
PCs. The program is executed at the machine on which you want to perform the
inventory. Inventory data includes hardware, software and system file
information. Note that before running EQUIP you must set up the Btrieve
database.
Use the following procedure to collect a workstation's inventory data.
1. Proceed to the PC workstation for which you want to collect inventory
data.
2. Make the LAN Inventory directory your current directory.
Use the DOS CD command to change into the LANINV program directory, or
map a search drive to the LANINV directory.
3. Setup the Btrieve database.
LAN Inventory provides two batch files which setup the Btrieve database.
Issue the batch file which corresponds to the method of Btrieve you are
using.
o BRQ.BAT automatically issues the Btrieve setup command and loads
Brequest. Brequest uses 25-49KB of RAM, depending on the version and
the command line switches used. It is approximately 250% faster than
the local Btrieve; it requires, however, that the NLM be loaded on the
file server. The BRQ.BAT file consists of the following:
BREQUEST /D:17000
o BTR.BAT automatically issues the Btrieve setup command and loads
local Btrieve. Btrieve uses approximately 85KB of RAM, depending on
the command line switches used. It is much slower than Brequest. The
BTR.BAT file consists of the following:
BTRIEVE /P:3072 /F:22 /T:BTR.TRN /E
NOTE: Because of the increase in speed, Brequest is recommended.
4. Issue the EQUIP command and collect the hardware and software component
data for the PC you are using.
EQUIP /h /s <ENTER>
where /h is the command line option used to specify hardware collection;
/s is the command line option used to specify software collection. All
EQUIP command line options are listed in Chapter 5 in the section
entitled "EQUIP Command Line Reference."
5. Respond to the prompts that display the first time EQUIP is run in a
transaction directory.
Ignore this step if EQUIP has already been executed from the current
directory.
a - The first time EQUIP is run from any transaction directory, you
are prompted to create new database files. Answer Yes to this prompt
by typing <Y> and pressing the <ENTER> key. The EQUIP program will
create the required transaction files.
b - After the database files have been created, EQUIP then prompts
you to enter a Site ID name. LAN Inventory uses the Site ID to
determine your workstation's location. For example, enter the file
server name as the Site ID. To do this, type:
(file server name) <ENTER>
where (file server name) is the name of your file server.
Upon pressing <ENTER>, EQUIP gathers the hardware and software
information from the workstation.
NOTE: Follow Steps #1-4 for each networked PC you want to inventory, or call
an EQUIP batch file from your system login script to automate inventorying of
networked PCs.
3.7.2 Configuring the Audit Parameters
Several audit parameters must be defined before performing an audit of the
collected inventory data. All audit configuration information is defined from
within the LAN Inventory console.
The audit parameters that are defined in this step of the tutorial include:
o Audit scope - the sites and file servers to be audited
o Audited components - the inventory components to be audited (e.g.,
hardware, software or both)
Use the following procedure to configure the audit parameters for this
tutorial.
1. Choose Inventory from the Administration menu. From the sub-menu that is
displayed, choose the Scope of Audit command.
The Scope of Audit dialog box is displayed. This dialog box allows you
to select the sites and file servers to be included in the audit. To
include a site or file server in the audit, click on the item name in the
corresponding left list box, and then choose the Include button. The item
name is moved into the list box on the right.
To remove a site or file server from the audit, click on the item name in
the corresponding right list box, and then choose the Remove button. The
item name is moved into the list box on the left.
2. For this tutorial, include both the local site in the audit scope
(i.e., the site that was created in the "Collecting Inventory Data" step
of this tutorial) and the file server on which LAN Inventory is installed.
NOTE: The Scope of Audit dialog box lists all file servers on the network,
but only those file servers with LAN Inventory installed can be audited,
even if the file server name is "included" in the Scope of Audit.
3. Choose the OK button to accept the audit scope definition.
When a file server is included in the scope definition, a Server dialog
box is displayed prompting you to enter your login name and password.
4. In the Server dialog box, enter your login name and password for the
selected file server, and then choose the OK button.
NOTE: You must have Supervisor rights or equivalent to include a file server
in the audit scope.
The configuration changes are saved, and the Scope of Audit dialog boxes
are closed.
5. To define what to audit and when to audit, choose Inventory from the
Administration menu. From the sub-menu that is displayed, choose the
Audit Parameters command.
The Audit Parameters dialog box is displayed. This dialog box is
separated into three sections: What to Audit, When to Audit, and
Additional Options.
6. For this tutorial, check the following audit parameters:
o What to Audit: PC Software and PC Hardware
o What to Audit: Fileserver Software and Fileserver Hardware
o When to Audit: When Requested
Once these options are selected, choose the OK button to accept the audit
parameters and close the dialog box.
NOTE: Chapter 4 of this manual discusses the audit configuration procedures
in detail.
3.7.3 Running the Audit
Conducting an audit compiles the collected equipment inventory data from
your workstations and file servers and adds it to LAN Inventory's baseline
inventory. Performing an audit updates the baseline inventory file to
represent an accumulation of your most currently audited inventory
information. The baseline inventory file provides data for various inventory
reports, on-screen viewing, automatic notification of inventory changes, and
the BrightWorks software distribution capability.
The audit process uses the currently defined audit parameters. Therefore,
before you initiate an audit, you should verify that the audit parameters are
set properly. (In the previous step of this tutorial, the audit scope was
defined to include the local LAN Inventory site.)
Use the following procedure to perform an audit.
1. Choose Inventory from the Administration menu. From the sub-menu that is
displayed, choose the Audit command.
A message is displayed informing you that the baseline inventory will be
updated as a result of the audit. In order to maintain only the most
current inventory data, the baseline files are always updated by
performing an audit.
2. Choose the OK button to start the audit.
The Audit in Progress dialog box is displayed while the audit is running.
When the audit is complete, the Audit in Progress dialog box closes and
the baseline is updated to reflect the new inventory data.
NOTE: Chapter 6 of this manual discusses the audit process in detail.
3.7.4 Viewing Audit Results
As a result of performing an audit, LAN Inventory's equipment and inventory
files are updated and are available for viewing.
The audit results that are viewed in this step of the tutorial include:
o Audit log - a list of all audits with access to audit summary and detail
information
o Inventory - a list of component data for PC/MAC workstations and file
servers
Use the following procedure to view the audit log and inventory details.
1. To view the Audit Log, choose Inventory from the Administration menu.
From the sub-menu that is displayed, choose the View Audit Log command.
The Audit Log dialog box is displayed. This dialog box displays a list of
all the audits that have been performed. The Date, Time, Performed By,
and Status information are listed for each audit.
2. To view the summarized results of an audit, select the audit from the
Audit Log dialog box and choose the Results button.
The Audit Results dialog box is displayed and lists the summarized
results of the selected audit.
Choose the Close button to close the Audit Results dialog box.
NOTE: The above audit log results dialog box can also be displayed by double
clicking on an audit in the Audit Log dialog box.
3. To view the details of an audit, select the audit from the Audit Log
dialog box and choose the Details button.
An Audit Details dialog box is displayed which contains an itemized list
of audited components, nodes, and system files.
Use the scroll buttons and scroll bars to view all the information.
Choose the Close button to close the Audit Details dialog box.
4. To view the inventory of your PC/MAC workstations and file servers,
choose the Inventory tool bar button.
The Inventory dialog box is displayed and lists the workstations and file
servers for each audited site. Use the scroll buttons to view all the
information.
5. Double click on a workstation type entry.
The detailed inventory data for the workstation is displayed in an
inventory details dialog box.
Use the slide bars and arrows to view the information on the inventory
screen.
The table below briefly lists the detailed inventory data displayed for
PC and MAC workstations. A complete list of the detected equipment is
provided in Appendix A.
PC Workstation MAC Workstation
Computer Information Computer Information
Mass Storage Floppy Drives
Keyboard/Display Monitor Type
Ports Slot adapters and drives
Network Adapter Mounted volumes
Memory
6. View additional component data regarding the workstation by choosing the
Software Applications, Misc Equipment, System Files, and Notes buttons.
The corresponding dialog boxes provide detailed information regarding the
selected workstation.
NOTE: You can also view the Software Applications, Miscellaneous Equipment,
and Notes associated with a file server.
When you have finished viewing the information for the workstation,
choose the OK button to return to the View Inventory dialog box. Choose
the Close button to close the View Inventory dialog box.
NOTE: Chapters 7 and 8 of this manual discuss reviewing audit results in
detail.
This completes the inventory tutorial. All of the features introduced here
are described in full detail in rest of this manual.