Copyright: StorageSoft System Agent Help Version 4.0, Copyright StorageSoft, Inc.
Citation: Copyright (c) 1998-99 StorageSoft, Inc.


What's New
What’s New

As of ImageCast v4.0, the new StorageSoft System Agent replaces the ImageCast Client Agent!

The new Agent still responds to commands sent down from the ImageCast Control Center, but it can also serve as an SNMP Agent.

In addition, the new Agent collects local workstation information.  When the System Agent icon is displayed in the system tray, this information can be viewed at the local monitor.  When the Agent runs as a Windows Service, the information can only be viewed from the Control Center.

For more information on System Agent installation, discovery and command functions when ImageCast is enabled at a workstation, refer to online Help within the ImageCast Control Center.

If you are not sure about where to go from here, click here to Get Started.


Getting Started

Browse through the topics below in order to familiarize yourself with the StorageSoft System Agent dialog and how to use it.

1)	Welcome!

2)	System Agent as an ImageCast Agent

3)	System Agent as an SNMP Agent

4)	Using the System Agent Between Deployments


Welcome
Welcome to the StorageSoft System Agent

The StorageSoft System Agent™ is a compact utility – or Windows “applet” – that can perform system-level tasks and provide in-depth information on the Windows environment and the installed equipment on any qualified computer.

After loading (normally at startup, after the Windows Logon), System Agent will reside in the System Tray area of the Windows Taskbar.  Clicking on the small icon will summon the System Agent™ Welcome panel, using the Minimize function will return it to the small-icon state.

Clicking on the “close” button (a.k.a., the X button) will close System Agent until the next time Windows starts or the next log-in.

System Requirements

Since System Agent™ is minimally active and takes-up few resources in Windows, its basic requirements would mirror those of Windows itself (see documentation from your specific edition of Windows for details)

For compatibility with SNMP features or ImageCast Control Center™, a supported network adapter and the Windows TCP/IP protocol must be installed and configured.*  All other functions of System Agent™ are internal to the local machine and have no additional hardware requirements.

System/Hardware Information

When active, System Agent™ provides a wide spectrum of system- and hardware information; anything from Current User details, all the way to the number of Total Sectors on the hard-drive may be viewed using System Agent™.

Feel free to explore all of the given areas to get a unique glimpse into this particular system.

Advertisements

System Agent™ can dynamically display online advertising content, much like what you occasionally see when exploring the Internet with a web-browser.

Often, the vendor that supplied you with System Agent™ has already specified which offers are to be presented; watch the area under the Welcome tab for offers that appeal to your interests.

StorageSoft Corporation

System Agent™ is a special offering from StorageSoft Corporation; this freely-distributed applet is bound by the freeware license, as it was presented during Setup.  By installing this software, you have already agreed to the provisions of said license, and as they apply to System Agent™.

With future updates, you may receive additional components that enhance System Agent™ or add to its overall functionality and reliability.  See the topic, Contacting StorageSoft for information on how to check for System Agent™ updates.

* Some editions of System Agent™ will not be compatible with SNMP functions or the ImageCast Control Center™.  Those editions are “crippled” by choice of the specific vendor that distributed System Agent™.  For a full-featured edition, please visit our website www.storagesoft.com


System Agent as an SNMP Agent
The System Agent as an SNMP Agent

System Agent™ supports several basic functions over the Simple Network Management Protocol (SNMP).

At this time, the model for SNMP support will only provide basic, read-only variables.  The ImageCast Control Center™ is the only “manager” that can fully control system/administrative features on System Agent.


System Agent as an ImageCast Agent
The System Agent as an ImageCast Agent

When used in conjunction with the ImageCast IC3™ suite of applications, System Agent™ will support communication with the ImageCast IC3 Control Center.*

Doing so, it is possible to query an active Agent for system- and/or hardware information.  Sometimes this information can be critical in administrative operations, not to mention that having this information retrieved remotely can save valuable time in a crisis situation.

Support for Remote Client Reboot

When set-up with the ImageCast Agent™ installer, System Agent™ supports the ability to re-boot the workstation as an ImageCast Client™.

This can be of invaluable assistance when performing imaging operations over a large group of workstations; all of the Clients can be summoned and controlled by the central ImageCast IC3 Control Center™.  (see your ImageCast IC3 Manual for details)


Updating between deployments
Using System Agent Between Deployments

System Information

The ability of System Agent™ to interrogate and display in-depth information is always a valuable asset.  While you may find more complete information with the Microsoft System Information tool, the System Agent™ can remain loaded without any impact on running applications, and it supports functions that “sysinfo” cannot.

Peer Messages

For those who can recall, the Windows popup messages were a handy tool for keeping in communication with peers on the network.  While support for pop-up messages is still around, System Agent can be used as a means to remotely convey important critical information when- and where you need it.

SNMP Management

Aside from those features already mentioned, System Agent™ includes support for basic SNMP functions.  In short, this includes the reporting of several, basic variables; such as hostname, up-time, admin-contact, among others.


Logical Drive Volume Label
Logical Drive: Volume Label

This shows the name, or label given to a formatted volume.  In Windows, this would appear with the drive-icon, next to the drive-letter.

This can be changed by right-clicking the drive-icon in Windows Explorer and selecting Properties.


Logical Drive Total Space
Logical Drive: Total Space

This is the total capacity of the selected volume (must be formatted).

This value is shown in practical units (MB or GB), rounded to three significant digits.  The value shown reflects the binary type, for instance:

1 MB = 1,048,576 bytes (instead of one million)

1 GB =  1,073,741,824 bytes (instead of one billion)

These forms of measurement should correlate exactly to what you see in Windows (i.e., If you see 1.21 GB here, then you’ll see “1.21GB” in Windows explorer for the same volume.)


Logical Drive Free Space
Logical Drive: Free Space

This shows the available capacity of the selected volume.

This value is shown in practical units (MB or GB), rounded to three significant digits.  The value shown reflects the binary type, for instance:

1 MB = 1,048,576 bytes

1 GB =  1,073,741,824 bytes

These forms of measurement should correlate exactly to what you see in Windows (i.e., If you see 1.21 GB here, then you’ll see “1.21GB” in Windows explorer for the same volume.)


Logical Drive  File System
Logical Drive: File System

This displays the type of file-system detected in the selected volume.

Known types include:

FAT12 – Common format used on floppies, maximum of 32MB-per-volume.

FAT16 – Most commonly used file-system around, but limited to 2GB-per-volume.

FAT32 – Newer, more-efficient form of FAT, recently introduced by Microsoft and has no practical per-volume limit (yet); theoretical limit = 2 Terabytes (1 terabyte  = 1,099,511,627,776 bytes).

NTFS – The format of choice for NT systems, but only for NT systems; having evolved in-parallel with the Windows NT™ operating system itself, it has no “standard” limit.


Logical Drive Compression
Logical Drive: Compression

This indicates whether real-time compression is enabled on this volume.

Normally, this will appear as disabled.


Media Type
Logical Drive: Media Type

This is a basic indicator showing whether the media is fixed or removable, according to the signature put on the volume when it was formatted.


Logical Drive Serial Number
Logical Drive: Serial Number

This merely shows the given serial-number of the formatted volume.

The volume serial-number is a randomized and unique identifier for the volume, but is not necessarily established by the manufacturer.  It is re-established (changed) every time you format a disk or volume.

Normally, there is no need to pay attention to this number, it won’t help to identify your physical drive or the overall system.


Logical Drive Bytes Per Sector
Logical Drive: Bytes Per Sector

This shows the number of bytes in each sector (smallest unit) of the physical medium.

For nearly all hard-drives, it is 512 bytes.


Logical Drive Sectors Per Cluster
Logical Drive: Sectors Per Cluster

This displays the number of sectors (smallest units) in the volume that make-up one cluster.

A cluster is the smallest unit-of-storage in the volume (all files use at least one cluster each).


Logical Drive Total Clusters
Logical Drive: Total Clusters

This gives the total number of clusters (groups of sectors) needed to format this volume.


User Computer Name
User: Computer Name

This displays the name that was given to this system.  It serves to identify it on a Local Area Network (LAN).  Each system on the network must have a unique name.

Normally, this value can be set or changed in the Network Properties applet under Control Panel; it should only be 15 characters long (for compatibility) and should not contain special characters, punctuation or spaces.


User Organization
User: Organization

This shows a name for the organization to which the system belongs.  A company or other organization would generally have their name in this area for all the systems they use.

For individual/personal owners, this field is optional and may be left blank.


User Windows Owner
User: Windows Owner

This reflects the name entered as the owner or operator of this system, this information was entered back when this system was first installed.

In some organizations, this would reflect the group that is responsible for building and maintaining the workstations (e.g., IS Group)

This can not be easily changed, and often indicates the primary license-owner, or license grantee within a larger organization.  Though sometimes left blank, this value should be entered when the system is built, as it assists some applications that wish to record this kind of information.


User
User: User

This displays the name of the current local or network user-account, the username that was entered at log-in.


OS Version Name
OS: Version Name

This shows a common-English name for the operating system that is currently running.

Since System Agent only supports 32-bit Windows, this will appear as some variant of MS Windows.


OS Major Version
OS: Major Version

This gives the major version, or integer portion of the complete operating-system version-number (in 32-bit Windows, this commonly appears as a 4)


OS Minor Version
OS: Minor Version

This displays the minor version, or immediate decimal portion of the complete operating-system version-number.

Similar platforms will have different minor versions.  For instance, Windows95 was dubbed Windows version 4.0, where Windows98 was released as Windows version 4.1.


OS Build Number
OS: Build Number

This shows the build, or second-decimal portion of the complete operating-system version-number.  This indicator changes through development and testing until the final-release version, and is used to discriminate between beta, final and OEM releases.

For instance…

•	Off-the-shelf Windows95 is version-number 4.00.950

•	The later release, often called OSR2 or B-version is version-number 4.00.1111


OS CSD Version
OS: CSD Version

This reflects a “common” version-suffix as it would apply to various editions of Windows95 (no other platforms, or editions of Microsoft Windows™, would display this information)

•	Off-the shelf (retail) or “Upgrade” edition – blank

•	Retail with Service Pack 1 installed – A

•	Pre-installed by vendor in 1996/1997 – B

•	Pre-installed by vendor in 1997/98, but before Windows98 release – C

Other platforms should show a blank here.


OS PlusVersion Number
OS: Plus!Version Number

This gives the version-number of the Plus! Pack™ or other system-updates that have been installed.

If a Plus!™ software-package was added-on to the original operating-system, the version-number of that package is shown here.  Generally, this is not a critical bit of information, unless you are contacting Microsoft Technical Support about specific problems.

This number may also reflect updates made to the system by the newer Internet Explorer versions (4.0 and above), as they include updates for older systems.


OS Platform ID
OS: Platform ID

This displays the occurrence of the current operating-system on the overall machine.

Normally the value is 1; but if more-than-one platform is installed on this machine, the number may be higher (e.g., when Windows9x and NT are both installed on the same, physical machine, even if not on the same hard-drive; in such a case, you may see a value of 2)


OS Serial Number
OS: Serial Number

This shows the operating-system serial-number, also called the product number, for this system.  This information can be important when contacting Microsoft for in-depth support.

This is the same as the number that appears under System Properties in Control Panel.


OS Install Date
OS: Install Date

This gives the recorded date when this system was first installed.  Since this record is only based upon the current CMOS Clock at the time Setup was run, it may not always be accurate.


OS Running Time
OS: Running Time

This displays the amount of time passed since the system last booted.  It does not reflect time passed since the last User logged-in, nor since the system was first installed.


OS Max Application Address
OS: Max Application Address

This gives the maximum memory-address (decimal) that can be allocated by an application; the highest page of memory available in Windows.


OS Min Application Address
OS: Min Application Address

This shows the minimum memory-address (decimal) that can be allocated by an application; the lowest page of memory available in Windows.


CPU Active
CPU: Active CPUs

This displays the number of active Central Processing Units (CPU’s) on the machine.  A typical workstation will show only 1, some high-power workstations or server-class machines may show multiple processors.

The number only represents active processors; some machines do not activate all of the installed CPU’s by default. (see CPU Count)


CPU Count
CPU: CPU Count

This gives the number of installed Central Processing Units (CPU’s) on the machine.  A typical workstation will show only 1, some high-power workstations or server-class machines may show multiple processors.

The number only represents installed processors; some machines do not activate all of the installed CPU’s by default. (see Active CPU’s)


CPU Revision
CPU: CPU Revision

This shows the information returned from the Central Processing Unit (CPU), indicating the revision-level of the active, or primary CPU.

This value is only useful to the CPU manufacturer or in a Technical Support issue where the CPU revision is a critical factor (e.g., conflicts with a certain model of mainboard, et al).


CPU Type
CPU: CPU Type

This displays a plain-text “name” for the installed Central Processing Unit (CPU).  It is generally useful to record this information for issues relating to the mainboard, BIOS or Memory (RAM).


CPU Vendor
CPU: Vendor

This gives the name of the Central Processing Unit (CPU) manufacturer that was written into the CPU itself when it was made..


CPU Vendor ID
CPU: Vendor ID

This shows a plain-text string, identifying the class of processor that is installed.  Some mainboards can not report this information, when this is the case, this field will show a question-mark (?).


CPU MMX
CPU: MMX

This is a Boolean (yes/no) indicator for the presence of Intel MMX™ technology in the Central Processing Unit (CPU).


CPU Speed (per registry
CPU: Speed (per registry)

This displays the detected Central Processing Unit (CPU) speed in megahertz (MHz), as it was recorded in the system registry.

If the mainboard did not support this function at the time Windows was installed, this field will show No setting.


CPU Speed (calculated)
CPU: Speed (calculated)

This gives the speed of the Central Processing Unit (CPU), as calculated by the operating system and displayed in megahertz (MHz).  This speed may vary slightly from the recorded Speed (per registry), due to factors such as memory-speed, overclocking and other BIOS-related functions.

The tilde (~) symbol means “approximately”.


CPU FDIV Bug
CPU: FDIV Bug

This is a Boolean (yes/no) indicator of a fairly well-known problem with earlier Intel Pentium™ Central Processing Units (CPU’s); called the Floating-Point Division (FDIV) Bug, it has been reported to be the cause of many “unexplained” problems with various operating-systems.


Display Device
Display: Device

This shows the name of the Video Display driver (not necessarily the installed display-adapter) being used by the Operating System.  If this driver does not appear to be appropriate for the installed equipment, one should investigate as to how it can be changed or updated.

A typical means of Identifying the installed display-adapter is to watch the screen at the moment the machine is powered-on; the display that briefly appears before the BIOS self-test and memory check should give a name for the installed display-adapter.  Otherwise, the only available means is to open the machine and examine the display-adapter card (or chipset) itself in order to properly identify it.


Display Resolution
Display: Color Depth (bpp)

This value represents the color depth of the current resolution-setting.  The value indicates the number of bits-per-pixel (bpp), used to set the color of individual pixels, or “screen dots”.

The number of colors that the display-driver will support can be determined by the value shown.  For instance:

4 bits = 16 possible colors (e.g., in DOS-text mode or Standard VGA)

8-bits = 256 colors (lowest-common setting for SVGA display)

16 bits = 32,768 colors (a.k.a. Hi Color mode)

24 bits = 16,777,216 colors (a.k.a. True Color mode)

32 bits = 4,294,967,296 colors  (a.k.a. True/Real Color mode)


Display Screen Height
Display: Screen Height

This is the number of pixels (screen dots) from-top-to-bottom, under the current resolution-setting.


Display Screen Width
Display: Screen Width

This is the number of pixels (screen dots), from-left-to-right, under the current resolution-setting.


Display Video BIOS Date
Display: Video BIOS Date

This gives the date-of-manufacture for the display adapter, as reported by the ROM chip installed to the display adapter.


Display Video BIOS Version
Display: Video BIOS Version

This is the version-number of the Video Control ROM, as reported by the ROM chip installed on the display adapter.


Memory Total Physical
Memory: Total Physical

This shows the total amount of installed Random Access Memory (RAM) detected on the machine and reflects the total memory-modules (SIMM or DIMM) that are currently installed on the mainboard.


Memory Total Virtual
Memory: Total Virtual

This gives the total amount of Random Access Memory (RAM) detected under Windows (including the virtual-memory swapfile at its maximum size).

This value is the “ideal”, as calculated by Windows, but does not necessarily reflect the actual amount of memory available (swapfile may exceed its maximum before reaching this amount).


Memory Free Page File
Memory: Free Page File

This displays the amount of “ideal” memory available in the virtual-memory swapfile, this only reflects the amount indicated by Total Virtual, and may not indicate the actual amount of memory available (see Total Page File)


Memory Free Physical
Memory: Free Physical

This gives the amount of physical Random Access Memory (RAM) currently available (i.e., not used by OS, applications or drivers).


Memory Free Virtual
Memory: Free Virtual

This shows the amount of “ideal” virtual memory swapfile that is currently unused.  This calculation is based upon Total Virtual, but may only indicate the amount of “ideal” free memory, and not the actual amount that is available (see Total Page File).


Memory Page Size
Memory: Page Size

This is the smallest unit of memory for use by 32-bit applications on this system.

Each page is considered a unit of memory-usage in Windows.


Memory Total Page File
Memory: Total Page File

This is the maximum size of the Page File or swapfile that may be allocated on the disk.  This may not reflect the size of Total Virtual.  This maximum may be set through the Performance area of System Properties applet in Control Panel.


Memory Allocation Granularity
Memory: Allocation Granularity

This shows the increment used when Windows generates additional Virtual Memory on the hard-drive.

The amount shown here is a multiple of the Page Size amount.  Typically, one granule of hard-disk allocation is equal to 16 pages.  Therefore, a Page Size of 4,096 bytes (4Kb) should correlate to a Granularity of 65,536 bytes (64 Kb = 4 Kb * 16)


Audio Auxiliary
Audio: Auxiliary

This is the name of the device or driver (if any) currently used for Auxiliary Audio Input (e.g., the “Line In” channel).


Audio MIDI In
Audio: MIDI In

This is the name of the device or driver (if any) used for input from a MIDI (Musical Instrument Device Interface) device, such as a keyboard or other specialized, digital instrument.

Unless a MIDI Instrument is connected to the sound-card MIDI port (15-pin “D” connector, also used as the game port), this area will typically appear blank.


Audio MIDI Out
Audio: MIDI Out

This is the name of the device or driver (if any) used for playing MIDI (Musical Instrument Device Interface) formats.  Most sound-cards will display a .[…]synthesizer or […]wavetable for this type of audio-format, in lieu of an actual instrument or output-device.


Audio Mixer
Audio: Mixer

This is the name of the sound card component that provides mixer features (multi-channel volume control).  This correlates to the panel that appears when you double-click the Volume Control small-icon in the System Tray (next to the clock on the Taskbar).

Sound components are often named for an emulated device.  This name does not always correlate to the sound-card itself, but rather relates to an established standard (e.g., SoundBlaster™/SB Pro/SB16/AWE32™, Windows Sound System™ or Esoniq SoundScape™, et al)


Audio Sound Device
Audio: Sound Device

This is the name of the component on the sound-card that processes digital sound formats (e.g., wav, snd and mp3 – etc. – as well as the audio track of digital video formats).

Sound components are often named for an emulated device.  This name does not always correlate to the sound-card itself, but rather relates to an established standard (e.g., SoundBlaster™/SB Pro/SB16/AWE32™, Windows Sound System™ or Esoniq SoundScape™, et al)


Audio WAVE In
Audio: WAVE In

This is the name of the sound-card component currently selected for recording audio input (from Line In or Microphone).

This should correlate to the selection shown in the Multimedia applet of Control Panel.

Sound components are often named for an emulated device.  This name does not always correlate to the sound-card itself, but rather relates to an established standard (e.g., SoundBlaster™/SB Pro/SB16/AWE32™, Windows Sound System™ or Esoniq SoundScape™, et al)


Network Adapter
Network: Adapter

This shows the name of the ‘default’ (first-occurring) network-adapter or driver found in the system.  Values shown in this tab may not be accurate if the device is not working properly; check the Device Manager, found under System Properties applet of Control Panel.

If other network-adapters are installed, they may be selected from the drop-down box.


Network MAC Address
Network: MAC Address

This shows the Media Access Control (MAC) address of the selected network-adapter.  This address is typically unique from one network-adapter to the next, and is often used by networking services to identify a system (like this one).

Advanced networking services may utilize this address in Administrative functions, this can also be useful information when contacting the network-adapter manufacturer for technical support.


Network PPTP Filtering
Network: PPTP Filtering

This is a Boolean (enabled/disabled) indicator for the presence of Point-to-Point Tunneling Protocol (PPTP) services.  Typically, this type of service is enabled for networks that use Virtual Private Networking (VPN), or similar services.


Network IP/SP
Network: IPX/SPX

This is a simple indicator that shows the presence of IPX/SPX networking protocols or services.  Such services are closely related to the Novell NetWare™ networking system.

One does not necessarily need to use Novell NetWare™ in order to use IPX/SPX protocols.


Network WINS Scope ID
Network: WINS Scope ID

This identifies the scope of Windows Internal Naming Service (WINS), commonly used within Windows NT™ networks using TCP/IP protocols.  WINS is a means to resolve (NetBIOS) computer names via TCP/IP under Windows Networking™.

This value indicates the range of addresses managed by the WINS Server.  This value will only appear when a WINS Server is specified in TCP/IP Properties, found in Network Properties applet of Control Panel.


Network TCP/IP Addresses
Network: TCP/IP Addresses

 (NT and ‘98 only) This shows the number of total IP-addresses assigned to the selected network-adapter.  The first-occurring address is normally the “default” (see Active IP Address).


Network Subnet Masks
Network: Subnet Masks

This gives the respective subnet-masks assigned to the selected network-adapter.  Each mask correlates to the respective IP address shown immediately above this field.


Network WNS Addresses
Network: WINS Addresses

This shows the addresses of specified WINS Servers that are also active.  These addresses may be derived from DNS Name Server entries, shown in another field (i.e., when WNS Scope ID is blank)


Network Gateways
Network: Gateways

This displays the address(es) of the gateway(s) on the local network/subnet.  Each address represents a gateway to another IP network, required for accessing public resources such as the Internet.


Network DNS Host Name
Network: DNS Host Name

This shows a name given to the local machine, but only in relation to the IP address that has been assigned to this system.  The Host Name is typically independent of the (NetBIOS) computer-name, found in Windows Networking™.

If this machine is accessible via commonly-used IP protocols (e.g., http, ftp, telnet, et al), then this name may be used as a substitute for the IP address.  This can only work when the local DNS Name Server also has a record of this name.


Network DNS Domain
Network: DNS Domain

This is the “top-level” DNS domain-name, or Internet Domain for this system, and probably for others as well (e.g., storagesoft.com).

While not typically required, this portion of the DNS Host Name must be set if this system is meant to be accessible from public networks such as the Internet.

This name should be registered with a public domain-name provider (such as InterNIC or Network Solutions), but only if this system is made available on public networks such as the Internet.


Network DNS Name Servers
Network: DNS Name Servers

This shows a listing of the DNS Name Servers currently indicated in the system registry.  These are typically provided and maintained by the Internet Service Provider (ISP) for your network(s).

If your network provides its own, internal DNS Name Server, then it should be listed first (queried before the other DNS Name Servers from your ISP) for optimal performance.


Network DNS Suffi Search List
Network: DNS Suffix Search List

This is a list of top-level domain suffixes (e.g., com, org and net, et al) that DNS services may use in order to help resolve simplified domain-names.

Example:  Entering just the address microsoft would normally give an error, but if com is listed under here, DNS would automatically try microsoft.com and successfully find the intended site.

By default, this area would be blank.


Network Active IP Address
Network: Active IP Address

This is the default IP address for this system.  Most transactions via TCP/IP will use this address to communicate with this machine, unless another address is specified.

This value reflects the active IP binding at startup and can not change until the system is re-started.


Network WINS Enable LMHOSTS
Network: WINS Enable LMHOSTS

This is a Boolean (enabled/disabled) indicator of whether an LMHOSTS list is being actively used for resolving WINS queries.


Network IP Forwarding
Network: IP Forwarding

This is a Boolean (enabled/disabled) indicator of whether IP Forwarding is currently in-effect on this system.  Generally, this is only used in cases where this machine is acting as a proxy or gateway for other machines.


System BIOS Description
System: BIOS Description

This shows the identifier-string returned from the ROM BIOS on the mainboard.

This will help to identify the exact type of ROM BIOS that is installed on this machine (any given manufacturer may use several different kinds of ROM BIOS on different models of mainboards).  In general, you should only expect to see the name of the ROM BIOS developer here.


System BIOS Copyright
System: BIOS Copyright

This displays a string of text that identifies the exact type of ROM BIOS.  This is used by the ROM BIOS developer (e.g., Award BIOS, American Megatrends/AMI, Phoenix, et al) to identify the exact ROM BIOS program that was designed for this mainboard.

This information can be quite valuable when the mainboard manufacturer no longer exists as a company, but where you can still contact the ROM BIOS developer.  In contacting Technical Support, providing this information can lead you to upgrade options for your mainboard, or assist in obtaining a replacement ROM chip when necessary.


System BIOS Date
System: BIOS Date

This gives the date when the ROM BIOS for this machine was built.  Use this when contacting the manufacturer or ROM BIOS developer for information on possible upgrades.


System BIOS Revision
System: BIOS Revision

This shows the version of the ROM BIOS program on this machine.  This should not be confused with the version or revision of the mainboard itself.

This version is set by the ROM BIOS developer, and does not necessarily reflect updates or revisions by the mainboard manufacturer.  An update to this version would mean obtaining a new BIOS (physical chip or FlashROM image) from the mainboard manufacturer (relayed from the original ROM BIOS developer).


System Identifier
System: Identifier

 (Windows NT™ systems only) This displays the System Identifier, or SID; a unique identifier to enhance security features and allow for better Administration on a network.


System Chipset
System: Chipset

 (information on the Chipset value was not available at time of release)


SCSI Adapter
SCSI: Adapter

This is the name for the SCSI host-adapter(s) currently installed on the system.


SCSI Host Adapter
SCSI: Host Adapter SCSI ID

This value indicates the device-address, or ID for the SCSI host-adapter itself; all SCSI host-adapters must use a device-ID itself.  Typically, this value will appear as 7.


SCSI Manager
SCSI: Manager

This displays the name for the services managing access via the SCSI host-adapter.

Normally, this will show-up as ASPI for WIN32.


SCSI Maximum SCSI Targets
SCSI: Maximum SCSI Targets

This shows the maximum number of targets (devices) that may be addressed through this particular host-adapter (including the SCSI host-adapter itself).

Nominal values are…

8 – for a SCSI(-1) or SCSI-2 host-adapter.

16 – for a SCSI-3, SCSI-4, “Ultra”- or “Ultra2” SCSI host-adapter


SCSI Maximum Transfer Length
SCSI: Maximum Transfer Length

 (information on the SCSI Maximum Transfer Length was not available at time of release)


SCSI Devices on Adapter
SCSI: Devices on Adapter 0

This row of boxes shows the ID numbers  for all possible devices on the selected SCSI host-adapter.  Clicking on an enabled (black number) button will show more information on that device in the lower area.


SCSI Make
SCSI: Make

This area should show the logo for the currently selected SCSI device.  If nothing appears here, then the Vendor ID of the device was not anticipated in this version or none was returned in the device-inquiry.

A later upgrade may eventually show the vendor logo for this device, contact StorageSoft Corporation for upgrade information.

Vendors:  If you would like to see your logo appear in System Agent™, give us a call.


SCSI Model
SCSI: Model

This shows the ID-string from the device itself.  This should show the model information for the device (model name/number).  Use this when attempting to identify the device or when contacting the manufacturer for support.


SCSI Revision
SCSI: Revision

This shows the firmware revision within the device itself.  If you feel that this is not the current revision for this device, contact the manufacturer to see what options are available to you.


SCSI Vendor Text
SCSI: Vendor Text

This is a text description of the device vendor or manufacturer.  Use this when determining whom to contact for support.


SCSI Device Type
SCSI: Device Type

This gives a basic description for the type of device.  (e.g., hard-drive, CD-ROM, scanner, etc.)


SCSI ANSI Version
SCSI: ANSI Version

This reflects the highest, “common standard” of SCSI performance that the host-adapter can support, as determined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). ??


SCSI Medium Removable
SCSI: Medium Removable

This is a Boolean (yes/no) indicator as to whether the device-media is removable or fixed.

On devices such as CD-ROM, or cartridge drives (e.g., Iomega Zip™ and Jaz™, or SyQuest devices), this value will appear as yes.


IDE/ATAPI Drives
IDE/ATAPI: Drives

This shows the four, possible positions for IDE/ATAPI devices on a typical machine.  Buttons that are enabled (black number) may be selected to view detailed information on that device.

The following table shows the position-number paired with the standard name for that position…

0	Primary Master

1	Primary Slave

2	Secondary Master

3	Secondary Slave


IDE/ATAPI Make
IDE/ATAPI: Make

This shows the logo for the manufacturer of the selected device.  If no logo is shown, then the device did not return a vendor-ID code, or the ID that was returned does not have a corresponding logo.

Vendors:  If you would like your logo included in the next release of System Agent, give us a call.  See the topic, Contacting StorageSoft.


IDE/ATAPI Model
IDE/ATAPI: Model

This area shows text that was returned from the device when is was detected.  This text should show the proper model-name /-number for the device and should be noted when contacting the manufacturer for support.


IDE/ATAPI Serial Number
IDE/ATAPI: Serial Number

This displays the serial-number that was programmed into the device at the factory.  This should be noted when contacting the manufacturer for support.


IDE/ATAPI Firmware Revision
IDE/ATAPI: Firmware Revision

This gives the revision of firmware (programs on re-writeable chips) on the device.  If you are experiencing compatibility issues with certain software or other equipment, take note of this number and contact the manufacturer regarding any possible upgrades/updates.


IDE/ATAPI Capacity
IDE/ATAPI: Capacity

This shows the total physical capacity of the device (typically, a hard-drive).  This may not accurately reflect the formatted capacity of a given hard-drive, even if the drive is set-up as a single volume; primarily due to the fact that establishing a file-system on a drive will take-up some minimal space of its own.

The capacity is shown in both raw bytes and in refined units (rounded to three significant-digits).


IDE/ATAPI Heads
IDE/ATAPI: Heads

 (hard drives only) This shows the number of drive-heads detected on the drive. This number does not necessarily reflect the physical nature of the drive.


IDE/ATAPI Cylinders
IDE/ATAPI: Cylinders

 (hard drives only) This gives the number of cylinders (possible positions of the collective drive-head assembly) used on the drive. This number does not necessarily reflect the physical format of the drive.


IDE/ATAPI Sectors per Tract
IDE/ATAPI: Sectors per Tract

 (hard drives only) This displays the number of sectors-per-track found on the drive. This number does not necessarily reflect the physical format of the drive.


IDE/ATAPI Location
IDE/ATAPI: Location

This shows a plain-text description of the IDE device-position for the current selection.  Use the terminology shown when referring to the device, rather than using logical-drive terms (e.g., instead of saying “the C: drive”, say Primary Master)


IDE/ATAPI Maximum PIO
IDE/ATAPI: Maximum PIO

This is the maximum “level” of Programmed Input-Output (PIO) modes that are supported with this device.  Compare this with your ROM BIOS settings to ensure the device is being controlled properly.

Possible values range from 0 (zero: no support for PIO) to 4.


IDE/ATAPI IOCTL API Version
IDE/ATAPI: IOCTL API Version

This reflects the version of Windows Virtual Device control that is currently installed.  This should reflect the version of IDE/ATAPI VxD  that is currently installed.

This value is normally important only to developers and professional technicians.


IDE/ATAPI S.M.A.R.T. Support
IDE/ATAPI: S.M.A.R.T. Support

This shows whether the selected device supports Self Monitoring And Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.).  Such features can be very useful in predicting when a device might fail, and hopefully help to prevent the loss of (irreplaceable) critical data.


IDE/ATAPI S.M.A.R.T. Status
IDE/ATAPI: S.M.A.R.T. Status

This reflects the current Self Monitoring And Reporting Technology (S.M.A.R.T.) status of the selected device.  The message, Status Normal should show if no problems are detected.  When this status changes, the message will become a warning and turn red in color.


IDE/ATAPI Power On Hours
IDE/ATAPI: Power On Hours

This displays the approximate-total number of hours that this device has been operating (powered and connected).  If reported, this can provide valuable information to Technical Support if the device is suspected to be failing.

If you see Not reported by device, then this feature is not supported.


Obtaining Assistance

More information is contained in the ImageCast Manual and online Help (in the ImageCast Program Group). If you have a problem using the StorageSoft System Agent, please e-mail support@storagesoft.com. You can also print out a problem report form and fax it to us.

Contacting StorageSoft for Technical Support

StorageSoft, Inc.

361 Centennial Parkway, Suite 150

Louisville, Colorado 80027

Support	303-381-2680
Fax	303-381-2660
E-mail	support@storagesoft.com
WWW	www.storagesoft.com
FTP	ftp.storagesoft.com
Visit the StorageSoft website at http://www.storagesoft.com for the latest information on the Storagesoft System Agent, as well as information on our other products.

Please visit the following web page to file a report:  www.storagesoft.com/support/letusknow.htm


Problem Report Form

To send in a Problem Report, please print this form out and fill in as much information as possible. Please fax to 303-381-2660   attn: Technical Support.

Please read the important information at the bottom of this page.

Application: StorageSoft System Agent

Identify Program Version.________________________________________________

Identify Program Build#._________________________________________________

Enter a brief but concise description of this report.

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Exact Sequence of Steps to Reproduce and/or Complete Explanation (please be specific).

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Please be as descriptive as possible.

The more information you provide the better we will be able to reproduce your findings and track down the problem/suggestion.

If you feel that a screen capture is important to help us reproduce the bug please either,

1) Print it out and attach it to this document or

2) E-Mail it to support@storagesoft.com.

Thank you for taking the time to help make our products the best in the world!


Version
Revision

StorageSoft System Agent Help Version 4.0

Revised 11 November 99