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- The LAN Support Group Announces Workstation Auditing Package
-
- New Software Audits Hardware and Software for Networked and Stand-alone PC
- workstations
-
- HOUSTON, February 10, 1992--The LAN Support Group, Inc. today announced
- their new software package that audits PC hardware and software. The
- product, code named "BVequip", will work as either a stand-alone package
- or as a companion to the company's BindView+ report generator. BVequip is
- a comprehensive PC workstation auditing package that audits both the
- software and hardware configurations of PCs, as well as the contents of
- local hard disks.
-
- BVequip is currently in beta test at several sites, and will be shown at
- NetWorld 92 Boston, both at The LAN Support Groups' booth and at Novell's
- NetWare-Aware booth, showcasing network management products for Novell's
- NetWare operating system.
-
- "BVequip introduces two innovative concepts to LAN inventory software:
- Automatic Configuration Diagnostics and Programmable Alerts and Software
- Audits," said Eric Pulaski, president of The LAN Support Group. " We are
- auditing all kinds of configuration options that have never been tracked
- by LAN inventory packages for NetWare, including FILES, BUFFERS, the
- NetWare LONG_MACHINE_NAME, hard disk configuration detail
- (heads/cylinders/sectors), and the presence of ANSI.SYS."
-
- Automatic Configuration Diagnostics
-
- BVequip keeps track of approximately 150 different configuration
- statistics, which the software can cross-reference to locate conflicts in
- a PC workstation's configuration. This includes interrupt and memory
- conflicts between the network card, mouse driver, expanded memory manager,
- and other peripherals and software. The software also tracks configuration
- detail such as available free memory and DOS environment space.
-
- Programmable Alerts
-
- Changes in the configuration of a PC that are "significant" are recorded
- both in a detailed audit history file as well as in an alert file, which
- can be browsed to view only error conditions, new nodes added to the
- database, and important changes over a period of time. Exactly what
- changes are deemed "significant" by BVequip can be specified by the user.
- With free memory, for example, the user can specify what percentage change
- is significant enough to record in the Alerts database.
-
- Programmable Software Audits
-
- As with Alerts, the auditing of software installed on local hard disks will
- be programmable by the user. This will include the ability to audit the
- contents of any file on a local hard disk. In addition, changes to files
- on local hard disk and be administered from a central point. For example,
- changes to users AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, and SHELL.CFG files can be made
- by the LAN Administrator and automatically downloaded to users'
- workstations the next time they login.
-
- BVequip Integration with BindView+
-
- BVequip will work in conjunction with BindView+, LSG's report generator for
- NetWare. Integration with BindView+ will give users maximum flexibility
- for designing customizable reports, security audits, and documentation for
- their NetWare LANs. Three new database types will be available from within
- BindView+: Workstation Status, Workstation History, and Workstation
- Alerts.
-
- Pricing and Availability
-
- BVequip will begin shipping during the second quarter of 1992. Existing
- BindView+ customers may join the BVequip Expedite Program in March, which
- will allow LSG' s current base of users and resellers to obtain BVequip
- via an early release program.
-
- The LAN Support Group, Inc. is a leading provider of LAN utilities. The
- privately held company is located at 2425 Fountain View #390, Houston,
- Texas, (713) 789-0881.
-
- --------------------------------------------------------
-
- The LAN Support Group Announces The LAN Documenter
-
- New BindView+ Program for NetWare Resellers and VARs Maintains a Database
- of Clients' File Servers
-
- BOSTON, February 11, 1992--In a move to provide VARs with additional
- information regarding their file server installations, The LAN Support
- Group, a leading provider of LAN utilities, will begin shipping this month
- the BindView+ LAN Documenter. The BindView+ LAN Documenter is a special
- version of BindView+ that is designed strictly for resellers to document
- file servers that are prepped and configured in-house.
-
- "The LAN Documenter provides VARs with a value-added service that
- distinguishes them from the run-of-the-mill VARs that don't provide
- documentation with the LANs they sell," said Eric Pulaski, president of
- The LAN Support Group. "By using the LAN Documenter, they can provide
- clients with a binder containing complete LAN documentation."
-
- The LAN Documenter not only provides a way to completely document file
- servers before they are delivered to the client, but also accumulates a
- database of all file servers that are prepped and configured in-house.
- Information tracked includes the client's name, file server name, NetWare
- version and serial number, and the technician who installed the file
- server. In addition, there are ten user definable fields that can be used
- to create a meaningful database of clients' file servers. The full power
- of the BindView+ report generator can be used to generate reports from
- this new database of clients' file servers, in addition to traditional
- BindView+ reports.
-
- "The LAN Documenter will enhance the level of professionalism of any file
- server installation with a minimal increase in work. Providing
- comprehensive LAN documentation also allows VARs to receive additional
- revenue for added-value installation services," Pulaski said.
-
- The product works much like a postage meter machine. Initially, resellers
- will be given three file server "credits". After documenting three file
- servers, the reseller can call The LAN Support Group to order additional
- credits. A code provided to the reseller over the phone will immediately
- unlock the additional credits.
-
- Pricing and Availability
-
- The LAN Documenter will be available in November and will replace the
- current BindView+ "Dealer Demo" software. Special pricing of $99, which
- includes three file server credits, will be available through the end of
- the year. Beginning January 1, 1992, the software will be available for
- $250. File server credits will be available in five-packs for $295 and in
- ten-packs for $495.
-
- BindView+ is the first query-by-example report generator for NetWare LANs
- that allows system managers to define and customize their own reports for
- NetWare system management. Users can use predefined reports or create
- their own management reports covering topics such as disk space
- utilization, the configurations of user accounts and login scripts,
- analyzing security profiles, and locating major security exposures on the
- file server.
-
- BindView+ has been adopted as the standard documentation and security
- auditing tool by many LAN consultants, Fortune 500 companies, and
- financial institutions, including Coopers & Lybrand, CITIBANK, and Bankers
- Trust.
-
- The LAN Support Group, Inc. is a leading provider of LAN utilities. The
- privately held company is located at 2425 Fountain View #390, Houston,
- Texas, (713) 789-0881.
-
- +---------------------------------------------------------------+
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