Auditor Version 1.4 FAQ
-----------------------
From : Andrew Chesterton [Praxis] 

CSID 100265,1064
Internet andyc@praxiss.demon.co.uk
Tel +44(0)1226 761143
Fax +44(0)1226 388080

Introduction
------------
This is the FAQ for Software Auditor Version 1.4 Rel 7. Dated
15th June 1995. This document is split into 3 sections. Section
1 is the FAQ. Section 2 contains a list of known problems and Section
3 contains information relating to the current development status and
plans for the future. 

Section 1 - FAQ
===============

What are the benefits of using Version 1.4
-----------------------------------------
Version 1.4 provides the following additional facilities over version
1.3.

  * Hardware Audit. Auditor now monitors memory, cpu, mouse, serial
    ports, parallel ports and disk sizes. (We have a customer who's
    memory mysteriously removes itself overnight, disk drives swap
    themselves from 500MB to 100MB over the weekend etc)
    
  * Software Package Groups. You can now assign files to software
    packages. This enables reports to contain 'packages' rather than
    files. i.e. MS-Office Professional in place of the several executable
    files which make up the package.
    
  * Enhanced Package Database Editor. To add an unrecognized file, just
    click on the unregistered file from the PC file list and type in
    a description.
    
  * More filters and search criteria for database analysis.
  
  * All data is now held in two MS-Access V2.0 databases. (including
    PC file data). We have published the relationships between the
    various tables. This will enable a competent Access Programmer to
    design his/her own reports.
    
  * More Reports :-
  
       Hardware Report
       Software Package Group Summary
       Software Package Group Detail
       PC Package Group Report

  * Notes Facility. For each PC you can now add notes the limit is 1024
    characters.

  * Various performance improvements.
  
  
What about my existing version 1.3 database ?
---------------------------------------------
The version 1.4 database builder will automatically convert your existing
data into version 1.4 format. All new data will be initialized to a default
value until after the first audit is loaded.


Are there any disadvantages to using Version 1.4
------------------------------------------------
Well just one. To use the analysis tools to their full capability you
need a screen resolution of 800x600. This is supported by most graphic
cards, but it is often the case that Windoze is setup for 640x480. Talk
to your PC Guru about it. You may find that it is available without
changing any hardware. The package may be used with the standard VGA
resolution of 640x480 but it is somewhat awkward.
  

What does it do ?
------------------
The Director of a company is liable for any stolen 
software used within his organization. This presents something of a 
problem if there are 500 personal computers (even more of a problem 
if the company is a software house full of computer literate people).
Somehow the Director must assure himself that all the software within 
his company is legal and he has taken every reasonable step to prevent 
software theft.

The traditional method is to send memo's to all computer users, 
informing them that they will be dismissed if they copy software. It 
is common knowledge that this does not work. Additionally consider
staff which are moved about, maybe they take their software with them. 
The result is multiple copies of the same software all over the place.

Auditor is a powerful computer based auditing package. It is designed 
to quickly scan the hard disks on personal computers and produce audit 
reports relating to executable files. The prime objective is to monitor
software changes on PC's and prevent software theft by providing
detailed reports so that management can take action as required.

How does it work ?
------------------
Auditor works by registering all executable files against a central 
registration database. Reports are available detailing the maximum 
legal copies of a particular software package against the actual use
of the package. 

Auditor consists of two main programs. AUDIT.EXE which is a DOS based 
program and scans the hard disks on personal computers, collects data 
and maintains the personal computer database. AUDEXAM.EXE which is a 
Windows based program. This loads data collected by AUDIT.EXE and 
stores it in a Microsoft Access compatible database, allows detailed 
analysis of the database, prints reports and allows modification of the
Software Package Database.

What are it's limitations ?
---------------------------
The current limitations are as follows :-

	Maximum PC's                - 32000 (Subject to license)
	Maximum Software Packages   - 32000
	Largest PC Directory	    - Can manage up to 30,000 
                                  depending on available memory.
	Maximum Disk drives per PC	- 16
	Maximum files per PC        - 4,000,000,000

Can Auditor assign software packages to individual PCs ?
-------------------------------------------------------
Sort of. You can currently assign notes to each PC. There is no
reason that you can't use this facility to record software license
numbers. We intend to implement a more sophisticated system in the
future.

If I use MS-Access to look at the database I get error messages ?
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Auditor Version 1.3 uses the MS-Access version 2.0 database engine. It
sounds like you are using version 1.1. 

When I run setup I get a message that says ver.dll is in use ?
--------------------------------------------------------------
This is just a warning message which indicates that the dll is loaded 
into memory. Setup.exe will normally attempt to update the dll to the 
latest version if it's locked or in use it can't. If you continue the 
setup, setup will normally work ok without updating the dll. If it
doesn't then you probably have a very old ver.dll in your 
windows\system directory. One way around this is to exit to DOS and 
rename your ver.dll in the windows/system directory to ver.old (Then 
you can rename it to ver.dll again if the new one fails). Start windows
and attempt setup again.


Will I be able to consolidate results from multiple AUDIT diskettes?
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes. Providing that the PC database on each disk matches exactly. This 
can be achieved by creating the database on one disk and importing it 
into the examiner. You can then create as many audit disks as you like. 
The database will be automatically transferred. To do this at the
moment presents a small problem because of the problem with invalid dates.


What helps ensure NO Virus attaches to program as it migrates among multiple
workstations for each periodic inventory cycle?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
AUDIT.EXE performs a battery of integrity tests on itself before entering the
main menu. If any test fails then you will be given a waring message and the
program will abort.


Does AUDEXAM produce change reports between different audits of the same 
workstation?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Yes. This was the prime objective when we designed the Auditor.


What process helps prevents loss of collected AUDIT data should an aborted 
run result in diskette damage or file corruption?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nothing. However if audit.exe detects a problem. It aborts the audit 
cleanly and informs the user of the problem. If audits are to be done at a 
remote site and disks have to be transported or posted. They should be 
duplicated at source. There is nothing we can do if a disk gets corrupted. 
The examiner package performs some simple integrity checks on the data before 
it is imported. If the checks fail, the import procedure is aborted.


When I define PC volumes on the same system using different Reference 
(REC#) numbers, why doesn't that volume [D:] have its own Audit.SYS 
file written into the Root Directory?
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Audit.exe assumes (That word again!) that every PC will have a drive c: 
which is writable. Info relating to other drives is stored here in the 
same file. If a info file was stored on the relevant drive it would cause 
problems with CD-ROMs and read only network drives.


What's the audit process workflow look like graphically? Need help visualizing 
data/info source & use during its life-cycle]
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
We don't have a graphical representation at the moment. However it is a repeating 
serial process. It is described in detail in the supplied help file (audit.hlp) 
the topic name is "The Audit Process". 



Section 2 - Known Problems
==========================
Below is a list of known problems with Auditor version 1.2 Rel 3a

None yet! This section will be updated if users report problems


Section 3 - Coming Soon
=======================
The following modifications have been requested by other users and will
be included in the next release :-

1	Mono Version of audit.exe for use on laptops.

2   Ability to assign individual packages (complete with serial 
	numbers) to individual PCs.

3	Remote auditing via NetDDE

4   Remote auditing via any LAN which supports virtual disks.

5	Full MDI capability. Currently only one window for a particular
	PC may be open at any one time.


	Anything else that the end user asks for. (providing it's not 
	rude and it doesn't need a CRAY II to run)


For more Information Contact Andrew Chesterton CSID 100265,1064 
or internet andyc@praxiss.demon.co.uk

========================== End of FAQ ===============================
