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Tracking software usage

KeyServer is tops among six software metering programs that tackle similar tasks in different ways.

By James Gaskin
Network World, 08/09/99

There are two reasons you should invest in a software metering application: To stay legal and to save money. These programs can help you buy enough licenses to cover your legal requirements, but not one copy more.

Software metering technology has matured to the point that metering accuracy is almost guaranteed. All the programs we looked at track every application users run on their computers, ensure there is a valid license for each program and stop people from running inappropriate and unlicensed software.

What distinguishes applications is how they handle distributed metering stations, enterprise scalability and management. Some programs focus on the users, others on the applications.

All six programs we tested can block server and local application usage. All have time-sensitive controls, so you can make games off-limits until after 5 p.m. Several programs report to higher-level management suites, such as Microsoft's System Management Server (SMS) and Novell's ManageWise, and can pull user information from Novell Services (NDS).

Queues for applications are popular features, as are tricks to verify that licenses are held by functioning, nonlocked computers. Every metering program has some method of allowing VIP users to access applications even when they would otherwise be locked out.

With all this in common, you might expect these programs to be quite similar. You'd be wrong.

KeyServer 5.0 from Sassafras Software is unlike any of the other programs we tested, particularly in its small size and light server requirements. When a product is "something different," it often means you can expect problems - but not this time. KeyServer wins our Blue Ribbon Award for its comprehensive client and server support, which makes it well-suited for heterogeneous nets.

WRQ's Express Software Manager 4.5 impressed us with its extensive report options and a huge library of recognized applications, but its client and server support isn't as strong as KeyServer's.

A NetWare bias shines through in Elron Software's SofTrack Software Metering 5.0; the product's client and server support rivals KeyServer's.

Tally Systems' CentaMeter 2.90a is more application-centered than the other products we tested; it ties nearly every function to applications rather than users. Easy installation, flexible management and a wide reach across the enterprise are its strong points. Its client and server support, however, are weaker than our winner's.

We found Funk Software's AppMeter II 2.1 fairly comparable to SofTrack. The products have a similar level of NDS integration, but AppMeter's reports are stronger. One of AppMeter's best features is that you can easily monitor and administer multiple servers across the network from a single console.

Even more NT-centric than WRQ's Express Software Manager is Lan Licenser 3.11 from ABC Systems and Development. Weak support for Windows 95 and 98 clients, plus minimal support for NetWare, make it hard to consider Lan Licenser an enterprise heavyweight.

Small wonder

The single installation diskette - yes, diskette - that holds KeyServer 5.0 belies the sophistication of the program and left us wondering how Sassafras Software crammed so much into such a small package.

KeyServer supports the widest range of clients and servers among the products we tested. Server files can be stored locally or on a network server. TCP/ IP is the default transport protocol, but KeyServer also supports IPX and AppleTalk. If AppleTalk is part of your network, you have to run KeyServer on a Macintosh. If you want to use IPX, a Windows or Macintosh server will work. The server must have a Novell IPX protocol stack; clients may have the limited-support IPX client provided by Microsoft.

KeyConfigure, Sassafras Software's configuration and administration program, runs on almost any Windows 95, 98 or NT or Macintosh system. The only requirement concerns applications to be keyed - a Macintosh KeyConfigure system must key Macintosh applications, and a Windows KeyConfigure system must key Windows applications.

Every machine must run a copy of the client software, called KeyAccess, and select a KeyServer from a list of available servers. User names can be typed in during installation, pulled from the Windows name in the system or identified through a system environment variable on each machine.

As soon as the client software is installed and configured, all client programs on local computers and servers are swept up into the KeyServer database. All that was left for us to do was select one of three levels of control for each program: ignore, log or control.

The programs we instructed KeyServer to ignore, such as system files, were properly ignored from that point on. Logged programs are simply tracked and reported. Controlled programs have a bite taken from them and stored on KeyServer. Until KeyServer provides the key piece of code, the application won't start. Because applications are modified, you can copy and distribute them in their controlled state without fear of piracy. You can handle suites as one large group or several keyed applications, depending on vendor license requirements.

Macintosh networks can set up a shadow server for fault tolerance, but both servers must be Macintoshes and one must act as a hot-spare in standby mode. KeyServer doesn't support the hot-spare feature with Windows.

Reports pull together distributed information from multiple KeyServers to a single administration system running KeyConfigure. A single click launches any of 11 default reports. Export options are fairly limited.

In general, we'd like to see more granularity in handling suites and a wider selection of reports. That aside, if you're unlucky enough to have to support a network with Windows, NetWare, Macintosh, Linux and Banyan VINES, your best choice for software metering is KeyServer. Its superior control, quick installation and flexibility make it an excellent choice for a homogenous net as well.

Application control plus reporting

Our first impression of WRQ's Express Software Manager 4.5 wasn't the greatest. When we tried to install the program's Express Console on a Windows 98 system, the files on the CD-ROM didn't match the file names the installation program was looking for. Although the excellent 523-page manual says the Express Console component can be loaded onto a Windows 98 machine, WRQ clearly leans toward NT. In fact, WRQ requires NT to run Enterprise Services, which automates portions of the software library and client installation processes. Taking a guess, we moved to the Windows NT system and installation went smoothly. From that point on, we were impressed with the program, particularly its extensive selection of reports and well-designed interface.

WRQ allowed us to store application library files - which store all the client log files - not only on an NT server, but on NetWare 5.0 or Network File System as well. This remote storage capability is about the only non-NT server support in Express Software Manager.

Express Software Manager doesn't read NetWare directory information, but promises to offer a way to import Windows 2000 directory details when Active Directory ships. Integration with Microsoft's SMS is available.

To begin metering, we had to run a single program on each workstation, through a logon script or manually. The DOS program quietly scans the local system's hard disk and sends the information to the Express Console quickly and without user intervention. Express includes a huge library of recognized applications in its Knowledge Base. Applying the Knowledge Base to the autodiscovered list of applications identifies just about every single program on each client. You can then detail unrecognized applications and add them to the Knowledge Base.

With a single click at the Express Console, we determined whether to meter applications for information or manage licenses, which includes locking out users when the license pool is exhausted.

Express Software Manager handles suites and their internal applications flexibly, allocating licenses to entire suites or individual applications. A special VIP password can temporarily disable metering on files to allow critical users access to applications. Laptops can check out a license, or you can give each laptop its own applications with proper licenses.

WRQ's report selection is unmatched. When we started WRQ's Express Reports application, we found roughly 70 reports grouped by application, machines, users, suites and activity. Custom options depend on whether you're using an Access 97 database or Microsoft's SQL Server, but either option will keep a report fanatic happy. With a little extra work, you can post reports to a Web server if you're using SQL Server.

Information from multiple Express servers is handled by the Express Library Manager, which gathers and controls the log files from each server installation. This may sound like a lot to set up, but Express Software Manager's clear, two-paned Explorer-like interface eases all activities. WRQ's online PDF manual does an excellent job of hyperlinking every topic.

All the positives - easy installation on NT, a huge library of recognized applications and excellent reports - are somewhat dimmed by the lack of directory integration. Though Active Directory is nonexistent, NDS is here now, and taking advantage of Novell's shipping directory service would make Express Software Manager more useful.

Strength in NetWare

Elron Software's SofTrack Software Metering 5.0 installs fairly easily, is easy to grasp and uses the host server's information to put user and application lists at your fingertips. It's solid and competent, if not flashy.

SofTrack reads bindery files for NetWare 3.X and ties neatly into NDS in NetWare 4.X and 5.X. Active monitoring files run as NetWare Loadable Modules on NetWare servers, and the package includes a snap-in for NetWare Administrator, the primary NetWare management tool.

That's not to say it's all NetWare, however. Several years ago, SofTrack added NT server support whereby the server-based files run as NT services; you don't need a NetWare server on the network for this. One administration console can manage any server anywhere on the network, and you can share application licenses between NT and NetWare servers.

We experienced some minor but annoying installation glitches. The Windows 98 station acting as the administrator console came up with errors when starting the program, and we had to reboot it. Elron should reboot by default instead of giving you the option to run the program immediately. We also had to manually add the batch file that starts the NetWare server portions of SofTrack to the NetWare start-up batch file.

Clients are tracked through their NDS activity, so use of server-based applications is monitored immediately. Local applications require a local program to run and report back to the server. A check box tells SofTrack to alert the network manager when local control files are bypassed, allowing nonmetered access to local applications.

The manual says the program can't track DOS applications within a Windows DOS box, but SofTrack immediately caught our 3C5x9CFG.EXE network board configuration DOS program within a Windows 95 client.

You can select applications to monitor from a list of programs discovered by the SofTrack servers, or you can type application executable files by hand.

If your client applications are stored on local and network drives, you must add a client program to track local files and monitor them separately.

Reports cover a variety of management details and are based on log files stored by SofTrack. Output formats are limited, and a separate "Gathering" step is required to collect information from all servers to produce consolidated reports.

SofTrack's context-sensitive help is decent, and the 113-page manual is clear and helpful.

Application focus

CentaMeter 2.90a is part of a Tally Systems' Cenergy suite of management tools but is also sold separately. It resembles its NetCensus software inventory sibling with its easy installation, clear interface and wide variety of reports (NW, May 31, page 51). CentaMeter plays nicely with Microsoft's SMS and is the only application we tested that ties into Novell's Licensing Service Application Program Interface (LSAPI) implementation.

Installation was smooth, including configuration of the administration console system.

You can manage multiple CentaMeter servers from a central location; log file gathering occurs automatically, so complete reports are ready to read with the morning coffee.

Tying the client agent software to the network logon process is clean and simple if all clients log on to the network. For stations that can get to net servers without using a logon script, CentaMeter includes instructions for using system policies on Windows 95, 98 and NT machines.

CentaMeter supports three types of metering: passive metering counts the applications used; restricted metering blocks access without a license; and LSAPI-enabled metering monitors application use and sends information to the license server.

CentaMeter includes scores of predefined applications likely to be hiding on the network. Additionally, you can generate a list inside the Application Assistant by passively logging all applications used for a few days.

Defining an application is separate from licensing that application but is a quick step.

E-mail notification when error conditions arise - if applications are unavailable or the license limit has been exceeded, for example - adds a nice touch. You can manage suites as individually licensed products, a complete bundle or both.

CentaMeter's 31 reports are generated from a separate report program that starts automatically when you click the "Extended Report" option. For custom reports, you can build special queries and save them for reuse.

No paper manual arrived, but the PDF manual is a joy. Hyperlinks from its on-screen table of contents make homing in on topics a snap.

Funk-a-delic

Like SofTrack, AppMeter II 2.1 from Funk Software works on NetWare and NT servers, easily integrates NDS users and has a "stealth" metering mode that lets you track server-based applications without any software on the client.

Our biggest gripes? The poor directions in the 160-page manual, which hurt during installation, and the installation itself, which required us to work our way through five disks. Fortunately, the server part of the installation process was easy. Servers appear automatically, along with their hard-disk volumes. Transport protocol choices include Named Pipes (Microsoft NT), SPX (Novell) and TCP/IP.

AppMeter pulls information from NDS, but it doesn't offer a plug-in for Novell's NetWare Administrator program. However, its console program is a good one.

Servers are managed individually from a single console, and most reports are server-centric. User details are tracked across servers, and the included Crystal Reports provides other server consolidation options.

We had trouble finding client installation details. Often names weren't listed and required referenced files couldn't be located by the client, even though we chose the Network Install Program for Clients during installation.

But when we tried the stealth mode, which is tied to NDS user names and applications on the servers, the files in use popped up quickly. Simply click the Key icon, provide an umbrella name, such as Spreadsheets for a licensed group, and browse the application lists.

The main management program reveals a list of available servers; license details, including host server, license name and a description typed during license setup; and real-time monitoring details, including the numbers of licenses, active users and users waiting. AppMeter lets you deem licenses permanent, good until a certain date or good for a certain number of days after installation. The program lets you assemble suites by grouping individual applications.

You can meter local applications by "wrapping" them with a special client application. These local applications aren't portable. The client must obtain the key code from the server for the application to run.

AppMeter generates reports by filtering log files and offers several preprogrammed reports. To design new reports, you can use the bundled Crystal Reports module, which delivers wonderful report flexibility. Export options are only slightly more generous than SofTrack's.

NT emphasis falls short

Even more NT-centric than WRQ's Express Software Manager is Lan Licenser 3.11 from ABC Systems and Development. It's also the most maddening metering software to work with.

Lan Licenser didn't install correctly on the Windows NT 4.0 server until our third try, after we talked with technical support. We didn't end up changing anything, just trying again.

Running the client programs caused Windows Registry problems so severe the Windows 95 machine couldn't work even in Safe mode, and the Windows 98 system locked after every reboot. Fortunately, our technical support representative was well-versed in how to reverse the damage by hacking the Registry. Kick-starting server processes required manually stopping and restarting them.

As indicated by its Back Office certification, Lan Licenser aims at the enterprise and is the only metering system that advertises hierarchical control with a single Site Server controlling multiple Metering Site Servers. Lan Licenser includes a database, but suggests using SQL Server for larger installations. Unfortunately, ABC's idea of enterprise doesn't include NetWare. Metering Site Servers can run on NetWare, but only up to NetWare 4.X under bindery emulation; there's no support for NDS.

Once installed, the program offers some nice touches. A Quick Start page on the console puts all the major functions one click away, including adding new products, configuring products, viewing licensed and unlicensed products, and linking to a new Metering Server. The flexible console includes multiple wizards and help files.

Lan Licenser catches every small program that goes between systems and provides good control over suites and their internal applications. Three pull-down menus, labeled Configuration, Operations and Status, put even more functions a click away. Not only does Lan Licenser plug into SMS, but Microsoft licensed it to fold inside some versions of SMS.

Lan Licenser includes a 152-page "Getting Started" guide in paper and Adobe PDF formats. The product's 15 standard reports offer more graphical options than the other programs, including 2-D and 3-D bar graphs, 3-D perspective graphs, and area and line graphs. Report export formats cover a wide range.