Applies To
Express Software Manager version 5.01

Summary
An evaluation copy of Express Software Manager can gather inventory data from 25 workstations for 30 days. This technical note discusses how to evaluate the inventory module of Express Software Manager version 5.01, including how to install the components and perform a preliminary inventory of software installations in order to determine license compliance.

Note: Express Software Manager includes two main modules, Express Inventory and Express Meter. For more information about Express Software Manager and how to evaluate the complete Express Software Manager product, see technical note 1490.

Overview of Express Inventory
Express Inventory is one of the major components of Express Software Manager. This technical note explains how to evaluate Express Inventory and such Express Software Manager features as Express Console, libraries, clients, and reports.

To determine your site's software license compliance, use Express Inventory to collect information about software and hardware installations. Then use Express Reports to generate inventory reports that summarize the software installations by machine or by application and version. You can use this information together with your software license agreements to verify site compliance.

Express Software Manager Components
To use Express Inventory, you must install Express Console on the system administrator's workstation and use the Library Wizard to create an Express library on a file server. With these two features installed, the Express Inventory client can be run from the library file server, either by using network login scripts or by running the executable. The diagram below shows the locations of Express Software Manager features and components.

Figure 1: Express Inventory components and their respective locations

System Requirements
Express Metrix recommends the following minimum requirements for running Express Inventory:

System Administrator Machine (to run Express Console)

• Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0 with Administrator privileges, Windows 98, or Windows 95

• Microsoft Networking or Novell NetWare

• Minimum disk space: 85 MB (an additional 35 MB if you install Express Library Manager); 25 MB during installation

• Minimum monitor resolution: 800 x 600 pixels (no VGA support)

• Initially, 18 MB hard disk space per library. Growth varies, and an additional 600K per client is often required

• For optimal performance, the file server that hosts an Express library should not be used as a dedicated print or mail server

• Windows 2000, Windows NT 4.0 or 3.51, Windows 98, Windows 95, Windows 3.x, DOS 4.0 or higher, WinFrame 1.7, or Microsoft Terminal Server

• A network protocol to communicate with the library server

• For the 32-bit Express client: 800K and 600K of Windows Memory (pageable memory)

• For the 16-bit client: 900K and 400K of Windows Memory (pageable memory)

• Minimum monitor resolution: 640 x 480 pixels (support VGA)

Summary of Procedures
To run Express Inventory, read through the summary of procedures and then follow the detailed steps in the sections that follow. In brief, you must perform these major steps:

1. Install Express Software Manager on the administrator's workstation.

2. Using the Express Library Wizard, create a library on a network file server.

3. Run the Express Inventory client on each workstation.

4. Update the database.

5. Configure the detected applications and update the database.

6. Repeat the inventory-update cycle.

7. View the data in Express Reports.

1. Run Setup.exe (from either the product CD or the downloaded files).

2. Follow the prompts in the dialog boxes. Accept the default settings.

Note: Express uses a Microsoft Access database to generate reports. If Access 97 is not already installed on the system administrator's machine, Setup will install Access Runtime. If Access 2000 is installed on the Express Console machine, see Express Metrix Technical Note 1414.

3. When the installation is complete, continue with the steps in the next section.

To create a library:

1. To open Express Console, click the Start menu and point to Program Files and Express Software Manager. Click Express Console.

2. The Library Wizard will start automatically the first time you run Express Console. Use the Library Wizard to create a library. Follow the prompts in the Library Wizard.

Note: You can start the Library Wizard at any time from within Express Console by clicking New Library on the File menu.

3. In the Library path field, enter a UNC path to an empty folder on the server where the library will reside. If you enter a folder name that does not yet exist, Express will create the folder for you after you click Yes.

For example, if you want to create a library named ESMEval on a server named Archer, enter the appropriate syntax:

Windows NT Server: \\ARCHER\ESMEVAL\

Novell File Server: \\ARCHER\<volume name>\ESMEVAL\

4. When prompted for a Configuration Key, enter V7UD-GGJZ-Z8B4J

Note: If you want to evaluate both Express Inventory and Express Meter, select the check box to create an Evaluation library. For more information see technical note 1490.

5. The Library Features dialog box confirms that an inventory-only evaluation library will be installed and limited to 25 clients for 30 days. The expiration date is displayed. Click Next.

6. Enter a descriptive library name, such as ESMeval, for your evaluation library. Click Next.

7. Click Finish. The wizard will create the library in the folder you specified.

File/Folder Name	User Permissions
Application library folder -- all files except Applib.ini and Applib.lib	Windows NT: Read, Write, Create, and Change Novell: Read, Write, Create, File Scan, and Modify
Applib.ini	Read only
Applib.lib	Read only
Clients folder -- all files	Read only

Step 3: Run the Express Inventory Client
Once the library is created and secured, the next step is to run the Express Inventory client on the workstations. You can deploy the Express Inventory client by using a network login script or by running the executable from an individual workstation. To inventory non-networked workstations, use the Express Remote Client utility. (Procedures are included below.)

This section presents detailed steps for each option.

Using a Network Login Script

1. Modify the login script to point to the Express library location. Add a command to run the Express Inventory client from the clients folder of the library. Append the command line with the -L switch for use in a login script and the -P100 switch to do a complete scan.

Follow these syntax examples for the ESMEval library on a server named Archer. Note: Do not include a line that deletes the drive mapping.

Windows NT Server

Net Use W: \\Archer\ESMEval

W:\Clients\Exinv16.exe –L -P100

Novell Server

MAP W:=ARCHER\VOL3:

#W:\ESMEval\Clients\Exinv16.exe -L - P100

2. After the login script is modified, wait for the users to log on. The inventory client will not begin until the users log on to the server. (If already logged on, they must log off and log back on.)

You may want to modify the login script after hours so that the client will start the next time the users log on.

1. At a workstation, click Run on the Windows Start menu.

2. Either enter the appropriate command below or browse to the location of the executable file on the library server:

Windows NT: \\Archer\ESMEval\Clients\Exinv16.exe -P100

Novell: \\Archer\Vol3\ESMEval\Clients\Exinv16.exe -P100

3. Click OK.

To install and run the Remote Client, follow these steps:

1. On the computer where Express Console is installed, insert a floppy disk into the A: drive.

2. In Express Console, click the Tools menu, point to Remote Client, and click Install Remote Client. For information about gathering user-defined data, click Help.

3. Click the Install button to install the Remote Client on the floppy disk.

4. At the remote workstation, run Exrem.exe from the floppy disk. Note: The remote PC must be running Windows. The utility will not work on a DOS-only platform.

The resulting data file, W<n>.zip, is created and saved on the floppy disk.

Inventory other workstations by repeating step 4. Note: depending on the size of the workstation hard drives and the number of files installed, you may need to inventory remote workstations on individual floppy disks.

5. To import the data files, insert the floppy disk in the computer where Express Console is installed.

6. On the Tools menu, point to Remote Client, and click Import Remote Client Files.

7. Browse to the library where you want to import the files, and click Import.

1. In Express Console, open the Tools menu, point to Library, and click Update Database. You have now completed one inventory-update cycle.

2. After the database update, open the Auto-added Applications and Files folders in Express Console. You will see many files listed.

The Express Inventory two-pass logic works as follows:

During the update process, all of the inventoried files are added to the Files list. These files are also compared to applications in the Express Knowledgebase, and the files that match exactly are moved to the Auto-added list.

The files that are not recognized during the first update are marked for a second inventory pass. The inventory client gathers additional (second-pass) information about the marked files the next time the inventory client runs. Express Inventory gathers data incrementally to reduce network impact. Note: For details about how the Express Inventory client works, see Technical Note 1298.

You must configure the applications that you want to view in reports.

Note: Your decisions in the Application Wizard affect how each application is displayed in Express Reports.

1. On the Tools menu (in Express Console), point to Application, and click Application Wizard.

The files are listed alphabetically, but you can click the Confidence column heading to sort by confidence. Each of the High confidence files was matched exactly with a file in the Express Knowledgebase.

2. Select an application that you want to audit for license compliance. You do not need to configure every file.

3. If you recognize the highlighted file name as the application's main executable, then skip to step 5. If you are not sure, continue with step 4. If the file is a support file, you do not need to configure it.

4. Before you accept a file listed with a Fuzzy, Medium, or Low confidence level, review the Install path to help you identify the application. To display the Install path:
   1. Click the View Options button to select the columns to display.

   2. In the list of Display Options, select Install path.

   3. Click Apply. The Install path is displayed in the Application Wizard.

For more information about configuring applications that are not recognized by the Express Knowledgebase, see Technical Note 1328.

5. Select the Manage licenses check box.

6. In the Licenses box, enter the maximum number of installations permitted, based on your license agreement for that application. Note: This information can be added or modified later.

7. Once you are satisfied with the settings for that application, click Accept.

8. Repeat steps 2 through 7 for each application you want to audit.

9. After you configure the applications, close the Application Wizard.

1. In Express Console, expand the Applications folder, and open the Configured folder.

2. Double-click the application whose properties you want to modify.

3. Enter the changes and click OK.

1. To invoke the second inventory pass, run the client with the -N switch. Use the following line either in your login script or on a workstation's command line:

<path to evaluation library>\Clients\Exinv16.exe -N

On the system administrator's machine, for example, you would run

\\ARCHER\ESMEval\Clients\Exinv16.exe -N

The -N switch tells the inventory client to run now instead of waiting until the time set on the Library Properties Inventory tab.

Note: If your site runs only 32-bit operating systems (Windows 2000, Windows NT, Windows 98, or Windows 95), enter Exinv32.exe (instead of Exinv16.exe).

2. Update the database again: On the Tools menu, point to Library and click Update Database. You have now completed two inventory-update cycles.

After the second update, applications are added to the Auto-added list after the files are compared to files in the Express Knowledgebase.

1. In Express Console, click Reports on the Reporting menu.

2. Click Yes when prompted to update and consolidate the database.

3. If prompted, link to the Express Knowledgebase, typically located on the system administrator's workstation in C:\Program Files\Express Metrix\Express Console\Express.kb.

4. Click Options on the Express Reports Tools menu.

5. On the Business Answers tab, select the check boxes for Are undetermined and Are legal. Click OK.

6. In the left pane of Express Reports, expand the Inventory and Software folders.

7. The following reports are most pertinent to software compliance:

Software Installations by Application and Version. This report displays the versions, machines, users, and installation paths for all of the applications that you configured in the Application Wizard.

Am I Legal? This report displays licensing compliance information by comparing the number of detected installations with the number of licenses configured in the Application Properties.

Migration Planner. Based on the parameters you enter, this report shows which computers have the capacity to run upgraded applications and operating systems.

8. If desired, click the Filter button to filter a report by application, machine, or user. (A filter applies to all reports until you change the filtering options or clear all filters.)

Express Metrix Sales

E-mail	sales@expressmetrix.com
Telephone	888.611.2288 (U.S. and Canada only) or +1.206.691.7902

Express Inventory Technical Resources
If you have questions about using Express Software Manager, including Express Inventory and Express Meter, visit the support section of the Express Metrix web site: http://www.expressmetrix.com/main/support.asp. See technical note 9989 for a list of all current technical notes.

Express Metrix Technical Support

Telephone	(206) 691-7903
Fax	(206) 691-7901
E-mail	support@expressmetrix.com

Related Technical Notes

1298	Understanding the Inventory Process in Express Software Manager
1328	Identifying Unrecognized Applications in Express Software Manager 4.5 or Higher
1414	Microsoft Access 2000 and Express Software Manager
1490	How to Evaluate Express Software Manager 5.01
9989	Express Software Manager Technical Notes