Running the 6.x Express Client on Workstations with Slow Network Connections or No Network Connections
Technical Note 1572
Last Reviewed 10-Jun-2002
Applies To
Express Software Manager version 6.0 and higher
Summary
The Express client is typically deployed to workstations using a network login script, but this method is not feasible for inventorying or metering standalone or remote workstations. This technical note provides alternatives for running the Express client on workstations that are either not connected to the network or are linked with a slow wide area network (WAN) connection. Suggestions for optimizing Express in a WAN environment are also included.
Options for Inventorying Stand-Alone and Remote Workstations
Express Metrix recommends using the Express Remote Client to inventory stand-alone or remote workstations. Use the Express Remote Client to inventory each workstation that meets one of the following descriptions:
- Stand-alone workstation
- Laptop that travels with user
- Connected to a WAN by slow links, typically in a remote office
- Connected to a WAN, but the site where the workstation is located has no server
Note: These workstations can be inventoried, but you may not be able to meter them.
User-Defined Client
If you want to gather information about machine hardware attributes, you must first configure the User-Defined Client, which is invoked when the Remote Client runs. The Express User-Defined Client can be used to gather information about machine attributes. The User-Defined Client, Exuser32.exe, is invoked when the Express Remote Client is run. Therefore, if you want to gather machine attribute data, you must modify an .INI file and a .BAT file before you run the Remote Client.
See the Express Software Manager online documentation for details about using the User-Defined Client on remote machines.
After the data is imported to a library, you can view the data in the Express report called Machine Attributes report. To locate this report, open the Inventory folder and then expand the General folder.
If you want to display the data differently, you can write custom reports or queries. For assistance, contact Express Metrix Services (support@expressmetrix.com).
Express Remote Client
The Express Remote Client utility performs inventory on non-networked workstations. The data collected is then zipped into a file that can be merged with data gathered in another Express library.
You can deploy the Remote Client in two ways:
- Install the Remote Client to a floppy disk.
You can visit each workstation to run the client, distribute a disk to each stand-alone or remote user, or copy the contents of the disk to a remote network share.
- Install the remote client to a network share where networked users can run it directly.
The program can be placed on a central share for remote users to run.
After the Express Remote Client is run, using either method, the output from the client is written to a file called W*.zip. The file resides in the location where the Remote Client was installed (the disk or the local workstation).
For detailed information about running the Remote Client and importing the data, refer to the online help topic, Remote Client, or the Creating a Customized Remote Client topic in the Express Software Manager Online Reference.
Optimizing Express in a WAN Environment
To minimize network impact, Express Metrix recommends placing Express libraries and MSDE installations at remote sites rather than attempting to meter or inventory over slow or heavily used WAN links. The Express client installer, Exinst.exe, is approximately 1.5 MB, and simultaneous downloads over a 64K WAN connection could degrade network performance.
Consider these options for metering or inventorying workstations at remote WAN locations:
- Install MSDE and create a local library at each remote site, and then use the Express Library Manager service to update the remote libraries once a week. Export the database to a central SQL Server installation to do consolidated reporting.
- Deploy the Express client manually to one workstation at a time, or add a small number of users to the login scripts each day.
- If you are gathering only inventory data, use the Express Remote Client instead of inventorying over the WAN link. (See the previous section about using the Express Remote Client.)
- If you are gathering only inventory data over a WAN, modify the library's inventory settings before you run the client:
- In Express Administrative Console, click Library Properties on the File menu. Click the Inventory tab.
- Clear the Enable high impact gathering check box.
- Select the Secondary Gathering radio button to enable Continuous low impact gathering.
- Test this setting on a few workstations to determine the network impact before deploying the Express client to the entire site.
Related Technical Notes
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Running the 4.x - 5.x Express Client on Workstations with Slow or No Network Connections |
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Express Software Manager 6.x Technical Notes |
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