Today Novell released Novell File Reporter 2.5 and Novell Storage Manager 4.0. These product updates provide some important new features that customers will want to utilize right away.

Novell File Reporter 2.5

Novell File Reporter has consistently provided timely updates with new capabilities—making File Reporter one of the most responsive Novell products, when it comes to customer feature requests. Version 2.5, with its Custom Query reports, Report Designer, Report Viewer, and analytic tools, may be the most significant product update yet.

Custom Query Reports

Custom Query reports are reports that Novell File Reporter generates through a series of SQL commands that you enter. These commands enable you to generate very specific detail in reports that are not available through the built-in report types in Novell File Reporter.

The SQL commands are specific to the database (Microsoft SQL Server or PostgreSQL) that your deployment of Novell File Reporter is utilizing. You enter the SQL commands through query editors available from the Novell File Reporter browser-based administrative interface and from the new Report Designer client tool.

SQL commands being entered through the Custom Query Editor.

Report Designer

After you have created a Custom Query report, either through the Report Designer query editor or the query editor built into the browser-based administration interface, you can design the layout of the report from a Windows workstation using the Report Designer.

The Report Designer offers significantly more reporting design capabilities than those available from the browser-based administrative interface.

A sample Custom Query report designed through the Report Designer.

Report Viewer

This new tool allows you to view all stored reports locally from a Windows workstation. Because the Report Viewer uses the resources of the Windows workstation, rather than those of the NFR Engine, the Report Viewer can display stored reports much faster than if you were to obtain them through the NFR Engine.

In comparison to the viewing capabilities of the browser-based administrative interface, the Report Viewer offers more capabilities. For example, with the Report Viewer you can change the visual display parameters of the report.

Viewing a report through the Report Viewer.

Analytic Tools

With the release of Novell File Reporter 2.5, Novell is providing a “Technology Preview” of analytic tools that are still in development. Although some features and capabilities will be introduced at a later time, many of these features and capabilities are available today.

The data analytic tools include the following Windows 64-bit workstation applications:

• Heat map

• Pivot table

Heat Map
The new heat map analytic tool lets you select a file system scan and then shows you a graphical matrix of the file system according to Date-Age, Owner, or File Extension options.

The heat map analytic tool.

Using the heat map interface, you can navigate the file system in the top left frame, view the contents in the top middle frame, and change the display parameters in the top right. Placing the cursor over a location on the heat map displays the full file path of an individual file in the bottom portion of the heat map.

Pivot Table
The new pivot table lets you quickly analyze file system scans according to any combination of parameters that you choose.

A sample pivot table.

 

Novell Storage Manager 4.0

New features were added to both the eDirectory and Active Directory versions of the products.

Data Management

This new feature allows you to copy specific data across the network without the need for a policy.

Data Management dialog box.

Two-Staged Enforce Policy Path Management Action

The Enforce Paths Management Action now lets you move files in two stages—closed files first, then the open ones once they have been closed.

Quota Manager Logging

When a Quota Manager changes quota for a managed path, the action is now recorded in the Engine log.

SQL Server Database Support

For Novell Storage Manager for Active Directory environments, the SQLite database has been replaced with any version of SQL Server, including SQL Express (available for free). Novell Storage Manager 4.0 for Active Directory includes a utility for migrating the contents of the SQLite database to the SQL Server database. These contents include policies, schedules, pending events, and so forth.

And More

Search filters, Agent and Event Monitor status warnings, a new Clear Managed Path Management Action are also available in this release.