SofTrack Features
Global License Sharing
SofTrack's Global Licensing feature optimally distributes your
licenses across your file servers. The end result - licenses are always where they are
needed, and you buy fewer copies.
Suite Metering
SofTrack meters application suites like Microsoft Office, Lotus
SmartSuite & Perfect Office. Plus SofTrack dynamically allocates licenses between
suites and individual applications.
Integrated Real-Time Reports & Graphs
Present your software usage data with SofTrack's detailed
reports and graphs. Generate reports on your software usage across all servers, by user,
by application, by elapsed time, by users rejected and more.
Automatic Notification
SofTrack automatically notifies you when you reach critical
license usage points, such as 90%, 100% and overflow -- so you're always informed.
Groups Tracking
Track and assign application licenses by groups and departments.
You'll now exactly many application each department uses -- which allows you to charge
back the cost of software to the departments that really use it.
License Request Queue
When all licenses are in use SofTrack automatically queues your
users and notifies them instantly when licenses become free. And the license is held open
for an administrator defined period of time if the user is busy or away from their desk.
Meters Applications On Servers, Laptops & Workstations
SofTrack is the only software metering that you need. SofTrack's
powerful NLM and NT service meters your file server, while Workstation Metering allows you
to track application on users' laptops.
Meters Windows, DOS, OS/2 and Mac Applications
SofTrack is cross platform and tracks all Windows, DOS, OS/2 and
Macintosh applications running from the file server
VIP Licenses
SofTrack allows you to reserve licenses for key people and
ensure that VIPs, like your CEO or your boss, always have access to the critical
applications that they need.
File Tracking
Track the use of any file on your network including .DLL, .EXE
and .COM files.
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SofTrack's Reports & Charts
SofTrack keeps a constant watch over software application
usage on your network. The SofTrack usage database may be queried for single server
reports or enterprise-wide usage statistics, so you know exactly how many copies of each
application are being used in the enterprise.
SofTrack has extensive reporting and graphing of license
usage and cost savings built into the SofTrack console for NetWare and Windows NT. You may
also export usage reports for further analysis in a spreadsheet or database application.
Here are a sample of SofTrack's reports. Click on the
report graphic to see a larger version.
SofTrack's printed reports can include any of the
following information.
Normal Usage: Includes all successful
user accesses to licenses. Always included in summary reports.
Queued Access: Includes all instances
where users were placed in a queue for the license.
Rejected Access: Includes instances
where users were denied access to a license.
Purges: Includes any instances where
users accessed a license, then exited improperly (such as due to machine lockup or
reboot).
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SofTrack's Workstation Metering
SofTrack Workstation Metering extends SofTrack's powerful
metering and reporting functionality to include applications loaded on your users' Windows
and Windows 95 workstations - guaranteeing that you're license compliant regardless of
where applications reside.
SofTrack Workstation Metering supports both SofTrack for Novell NetWare and SofTrack for
Windows NT Server
How Does Workstation Metering Work?
SofTrack Workstation Metering is a 19K Windows application that
runs in the background under Windows 95 or Windows for Workgroups workstations and is
completely invisible to your users. SofTrack Workstation Metering acts as a watchdog on
your users' workstation. When a user executes an application on their hard disk,
Workstation Metering alerts the SofTrack NLM or NT Service on the file server which checks
if a license is available. If licenses are available, SofTrack allows the user to access
the application. But, if all licenses are in use, SofTrack places the user in a queue and
notifies them as soon as a license becomes available.
Stay Legal with SofTrack Workstation Metering
SofTrack Workstation Metering guarantees that you are license
compliant regardless of where applications reside. SofTrack meters licenses on the file
server, laptops, and now local workstations - guaranteeing you never use more copies of an
application than you own licenses.
Save Money with SofTrack Workstation Metering
Traditionally software publishers have allowed concurrent usage
of applications loaded on a file server. Companies that keep applications on their users'
local hard drives, however, were required to purchase a license for every workstation - a
significant increase in software expenditure.
Recently several companies introduced special licensing agreements which extend concurrent
usage to applications loaded on the workstation, but only if a metering solution such as
SofTrack meters this concurrent usage. (Note: Microsoft offers several special licensing
options. Click here for more information.) SofTrack Workstation Metering allows you to
take advantage of these new concurrent licensing changes, reduce the number of licenses
that you need to buy while ensuring that you're license compliant at all times.
Regulate Web Access
How do you prevent your users from surfing the Web or playing
solitaire during work hours? SofTrack's Workstation Metering can block Web browsers or
other Windows applications. For many organizations with internet access this means big
savings in productivity. With the Workstation Metering module you have complete control
over which local Windows applications your users can execute.
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SofTrack's License Profiles
Metering Your
Applications with SofTrack
SofTrack stores any information it needs to properly meter
an application in a License Profile. This document is a guide to creating a license
profile in SofTrack.
Table of Contents
- Metering a New
Application
- Metering Suites
- Cost Savings Per
License
- Global Licensing
- Configuring
Additional Features
- Common Files to Meter
1. Metering
a New Application
Once you have installed SofTrack, you can begin defining
license profiles. A License Profile specifies which executable program(s) SofTrack should
meter, how many licensed copies of the application you own, etc. Let’s set up a
sample license profile for the SofTrack application, SofTrack.EXE.
Defining the SofTrack License Profile
- Open the SofTrack application.
- Select Licenses from the menu bar. The Select License Profile window appears.
- Click Add. Type SofTrack and then click OK.
- Specify executable file(s) to meter. Our first license is
for SofTrack, which runs under Windows, so click the Windows
Files tab, then click Add. SofTrack lets you meter files
either by
- filename only - application.exe (e.g. SofTrack.EXE)
- full path - drive:\directory\application.exe (e.g. f:\SofTrack\SofTrack.exe)
- If you specify a path for the metered file, SofTrack meters
only that specific file. If you specify just the file name, without a path, SofTrack
meters every instance of the file, regardless of its path.
- Click OK to accept the filename.
- Enter the Maximum
Concurrent Users. This number is the total number
of application licenses you own.
- Click OK.
Testing the New Profile
Now, let’s run the SofTrack program and see how
SofTrack meters.
- Click Exit to quit SofTrack.
- Open SofTrack.
- Click on Licenses, highlight the SofTrack License Profile and click Edit.
- Click on Active Users. Your name should appear on
the list of Active Users. When you exit SofTrack.EXE, your name is removed.
- Click Done to close the license profile screen.
Note: SofTrack for Windows NT does not meter
applications run from the Windows NT Server. You should authenticate to the NT server and
run SofTrack from another workstation to see the above results.
2.
Metering Suites
SofTrack can meter multiple applications under one license
profile, allowing you to track application suites such as Microsoft Office and Lotus
SmartSuite. We will use Microsoft Office 4.2 as an example.
- In the Select License Profile window, click the Add button. Type
MICROSOFT_OFFICE_4.2 and click OK.
- Click on the Windows
Files tab and then click the Add button.
- You can enter either the filenames of the individual
applications of the suite or full paths.
winword.exe
(Word 6 for Windows)
excel.exe (Excel 5 for Windows)
powerpnt.dll (PowerPoint 4 for Windows)
msaccess.exe (Access 2 for Windows - included with Office Pro)
- Keep in mind that for some applications you will want to
meter an .EXE file and possibly a .DLL or .COM file for others.
- Click on the Suite/Time
Restrictions tab and click Suite Option. Next click A Suite of Applications.
- Click OK to save your license.
SofTrack will insure that a license of each application
will be reserved when your users open any of the individual applications.
3.
Cost Savings per License
SofTrack has a built-in Cost Savings report that
calculates for you how much money you can save on software purchases. This report is
calculated using Maximum Concurrent Users, the maximum number of users in the license at any one time, and
the cost per license figure.
To enter the license cost amount,
- Select a license from the Select License Profile window and
click Edit.
- Click on the Notes/Costs tab. In the Average Cost per
License ($) field enter the average cost.
- Click OK to save your license.
- Repeat these steps for each of your licenses.
To run a SofTrack Cost Savings Report,
- Click the Usage
Reports button on the toolbar. Select SofTrack’s Cost Savings Summary Report.
- Click on the Dates tab and select the dates you want included.
- Repeat these steps for each of your licenses.
- Click OK to generate the report.
4. Global
Licensing
SofTrack Global Licensing allows NT and NetWare servers
running SofTrack to share licenses across servers. With Global Licensing, your users can
share up to 65,000 licenses between an unlimited number of servers.
How Global Licensing Works
The sharing of applications defined in global licenses
works as follows:
- A user attempts to use an application for which the maximum
concurrent user count for the server has been reached.
- SofTrack places the user in a queue for the application and
issues a message to that effect.
- If the application is defined in a global license, and a
license is available on another server with a matching global license, the user is
notified and can begin using the application. This usually occurs within 30 seconds.
- If no license is available, the user remains queued until a
license is available on a server on which the global license is defined. The user does not
need to be logged into or attached to the server from which the license is appropriated.
The SofTrack NLM’s (NetWare) and Services (Windows NT) handle this exchange
automatically.
SofTrack balances license usage between servers based on
the Maximum and Minimum Concurrent Users you specify in the License Profile. Initially,
you might divide the overall total number of licenses available evenly across servers. For
example, if you have 500 licenses to share among five servers, you could define 100 in the
Maximum Concurrent Users field of the License Profile for each server.
Over time, as licenses are shared among servers, SofTrack
actually moves licenses to balance them between servers, and the number of licenses at
each server changes to meet user demand for an application. In a month's time, for
example, you may find that the servers have the following number of licenses: 50, 201,
167, 35, and 47. In total there are still 500 licenses available.
Defining a Global License
To define a license globally, simply:
- Load SofTrack on each server where copies of the
applications to be shared reside.
- Define a license profile at each server. You must use the
same License Name on each server for license sharing to occur. Open the license profile by
clicking Edit
in the Select License Profile window.
- Click Global License in the License Profile window.
- Set the Queue Hold
Time. It is highly recommended that you
define a Queue Hold Time for each license at each server.
- Click OK to save your license.
- Repeat on each server where you want SofTrack to share
licenses.
5. Configuring Additional Features
This section covers additional features you can set in
SofTrack License Profiles.
To begin,
- Open the SofTrack application.
- Select the Licenses menu.
- From the Select License Profile dialog box, either
- Select a license profile and click Edit, or
- Click Add to create a new License Profile.
Configuring Maximum Licenses and Passive Metering
SofTrack offers two metering choices:
- Active Metering:
SofTrack forcibly limits the number of users to the number of licenses.
- Passive Metering:
SofTrack does not restrict access, but logs all requests.
Many administrators use SofTrack’s Passive Metering
to determine how many licenses of a particular product to purchase. To set the number of
licenses,
- Select a license from the Select License Profile window and
click Edit.
- Enter the total number of licenses you own in Maximum Concurrent Users.
- If you wish to enable passive metering, click Allow Overflow. You will
notice that Maximum Concurrent Users is greyed out once you make this selection.
- Click OK to save your license.
Setting Queue Hold Time
SofTrack has a number of features that help you ensure
that there are always enough licenses available for users who need to use them. There will
be times, however, that users need to use an application for which no licenses are
currently available. SofTrack places those users in a queue and notifies them as licenses
become available. The Queue Hold Time sets the time period SofTrack holds a newly
available license for a requesting user.
Setting a Queue Hold Time is optional. If you accept the
default of 0,
queueing is disabled and the application remains available to requesting users
indefinitely. Setting a Queue Hold Time between 1 and 30 (minutes) keeps the application available to the user for the
number of minutes you specify, but also makes it available for other users if, for
example, a queued user leaves for lunch.
To enable Queuing,
- Select a license from the Select License Profile window and
click Edit.
- Enter a number greater than 0 in Queue Hold Time.
- Click OK to save your license.
- Repeat these steps for each of your licenses.
NOTE: Only eight users can be queued at a time for
any one license. The ninth user receives a message that the license is not available and
that queueing is not possible.
Blocking License Usage
This option completely disables access to the files listed
in the License Profile. You might use this option
- When you are preparing to install an update to the
application being tracked.
- To increase productivity by preventing access to certain
applications (Netscape, for example)
To enable license blocking, select Block License Usage in the License
Profile screen.
Time Restrictions
Time Restrictions provide a way for you to limit access to
an application based on time interval. This feature is especially useful for:
- Administrators wishing to limit access to certain
applications such as games, web browsers, etc., during business hours, or
- Educational organizations who want to limit application
usage to class times.
To configure time restrictions,
- Open a license profile.
- Click on the Suite/Time
Restrictions tab, and then click the Time Restrictions button.
- Click on the appropriate grid box for each hour in which
you want to disallow users from running any file defined in the License Profile.
- Repeat steps 1 - 3 for each license profile.
If users attempt to run files at restricted times, their
requests are rejected. If queuing is enabled for the License Profile, it does not occur
for those attempting to run during a restricted time.
Viewing Active Users
SofTrack lets you know at any point in time exactly who is
using an application. This may be helpful if you want to upgrade the application or if you
need a license immediately.
To view active users, click the View Active Users button.
6.
Common Files to Meter
Choose from commonly used files when creating license profiles in
SofTrack.
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What's New in SofTrack v5 for NetWare
- Overview
(Click Here for Detailed Info
and Screen Shots)
1) SofTrack Year 2000 Tracker
NEW! You need somewhere to record Year 2000 compliance
about the applications you have decided to meter. You can store this information in the
license profile screen. You'll be able to click on a new Y2K tab and enter Year 2000
compliance information.
2) SofTrack Year 2000 Reporting
Reporting of compliant and non-compliant applications enables you to see where you
need to take corrective action! Use SofTrack to help solve your Year 2000 issues!
3) Runs on NetWare v5.x
NEW! Now, you can keep using your favorite metering
solution when you upgrade to NetWare v5.x. Stay legal as you transition to NetWare v5.x by
upgrading to SofTrack v5.
4) TCP/IP Support
NEW! Share licenses using IP in a Global TCP/IP
environment.
5) Novell Application Launcher Support
NEW! SofTrack can now meter applications run from the
Novell Application Launcher (NAL). Novell customers are increasingly using the simplicity
of the NAL as a one stop shop for launching applications and to further support our loyal
SofTrack for NetWare customers we've re-engineered SofTrack to meter through NAL and to
maximize your productivity.
6) NT Local Workstation Metering for NetWare
NEW! This native NT service communicates directly to
the SofTrack NLM, allowing you to ensure license compliance at the local NT level. Enjoy
all the features of SofTrack like queuing, blocking, and limiting web access.
V5 Time Saver!
Adding or migrating to NT? SofTrack for NetWare and
SofTrack for NT use the same local NT workstation metering module, load it once and use it
to report to either, you choose!
7) Reporting of Unregistered Local
Applications
NEW! What's running on your network without being
registered by you? SofTrack's reports will pinpoint what applications are run, who ran
them, and for how long. Eliminate the worry of users running unlicensed software on the
network and being fined by the software auditors.
8) Windows 98 Support
NEW! Our engineers have optimized SofTrack v5 to
support Windows 98 clients. Plan for the future today by upgrading to SofTrack v5 and be
ready to ensure license compliance on the growing number of Windows 98 clients.
9) License Profile Wizard
New ! SofTrack's new License
Profile Wizard helps you to automate configuration of additional SofTrack servers. Over 50
applications will now have predefined license profiles, reducing administration and saving
time.
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What's New in SofTrack v4.5 for Windows NT
1) SofTrack Year 2000 Tracker
 You need somewhere to record Year 2000 compliance about the applications you
have decided to meter. You can store this information in the license profile screen.
You'll be able to click on a new Y2k tab and enter Year 2000 compliance information
2) SofTrack Year 2000 Reporting
Reporting of compliant and non-compliant applications enables you to see
where you need to take corrective action! Use SofTrack to help solve your Year 2000
issues.
3) Enhanced Reporting of Unregistered Local Applications
What's running on your network without being registered by you? SofTrack's
reports will pinpoint what applications are run, who ran them, and for how long. Eliminate
the worry of users running unlicensed software on the network and being fined by software
auditors.
4) Windows 98 Support
Our engineers have optimized SofTrack to support Windows 98 clients. Plan
for the future today by upgrading to SofTrack for NT v4.5 and be ready to ensure license
compliance on the growing number of Windows 98 clients.
5) License Profile Wizard
SofTrack's new License Profile Wizard helps you to automate configuration of
additional SofTrack servers. Over 50 applications will now have predefined license
profiles, reducing administration and saving time.
Profiles included:
ABC Flow
Autocad Lite
CC:Mail
Corel Draw (DOS)
Corel Draw (Win)
Dos Edit (DOS)
Harvard Graphics (Win)
Lotus 123 (DOS)
Lotus 123 (Win)
Lotus Organizer (Win)
MS Access (DOS/Win)
MS Access (Win95) 7.0
MS Access (Office 97)
MS Bookshelf 1992
MS Excel (DOS/Win) 5.0
MS Excel (Win) 5.0
MS Excel (Win95) 7.0
MS Excel (Office 97)
MS FoxPro (Win)
MS Mail (Win)
MS Powerpoint (Win) 4.0
MS Powerpoint (Win) 4.0+
MS Powerpoint (Win95) 7.0
MS Powerpoint (Office 97)
MS Project (Win)
MS Windows 3.1x
MS Word (DOS)
MS Word (Win) 6.0
MS Word (Win95) 7.0
MS Word (Office 97)
Pagemaker (Win) 4.0
Pagemaker (Win) 4.x
Pagemaker (Win) 5.x
Paradox (DOS)
Paradox (Win)
Procom (DOS)
Procom Net Vers (DOS)
Professional Write DOS
Quattro Pro (DOS)
Quattro Pro (Win) 6.1
Reflections 3.x
Reflections 4.0
Smartterm (Win) 4.0
Training Admin
Vision
WordPerfectOffice (Win)
WordPerfectOffice (Win) 4.0
WordPerfect (DOS) wp.fil (files tracked)
WordPerfect (Win) 5.2
WordPerfect (Win) 6.0
WordPerfect (Win) 6.1
System Requirements
- Network Operating System - Windows NT Server 3.51 or 4.x
- RAM Requirements 400 k for 25-100 users, 88k for 250
users, 1.2MB for 500 users, 1.8MB for 1000 users
- Each defined license profile requires 20 bytes per concurrent
user
- Operating System for Network Administrator - Windows 3.1,
Windows 95, or Windows NT Workstation
- NT Local Metering (for NetWare) Required the v4.3 and higher
version of the IntranetWare Client (MS Client not supported)
- Earlier versions of the IntranetWare client for NT are not
supported in this version.
- In a global environment it is strongly recommended that you do
not mix and match SofTrack 3.x and 5.x
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White Papers
- SofTrack Global Reporting
- SofTrack offers comprehensive reports per user, group, or
application. And SofTrack's Global Reporting makes it simple to understand license use
across your LAN or WAN. This comprehensive white paper explains how to get the most out of
SofTrack's reports.
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Case Studies
SofTrack Saves Briggs &
Stratton $43,000!
Bob Mossburg popped SofTrack metering software into his
workstation, and a few minutes later saved his company over $43,000.
Mossburg, a network analyst with Briggs & Stratton's
lawnmower engine manufacturing outfit, is one of a growing number of administrators using
software metering to reduce both software costs and the legal liabilities of software
license non-compliance.
With over 1,200 network users, new facilities coming on
line, and a booming $1.2 billion business, it could have been easy to lose track of
software inventories and investments throughout the company. Using SofTrack, Mossburg was
suddenly able to see precisely who, where, when and how often the company's software
applications were being used. And more importantly, he discovered thousands of dollars in
potential savings in excess software licenses.
"When we took a serious inventory, we had more
software than we knew what to do with," said Mossburg. "In our company, for
example, we once had 285 copies of Microsoft Word. But in reality, only 50 or so people
were using the application at any one time. With roughly 230 excess Microsoft Word
upgrades at $190 per license, that's more than $43,000 we'll spend more wisely in the
future."
Installation the way it
should be
It all started when Briggs & Stratton networked its
1,000+ PCs together with a Novell NetWare-based client/server environment. This new LAN
presented the perfect opportunity to begin a software inventory control program and
monitor application usage.
After reviewing a number of packages, Mossburg chose
SofTrack because it delivered advanced metering and reporting capabilities without
compromising users' access. As a Novell NetWare Loadable Module (NLM), SofTrack was the
only software metering package that, at the time of the install, didn't require installing
memory-hogging stub files or Terminate-and-Stay-Resident (TSR) programs on each network
PC.
With hundreds of PCs dispersed widely across the
organization, it would have been an agonizing exercise to install a metering TSR on every
machine, then have to troubleshoot the inevitable problems the overhead would create,
according to Mossburg.
"With SofTrack, I just tell the system how many
licenses I want for each application and SofTrack does the rest right from my workstation.
Not having to load stub files - that's the way the installation should be," said
Mossburg. Multi-platform support was another reason SofTrack became Briggs &
Stratton's software metering standard. SofTrack supports all the major desktop operating
systems, including Windows, DOS, Macintosh, OS/2 and DOS/Windows sessions under OS/2.
Mossburg needed the ability to meter applications on the company's platforms.
Always enough software
for everyone
In addition to multi-platform support, SofTrack offered
Briggs & Stratton a global licensing feature that balances licenses among its multiple
sites. For instance, with 50 departmental licenses of Microsoft Word, the company can
automatically distribute unused applications across different servers, departments and
time zones. If one server has a higher number of unused Word licenses, the license queue
automatically disperses them to other departmental servers that have "maxed out"
their current licenses. "Global licensing works very well. No one ever gets locked
out from an application anymore," said Mossburg.
While SofTrack saves Briggs & Stratton money by
reducing the number of software applications they purchase, it also tells them when to buy
more. As the leader in manufacturing lawnmower engines, Briggs & Stratton is
constantly adding more users to its network. SofTrack monitors the software
license-to-usage ratio to determine when it's time to invest in additional software.
"If we have 50 licenses, and we're running 49 of them a lot of the time, then I know
it is time to buy more," explained Mossburg.
Getting legal and
staying legal
While saving money is the primary economic benefit of
metering software, license compliance is also a motivating factor. SofTrack has enabled
Briggs & Stratton to meet its software licensing responsibilities and eliminate the
risk of stiff license violation fees, which cost 250 companies over $3 million in fines
last year.
SofTrack automatically warns Mossburg if users violate a
licensing agreement, which the federal government considers a felony. Now more than ever
companies are conscious of licensing compliance. "As Briggs & Stratton continues
to expand operations into four new U.S. Iocations, we will encounter many networking
issues. But with SofTrack on the network, software licensing compliance won't be one of
them," said Mossburg.
SofTrack’s licensing protection has also enabled
Briggs & Stratton to gain control of its software "suite" licensing
requirements. A suite is a bundle of software applications sold under one license, such as
Microsoft Office, Lotus SmartSuite or WordPerfect PerfectOffice. License compliancy is
often compromised with suites because users do not realize that using one application in
the suite counts as using all of the applications. SofTrack addresses this need by
metering software suites under one license.
Microsoft Excel, which is an often-used application
throughout Briggs & Stratton, is part of the Microsoft Office suite. With SofTrack,
Mossburg can make sure users don't break the suites into pieces, which violates licensing.
SofTrack can also meter the same application for different platforms- such as Microsoft
Word for Windows and Word for Macintosh - under the same license count.
Cost savings and legal protection are surely worth the few
minutes it takes to install a software metering package like SofTrack. If you don't use
software metering for your company's network, you might ask yourself if you can afford not
to.
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What Users Are Saying about
SofTrack ...
University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Tom Phillips, Manager of User Services
"Ease of installation is key to any university
network environment, and SofTrack delivers on this promise. There's no need for client
TSRs, nor can mischievous users by-pass software licenses. SofTrack also helps me to
monitor the level of service I provide to my clients. It keeps track of important
statistics that other packages don't, such as how many times an application was launched,
how long it was used, or many times an unwary user exited the application by
rebooting."
"SofTrack also offers another important feature not
available in other packages, called global licensing. With a limited amount of software
resources to distribute between the eight large LANs on campus, this feature allows us to
borrow software licenses from one group to give to another who have run out of
licenses."
900 Support
Ron Nutter, Director of Technical Services
"Of all the licensing packages I've looked at,
SofTrack is the only one that covers all the major desktop platforms from Windows NT
and OS/2 to Macintosh and DOS PCs. Unlike other packages, it also requires no additional
overhead at the workstation. This point is critical for network administrators because
it's tough enough to manage users' workstations without having to load another TSR.
Something, somewhere, will inevitably go wrong."
"Metering packages like SofTrack are more important
than ever because companies cannot risk the potential fines or law suits due to license
non-compliancy. It's also the best asset for software purchases - it prevents you from
over-buying, and provides the data you need to cost justify new licenses or
upgrades."
American Management Systems
Brian Schmidt, LAN Manager
- "SofTrack saved us thousands of dollars in software
over-spending by allowing us to reduce the number of Microsoft Office licenses to
one-fifth of what we would otherwise invest. I can also sleep easier because I know we are
always license compliant; SofTrack alleviates the fear of being audited by the software
vender or the Software Publishers Association."
Federated Insurance
Jon Holt, R&D Analyst
- "While cost savings and legal protection of license
metering software are unquestionable, the technology has been, until now, unnecessarily
difficult to install and support. With over several hundred client PCs on our network, it
would be an agonizing exercise to install a metering TSR or stub file on every machine,
then have to troubleshoot the inevitable problems that overhead would create. But with
SofTrack, installation and support was painless. It's ability to run on all
platforms-especially OS/2-without having to modify clients eliminates the single greatest
obstacle to entry in this new software market."
American Management Systems
Brian Schmidt, LAN Manager
- "SofTrack saved us thousands of dollars in software
over-spending by allowing us to reduce the number of Microsoft® Office licenses to
one-fifth of what we would otherwise invest. I can sleep easier because I know we are
always license compliant; SofTrack alleviates the fear of being audited by the software
vendor or the Software Publishers Association."
Hewitt Associates
John Kristoff, LAN Administrator
- "The management of SofTrack is by far the easiest to
setup and administer. A total NLM solution takes the pains out of setting up new batch
files, menus and workstation configurations."
Brown & Root USA, Inc.
Malcolm Reitz
- "I am very impressed with the product; you've hit on
the way metering/licensing should work - easily for the administrator and transparently
for the user."
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What the Press is Saying about
SofTrack...
 |
|
LAN Times - 4 1/2 Nodes "SofTrack's ability to be used on any PC system using Windows, OS/2,
DOS, and Apple Macintosh systems provides a robust real-world solution to a common problem
with network software metering."
"Regardless of how large or small the network,
SofTrack software metering NLM may be the best friend an IS manager can have..." |
 |
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NetWare Solutions Editor's Choice
"The wide breadth of client workstations it
supports and its easy-to-use NetWare Loadable Module (NLM) and Window's interface make
SofTrack Editor's Choice."
"SofTrack has taken a simple and easy-to-implement
approach to software monitoring by not requiring any changes to your existing network
setup."
"SofTrack should be a requirement in environments
that use network-aware software programs that don't do their own license metering." |
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PC WEEK's Analyst's Choice " SofTrack earned our respect for its easy installation and
administration."
"SofTrack boasts a GUI for use under either Windows
or OS/2. We liked SofTrack's ease of use." |
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Network Computing
Editor's Choice "SofTrack
stands above the rest with its multiplatform and multiserver support, and its superb
reporting capabilities."
"SofTrack is the only package that can meter
applications on DOS, Windows, OS/2 and Macintosh platforms without modifications at the
end-user workstation. We also like SofTrack's ability to let licenses move between file
servers where they are needed." |
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Network Computing Well-Connected Award "If you want range and breadth in software metering, lock onto
John T. McCann's SofTrack..."
"None of SofTrack's competitors can
compare. The ability to share licenses among file servers on a network puts SofTrack above
its competition." |
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"Perhaps the closest thing to a household word (in
metering) is SofTrack..."
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"This product is an excellent choice for NetWare
administrators who want to meter effectively and unobtrusively, network applications on
their client workstations." "Installing
SofTrack proved straightforward and painless. I had the program both running and
configured within 10 minutes." |
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Design
Firm Saves Over $54,000 in CAD licenses using SofTrack
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Bob Nichols is the Director of Technology for Niles
Bolton Associates, which specializes in architectural, landscape and interior design. Bob
has CAD loaded on their server and uses SofTrack Software Metering to manage CAD license
sharing between users on the network. "We've got 70
potential CAD users on our network and using SofTrack we share 52 licenses between our
users, saving money and staying legally compliant. This saves us from having to buy an
additional 18 licenses and at a cost of over $3,000 per license we've saved at least
$54,000 and with the cost of upgrades we keep on saving." |
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Product Documentation
Click on the appropriate link to download online documentation in Adobe Acrobat format.
Adobe Acrobat Readers are free, and available for most platforms from Adobe. An Adobe Acrobat
Reader v4.0 or later should be installed PRIOR to downloading these files.
Strategic Alliances
Integrity
Software Simplifies License Compliance and Optimizes Concurrent Licensing for Lotus
SmartSuite Customers
Frequently Asked Questions
Global License Sharing
Why do I need SofTrack for software metering?
SofTrack is the simplest, most accurate tool to keep software usage legal while keeping
your software purchases to an absolute minimum. SofTrack monitors the number of copies of
a software application in use across your network. By comparing the number of copies in
use on your network versus how many licenses you actually have, saves you from
over-ordering additional licenses and upgrades. And not only will you save money, but
SofTrack's confirmation of license compliance means you'll never have to worry about a
software audit again.
Does SofTrack's installation really take only 5 minutes?
YES. Just load the SofTrack NLM or NT service and identify the applications you want to
meter. SofTrack does not require any changes to individual workstations and does not
require stub files, TSRs, wrappers or agents.
And, when you load the SofTrack NT Service you do NOT have to reboot the NT Server to start up SofTrack!
What sorts of networks does SofTrack meter?
SofTrack meters applications on
- NetWare,
- Windows NT, and
- Mixed NetWare and Windows NT networks.
SofTrack is currently the only server-based solution for both NetWare and NT metering!
Because it is server-based, this gives SofTrack three major advantages:
1. Ease of administration. Because SofTrack is server-based, you can avoid
messy, time- consuming TSRs, stub files, and wrappers on users' workstations.
2. Central management. You can centrally manage all of your application licenses
across your Novell and Windows NT servers. One of SofTrack Version 3.0's strengths is its
central administration - you decide where you want to administer SofTrack - either from
your NT or NetWare server - to maximize software license concurrency.
3. Global License Sharing between NetWare and NT. SofTrack automatically allows
licenses to be shared among Novell NetWare and Windows NT file servers on your net work.
If an application reaches its license limit on a specific file server, SofTrack
automatically reallocates an unused license from another file server, balancing the
license load. Your users can share up to 65,000 licenses between an unlimited number of
servers. With SofTrack optimizing license distribution across your Windows NT and Novell
servers, you buy fewer licenses, and users always have access to the applications they
need.
What versions of NetWare and Windows NT does SofTrack support?
A: SofTrack offers native support for Novell NetWare 3.11/3.12, NetWare 4.x/4.1x and
IntraNetWare (NW 5.0 and 5.1). SofTrack for Windows NT supports versions 3.51 and 4.x of NT. SofTrack
integrates directly with NetWare Directory Services (4.x), the NetWare Bindery (3.x) and
the Windows NT Domain.
NOTE: Only SofTrack v5 for NetWare Supports NetWare 5.x
How is SofTrack licensed?
SofTrack for NetWare licenses are sold per server and linked to NetWare User Licenses,
independent of actual users. SofTrack for Windows NT licenses are connected to your NT
license agreement. SofTrack licenses are per server and are available in 25, 50, 100, 250,
500 and 1,000 user increments, and may be added to one another.
How much RAM does SofTrack require?
400K for a 25, 50, or 100 user server.
800K for a 250 user server.
1.2MB for a 500 user server.
1.8MB for a 1,000 user server.
Each defined license profile requires 20 bytes per concurrent user.
What clients does SofTrack meter from the server?
On NetWare, SofTrack meters the following clients:
- Windows 3.1
- Windows 95
- Windows 98
- Windows NT Workstation
- Macintosh
- OS/2
- DOS
ON Windows NT, SofTrack meters the following clients:
- Windows 3.1
- Windows 95
- Windows 98
- Windows NT Workstation
Does SofTrack support workstation-based metering?
Yes, SofTrack for NetWare and Windows NT includes Workstation Metering for Windows,
Windows for Workgroups, and Windows 95 clients FREE of charge.
What do I need to share licenses across servers?
To enable SofTrack’s Global Licensing, you need three things:
1. One client on the network needs to be a client 32-bit machine running the SofTrack
executable to administer SofTrack.
2. You should be running the Service Advertising Protocol (SAP) agent and NWlink
IPX/SPX protocol on your NT server so the NetWare and NT servers can track which servers
have licenses in use and which have licenses available.
3. To take advantage of global licensing, be sure that your SofTrack for NetWare
license is current because NetWare global licensing with NT will NOT work with SofTrack
Versions 2.5 and earlier!
Does SofTrack do cross-domain metering in Windows NT networks?
Yes, SofTrack will meter license sharing between primary domain controllers (PDC's) in
an NT network.
Does SofTrack monitor application suites?
Yes. SofTrack can meter multiple applications from different platforms under the same
license profile. You can define any number of applications to be metered under a single
software metering profile.
Why should I meter applications when, for each application, I have to buy a license
for each seat on my network?
The good news is you do not need to buy a license for each seat on your network.
Software vendors, such as Microsoft, offer concurrent licensing arrangements, like the
Select and Upgrade Advantage programs, which allow you to save money. With a
concurrent license, you can purchase only as many licenses as your users will have call
for at any one time. For example, if you have 250 users but only 50 are likely to be using
a application at once, you can save yourself money buy purchasing a 50-user concurrent
license instead of a 250-user license.
Do I really need a metering solution if I have the Microsoft Select 3 agreement in
place?
Yes. In fact, the Select and Upgrade Advantage programs specifically requires a
"metering mechanism or process to ensure compliance." SofTrack meets this
requirement. In fact, SofTrack's usage reports have the Software Publishers Association's
(SPA) approval so in case you're audited you know they will be accepted as evidence of
license compliance.
What sorts of reports are available for SofTrack for NetWare and SofTrack for NT?
All the reports that you've come to depend on for SofTrack for NetWare are also
available for SofTrack for NT. SofTrack's reports provide you with such critical
information such as:
- Total Time a License is in Use
- Number of Licenses in Use
- License Usage by User
- Maximum Concurrent Usage
- Number of Users Queued for an Application
- Number of Users Who Improperly Exited an Application
SofTrack also includes the ever-popular Cost Savings Report, which makes it easy
for you to actually see how your organization can optimize your software investment. The
Cost Savings Report automatically calculates your savings by comparing maximum concurrent
usage against the number of licenses you actually own. It tells you precisely how much
money you saved with SofTrack based on the software usage on your NT or Novell network.
Does SofTrack support NetWare File and Print Services for Windows NT?
Yes
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