Championing the professional management of software
and protecting members rights

Summary

FrontRange SAM Suite (formerly known as Centennial SAM.Suite) is a complete SAM solution comprising the SAM Essentials project management tool, FrontRange Discovery IT audit solution, FrontRange License Manager for managing records and entitlements and NetInstall to manage the deployment of applications etc.

With FrontRange Discovery as the software audit ‘engine’ for the solution, FrontRange is one of the few products available to offer truly multi-platform and multi-site software inventory and recognition. The product is well placed to offer out of the box SAM functionality to small through large companies. FrontRange has a competitive pricing plan that can be adapted for companies that have either single or multi-site operations.

Installation Narration

FrontRange SAM Suite is installed by module. As an example of the process, FrontRange Discovery 8 is delivered online and comes with one single file 180MB in size. The installation could not be simpler with an installer wizard taking you through the various stages. The product ships with a bundled version of Microsoft SQL 2005 Express Edition so you have everything out of the box and ready to install. It should be noted that for larger deployments the company recommends a dedicated SQL 2005 machine. The installer requests a licence key (30 day key provided with evaluation) and then steps you through the various questions such as location for installation and whether you want to install to an existing SQL server or install a new one with the main software package. The whole process takes less than 15 minutes.

Running the Program

The user has the option of managing each module of SAM Suite individually (ideal for sharing the workload across the enterprise, while minimizing security and confidentiality issues) or working through one of the unified management consoles. The core FrontRange Discovery control center is MMC-based (familiar to all IT professionals), while License Manager and NetInstall have web-based front-ends.

Setting up the System

Nothing could be simpler. The FrontRange Discovery product allows for individual subnets, IP address and domain/workgroup combinations and is a snap to install the client. The console gives you a progress dialogue of the clients as they are installed. Any failure events are easy to see and act upon. If installing on one of the various Linux operating systems that are supported then the company provides very handy scripts to run and once again are very easy to integrate into the network on these machines.

Ongoing Administration

Once you have the Discovery client agents installed the process of data gathering begins. The clients work in the background and do not take up many CPU cycles. The console updates as and when the clients complete the initial audit. From here each and every device can be interrogated. It should be noted that the level of hardware detail associated with each machine, and in particular on Windows based machines, is impressive and can display very granular detail such as motherboard make and revision and free space on hard disks for example.

As well as the MMC based console the company has developed a web based interface. This ensures that the system can be managed and used from almost anywhere the company desires. The web interface also houses a dashboard and comprehensive reporting system.

OS/Device/Software Support

Discovery is at the top of the list when it comes to OS support. The product covers just about any of the common OS solutions that are likely to be in place in corporate offices today. Where other products fail Discovery ensures a comprehensive solution for all of the platforms. In addition it can detect routers, Firewalls and other backend IT infrastructure. For the software elements the company is constantly updating the list of products and has a dedicated team of people that ensure that any deltas are added and quickly offered to existing customers.

Auditing and Reporting

A real strong point of the product. Stock reports within the MMC console and an easy to use and visually appealing set of web based reports and metrics. The web reporting is particularly useful for management access and presentations. The web interface can be configured per user and is slick and easy to use.

Support and Pricing

• POA

Key Strengths – Technical

• Very strong OS support including Windows, Linux, SUNOS and Apple
• Easy to use MMC and web-based interfaces
• Licence Manager supports multiple licensing models (optional extra)
• Small client footprint
• Excellent vulnerability functionality
• Web based access and reporting

Key Weaknesses – Technical

• No real-time control of licences and applications for those that need it.

Key Strengths – Commercial

• Competitively priced
• Cross OS functionality
• Quick to deploy with minimum requirement for expensive professional services
• Low management overhead demand due to MMC use and UI design

Key Weaknesses – Commercial

• Primarily focuses on physical rather than virtual assets
• Reports not as customisable as others

How the tests are conducted:

The tool evaluations have been conducted using Windows 2000, Windows 2003 or Windows XP for the management console element. The vendor preferred OS for the database and backend server was also selected for the review. Functional testing has been conducted across the Microsoft Windows family of operating systems and where Linux is supported OpenSUSE has been used for testing. The testing takes place on a dedicated hardware environment and where VMWARE or Microsoft Terminal functionality is supported this is tested if time permits.

Installation Requirements
Server Operating System	Windows 2000/2003. For less than 10,000 clients SQL 2000 or 2005. For over 10,000 clients SQL 2005 is recommended
Processor	INTEL
Memory	512MB upwards
Storage	1GB Minimum
Display	1024x768
Network	Ethernet card
Database Required	YES, MS SQL, 2005 Express include
Administration Client	YES
Local Client	YES

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Product review – Testing Schedule – FrontRange – Discovery V8 Vendor claimed functionality
	YES or NO (..notes)
Software Discovery The software will discover all installed software	YES
Software Usage Metering The tool can measure software usage at either machine or user level	NO * (does track overall usage levels, but not ‘front of screen’ metering)
Hardware Discovery The software will discover hardware information	YES
Network Device discovery The tool can discover all networked devices including routers, printers, laptops, workstations, servers etc	Laptops, workstations and servers are automatically discovered. PDAs running Win OS and connected also detected. Will detect routers, Firewalls and other hardware devices
Smartphone / PDA support Can the tool automatically manage smart devices	YES
Asset Management The product will hold an asset register on all hardware and software.	YES
Network Management The software can complete network functions such as the remote install and uninstall of other software products	YES
Licence Management The software can store software licence information.	YES
Reconciliation Management The software can reconcile installed software to licences.	YES (With Licence Manager Option)

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Documentation/Evaluation	Answer	Notes
Is there an evaluation download, user manual, document available?	YES	Immediately available for download on a 30 day trial basis. The company will follow up as part of the process.
How is the solution shipped?	CD/DVD/ONLINE
Did you have to read to documentation at any point?	YES	Linux client installation
If so, what did you use it for, and did it meet your needs satisfactorily	YES	Linux client installation

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Installation Experience	Answer	Notes
How long did it take to install Control Center / Server (combined time if separate components)?	15 Minutes	Extremely simple installer. Installed MSQ SQL 2005 Express Edition if required
What are the SW & HW requirements (server, Microsoft components like .net)?	Windows 2K servers and upwards, XP	NET 3
Ease of install - intuitive, wizards etc.	EASY
Were there any 3rd party components installed?	YES	.NET 3 and SQL Express Edition 2005. Simple, automated process.
Are there any restrictions on hardware / OS etc?	YES	See requirements for minimum specifications.
What is the total install time?	15-30 Minutes	Including one client.
Was there anything unusual / unexpected about the installation?	NO

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Agent deployment	Answer	Notes
What are the methods for agent deployment (push (direct connect), email, others etc)?	Push/Script	The system can be deployed from the Administrative Console, using scripts or running a standard MSI installer, login time.
What other platforms is there an agent for (e.g. NT4, 2000, 2003, XP non NT based etc.)?	MS, Linux, SUNOS, HPUX, Apple	One of the most comprehensive lists available in a SAM product.
Time to deploy to 1, 10 and 50 PCs?	Approx 1-2 minutes per PC	This can be staggered at login time or overnight.
Size of initial deployment per PC (and extrapolated to assess bandwidth overhead for 500 PC network)	1.5-2MB	Small sized deployment payload.
Any interruption to user experience?	NO
Requires reboot before full functionality is achieved?	NO
Installation status report, so you can be re-assured that all PCs are covered?	YES	This can be checked via the console to see which devices have the software running.
Information Collection capabilities What media is supported?	Network / Removable media	Uses network for data gathering.

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Creating User Groups	Answer	Notes
How easy is it to select users from existing AD / NT Domains?	N/A	Works at the machine level, although user information may be added in custom fields.
Does solution support local users (not in Group, only registered on local machine)?	YES	For client install purposes.
Does solution support NDS or LDAP work stations?	YES
Overall experience	GOOD	Easily integrates with MS domain services. Installs easily on multiple OS types easily.
Does solution allow you to control policy based on user and a specific machine?	NO	Machine level operation only.

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Defining a policy/Setup/Usage	Answer	Notes
Time to create simple one user / AD user group policy	5-15 Minutes
Does the product incorporate software metering?	NO
Does the product track the use of applications?	YES	Reports on frequency of usage – Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely, Never
Does the product track the use of executables?	YES	Executables and other file types are all reported on.
Does the product track the use of other files?	YES	Can track any file type. The product reports on the files that are used to detect an application and any “associated” files.
Can overuse of licenses be prevented?	NO	This is scheduled for a future release
Can users be asked to quit an unused application?	NO
Policy creation experience	GOOD	Simple and effective experience, very simple to use and understand.
Can policy changes be instantly applied?	YES
Is policy update automated or manual?	Both
Policy status report? Do all PCs have the latest policy?	YES

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Administration / Inventory	Answer	Notes
Are policy updates distributed automatically to PCs (check different OS and network setups)?	YES
If yes, is there an update schedule and is it configurable?	YES	Schedules can be created to suit out of hours collection.
What is the typical size of a policy update per PC?	1-5k	Tiny payload for the client(s)
Can solution support offline user exemptions or non networked devices? If yes how?	YES	If a device has been connected and audited it will be recorded. The next time it is connected it will be detected again for scanning
Does the product maintain itself, i.e. Auto update Agents?	NO	Online database/schema update is available and can be configured from within the console. Latest database updates available online.
SNMP MIB browsing support?	YES
Does the tool leave client files on the devices?	YES
Can the tool audit a single device on demand?	YES
Can the tool audit a defined group of devices on demand?	YES	Devices can be audited in groups or individually, Domains, subnets etc.
Can the tool do delta audits (changes only)?	YES	Reporting does track changes

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Licensing & Reconciliation	Answer	Notes
Can the tool hold licence information?	YES	Data can be imported from external sources also
Can the tool hold licence cost information?	YES	Licence information can either be input into the Admin Console directly or it can be imported via an Excel spreadsheet. Purchase order information can be added to each licence type and then added to machines/groups.
Can the tool hold Client Access Licence information?	YES
Can the tool hold invoice information?	YES	This also can be imported from a spreadsheet.
Can the tool hold contract information?	YES	Uses custom data forms
Can the tool reconcile licenses to discovered software?	YES

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Security	Answer	Notes
If user has local admin rights, can agent be modified / deleted / de-activated? (is it easy to identify the service in task mgr)	Not easily	They can stop the service but it will restart automatically when an application is launched.
Does the agent appear in add remove programs dialog?	NO
Does the admin console have Username and Password protection?	YES	For the web discovery portal
Does the admin console have user profiling; i.e. Only specific people can amend policies, but everyone can view logs?	YES	As above
Can the client process be killed to bypass policy security?	N/A

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Hardware Inventory	Answer	Notes
Does the tool utilise WMI information?	YES	The product has excellent, clear reporting on this information.
Does the tool utilise SM Bios information?	YES
Does the tool utilise DMI information?	YES	Shows granular hardware details where it can be gathered.
Does the tool collect Manufacturer detail?	YES	Excellent granular information for machines running the client software.
Does the tool collect the model number?	YES
Can the tool identify the processor?	YES
Can the tool identify the processor speed?	YES
Can the tool identify the hard drive capacity?	YES
Can the tool identify the remaining hard drive capacity?	YES
Can the tool identify installed cards?	YES
Can the tool identify devices connected via the serial port?	YES
Can the tool identify devices connected via the USB port?	YES
Can the tool identify devices connected via the parallel port?	YES
Can the tool identify devices connected via a firewire?	YES
Can the tool identify the LAN address?	YES	MAC and IP
Can the tool identify the IP address?	YES	IP address detected

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Software Identification	Answer	Notes
Does the tool have an internal software recognition library?	YES	This can be updated remotely.
Can the library be updated by the end user?	Yes	As part of the maintenance contract the company sends out regular updates.
Does the publisher/reseller supply updates to the library?	YES	As part of the contract arrangements for ongoing maintenance and support. Can be updated remotely over the internet.
Does the tool supply paths for discovered files?	YES
Does the tool discover unrecognised executables?	YES	And logs them
Does the tool identify software suites?	YES	All the top application suites are covered.
Does the tool scan MSI packages for recognition purposes?	YES
Does the tool collect Product ID or GUID ID for installed applications?	YES
Can it determine parent/child relationships within suites?	YES	Provides granular detail to suite component level.
Can the tool discover renamed executables?	YES
Can the tool discover hidden executables?	YES
Can the tool discover compressed executables (e.g. Zipped)?	YES
Does the tool report on unrecognised executables?	YES
Can the tool show when a file was last accessed?	YES
What files types are identified out of the box?	ALL	All file types, anything unrecognised will be logged.
Is File Size reported for all file types?	YES	Size can be reported if required.
Is the full path for all file types reported?	YES

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Audit/Reporting	Answer	Notes
Are policy changes logged?	YES	Installation of software logged, additions and subtractions to installs, licenses etc.
Are deployment changes logged?	YES
Are temporary exceptions logged?	N/A
Does solution report on unauthorized connections?	N/A	Reports on unauthorised access to applications.
Does solution log file transfer movements?	NO
Is there a reporting function?	YES	Very comprehensive reporting tool included.
Does the reporting function contain sample reports?	YES
Are these reports customisable?	NO
Can additional reports be created?	YES	There is a custom query builder included in the Windows Control Center.
Can asset information be imported?	NO
Can asset information be exported?	YES
Can license information be imported automatically	NO	This feature is included in the FrontRange License Manager & SAM Suite products.
Can consumption reports be imported automatically (Microsoft Claret report)	NO	This feature is included in the FrontRange License Manager & SAM Suite products.
Does the tool use a third party reporting tool	NO

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Pricing	Answer	Notes
What are the pricing bands for the product?	25-99 100-249 250-499 500-999 1,000-1,999 (etc up to 250,000)	Pricing bands range from a minimum order of 25 licenses to 250,000
How much does it cost to include maintenance/support?	20% of license price, payable annually
Are there educational price bands?	YES	Public Sector pricing applies to government, education and some charities.
Is there a bundling price with other products?	YES	Pricing incentives apply when purchasing other FrontRange products such as Licence Manager, SAM Suite or Net Install

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Support	Answer	Notes
Is the product supported directly or via a channel?	BOTH	Partners typically provide first-line support, with direct escalation to FrontRange support teams
Are there escalation procedures?	YES	Strict SLAs are in place to ensure escalation issues receive prompt attention
What does it cost?	20% of license fee	There are discounts available for multi-year deals
Is it included with the software maintenance fees?	Yes