GFI Cloud User Guide A guide to administer GFI Cloud and its services

Transcription

1 GFI Cloud User Guide A guide to administer GFI Cloud and its services

2 Contents 1 Introduction to GFI Cloud The aim of this guide What is GFI Cloud? GFI Cloud features How it works 6 2 Quick Tour GFI Cloud layout and content The main elements of GFI Cloud 13 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services Quickstart installation and setup How it works Add a computer registering and installing the first agent Add a computer installing agents across the network Add a computer installing the agent using group policy What happens once an agent is installed? Remove a computer from the network Add a service to a computer Add VIPRE Business to computers Add services to multiple computers simultaneously Remove a service from a computer 38 4 Licensing Services Quickstart Licenses What are licenses? Free trial Checking which computers have licenses assigned Checking the pool of licenses available Assigning and removing licenses 47 5 Working with Computers on the Network Quickstart working with computers on GFI Cloud Dashboard The Network Grouping computers 57

3 5.5 Computer status Notification types List all computers on a network Identify computers on the network with problems View computers as a grid or list Filter computers Search for a specific computer Actions you can perform on multiple computers View the details for each computer Actions you can perform on a computer Using TeamViewer to connect to a computer Computer settings Change the computer name VIPRE Business Quickstart VIPRE Business What it does How it works How VIPRE Business updates Where to see VIPRE Business running Computers with issues to resolve VIPRE Business notifications Policies Scans Threats Quarantine Network Server Monitor Quickstart Network Server Monitor What it does How it works How checks work Current checks running on a computer Past checks run by Network Server Monitor Add, edit or remove a check The checks Network Server Monitor performs View computers with checks failing Network Server Monitor check status 199

4 7.11 Receiving alerts for checks Acknowledging notifications and alerts Asset Tracking What Asset Tracking does Summary information Hardware Software Administrator Account, Receiving Alerts and Contact Details Quickstart Administrator details Receiving alerts from GFI Cloud Change account password Technical Information About the Agent, Security and Resilience Technical requirements GFI Cloud architecture Security issues GFI Cloud resilience Index 225

5 1 Introduction to GFI Cloud A brief introduction to GFI Cloud and its features. 1. The aim of this guide The purpose of the GFI Cloud user guide. 2. What is GFI Cloud? Overview of GFI Cloud and what it does. 3. GFI Cloud features The basic feature set of GFI Cloud. 4. How it works Information on how it works.

6 1.1 The aim of this guide The aim of this guide is to help anyone to make use of GFI Cloud, even if they have little or no IT administration experience. It covers every aspect of GFI Cloud, including getting started, installing the components needed to make it work and how to configure the platform. This section explains what GFI Cloud is, its features and a basic explanation of how it works. 1.2 What is GFI Cloud? GFI Cloud is an innovative IT administration platform for small- and medium-sized businesses. It enables companies to control and monitor their entire network from anywhere via a secure, cloud-based management console. Using GFI Cloud, you can: Protect your network from viruses and spyware with GFI VIPRE Business Online. Monitor your workstation and server health with GFI Network Server Monitor Online. Manage every computer on your network from one management console. 1.3 GFI Cloud features GFI Cloud provides advanced monitoring and diagnostic tools for networks of any size, and its service-based architecture is fully automated. It requires no training to use. It has a number of key features: Single integrated solution for antivirus, asset and network management. From a web browser, businesses can manage core IT services, across their network, from one simple-to-use dashboard. A lightweight agent links each computer to the GFI Cloud, regardless of location. Anytime, anywhere, you can check the status of your workstations and servers and their detailed hardware and software inventory. 1.4 How it works GFI Cloud is managed from a secure online management console accessed via an Internet browser. There is no special software required to access it. Each computer to monitor requires the installation of a lightweight agent that communicates with GFI Cloud and handles tasks such as monitoring the network, running services and assessing the health and status of each computer. 1 Introduction to GFI Cloud 6

7 GFI Cloud makes use of the following: 1. The GFI Cloud management console The web-based console that administrators access to manage and monitor computers on a network. 2. The GFI Cloud agent The software agent installed on each computer. 3. Services Services provided by GFI Cloud, used to monitor computers, manage antivirus and track assets Adding services to computers To use a service you assign a license to each computer: 1. Buy a pool of licenses; 2. Assign a license to each computer all setup and configuration is handled by GFI Cloud once the license is assigned. Licensed services can be enabled on each computer in any combination required; administrators can buy and use only the services they need. Find out more about licenses» 1 Introduction to GFI Cloud 7

8 2 Quick Tour Find your way around GFI Cloud. 1. GFI Cloud layout and content An outline of GFI Cloud's screens. 2. The main elements of GFI Cloud The main sections within GFI Cloud. 2 Quick Tour 8

9 2.1 GFI Cloud layout and content There are some common elements used throughout GFI Cloud: 1. Main menu 2. Section menu 3. Content area 4. Notifications Main menu The major sections of GFI Cloud can always be accessed from the main menu, available on the left of any screen. Screenshot 1: The main menu in its default mode showing icons only. It contains a list of icons, each of which link to the main sections within the platform: Category Dashboard Network VIPRE Business Network Server Monitor Licenses Installation Description The start screen listing outstanding notifications. Enables you to see and act upon every computer in your network. Information on the VIPRE Business service. The network monitoring tool that runs checks on computers. Manages the licensing of services. Information about adding computers to GFI Cloud. 2 Quick Tour 9

10 Screenshot 2: The main menu in expanded mode, displaying the full name of each section. Click on the small arrows at the top of the icons menu to display the full name of each section Section menu Along the top of some pages the horizontal section menu provides access to screens, functionality and actions related to the section you are using. Below is an example of a context menu from the VIPRE Business section. 2 Quick Tour 10

11 Screenshot 3: The section menu from the VIPRE Business section of GFI Cloud. This menu displays items specific to the VIPRE Business service s focus on protection, and provides access to policy information, threats and quarantine Content area On every screen there is a content area. Its exact content changes depending on context, but the content is always in the same place. Screenshot 4: The Network screen displaying content in list format. The above image shows a list of computers in a network. The image below shows the detail of a single computer. 2 Quick Tour 11

12 Screenshot 5: The content area for a single computer Notifications GFI Cloud uses notifications to highlight issues with computers on your network. These are used within the Dashboard and on each computer's Overview screen. Screenshot 6: Notifications always provide a short description of their status. Notifications highlight specific issues with computers. They provide a brief description of the issue and access to associated actions. Find out more about notifications» 2 Quick Tour 12

13 2.2 The main elements of GFI Cloud GFI Cloud is comprised of six main sections. Each section is always available from the main menu. Screenshot 7: The main menu in expanded mode, displaying the full name of each section. Section Dashboard Network VIPRE Business Network Server Monitor Licenses Description The start screen listing all open notifications from every computer on the network. Find out more about the Dashboard» The network enables you to see and act upon every computer with the GFI Cloud agent installed, and provides filter options to help you focus on computers of interest. Find out more about the Network» Licensed service that manages antivirus and anti-spyware protection. Find out more about VIPRE Business» Provides a suite of monitoring tools to check computers for issues. It operates on servers, desktops and laptops. Find out more about Network Server Monitor» Managing GFI Cloud's licensed services. Find out more about Licenses» 2 Quick Tour 13

14 Section Installation Description Computers can be added to GFI Cloud at any time. Find out more about Installation» 2 Quick Tour 14

15 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services How to install the GFI Cloud agent and add licensed services to computers. 1. Quickstart - installation and setup Get started with installation and setup. 2. How it works A quick overview of the components involved in setting up GFI Cloud. Adding and removing computers 3. Add a computer registering and installing the first agent We have streamlined the process to add the first computer immediately after registration. 4. Add a computer installing agents across the network All other computers can be added by installing the GFI Cloud agent on each of them. 5. Add a computer installing the agent using group policy Installing the agent on multiple computers across a network using group policy. 6. What happens once an agent is installed? The automatic processes invoked by GFI Cloud. 7. Remove a computer from the network How to remove a computer from GFI Cloud. Adding and removing services 8. Add a service to a computer How to add licensed services to computers. 9. Add VIPRE Business to computers If you enable VIPRE Business on a computer there are additional factors to consider. 10. Add services to multiple computers You can enable services on many computers simultaneously. 11. Remove a service from a computer How to remove services from a computer. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 15

16 3.1 Quickstart installation and setup How to get up and running with GFI Cloud quickly. 1. Register Visit and complete the registration process. 2. Add the first computer download and install the agent Follow the registration process and download the agent to begin the trial. This initial agent will include the services selected during registration. 3. View the computer The computer will then be visible on the Dashboard the first screen you see when you log in. 4. Adding more computers download more agents Go to Installation > Download now to download extra agents and install them on each computer you wish to monitor on GFI Cloud. 5. Add services to the new computers Once the agent is installed new computers will appear on the Dashboard. Visit Licenses > Assign/Remove Licenses to add services to each computer. 6. Monitor Everything should now automatically work with no further input from an administrator. Everything is automated GFI Cloud is automated, and begins working immediately VIPRE Business is policybased, and assigns protection policies automatically based on computer type; Network Server Monitor runs a default set of checks based on each computer s unique hardware and software configuration. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 16

17 3.2 How it works GFI Cloud is a cloud-based platform that uses a software agent to monitor computers from a secure management console. It makes use of the following: 1. The GFI Cloud management console The web-based, secure console administrators use to manage and monitor computers on a network. 2. The GFI Cloud agent The software agent installed on each computer to monitor. What is the GFI Cloud agent? The agent is a program installed on each target computer running Windows XP or later. It works in the same way as any Windows program or application and can be uninstalled from the control panel. It contains the software required to enable the target computers to communicate with the GFI Cloud management console. Via the agent administrators can monitor the computer, perform checks and enable components needed to use GFI Cloud's services such as VIPRE Business or Network Server Monitor. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 17

18 3.3 Add a computer registering and installing the first agent This section covers the procedure for using GFI Cloud for the first time. As part of the registration process you will be prompted to download and install the GFI Cloud agent. Important: Using GFI Cloud for the first time is slightly different from deploying it to a network for the second and subsequent computers. The initial registration uses a streamlined method that helps administrators quickly get started with GFI Cloud to evaluate its usefulness during the trial period Register and choose services of interest Visit and register. The registration form only has to be completed once. Screenshot 8: The GFI Cloud registration form. During the registration process choose the service or services you are interested in. This will then be packaged with the download of the agent (available after you log in for the first time). 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 18

19 Screenshot 9: The registration process prompts you to choose services to test GFI Cloud Log in and accept the EULA The registration process will log you in automatically once you accept the EULA. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 19

20 Screenshot 10: The End User License Agreement. Click I accept if you agree with the End User License Agreement (EULA) Download the agent and install The agent should begin to download immediately. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 20

21 Screenshot 11: The download screen. The agent should download automatically. When prompted, click Run to download the agent software and follow the instructions provided by the wizard. You will be logged in and automatically taken to GFI Cloud's dashboard once the installation is complete. Useful Tip: It is common for administrators to try out GFI Cloud on their own computer, but it can easily be any machine on your network such as a spare computer or an old server Computer added to the management console Once installed the computer automatically appears on the GFI Cloud Dashboard the first screen you see when logged in. This will provide a notification informing you that GFI Cloud is installing the components for the services selected during registration. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 21

22 Screenshot 12: The Dashboard screen after the first login What happens now? You can now monitor the computer and add services. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 22

23 3.4 Add a computer installing agents across the network After initial registration, all subsequent computers require the agent to be downloaded and installed Get the agent Log in to GFI Cloud and go to Installation > Download Now. Screenshot 13: The download screen provides instructions and a link to download the agent. Using group policies to install the agent on multiple computers There is an advanced option to install the GFI Cloud agent on multiple computers across your network using group policy. Find out more about using group policy» 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 23

24 3.4.2 Install the agent Screenshot 14: The run dialog box. Install the downloaded agent on the target computer or computers. When complete each computer is listed on GFI Cloud s Network screen ready for services to be enabled. Important: Installing the agent requires administrator privileges What happens now? You can now monitor the computer and add services. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 24

25 3.5 Add a computer installing the agent using group policy Go to Installation > Download group policy package. Screenshot 15: The installation screen contains a group policy package to help install the agent across multiple computers. This advanced option is for organizations that make use of group policies to deploy the agent to multiple devices on a network. The downloadable Group policy package contains the required agent.msi and associated package.zip file for distribution via group policy. Important: Both agent.msi and package.zip must be extracted to the software distribution folder to be used to create the network installer. agent.msi used for the installation or removal of the agent. package.zip contains the elements required to install via group policy. More about installing software using group policies Full details about using group policy to install software is available on Microsoft's support website. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 25

26 3.6 What happens once an agent is installed? Each computer requires services to be added. However, there are a number of features of the platform that begin working right away The computer is added to the network and listed on the management console Once the agent is installed it automatically communicates with GFI Cloud and appears on the management console as part of your network. It can be found on the Network screen accessed from the main menu that appears on every screen. Find out more about the Network» Each computer is assigned a type Each computer is automatically designated as one of three types: Server Desktop Laptop Services may work differently depending on the type of computer they run on. If the VIPRE Business service is enabled, for instance, it uses different policies for servers than desktops or laptops. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 26

27 Computer type auto-detection GFI Cloud automatically detects computer types. They are categorized as one of three: a server, desktop or laptop. Each is assigned a distinct icon. Server Desktop Laptop Note: Although the icons are constant, the colors change to indicate the computer's status. Find out more about computer status» Asset tracking each computer is analyzed by GFI Cloud GFI Cloud s asset tracking service is enabled automatically. When the computer first checks in to GFI Cloud the management console begins to compile information about it. This includes software information as well as the hardware configuration of the machine. This information is available for any computer on GFI Cloud at Network > (Computer name) > Asset Tracking. Find out more about Asset Tracking» 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 27

28 3.7 Remove a computer from the network Occasionally you may need to remove a computer from your network. This happens when computers fail, are replaced or simply no longer needed Option 1 Remove the installed agent from the computer Uninstall the GFI Cloud agent if you have direct access to the target computer. This can be done by following the normal process to uninstall programs from a Windows computer. The process of uninstalling will prompt the agent to contact GFI Cloud and remove it from the management console. It will also remove any software components related to GFI Cloud services. Important: If you remove an agent it will automatically remove all historical information about the computer. This cannot be retrieved Option 2 Delete the computer from GFI Cloud's dashboard If a computer cannot be reached for example, it is damaged or lost it can be removed from GFI Cloud via the management console: Network > (Computer name) > Settings Screenshot 16: The computer settings screen containing the Remove Computer function. Click Remove Computer. This will prompt a dialog box to confirm the action. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 28

29 Screenshot 17: The Remove Computer confirmation box. Click Remove Computer to confirm and it will be removed from the management console. The agent is still installed on the computer The agent will still be installed on the computer; this process simply removes it from the management console so it will no longer be monitored. It is important to remove the GFI Cloud agent from the target computer if it is possible to do so the agent cannot be uninstalled remotely for security reasons. What happens if the agent tries to contact GFI Cloud once it is removed? If a computer tries to contact GFI Cloud once it has been removed using the process above, the request is ignored. The computer is no longer monitored by the management console and no services can therefore run on it. If this happens the GFI Cloud agent installed on the computer should be uninstalled. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 29

30 3.8 Add a service to a computer Services are added to computers by assigning licenses at Licenses > Assign/remove licenses. Screenshot 18: The Assign/remove licenses button. This displays a list of computers you can add services to. Screenshot 19: The Assign/remove licenses screen. Select the checkbox next to the name of the computer to add the service you require. Select multiple checkboxes to add services to many computers at once. Click Save to confirm. The service is automatically enabled. If the computer is missing, first install the GFI Cloud agent. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 30

31 3.9 Add VIPRE Business to computers If you enable VIPRE Business on a computer there are additional factors to consider. 1. Remove other antivirus products requires a restart 2. Enable VIPRE Business may require a separate restart 3. Monitoring the installation process Other antivirus products VIPRE Business can only be enabled on a computer that does not have another antivirus tool in use. Screenshot 20: The Licenses screen where services are enabled by assigning licenses to individual computers. Go to Licenses > Assign/remove licenses and select the computers to add VIPRE Business to. Click Save. This will prompt a dialog box with options for removing other antivirus products and restarting the computer. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 31

32 Screenshot 21: When you assign a license for VIPRE Business you are presented with further installation options. Other products part 1. Automatic uninstall of other antivirus products Screenshot 22: GFI Cloud can attempt to remove other antivirus products it finds. Select the checkbox and VIPRE Business will try to uninstall an existing antivirus product if found. Important: GFI Cloud successfully removes most antivirus tools from computers; however it may not be possible to uninstall some products in this way. If this is the case manually remove the antivirus product from the target computer. Other products part 2. Prompt uninstall of other antivirus products after pausing If the checkbox to automatically uninstall other antivirus products is not selected, VIPRE Business will indicate that another antivirus product has been found on the Dashboard. Screenshot 23: If the automatic uninstall option is not selected GFI Cloud will indicate if it finds other antivirus products and provide a further option to uninstall. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 32

33 This will pause the VIPRE Business install process until the other antivirus product is removed. If you click Uninstall existing AV this will prompt you to confirm the restart options (see below). Enterprise antivirus software using automatic push installations Some other antivirus products use automatic push installations to ensure computers are always protected. When VIPRE Business removes these products, they may be automatically reinstalled from another product s central console. If your existing antivirus product uses push installations, it must be disabled to avoid disrupting VIPRE Business. Other products part 3. Restart options after uninstall If the checkbox for automatic removal is selected, VIPRE Business has additional options to configure rebooting the computer this is required to complete the removal of other antivirus products. Screenshot 24: Any attempt by GFI Cloud to uninstall other antivirus products requires you to choose restart options. 1. The recommended option is to reboot automatically after informing the computer user. 2. The second option is to not reboot automatically the computer will need to be manually rebooted. Go to Network > (Computer name) > Actions > Remote reboot once the other antivirus product is removed. Important: Servers are never automatically restarted. Even if the option to automatically reboot is chosen, a server must be rebooted manually Enable VIPRE Business VIPRE Business is enabled once there are no other antivirus products present. In most cases VIPRE Business will begin to protect the computer automatically. In some instances, however, the computer must be restarted to complete the installation process and for VIPRE Business to begin protecting. Computers in this state can be found at the Dashboard. There are two ways to restart the computer: 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 33

34 1. Restart manually 2. Restart the computer from the GFI Cloud management console Restart 1. Restart manually If you have access to the computer, restart it. Alternatively, inform the computer user to do so. Restart 2. Restart the computer from GFI Cloud Go to the Dashboard. This will list all notifications, including a notification to restart a computer to complete the installation of VIPRE Business. Screenshot 25: The Dashboard provides notifications that include associated actions, including the option to restart the computer to complete installation of VIPRE Business components. Click Reboot computer Monitoring the installation process GFI Cloud helps you keep track of the process of enabling VIPRE Business. Monitoring 1. Licensing screen In the Licenses section (where you select a computer to add VIPRE Business) the status is updated throughout. Screenshot 26: License screen indicating the computer is in the process of enabling VIPRE Business. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 34

35 Monitoring 2. The Dashboard keeps track of progress Dashboard notifications include progress reports, such as an indication that VIPRE Business components are being installed on the computer. Screenshot 27: The Dashboard keeps you up to date with the process of enabling a service Add services to multiple computers simultaneously Go to the Network section using the link on the main menu. Screenshot 28: The main menu highlighting the link to the Network. This lists every computer with the GFI Cloud agent installed. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 35

36 Screenshot 29: The Network screen, listing every computer with the GFI Cloud agent installed Select an irregular series of computers To select an irregular series of individual computers, click each computer while holding the Control key to create your selection. Screenshot 30: An irregular series of individual computers can be selected using the Control key Create a contiguous selection of computers To create a contiguous selection for example, the first to the ninth computer in sequence click the first computer then, holding the Shift key, select the last. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 36

37 Screenshot 31: A contiguous selection of computers can be created using the Shift key Adding services to all the computers selected Once you have selected the computers you wish to add services to, click Add services near the top of the screen. Screenshot 32: The Add services link, used to enable services. This will display a dialog box prompting you to select the services to add to the computers. If all the computers selected already have one of the services enabled this option will be unavailable. Screenshot 33: Adding services to multiple computers prompts you select the services you wish to enable. Click OK to confirm. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 37

38 3.11 Remove a service from a computer Services are removed from computers at Licenses > Assign/remove licenses. Screenshot 34: The Assign/remove licenses button. This displays a list of computers with services enabled. Screenshot 35: The Assign/remove licenses screen. Unselect the checkbox next to the name of the computer to remove the service. Unselect multiple checkboxes to remove services from many computers at once. Click Save to confirm. The service and its components are removed from the computer automatically. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 38

39 Important: Removing a service automatically removes all historical information for the service on the computer. This cannot be retrieved. 3 Installing the Agent and Adding Services 39

40 4 Licensing Services This section outlines the way in which services are licensed on GFI Cloud. 1. Quickstart Get started with licenses. 2. What are licenses? How licensing works on GFI Cloud. 3. Free trial About the 30 day free trial. 4. Checking which computers have licenses assigned Lists computers and the licenses assigned to them. 5. Checking the pool of licenses available The licenses available for use. 6. Assigning and removing licenses How to add or remove a license. 4 Licensing Services 40

41 4.1 Quickstart Licenses Get started with licensing GFI Cloud s services. 1. Services are licensed Services on GFI Cloud are licensed. Administrators assign licenses to computers from a pool of purchased licenses to enable the services on each computer. 2. Available licenses The pool of available licenses can be seen by clicking Licenses on the main menu found on every screen. 3. Everything is automated Assigning licenses from the pool at Licenses > Assign/remove licenses automatically enables a service. 4 Licensing Services 41

42 4.2 What are licenses? To make use of the services offered by GFI Cloud, administrators must assign licenses to individual computers How licensing works Purchased licenses are added to a pool of available licenses, any of which can be assigned to a computer to make use of a service. The process is as follows: 1. Licenses are purchased for GFI Cloud s services; 2. These are added to a pool of licenses, available for use with any computer; 3. Each computer can be assigned a license, enabling it to make use of a service. Whenever an administrator attempts to enable a service on a computer, GFI Cloud checks if there are sufficient licenses available first The license period Screenshot 36: The license period. Licenses provide access over a set period, typically one year. This is the license period. 4 Licensing Services 42

43 Prior to this there is a 30 day free trial available to everyone. During this all services are available for each computer without the need to first buy licenses. This provides unrestricted access to every part of GFI Cloud. At the end of the license period there is a sunset period. At this stage administrators can log in to GFI Cloud and the enabled services are still running, but normal functionality is restricted and no updates can take place. New licenses will need to be purchased What services are licensed? Service VIPRE Business Network Server Monitor Asset Tracking License status Requires license Requires license Free no license required Licenses are not tied to a specific computer Licenses can be used on any computer. A license for VIPRE Business, for example, can be assigned to Computer 1. If Computer 1 is decommissioned and replaced its license can be reassigned to the replacement, Computer Assigning a license to a computer enables the service Assigning a license enables each service. The process is automated and can be accessed from Licenses > Assign/remove licenses. Find out more about assigning a license to a computer» You do not license GFI Cloud Administrators do not license GFI Cloud. Licenses are only available for services within the platform such as network monitoring or antivirus. 4 Licensing Services 43

44 4.3 Free trial The GFI Cloud free trial provides an opportunity for administrators to try its services without the need to purchase licenses How the free trial works Administrators register with GFI Cloud at Downloading the agent starts the 30 day free trial for the service or services selected The trial applies to services, not GFI Cloud The 30 day free trial applies to the services available on GFI Cloud, not access to GFI Cloud itself. During registration you choose services to test it with and once these begin to run on the first computer the trial starts. If you choose only a single service to begin, then the 30 day trial applies to this service only. If you subsequently try another service (for example, two weeks later) this triggers a distinct 30 day free trial for the second service when enabled Unrestricted access During the trial administrators have unrestricted access to GFI Cloud s services. Any service can be enabled on any computer. At any point during the trial licenses for services can be purchased. 4 Licensing Services 44

45 4.4 Checking which computers have licenses assigned Click Licenses on the main menu on the left of any screen. Screenshot 37: The main menu highlighting the link to the Licenses section. The licenses summary screen lists every computer on GFI Cloud and the licenses assigned to them. Screenshot 38: The Licenses summary screen lists all computers and indicates the services assigned to them. One of my computers is missing If a computer is missing install the agent and it should automatically appear, ready for licensed services to be enabled. 4 Licensing Services 45

46 4.5 Checking the pool of licenses available Click Licenses on the main menu on the left of any screen. Screenshot 39: The main menu highlighting the link to the Licenses section. The Licenses summary screen displays the licenses table. It lists the number of licenses available, their expiry dates and the number of days left before they must be renewed. Screenshot 40: The licenses summary table listing the number of licenses in the pool. 4 Licensing Services 46

47 4.6 Assigning and removing licenses Licenses are assigned to individual computers to enable a service. They can be assigned or unassigned at Licenses > Assign/remove licenses. Screenshot 41: The Assign/remove licenses link. This lists computers with the licenses assigned or unassigned to each clearly visible. Screenshot 42: The Assign/remove licenses screen. Select a checkbox for a service to assign a license to a computer. Unselect a checkbox to remove or unassign a license. Click Save to complete the process. 4 Licensing Services 47

48 Unused licenses Unassigned licenses are added back to the pool of licenses. These are then available for any computer to use. 4 Licensing Services 48

49 5 Working with Computers on the Network Navigating the network, finding computers and focusing on issues. 1. Quickstart Overview of finding and managing computers on the network. Network basics 2. Dashboard All outstanding notifications for computers requiring attention. 3. The Network Lists every computer on the network and indicates their status. 4. Grouping computers Computers can be organized using groups. 5. Computer status Every computer is assigned a status. 6. Notification types The four types of notifications to highlight issues. Network-wide 7. View every computer on the network List everything on your network. 8. Identify computers with problems Quickly identify computers that require attention. 9. View computers as a grid or list Computers can be displayed in convenient ways. 10. Filter computers Computers can be isolated using filters. 11. Search for a specific computer Search for computers using names. 12. Actions you can perform on multiple computers Bulk actions you can perform on many computers at once. Single computer 13. View the details for each computer The details you can access for each computer. 14. Actions you can perform on a computer The direct actions you can perform on each individual computer. 15. Using TeamViewer to connect to a computer Remotely connect to any computer on your network. 16. Computer settings Each computer has unique settings. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 49

50 17. Change the computer name Any computer's name can be changed on GFI Cloud. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 50

51 5.1 Quickstart working with computers on GFI Cloud How to access computers on your network. 1. Start with the Dashboard The Dashboard lists outstanding notifications, providing immediate access to computers with issues. It is the first screen you see when you log in. Find out more about the Dashboard» 2. The network section lists every computer The Network screen lists every computer with the GFI Cloud agent installed. Each is assigned a color-coded status. Find out more about the Network» 3. Focus on specific computers The Dashboard and the Network section include filters to help you focus on computers of interest. For example, focus only on computers requiring attention. Find out more about using filters to isolate computers» 4. Problems float to the top Computers requiring attention are always presented first. 5. Find out more on any computer Any computer s name can be clicked for more detailed information. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 51

52 5.2 Dashboard The Dashboard is the first screen you see when you log in. It can be accessed from any screen using the main menu. Screenshot 43: The main menu highlighting the link to the Dashboard. The Dashboard lists all outstanding notifications for computers across the network. Screenshot 44: The Dashboard, listing notifications and their associated actions. Each computer name can be clicked for more information, and many of the notifications have associated actions that can be operated from the Dashboard screen. Each notification is color-coded to indicate the nature of the notification. Find out more about notification types» 5 Working with Computers on the Network 52

53 5.2.1 Actions for notifications Screenshot 45: Many notifications have associated actions. Many notifications can be acted upon. Each possible action is prominently displayed on the notification itself Filtering Screenshot 46: Filter computers using services and notifications. By default, the Dashboard lists all current notifications. This list can be reduced using the filter menus. Filter by groups GFI Cloud can organize computers into groups which can then be used to filter computers. Screenshot 47: The filter options, with Groups highlighted. On the Dashboard click Groups to produce a list of every group. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 53

54 Screenshot 48: A list of available groups. Multiple groups can be used to make a selection. Select the groups you wish to use to filter and click Ok. This will isolate the notifications from the computers that belong to the selected computer groups. Find out more about managing groups» Filter by service Screenshot 49: Notifications listed on the Dashboard can be isolated by the services in use. You can focus on notifications produced by a specific service such as VIPRE Business or Network Server Monitor. Filter by notification type Screenshot 50: Notifications on the Dashboard can be filtered by notification type. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 54

55 Notifications can be filtered by type. These will isolate the notifications displayed using the following four types: Critical notifications Warning notifications Installation notifications License notifications Find out more about the different types of notifications» 5.3 The Network The Network can be accessed from any screen using the main menu. Screenshot 51: The main menu highlighting the link to the Network. The Network section enables you to see and act upon every computer with the GFI Cloud agent installed. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 55

56 Screenshot 52: The Network screen displays every computer on GFI Cloud. It does the following: Provides a list of computers on your network; Highlights computers requiring attention; Provides access to individual computers; Identifies the services enabled on each computer; Add services to computers. It acts as a starting point for tracking down problems and for managing an entire network from a single place. Problems float to the top Within the Network section computers with problems appear at the top. This helps you monitor the network by focusing on areas that require immediate attention; a process you can further refine on any screen using filtering options. Find out more about focusing on computers with problems» 5 Working with Computers on the Network 56

57 Computer type auto-detection GFI Cloud automatically detects computer types. They are categorized as one of three: a server, desktop or laptop. Each is assigned a distinct icon. Server Desktop Laptop Note: Although the icons are constant, the colors change to indicate the computer's status. Find out more about computer status» 5.4 Grouping computers GFI Cloud can organize computers into groups. Screenshot 53: The Network screen lists all computers by default. Groups help you isolate computers of interest. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 57

58 Groups are created by you. Each computer can only belong to one group, and these are typically used to represent the way you naturally organize your resources. For example, into departments like Finance, Sales, Marketing and so on. Groups can be created, deleted and managed at any time. One default group is created by GFI Cloud There is an initial group created by GFI Cloud called Default. All computers belong to this when the agent is first installed Use groups to focus on specific computers Screenshot 54: Groups are a basic organizational element of GFI Cloud, but can be used to actively filter computers. Groups can be used to filter computers when viewing notifications or a list of computers across the network. For example, only display information from computers belonging to the Marketing group. Find out more about filtering computers» Find out which group a computer belongs to View the detail of a computer at Network > (Computer name). The name of the group it belongs to is displayed in its summary box. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 58

59 Screenshot 55: Each computer summarizes important information, including the name of the group it belongs to Changing the group a computer belongs to View the detail of a computer at Network > (Computer name). The group can be changed by clicking the Edit icon. Screenshot 56: Click edit to change the group a computer belongs to from the summary box. This prompts you to select an alternative group to add the computer to. Screenshot 57: The choose group dialog. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 59

60 Note: The group must already exist. It cannot be created from the choose group dialog. See Managing, creating and deleting groups, below Changing the group of multiple computers simultaneously On the Network screen you can select multiple computers to perform actions on. Screenshot 58: The Network screen, highlighting the Actions available. Click the Actions link and click Change Group. Screenshot 59: The change group dialog, providing a list of groups to choose from. This prompts you to select an alternative group to add the computers to. Groups must be created in Group settings before they will appear on the list. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 60

61 5.4.5 The Default group Screenshot 60: All computers added to GFI Cloud are automatically added to the Default group. GFI Cloud has one default group as standard. Initially, all computers belong to this group. They can be moved to another group at any time. Note: The default group cannot be deleted or renamed Managing, creating and deleting groups Groups can be managed at Settings > Group settings. Screenshot 61: Groups are user-created and help organize a network. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 61

62 This lists all existing groups and the number of computers assigned to each. A computer can only belong to a single group. Create a new group Click Create group. This produces a dialog box to enter a name for the group. Screenshot 62: The new group dialog box. Each name must be unique. Each group must have a unique name. Click Ok to create the group, which will appear in the list in alphabetical order. Delete a group Screenshot 63: Each created group can be deleted at any time by clicking the trash icon. Any user-created group can be deleted. Click the Trash icon to prompt the confirmation dialog. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 62

63 Screenshot 64: The delete group confirmation dialog. Click Delete to confirm. You cannot delete groups that contain computers Screenshot 65: If you attempt to delete a group still in use, a dialog will prompt you to first reassign the computers. To delete a group you must ensure there are no computers assigned to it. If you attempt to delete a group currently in use the dialog will prompt you to reassign the computers. You cannot delete the default group GFI Cloud provides a Default group. This cannot be deleted. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 63

64 Change the name of a group Screenshot 66: Click to change the name of a group. Click the group's name to change it. This prompts the name dialog. Each name must be unique. Screenshot 67: The change name dialog. Type a new name and click Save. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 64

65 5.5 Computer status Every computer on GFI Cloud is assigned a status. This conveys useful information about the computer and can be used to make quick assessments about the health of a network and the likely actions needed. There are seven statuses used: 1. Critical 2. Overdue (servers only) 3. Warning 4. No notifications 5. Installation in progress 6. No services 7. Offline Critical The computer has a critical issue highlighted by a service. It is indicated using a red color Overdue Computers that have not checked in to GFI Cloud within an agreed timescale. This status only applies to servers. It is indicated using a red color. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 65

66 5.5.3 Warning The computer has issues highlighted by services running on the machine. It is indicated using an amber color No notifications The computer is in good health, with no issues reported by enabled services. It is indicated using a green color Installation in progress The computer is in the process of enabling a service. If the status persists, there may be an issue with the installation of the components needed for a service to run. It is indicated using a blue color No services The computer has the GFI Cloud agent installed but no services have been added. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 66

67 It is indicated using a dark gray color Offline The computer has shut down and cannot be reached. It is indicated using a light gray color. Offline or overdue? An overdue status indicates a computer that has failed to check in to GFI Cloud within the expected timescale. An offline computer, by comparison, has performed a correct shut down process, which includes informing GFI Cloud that it will be offline. The Overdue status is only applied to servers, not to desktops or laptops Computer status indicates the most critical issue Status is hierarchical. The most important status is always the one used when indicating the overall status of the computer. The order of precedence is as follows, with the most important first: 1. Offline 2. Critical 3. Overdue 4. Warning 5. No notifications 6. Installation in progress 7. No services 5 Working with Computers on the Network 67

68 A simple example of precedence If a computer has a critical issue highlighted by Network Server Monitor, but has no issues reported by VIPRE Business, the critical status will take precedence over the no notifications status triggered by VIPRE Business Notification status indicates the severity of the issue only Notifications always indicate the severity of the notification itself. They do not inherit status or display the overall status of a computer. Screenshot 68: A list of notifications found on a computer's Overview screen. The color used by notifications indicates the severity of the specific issue, not the overall status of the computer. A computer can have several notifications at once; the overall computer status only reflects the most severe notification. The notifications themselves are individually color-coded to reflect their own state. 5.6 Notification types Notifications are seen on both the Dashboard, listing all notifications from computers across the network, and the Overview screen for each computer, listing only the notifications produced for a single machine. They are designed to communicate important issues to administrators. Screenshot 69: The Dashboard, listing a series of notifications. There are four types of notification: 5 Working with Computers on the Network 68

69 1. Critical 2. Warning 3. Installation 4. License Critical notifications Screenshot 70: Critical notifications with associated actions. Critical notifications are the most severe issued by GFI Cloud. They are indicated by a red color and are designed to highlight problems on the network you must attend to Warning notifications Screenshot 71: Warning notifications. Warnings are less severe than critical warnings and are indicated using an amber color. These require less immediate intervention, but are still important Installation notifications Screenshot 72: Installation notifications. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 69

70 Notifications are issued to help you keep track of the installation of GFI Cloud components. These are highlighted using a blue color, and cover installation problems as well as progress reports License notifications Screenshot 73: License notifications. Notifications are issued for licensing. These are colored blue, and help administrators keep track of licensing issues. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 70

71 5.7 List all computers on a network The Network section lists every computer on GFI Cloud. Screenshot 74: The Network section can be accessed from the main menu on every page. It can always be accessed from the main menu on the left of every screen. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 71

72 Screenshot 75: The Network page displays every computer on GFI Cloud. This provides access to a list of every computer on the network. These can be arranged as a grid or a list, and any computer's name can be clicked for more details. Sorting lists of computers Wherever computers are listed on GFI Cloud they can often be ordered by column. Screenshot 76: Computers listed by name. The column headers can be used to reorder the list. Click the column header or label to sort items. Click the same header to reverse the sort order. Screenshot 77: When selected, the column adds an icon indicating the direction of sorting. The sort order can be toggled by clicking the name again. A small icon appears once a column is selected. This indicates the direction of the sort mechanism. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 72

73 5.8 Identify computers on the network with problems There are two places to identify computers with issues: 1. Dashboard the dashboard is the first screen you see when you log in; it lists all outstanding notifications for computers across the network. 2. Network the network lists every computer on GFI Cloud; it automatically highlights computers with issues The Dashboard lists all notifications Screenshot 78: The Dashboard lists notifications. The Dashboard is the first screen you see each time you log in. It can be accessed on the main menu from any screen. It conveniently lists outstanding notifications from all computers across your network. Each computer name can be clicked for more information, and many of the notifications have associated actions that can be operated from the Dashboard screen. Find out more about the Dashboard» The Network screen highlights computers requiring attention The Network lists every computer on GFI Cloud. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 73

74 Screenshot 79: The Network screen listing all computers. Those requiring attention float to the top. Computers are organized according to their status, indicated by color. Those with problems always float to the top. Find out more about computer status» 5.9 View computers as a grid or list On the Network screen you have the option of using the grid view or the list view. Screenshot 80: You can toggle between grid view and list view. You can toggle between these views using the icons near the top of the screen. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 74

75 5.9.1 Grid view Screenshot 81: Computers displayed in the grid view. The grid view provides a snapshot of each computer in a self-contained box that contains useful information, including the computer name, the number of notifications and the number of services enabled. Each computer name can be clicked for more details List view Screenshot 82: Computers displayed in the list view. The list view contains similar information including the type of computer it is, the computer name, the number of notifications and an indication of the services enabled. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 75

76 Sorting lists of computers Wherever computers are listed on GFI Cloud they can often be ordered by column. Screenshot 83: Computers listed by name. The column headers can be used to reorder the list. Click the column header or label to sort items. Click the same header to reverse the sort order. Screenshot 84: When selected, the column adds an icon indicating the direction of sorting. The sort order can be toggled by clicking the name again. A small icon appears once a column is selected. This indicates the direction of the sort mechanism. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 76

77 Computer type auto-detection GFI Cloud automatically detects computer types. They are categorized as one of three: a server, desktop or laptop. Each is assigned a distinct icon. Server Desktop Laptop Note: Although the icons are constant, the colors change to indicate the computer's status. Find out more about computer status» 5.10 Filter computers Computers can be isolated in the Network section using filters. Screenshot 85: The filter options found on the Network screen can be used to isolate groups of computers. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 77

78 Filter by group Groups are created by you. Each computer can only belong to one group, and these can then be used to isolate computers. Click Groups to trigger a list of the groups you have created to organize your computers. Screenshot 86: Groups are a basic organizational element of GFI Cloud, but can be used to actively filter computers. Select the group or groups you wish to focus on and click Ok. This will filter out all computers except those belonging to the selected groups. When using group filters the button changes to reflect the number of groups selected Filter by status These filters help you focus on computers with issues. Screenshot 87: Narrow the range of computers using the built-in filters. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 78

79 Filter All computers Not reported in Items in quarantine Failing checks Description The default; lists every computer. Lists any computers that have failed to check in includes both overdue servers and any computer that is listed as offline. Computers with items held in quarantine by VIPRE Business. Computers with Network Server Monitor checks that have failed. Search and filter The search function can work in conjunction with filters. If you first filter the list of computers, you can subsequently search through this filtered list to create a sub-list of computers that combine both the search term and the selected filters. Similarly, you can search for computer names and then filter down these results using the filter menu Search for a specific computer You can find computers using their name in the Network section. Screenshot 88: The Network screen can isolate computers based on a name search. This searches through the available computers for a match, and will match partial names. If the computer's name has been changed on GFI Cloud, it will match both the new name and the original. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 79

80 Search and filter The search function can work in conjunction with filters. If you first filter the list of computers, you can subsequently search through this filtered list to create a sub-list of computers that combine both the search term and the selected filters. Similarly, you can search for computer names and then filter down these results using the filter menu Actions you can perform on multiple computers GFI Cloud includes the ability to perform actions on many computers at once. There are two important aspects: 1. Selecting computers of interest 2. Perform actions on selected computers Selecting computers of interest Bulk actions are performed on the Network screen, which can be accessed from anywhere using the main menu. Screenshot 89: The main menu highlighting the link to the Network. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 80

81 This lists every computer with the GFI Cloud agent installed. Any combination of computers can be selected to perform actions. Screenshot 90: The Network screen, listing every computer with the GFI Cloud agent installed. Computers selected for your action list are visually highlighted. Select an irregular series of computers To select an irregular series of individual computers, click each computer while holding the Control key to create your selection. Screenshot 91: An irregular series of individual computers can be selected using the Control key. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 81

82 Create a contiguous selection of computers To create a contiguous selection for example, the first to the ninth computer in sequence click the first computer then, holding the Shift key, select the last. Screenshot 92: A contiguous selection of computers can be created using the Shift key. Multiple select works in grid view and list view Selecting multiple computers works in both the grid view and the list view. Grid view Screenshot 93: The Network section in grid view, displaying a single computer selected (highlighted with a blue border). Screenshot 94: The Network section in grid view, displaying two computers selected (highlighted with blue borders). 5 Working with Computers on the Network 82

83 List view Screenshot 95: The Network section in list view, displaying a single computer selected (highlighted with a colored background). Screenshot 96: The Network section in grid view, displaying two computers selected (highlighted with a colored background). Find out more about the different ways of viewing computers in GFI Cloud» Performing actions on selected computers Near the top of the screen is the Actions link. This provides a list of actions available. Screenshot 97: The Network screen, highlighting the Actions available. Change group Click Change Group to change the group computers belong to. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 83

84 Screenshot 98: The change group dialog, providing a list of groups to choose from. This prompts you to select an alternative group to add the computers to. Groups must be created in Group settings before they will appear on the list. Find out more about managing groups» Adding GFI Cloud services to multiple computers As well as the above actions, you can add services to multiple computers simultaneously using the same approach. Once you have selected the computers you wish to add services to, click Add services near the top of the screen. Screenshot 99: The Add services link, used to enable services. This will display a dialog box prompting you to select the services to add to the computers. If all the computers selected already have one of the services enabled this option will be unavailable. Screenshot 100: Adding services to multiple computers prompts you to select the services you wish to enable. Click OK to confirm. Find out more about adding services» 5 Working with Computers on the Network 84

85 Performing actions on an individual computer Actions can also be performed on each individual computer. Find out more about actions performed on a computer» 5.13 View the details for each computer Network > (Computer name) provides an overview of a computer and the services running on it. Screenshot 101: Each computer's Overview screen provides a summary of the computer and the services enabled on it. It is made up of the following: 1. Navigation of sub sections, to access enabled services and computer settings; 2. A list of outstanding notifications, including service-related actions; 3. Summary information about the computer and any services enabled; 4. Computer actions Navigating enabled services and computer settings On the left of every screen is the navigation menu used to access more detail about the computer. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 85

86 Screenshot 102: The navigation menu available for each computer. It automatically reflects the services enabled for the computer. It has two functions: 1. Navigation the menu provides access to the enabled services, such as VIPRE Business or Network Server Monitor. 2. Computer settings access the basic settings for each computer. Find out more about Computer Settings» Notifications The Overview screen lists notifications for the computer. These are a summary of all outstanding notifications for every service enabled on the computer. Screenshot 103: A list of notifications for a single computer. Each displays a brief description that can be clicked to provide more detail. Many of them have associated actions such as restarting the computer or acknowledging a notification. View notifications for every computer on your network The Dashboard lists notifications for every computer on your network. It is the first screen you see whenever you log in, and can always be accessed from the main menu. Find out more about the Dashboard» 5 Working with Computers on the Network 86

87 Summary information for the computer Screenshot 104: The summary information provided for every computer. Each computer is summarized in a box on the right of the Overview screen. It provides the following details: The name of the computer (this can be changed at any time); Date of last contact; Date added to GFI Cloud; The operating system it uses; The Group it belongs to (this can be changed at any time). About groups in GFI Cloud Computers can be organized using groups. The Default group is included as standard, and initially all computers are included within this group. Find out more about group settings» Summary information for services enabled If services are enabled on the computer these are added below the computer summary. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 87

88 VIPRE Business Screenshot 105: Summary information provided when VIPRE Business is enabled. If VIPRE Business is enabled, it lists the following in a summary box: The policy used by the computer (this can be changed at any time); Version of the threats definition file in use; Date and time of the last scan; The type of scan performed; Status of Active Protection: Enabled or Disabled. Network Server Monitor Screenshot 106: Summary information provided when Network Server Monitor is enabled. If Network Server Monitor is enabled, it lists the following in a summary box: Number of checks failing; Number of checks passing; Total number of checks running on the computer; Number of checks currently synchronizing; Number of checks acknowledged. Each total provided is a link that provides more detailed information on Network Server Monitor checks running on the computer. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 88

89 Computer actions Screenshot 107: The actions available when viewing the detail of a single computer. There are a number of direct actions that can be performed on a computer. These are always accessible from the top of each screen. Actions Screenshot 108: Actions can be accessed when viewing the details of any computer. There are a range of actions you can perform on individual computers. Find out more about the actions you can perform on computers» Add services Screenshot 109: The Add services link available when viewing the details of a computer. Click Add services. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 89

90 Screenshot 110: Adding services from the computer's detail page prompts a dialog box. This prompts an informative dialog box that highlights the services currently enabled on the computer as well as the option to add more. Choose the service or services you wish and click OK. Find out more about licensing and adding services to computers» TeamViewer Screenshot 111: A link to start TeamViewer is available; this will automatically connect to the computer if TeamViewer is installed on both computers. If TeamViewer is installed it can be used to connect to the computer. Find out more about using TeamViewer in GFI Cloud» 5.14 Actions you can perform on a computer There are a number of direct actions that can be performed on a computer at Network > (Computer Name) > Actions. Screenshot 112: Actions can be accessed when viewing the details of any computer. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 90

91 This provides a popup screen with a number of options. These vary depending on the services enabled and running. Screenshot 113: The actions that can be run on each computer. Important: Actions do not require confirmation. Clicking them immediately initiates the action associated with each button. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 91

92 General actions Remote reboot Screenshot 114: Any computer can be restarted remotely from the GFI Cloud management console. Click Remote reboot to restart the computer. A reboot can take a few minutes to complete The process takes a few minutes to complete. Within five minutes the computer will check in and receive the instruction to restart. This prompts Windows to inform the computer user of the impending reboot using a dialog box. A further dialog is presented at the two minute mark to urge the user to save their work General actions connect using TeamViewer Screenshot 115: If TeamViewer is installed on the computer there is an option to connect to it. TeamViewer is integrated into GFI Cloud. You can use it to connect to any computer with TeamViewer installed. Find out more about using TeamViewer to connect to computers on your network» 5 Working with Computers on the Network 92

93 VIPRE Business actions Screenshot 116: There are a number of actions related to VIPRE Business that can be triggered from the management console. If VIPRE Business is installed there are options presented related to the service. Status Update now Run a Quick Scan Run a Deep Scan Reassign Policy Disable VIPRE Business Description Prompts the computer to fetch the latest threat definitions from GFI Labs. This option is only available if the definitions are out of date. Prompts the computer to initiate a Quick Scan; this only scans the areas of the computer most at risk. Prompts the computer to run a Deep Scan; this scans the entire computer. Computers with VIPRE Business enabled are assigned a policy based upon the type of computer they are; for example, a server. This can be reassigned at any time. Clicking this prompts a dialog listing the available policies; any one can be assigned. Deactivates VIPRE Business on the computer; this can be useful if antivirus needs to be temporarily suspended (VIPRE Business will automatically be enabled once the computer is restarted; this does not permanently disable the service) Network Server Monitor actions Run checks Screenshot 117: Network Server Monitor can be prompted to immediately run all checks, regardless of their set run time. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 93

94 This prompts the computer to immediately run all checks currently set up on the computer regardless of their default run time Using TeamViewer to connect to a computer About TeamViewer TeamViewer is an intuitive, fast and secure application for remote control of servers and workstations. It is fully integrated into GFI Cloud and requires little or no configuration to make use of it How it works TeamViewer can be accessed when viewing the details of any computer on your network. Important: TeamViewer must be installed and running on both the target computer and the computer being used to access GFI Cloud. The version of TeamViewer supported is version or better. Screenshot 118: TeamViewer can be accessed when viewing the details of any computer on your network. Click TeamViewer. Screenshot 119: GFI Cloud will prompt you to download the connection file. If you click Open it will automatically start TeamViewer and connect to the remote computer. This will download a TVC file that contains the connection information needed to access the remote computer. The browser will prompt you to open the file. If TeamViewer is installed on your computer it will automatically open and manage the connection to the remote target computer. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 94

95 Screenshot 120: You can access the target computer via TeamViewer when it successfully connects, providing full access. Once successfully connected, you will be able to access the target computer to analyze and fix any problems highlighted by GFI Cloud Troubleshooting TeamViewer If GFI Cloud cannot connect to the computer an informative dialog box will appear when you click the TeamViewer button. Screenshot 121: If GFI Cloud cannot connect to the computer an informative dialog box will appear highlighting the issue. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 95

96 TeamViewer is currently integrating, please try again shortly TeamViewer is in the process of intergrating with GFI Cloud. This process normally takes about 10 minutes. TeamViewer failed to integrate TeamViewer is installed on the remote computer but has failed to integrate with GFI Cloud. This could be caused by an unrelated phenomenon, such as a network outage. GFI Cloud will continue to try to integrate with TeamViewer. Please check again after 10 minutes. Please update TeamViewer to enable integration with GFI Cloud The version of TeamViewer detected on the remote computer is out of date. Please update to the latest version: Download TeamViewer. The GFI Cloud agent will auto-update to enable integration with TeamViewer The GFI Cloud agent on the target computer is updating to the latest version. Please try again shortly. TeamViewer is not configured correctly to integrate with GFI Cloud TeamViewer on the remote computer must be set to run as a service for it to work with GFI Cloud. Screenshot 122: TeamViewer's options can be accessed from the Extras menu. Open TeamViewer on the target computer and click Extras > Options 5 Working with Computers on the Network 96

97 Screenshot 123: The options available within TeamViewer. "Start TeamViewer with Windows" ensures the computer can always be accessed via GFI Cloud. Select Start TeamViewer with Windows and click OK. This will ensure TeamViewer runs as a Windows service automatically when the computer starts up. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 97

98 TeamViewer is not installed Screenshot 124: If TeamViewer is not installed, clicking the button to activate it will prompt you to download the software and install it on the remote computer you wish to access. If TeamViewer is not installed on the target computer GFI Cloud will prompt you to download and install it. TeamViewer integration is disabled TeamViewer integration with GFI Cloud has been suspended. This does not indicate a problem with the remote computer or the computer you are using to access GFI Cloud Find out more about TeamViewer You can find out more about TeamViewer at 5 Working with Computers on the Network 98

99 5.16 Computer settings Each computer has some basic settings. Go to Network > (Computer name) > Settings. Screenshot 125: Each computer has individual settings Computer settings offline mode A computer s agent can inform GFI Cloud if it shuts down. Screenshot 126: You can inform GFI Cloud to update the computer's status if it is shut down. Select the checkbox and click Save Overdue alert for servers Servers provide an additional option to notify you if they fail to check in with GFI Cloud. You can control the time delay that triggers an alert and the method of alerting. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 99

100 Screenshot 127: You can control the delay before a server is considered overdue. Time control the length of time that must pass before an alert is triggered; Alerts manage the alert options: SMS text message and SMS No alert sent. Choose the preferred option from the dropdown, and the method of contact, then click Save Computer settings Remove computer If a computer cannot be reached for example, it is damaged or lost it can be removed from GFI Cloud via the management console. Screenshot 128: Any computer can be removed from GFI Cloud. Click Remove computer. This will prompt a confirmation dialog for the action. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 100

101 Screenshot 129: The remove computer confirmation dialog. Click Remove computer to confirm and the computer will be removed from the management console. Important: The agent will still be installed on the computer; this process only removes it from the management console so it will no longer be monitored. It is important to remove the GFI Cloud agent itself from the target computer if it is possible to do so the agent cannot be uninstalled remotely for security reasons. What happens if the agent tries to contact GFI Cloud once the computer has been removed? The computer is no longer monitored by the management console and no services can therefore run on it. If this happens the GFI Cloud agent installed on the computer should be uninstalled Network Server Monitor settings This is a setting to control the time that Network Server Monitor s daily checks run. Screenshot 130: You can control when Network Server Monitor daily checks run. Choose a timeslot from the dropdown list. Click Save to confirm. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 101

102 5.17 Change the computer name Any computer name can be changed on GFI Cloud at Network > (Computer name). Screenshot 131: The computer's summary box with the edit icon used to change the name of any computer. Click the Edit icon in the summary box. This prompts a dialog box: Screenshot 132: The dialog box provides a field to change the name of the computer. Type the new name and click OK. What happens when a computer name is changed? The Name that is changed is in fact the label used by GFI Cloud to identify the computer. It does not change the native name of the computer itself. 5 Working with Computers on the Network 102

103 6 VIPRE Business This section outlines the features of VIPRE Business and how to make the most of it. 1. Quickstart Get up and running quickly with VIPRE Business. 2. What it does What VIPRE Business does and how it fits in with your network. 3. How it works How VIPRE Business works and how it helps you manage security. 4. How it updates How policies and threat definitions are updated. 5. Where to see VIPRE Business running Where you can go to see VIPRE Business working on your network. 6. Computers with issues to resolve Where to find computers that require attention. 7. VIPRE Business notifications VIPRE Business issues notifications, each of which is assigned a status. 8. Policies VIPRE Business is controlled using policies. 9. Scans How VIPRE Business performs scans on a computer. 10. Threats How VIPRE Business detects and records threats. 11. Quarantine The list of quarantined items, computers affected and actions that can be performed. 6 VIPRE Business 103

104 6.1 Quickstart VIPRE Business How to get started with VIPRE Business. 1. Add VIPRE Business to a computer 1. Add the GFI Cloud agent to the target computer. 2. Assign a license to the computer for VIPRE Business. GFI Cloud automatically adds the required components to the machine to enable the service. Find out more about adding services to a computer» 2. Active Protection is enabled by default VIPRE Business uses Active Protection a method of always-on, real-time protection. It is activated automatically on every default policy. 3. Changing VIPRE Business settings Everything within VIPRE Business is policy-based. A policy is a set of configuration options that control how protection is managed along with computer scanning, threat analysis and the deletion of threats. Any changes must be made to a policy which in turn affects all the computers that use the policy. Find out more about policies» 6 VIPRE Business 104

105 6.2 What it does VIPRE Business provides antivirus and anti-spyware protection through a single agent managed remotely via the GFI Cloud management console. VIPRE Business is easy to manage and deploy, and provides comprehensive endpoint malware protection. It provides the following features: Active Protection Proactively scans computer activity for threats; Policy-based management Enables administrators to create multiple policies based on user/computer types to simplify the management of security across a network; Scheduled scans Scans can be run at any time and are fully automated; Automatic updates VIPRE Business automatically fetches the latest information on threats. 6 VIPRE Business 105

106 6.3 How it works VIPRE Business is managed from the GFI Cloud management console and requires the installation of a lightweight agent on the target computer. The agent communicates with GFI Cloud and handles tasks such as installing the VIPRE Business components the part of the service that performs the actual scans for threats on the target computer. VIPRE Business makes use of the following: 1. The GFI Cloud management console The web-based console used to manage and monitor computers on the network. 2. The GFI Cloud agent The software agent installed on each computer that handles tasks such as installing service components and fetching updated policy settings. 3. The VIPRE Business agent Endpoint agent that runs scans and protects the computer based on instructions in the policy. 4. Policies A set of configurations that define responses to perceived threats, control scanning options and manage the update schedule. 6 VIPRE Business 106

107 6.4 How VIPRE Business updates A computer with GFI Cloud s agent installed checks in regularly to GFI Cloud. GFI Cloud does not contact the computer; it receives information from the computer sent by the installed agent Changes you initiate how policy updates propagate Policy updates are managed on the GFI Cloud management console and saved there. When a computer next checks in, it receives the update. These are not sent by GFI Cloud, but retrieved by the computer once it checks in. A simple example You log in to GFI Cloud and update a VIPRE Business policy for your sales laptops. This is immediately updated and saved, and made available to every computer that belongs to the Sales Laptop category. Each sales laptop will check in every five minutes if connected to the internet. For the machines that have access to the internet they will receive the updated policy within a few minutes. Machines that cannot check in those out of range of Wi-Fi or not connected to the internet, for example will receive the update the next time they do check in, whether it is hours, days or weeks later Changes from elsewhere updating threat definitions Endpoint protection is dependent on up-to-date threat definitions and these are retrieved directly from GFI Labs. The process is automatic and the frequency that the computer retrieves definitions is one of the settings within each policy you set. Each computer type has its own policy, and each 6 VIPRE Business 107

108 policy has its own frequency. This can be updated along with many other configuration options of policies. Finally, the definitions are stored on the computer, not on GFI Cloud. 6.5 Where to see VIPRE Business running Click Network on the main menu. Screenshot 133: The main menu highlighting the link to the Network section. This will list all computers on the network. Screenshot 134: Computers can be displayed as a grid or a list. Click the list link to display a list of all computers. 6 VIPRE Business 108

109 Screenshot 135: All computers, ordered by service. Click the VIPRE Business icon to order by service. Computers with VIPRE Business enabled are highlighted with a blue icon. 6 VIPRE Business 109

110 Sorting lists of computers Wherever computers are listed on GFI Cloud they can often be ordered by column. Screenshot 136: Computers listed by name. The column headers can be used to reorder the list. Click the column header or label to sort items. Click the same header to reverse the sort order. Screenshot 137: When selected, the column adds an icon indicating the direction of sorting. The sort order can be toggled by clicking the name again. A small icon appears once a column is selected. This indicates the direction of the sort mechanism. 6 VIPRE Business 110

111 6.6 Computers with issues to resolve The Dashboard provides information on computers requiring intervention. Screenshot 138: The Dashboard can be accessed from the main menu. Click the Dashboard link on the main menu then choose VIPRE Business from the dropdown menu near the top of the page. Screenshot 139: The Dashboard, isolating all notifications from VIPRE Business. This lists all notifications issued by VIPRE Business. Each computer name associated with the notification can be clicked for more details. Some notifications have actions that can be accessed from here. Find out more about VIPRE Business notifications» 6 VIPRE Business 111

112 6.7 VIPRE Business notifications The following statuses are used to indicate the severity or importance of notifications related to VIPRE Business: Critical Warning No notifications Installation issues Critical Screenshot 140: VIPRE Business critical status is indicated with a red color. This is the most severe warning provided and indicates a computer is considered to require immediate attention based upon the settings in the policy. This status can be a result of the following: VIPRE Business has outdated threat definitions; There are items in quarantine; VIPRE Business is not responding on this computer; A Windows Service Check for VIPRE Business has run and failed; When Active Protection is disabled and a scan has not been performed for a defined time Warning Screenshot 141: VIPRE Business warning status is indicated with an amber color. The computer may be exposed to some risk and therefore requires attention. This status can be the result of the following: VIPRE Business is disabled. 6 VIPRE Business 112

113 6.7.3 No notifications Screenshot 142: VIPRE Business no notifications status is indicated with a green color. The computer is protected. It is dependent on the following: Quarantine must be empty; When Active Protection is disabled a scan must have been run within the set timescale defined in the policy; Threat definitions are up to date; VIPRE Business must be running; Computer must not be Overdue; it must have successfully checked in Installation issues Screenshot 143: VIPRE Business installation issues are indicated with a blue color. Some issues highlighted are a result of the installation process. VIPRE Business install/uninstall is in process; When VIPRE Business is installing or uninstalling, but the process requires a restart to finish. Computer status is based on different factors The status information above relates to VIPRE Business only. Overall computer status is dependent on a number of contributory factors, of which VIPRE Business status is just one. Find out more about computer status» 6 VIPRE Business 113

114 6.8 Policies The policies section enables you to view, control and update policies across the entire network. 1. How policies work 2. Configuration options for policies General settings Scan settings Active Protection Remediation Allowed threats Exceptions 3. View existing policies 4. Create a new policy 5. Edit a policy 6. Delete a policy 7. Assigning policies to computers How policies work Policies are a set of configurations stored by GFI Cloud. The configuration options determine how VIPRE Business responds to threats and regulates scan schedules. Every aspect is under direct control. All computers using VIPRE Business must have a policy, and the default policy is assigned automatically based on computer type, for example a laptop, desktop or server. This policy-based architecture enables administrators to create multiple policies based on user or computer types that make the most sense in their organization, helping simplify the management of security. You can view a policy from VIPRE Business > Policies. This provides a list of every policy. 6 VIPRE Business 114

115 6.8.2 Configuration options for policies Screenshot 144: The configuration details of a policy. The configuration options for a policy are grouped under the following headings for convenience: 1. General Overall settings for the policy. This includes the name of the policy, some end user options, the number of days items should remain in quarantine and the frequency that threat definitions should be fetched. 2. Scan settings The options associated with scanning. These include schedules for scans as well as fallback options if a scan is missed. 3. Active Protection Active Protection is the real-time scanning mechanism used to provide comprehensive protection. You can amend the default settings as well as disable Active Protection. 4. Remediation Defines how identified threats and categories of threats are handled. There are a set number of options for each threat type (Allow, Report, Quarantine or Delete). 5. Allowed threats How VIPRE Business manages threats specifically allowed by an administrator. 6. Exclusions Files, folders and paths on a computer can be defined as exceptions, ensuring they are ignored by VIPRE Business. 6 VIPRE Business 115

116 1. General settings Screenshot 145: General settings for a policy. The general settings control the overall options for the policy. Option Policy Name Show taskbar icon Allow user to run manual scans? Allow user to cancel, pause and resume scans? Allow user to scan files and folders in Windows Explorer? Quarantine Updating Description The name or label for a policy. An option for end users to see an icon in their computer s taskbar displaying its status. The option to allow end users to use VIPRE Business to run Quick Scans, Deep Scans and custom scans on files and folders on their own computer. The option to allow end users to override automatic scans triggered by the policy; for example, a scan set to run at the same time each day. Option to allow end users run scans on their computer by right-clicking on a file or folder. Global setting to determine the action applied to items left in quarantine; the default behavior is to delete them and this setting enables you to define the time delay before deletion. The frequency that the protected computer should fetch new threat definitions from GFI Labs. 2. Scan settings Scan settings define how and when a scan is run on a computer. 6 VIPRE Business 116

117 There are two main elements: Scan settings Scan options Scan settings Screenshot 146: The scan settings for a policy. There are two scan types listed: Quick Scans and Deep Scans. The options are the same for both. Option Schedule Scan day Scan time Advanced options Scan process priority Locations Options Description Enables/Disables scheduled scan. When to run the scan; for example, every day or every Tuesday. The specific time the scan should run. Assigns a priority that controls the importance of the scan to the computer. For example, choosing a Low priority means higher priority processes on the machine will take precedence. Choose the locations to run the scan. The types of entities on the computer that should be scanned. Scan options 6 VIPRE Business 117

118 Screenshot 147: The scan options for a policy. Option Is a scan is missed, upon next startup Wake from sleep for scheduled scans Exclude low risk threats from detections Scan USB drives upon insertion Description Controls what VIPRE Business should do if a scan is missed. Enables/Disables waking the computer when due for a scan. A global option to ignore threats considered of little risk. Option to automatically scan USB drives when they are connected to the computer, without having to be prompted. If a scan is already underway while this happens, there is a further option to interrupt it and give priority to the USB drive. 3. Active Protection Active Protection is the mechanism VIPRE Business uses to provide real-time, always-on protection for computers. It is enabled by default on all policies and is recommended. 6 VIPRE Business 118

119 Screenshot 148: Active protection settings. Option Turn Active Protection on Notify user when Active Protection blocks known risks Description Global setting to enable Active Protection; it is enabled by default. Option for the computer user to be notified when a known risk is quarantined. On Access Active Protection can be set to scan any file that is used on a computer. The specific settings for this vary from only scanning files that are executed to any file that is even touched. 6 VIPRE Business 119

120 Screenshot 149: Administrators can configure high risk extensions. One of the options, High risk extensions only, has a further set of options associated with it. These control the file types that should trigger a scan. The default set of file extensions presented can be extended by the policy to include specified custom extensions. 6 VIPRE Business 120

121 4. Remediation Screenshot 150: Remediation settings. The Remediation screen enables you to customize the remediation settings (the actions that are taken on detection of a threat) down to the sub-category of threat, offering great versatility in its configuration. Remediation applies to both scanning and Active Protection. Threat types and sub-types The remediation settings allow a policy to take actions based upon the nature of the threat. Threats are categorized into a number of basic types, with sub-types that can each have different remediation settings. You can update any of the threat types or sub-types to reflect the needs of your organization. Each can have one of only four actions, detailed below. Remediation Level (actions taken) For each threat type or sub-type a different remediation level can be set, with an action associated with each level: 1. Allow Threat is allowed to run on the machine. Threats with Allow remediation assigned will not appear on GFI Cloud. 2. Report Only Threat is allowed to run but is tracked in reports. 3. Quarantine Threat is placed in quarantine, which resides on the agent machine. 4. Delete Threat is completely removed from the agent machine and unrecoverable. 6 VIPRE Business 121

122 Differences between Active Protection and scheduled scans Report and delete actions apply to scheduled scans only. Should Active Protection detect a threat in a category with these actions, it will allow or quarantine the threat instead. 5. Allowed threats Screenshot 151: The list of threats specifically allowed by a policy - these can be removed at any time. Throughout VIPRE Business there are options available to allow individual threats to not be deleted, quarantined or reported. The Allowed threats screen is where these decisions are ultimately recorded. Allowed threats can be removed by clicking the trash icon available next to the name of the threat. Screenshot 152: The remove confirmation dialog box. This prompts a confirmation dialog box. Click OK to remove it. This will then remove the allowance for this policy only. The process will need to be repeated for each individual policy that the threat has been allowed for. 6 VIPRE Business 122

123 Removing allowed threats An allowed threat is a threat that an administrator has decided not to act upon. Removing this exception reverts it to its original status. If encountered in future, it will once again trigger a response from VIPRE Business (it will be reported, quarantined or deleted depending on its policy setting). 6. Exclusions Screenshot 153: All exclusions are listed. Exclusions are the files and folders VIPRE Business is specifically directed to ignore. This applies to both scanning and Active Protection. Administrators can define any path including specific files, folders and, through the use of wildcards, files of a specific type within a specific location. These will be treated as exceptions and are never scanned. Some exclusions are included by default In policies aimed at servers some exclusions are defined by default. These are typically low risk areas and the policy excludes files that may be adversely affected by scanning, such as databases. 6 VIPRE Business 123

124 Important: Exclusions defined here are never scanned if they match the criteria defined. This overrides the settings in threat definitions. For example, if a specific threat is set to be deleted, but an exclusion is created for it, then the exclusion takes precedence and the item will be not be scanned (and therefore not deleted) View existing policies There are two areas of focus: 1. View all policies 2. View the detail of a single policy 1. View all policies Go to VIPRE Business > Policies The policies screen provides a summary of all the policies in operation on your network and the number of computers using each policy. Screenshot 154: The Policies screen within VIPRE Business lists every policy that has been created. It lists the following: The policy name; Computers using the policy; The date and time of the last update to the policy; 6 VIPRE Business 124

125 Indicates if the policy is used as a default for identified computers types; An option to delete the policy. It acts as a starting point for the various actions you can take with policies. These include viewing a specific policy and adding, updating and deleting policies. View computers with this policy (popup) Screenshot 155: The number of computers using each policy is indicated. Every policy listed indicates the number of computers that use the policy. Each number is an active link. Screenshot 156: A list of computers that use a particular policy. Click the number to reveal a list of computers that make use of the policy. 6 VIPRE Business 125

126 2. View the detail of a single policy Screenshot 157: Each policy listed can be clicked to find out more information. Click the policy name for the full details of the configuration options used in the policy. Screenshot 158: The configuration details of a policy. It is organized into categories for convenience. Find out more about configuring policies» Create a new policy Click on Add a new policy within the Policies section: VIPRE Business > Policies > Add a new policy 6 VIPRE Business 126

127 Screenshot 159: The policies screen with the Add a new policy link. Choose an existing template from the dropdown menu presented. This forms the basis for your new policy. Screenshot 160: The dropdown list presents every policy that has been created, including default policies and suggested supply policies. The configuration options for the policy are displayed, grouped into categories. 6 VIPRE Business 127

128 Screenshot 161: Each policy is grouped into sections. You can change any of the values in any category. Click Save to create the policy. Useful Tip: All policies within GFI Cloud are based on suggested supply policies that are provided as standard. These cannot be deleted and are always available as templates for the creation of new policies Edit a policy Click on a policy name on the list within the Policies screen: VIPRE Business > Policies. Screenshot 162: Each policy listed can be clicked to find out more information. The configuration options for the policy are displayed, grouped into categories. 6 VIPRE Business 128

129 Screenshot 163: Each policy is grouped into sections. Any values can be changed. Click Save to confirm. Save as new Similar to the process of creating a new policy, you can create one based on the changes you are making while updating an existing policy. In the update screens there is a Save as new button next to the Save button. This creates a new policy based on the currently viewed policy plus any changes you have made. The Save as new function does not alter the original policy and a unique name for the new policy must be provided Delete a policy Policies can be deleted from the Policies start screen: VIPRE Business > Policies 6 VIPRE Business 129

130 Screenshot 164: The Policies screen within VIPRE Business lists every policy that has been created. Each policy has a small trash icon. Clicking this prompts a confirmation dialog box. Screenshot 165: The Delete Policy confirmation. Click Delete to confirm the deletion. Some of the trash icons are grayed out and will not delete the policy because there are some restrictions in place. 6 VIPRE Business 130

131 Restrictions on deleting policies There are a number of restrictions in place to prevent accidental deletion of policies in use, or those not in use but assigned as defaults (to be automatically assigned to computers as they are added in future). 1. Suggested supply policy the original policies that are provided as standard with GFI Cloud. These cannot be deleted. 2. Policies assigned as defaults a policy, even a custom-designed policy, cannot be deleted if it is assigned to a category of computer. For example, there may be a unique policy assigned to Windows Small Business Server (SBS) Even if you have no instances of this type of server you will be unable to delete the policy assigned to it as a default. 3. Policies in use a unique policy (a policy not used as a default) cannot be deleted if it assigned to any computer. You can only delete policies not in use. The number of computers using a given policy is indicated on the policies start screen Assigning policies to computers New computers are automatically assigned a policy. These default assignments can be changed as can the policy used by a specific computer. Default policies assigned to computer types A default policy is assigned to each computer when it first enables VIPRE Business. This is based on the type of computer it is and is not managed directly by an administrator. Default policies assigned to categories of computer are listed at VIPRE Business > Settings 6 VIPRE Business 131

132 Screenshot 166: Each computer type identified by GFI Cloud receives a policy assigned to it by default. What do we mean by defaults and categories? Identified types include categories of computer such as servers, desktops or laptops, as well as more specific categories of server, for example Windows Small Business Server Any computer added to GFI Cloud is automatically assigned a category. If the VIPRE Business service is subsequently added to the computer, it will use the default policy assigned to the identified computer type. How to change the default policy for a computer type 6 VIPRE Business 132

133 Screenshot 167: Any computer type listed can make use of any existing policy to use as a default. Choose a new policy from the dropdown menu next to its name. Click Save to confirm. Important: The default policies are assigned to new devices only. If you subsequently change the default for a computer type, the existing computers do not change the policy they currently use. If desktop computers have the Desktop policy assigned to them, and the default policy assigned to desktop computers is then changed to DesktopNew, the existing desktop machines will continue to use Desktop. Important: Policies must already exist before assigning them. They cannot be created in the Settings section. Find out more about creating a new policy» Changing the policy used by a single computer To change the policy on a specific computer go to Network > (Computer name). Screenshot 168: The policy used by an individual computer can be changed at any time. The box on the right of the screen provides summary information about the VIPRE Business service running on the computer. It indicates the policy currently in use, and provides an edit function to change it. Click the Edit icon. This prompts a dialog box to choose an alternative policy. Screenshot 169: You can choose any policy from the list. Choose an alternative from the dropdown list. Click OK to confirm. 6 VIPRE Business 133

134 6.9 Scans VIPRE Business scans computers in real time for threats. Anything it finds is dealt with based on defaults included in policies automatically assigned to each computer, or on specific options under the control of administrators. It is designed to keep computers clean and free from threats and the process is automated Scan types performed by VIPRE Business VIPRE Business uses four basic types of scan to protect computers: Quick Scans Limits scans to areas typically most at risk, minimizing the impact on the computer. Deep Scans Cover all areas of the computer. This has a corresponding effect on the time taken to scan the computer. Custom Scans One-off scans performed by users or administrators on an individual computer. For example, scanning an individual folder. Active Protection Always-on, real-time scanning designed to provide maximum protection. This is enabled by default and is the recommended method of protection What the scans do The purpose of scanning is to find threats as they appear and deal with them. How they are dealt with is defined in the policy that the computer uses, and can be one of only four options: 1. Allow Threat is allowed to run on the machine. Threats with Allow remediation assigned will not appear on GFI Cloud. 2. Report Only Threat is allowed to run but is tracked in reports. 3. Quarantine Threat is placed in quarantine, which resides on the agent machine. 4. Delete Threat is completely removed from the agent machine and unrecoverable. Scans are always run on individual computers VIPRE Business is controlled using policies applied to computers across a network. Scans, however, are always run on individual computers and can be tracked, monitored and analyzed. 6 VIPRE Business 134

135 6.9.3 View scans on a single computer Go to Network > (Computer name) > VIPRE Business > Scans. Screenshot 170: VIPRE Business records all scans run on the computer. The scans screen lists the scans run on the computer over the last 60 days, and includes: The scan type; Date; Duration of the scan; Number of threats found; Number of detected threats in quarantine. Screenshot 171: Each scan uses an icon to indicate if the scan uncovered threats. Next to the column that indicates the type of scan performed is an icon that communicates the status of the scan and whether it has uncovered threats. Completed scans that have found no threats are indicated by the green success icon. 6 VIPRE Business 135

136 Scans that have detected threats are indicated by the red warning icon. VIPRE Business uses four basic types of scan to protect computers: Quick Scans Limits scans to areas typically most at risk, minimizing the impact on the computer. Deep Scans Cover all areas of the computer. This has a corresponding effect on the time taken to scan the computer. Custom Scans One-off scans performed by users or administrators on an individual computer. For example, scanning an individual folder. Active Protection Always-on, real-time scanning designed to provide maximum protection. This is enabled by default and is the recommended method of protection. Scan detail Click the name of a scan to produce a popup screen that lists the details of the scan performed. Screenshot 172: Each scan name can be clicked to reveal more details on detected threats. It lists every threat found and the traces associated with it (the elements that collectively make up a threat). The summary box provides detailed information on the scan: 6 VIPRE Business 136

137 Scan type; The outcome of the scan; The date and time of the scan; Its duration; Details of any threats found: Number of threats; Number of traces; Number of items sent to quarantine; Cookies scanned; Files scanned; Folders scanned; Registry entries scanned; Processes scanned. The main part of the scan popup screen outlines details on threats found: Name of the threat detected; Category it belongs to; Its severity; Any action taken. Information on traces The list of detections can provide further information on any traces found. Traces are the individual components which, taken together, make up a threat. Screenshot 173: A list of detected threats. Each can provide more information on traces. Click the reveal icon next to each threat name. 6 VIPRE Business 137

138 Screenshot 174: Each detected threat can reveal more information on the traces of the threat. This will reveal traces associated with the threat, including their location on the computer Threats VIPRE Business keeps track of threats faced by your network and enables you to focus on each computer in turn. 1. Threats across the network VIPRE Business collates threats faced by all computers across the network; you can see everything in one place. 2. Threats on a single computer the threats faced by a single computer on the network View detected threats across the network Go to: VIPRE Business > Threats This provides an overview of the threats across your network and enables you to view the details for a specific threat, including the computers affected. Threats screen The threats screen provides a summary of the danger your network currently faces, historical information on threats and the number of computers affected. 6 VIPRE Business 138

139 Screenshot 175: VIPRE Business provides a list of threats detected. It lists: Threat name; Category; Severity; Number of computers affected; Date and time of the last detection. View threat detail Screenshot 176: Each threat listed can provide more details. Click on the name of a threat listed. This reveals summary information about the threat: Name; Category it belongs to; Severity; A link for more information on the threat. It also lists: 6 VIPRE Business 139

140 The computers affected; The policy for each computer; Number of detections found; The action taken by VIPRE Business; Date of detection. You can click the name of any computer to find out more information. Threats, detections and traces A threat is any malware identified by VIPRE Business and can be detected multiple times there can be more than one version of it on a computer, and there can be many versions scattered across a network. Each detection can incorporate a number of traces. These are different files that collectively make up the detected threat. VIPRE Business provides details of all these elements. Typically the threats screen lists computers with the number of threats detected, and each computer can be viewed in detail to find out more about the traces that make up the detected threat. View specific computer affected Screenshot 177: Each individual computer holds details on threats. Click on the name of a computer affected for more detail on the computer as well as a recommendation in how to deal with the threat. The popup screen lists the following: 6 VIPRE Business 140

141 The name of the threat; Category it belongs to; Its severity; The recommended action; A link for more information on GFI labs. The popup screen also provides information on how the threat was discovered, and is one of four methods: A Custom Scan A Quick Scan A Deep Scan Active Protection Find out more about how scans work in VIPRE Business» Each threat can reveal more information on the traces associated with the threat. Screenshot 178: VIPRE Business records the traces that make up a threat. What happens to detected threats? Threats are dealt with in one of three ways: Moved to quarantine anything identified as malware, but not explicitly mentioned within a policy for deletion, allow or report is moved to quarantine. Deletion indicates an item has been identified and deleted. Allowed even if malware is perceived as a threat it can be allowed through if its remediation level is set to Report within a policy configuration. Find out more about configuration options for policies» View detected threats on a single computer Go to Network > (Computer name) > VIPRE Business > Threats. 6 VIPRE Business 141

142 Screenshot 179: The threats screen lists detected threats. The individual computer threats screen provides an overview of the threats the computer currently faces and enables you to view the details for a specific threat. It retains historical information for the last 60 days. It lists details for each threat: Name; Category it belongs to; Severity; Number of detections; When it was last detected; Most recent action performed. View the details of an identified threat Click a threat name for more detail. Screenshot 180: Any threat name can be clicked for more details. 6 VIPRE Business 142

143 Screenshot 181: Details of each threat are recorded by VIPRE Business. This provides summary information on the threat: Name; Category; Severity; The recommended action for the item; A link to GFI labs for more information. The right side of the screen provides more information on how the threat was detected by highlighting the type of scans used (a Custom Scan, a Deep Scan or Active Protection). These list the traces associated with each threat. 6 VIPRE Business 143

144 Screenshot 182: Each detected threat can reveal information on the traces found. You can reveal more information on the traces associated with the threat Quarantine The quarantine section provides information on threats that have been detected and moved to a safe area. It enables you to inspect them, see what actions have been taken and which computers have been affected. 1. General information about quarantine how quarantine works. 2. Quarantined items across the network VIPRE Business collates information on quarantined items from across the network. 3. Quarantined items on a single computer items are quarantined on each computer General information about quarantine The quarantine section provides information on threats that have been detected and moved to a safe area. It enables you to inspect them, see what actions have been taken and which computers have been affected. 6 VIPRE Business 144

145 How quarantine works Items identified as malware are copied to a holding area where they are kept isolated, with every detected trace of the original removed. The process is automatically handled by VIPRE Business: 1. An item is identified as a threat; 2. It is copied to a secure area on the computer and retained for inspection in case it is to be allowed; 3. The original item is securely deleted. The purpose of quarantine is to store items flagged as probable threats. It enables you to analyze them and change the default behaviors associated with threats as well as act directly on each item, such as deleting it. 6 VIPRE Business 145

146 Network view and single computer view Items are quarantined on each individual computer. However, GFI Cloud collates information on quarantined items from across the entire network. Quarantined items across the network» Quarantined items on a single computer» Quarantined items across the network You can view information on quarantined items from across the network. 1. Summary of all quarantined items across the network 2. View the details of a quarantined item 3. View a specific computer affected by a quarantined threat 4. The effect of allowing or deleting a quarantined item 1. A summary of all items in quarantine VIPRE Business > Quarantine provides a summary of the threats added to quarantine from across your network. Screenshot 183: A list of threats in quarantine. It lists: Threat name; Category; Severity; Number of detections. 6 VIPRE Business 146

147 This summary screen acts as a starting point for the various actions you can take with threats once they have been quarantined. These include viewing a threat in quarantine and the specific computers affected. 2. View the details of a quarantined item Click on the name of a quarantined threat listed at VIPRE Business > Quarantine > (Threat name). This provides full details about the threat as well as an overview of the computers affected by it. Screenshot 184: Details of a threat added to quarantine. Specific threat information is provided: Threat name; Category; Potential severity. Additional information is often available from GFI Labs, and a link is provided for more information. This screen also lists: Every detection of the threat (a single computer can be mentioned multiple times if it has more than one detection); The policy running on the computer; Number of traces found; Current status; Date of quarantine. You can click the name of any computer to find out more information. 3. View a specific computer affected by a quarantined threat Click the name of a computer listed in quarantine: VIPRE Business > Quarantine > (Threat name) > (Computer name) 6 VIPRE Business 147

148 Screenshot 185: A list of computers with the quarantined threat. Each computer name is a link and can be clicked for more information on the quarantined item. This displays a screen with details of the threat detection on that computer. Screenshot 186: A list of traces for a threat on a single computer. Useful Tip: Traces are the various components associated with a threat such as a virus or other malware. VIPRE Business is designed to track down all the elements associated with a threat, and these are listed on the screen above. The details provided are: Its name; Its status; Category; Severity; The name of the computer; 6 VIPRE Business 148

149 Date of quarantine; Scan type used to discover it. It also provides a brief description of the threat and details on the traces. You can take further action by deleting the threats or allowing them. Allow or delete an item from an affected computer When viewing the detail of the threat using the screen above, there is an option for quarantined items at the bottom of the screen to Delete or Allow. If the action chosen is Allow you will be given a further option of a one-off allowance, or whether to always allow this threat (see below). Note: these options are only available for items in quarantine. If the item is listed awaiting release from quarantine no actions are possible. 4. The effect of allowing or deleting a quarantined item Choosing to Allow a threat produces a dialog box prompting you to choose the effect of the action: Allow once Allow always Screenshot 187: Choosing to allow a threat triggers an option to allow only once or to always allow the threat. If Allow always is chosen this prompts a further dialog to choose the policies affected by the permanent allowance (the policy in use by the computer is selected by default). 6 VIPRE Business 149

150 Screenshot 188: If you choose to always allow a particular threat you are prompted to select the policies to update. Choose the policies to update. Click OK to confirm. Summary of the way actions affect policy The following table summarizes how delete and allow actions affect policies. Action Effect on threat Effect on policy Delete Item is deleted None policy remains unchanged and if the same threat is encountered in future it will be quarantined. Allow once Item is allowed None although allowed this time, the policy remains unchanged. If the item is encountered in future it will again trigger quarantine. Allow always Item is allowed Changed this action permanently changes the policy to allow this threat in the future. You are prompted to choose the policies you wish to update to reflect this decision. 6 VIPRE Business 150

151 Quarantining and restoring files to inaccessible locations When an item held in quarantine is released it is restored to its original location. However in rare cases this is not possible. If the original file was in a location that becomes inaccessible VIPRE Business will use a standard repository instead. An example may be a file found on a USB drive that is removed, or a folder with permissions that have changed since the quarantine was initiated. A more common example is the process of decompressing a zip file; the content files are typically stored in a temporary folder, and if these files are identified as a threat and quarantined their original location may not exist when restored. If this happens, and VIPRE Business cannot restore the file to its original location, files will be released to a standard directory instead. This differs depending on the operating system in use. Windows XP/Windows Server 2003 C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\GFI Software\AntiMalware\Unquarantine Windows Vista or later/windows Server 2008 or later C:\ProgramData\GFI Software\AntiMalware\Unquarantine Quarantined items on a single computer Go to Network > (Computer name) > VIPRE Business > Quarantine. This lists every quarantined item found on an individual computer. Screenshot 189: Each computer maintains a list of quarantined items. It provides basic details about each quarantined threat: 6 VIPRE Business 151

152 Name; Category it belongs to; Severity; The number of traces found; Current status; The date it was quarantined. 6 VIPRE Business 152

153 Allow or delete items in quarantine You can allow or delete items from the individual computer quarantine screen. Screenshot 190: Threats can be deleted or released from the quarantine screen. If you click one of the rows to select it, this will provide the option to Delete or Allow. You can select multiple items by pressing the Control key during selection. Screenshot 191: Three items are selected, automatically enabling the buttons to Delete or Allow. If the action chosen is Allow you will be given a further option of a one-off allowance, or whether to always allow this threat (see below). Note: Items can be listed in quarantine as Release pending. These cannot be acted upon in this way; only items listed with a status of Quarantined. 6 VIPRE Business 153

154 View the details of a quarantined threat Click the name of a threat to see more details Screenshot 192: Clicking the name of a threat opens a screen with more detailed information. The popup screen provides detailed information on the threat. Screenshot 193: You can view the detail of any threat in quarantine. On the left of the popup screen is a summary box with information on the item: Name; Status; Category it belongs to; Severity; 6 VIPRE Business 154

155 Computer name; Date it was quarantined; The scan type used to detect it; A link for more details from GFI Labs. The screen also provides information on the traces associated with the threat. Acting on quarantined items on a single computer When viewing the detail of the threat using the popup screen above, there is an option at the bottom of the screen to Allow or Delete. If the action chosen is Allow you will be given a further option of a one-off allowance, or whether to always allow this threat (see below). The effect of allowing or deleting a quarantined item Choosing to Allow a threat produces a dialog box prompting you to choose the effect of the action: Allow once Allow always Screenshot 194: Choosing to allow a threat triggers an option to allow only once or to always allow the threat. If Allow always is chosen this prompts a further dialog to choose the policies affected by the permanent allowance (the policy in use by the computer is selected by default). 6 VIPRE Business 155

156 Screenshot 195: If you choose to always allow a particular threat you are prompted to select the policies to update. Choose the policies to update. Click OK to confirm. Summary of the way actions affect policy The following table summarizes how delete and allow actions affect policies. Action Effect on threat Effect on policy Delete Item is deleted None policy remains unchanged and if the same threat is encountered in future it will be quarantined. Allow once Item is allowed None although allowed this time, the policy remains unchanged. If the item is encountered in future it will again trigger quarantine. Allow always Item is allowed Changed this action permanently changes the policy to allow this threat in the future. You are prompted to choose the policies you wish to update to reflect this decision. Quarantine history Each computer retains a historical record of quarantine activity. This is displayed in a list format below the live quarantined items. 6 VIPRE Business 156

157 Screenshot 196: Each computer retains a list of past quarantine activity. This contains historical information on quarantined threats that have been acted upon; either deleted or allowed. The information is retained for 60 days for each computer. Note: This information is not available for the network. It is only retained for each single computer. 6 VIPRE Business 157

158 Quarantining and restoring files to inaccessible locations When an item held in quarantine is released it is restored to its original location. However in rare cases this is not possible. If the original file was in a location that becomes inaccessible VIPRE Business will use a standard repository instead. An example may be a file found on a USB drive that is removed, or a folder with permissions that have changed since the quarantine was initiated. A more common example is the process of decompressing a zip file; the content files are typically stored in a temporary folder, and if these files are identified as a threat and quarantined their original location may not exist when restored. If this happens, and VIPRE Business cannot restore the file to its original location, files will be released to a standard directory instead. This differs depending on the operating system in use. Windows XP/Windows Server 2003 C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\GFI Software\AntiMalware\Unquarantine Windows Vista or later/windows Server 2008 or later C:\ProgramData\GFI Software\AntiMalware\Unquarantine 6 VIPRE Business 158

159 7 Network Server Monitor The features of Network Server Monitor and how to make the most of it. 1. Quickstart The basics of Network Server Monitor. 2. What it does What Network Server Monitor does and how it fits in with your network. 3. How it works How Network Server Monitor helps you manage your computers. Checks 4. How checks work How Network Server Monitor performs checks on computers. 5. Current checks running on a computer Where to find information on checks running now. 6. Past checks run by Network Server Monitor Where to find historical information. 7. Add, edit or remove a check How to add, update or remove checks. 8. The checks Network Server Monitor performs A full list of every check, how they work and the parameters for each one. 1. Antivirus Update Check 2. Backup Check 3. Critical Events Check 4. Disk Space Check 5. Windows Service Check 6. Physical Disk Health Check 9. Computers with checks failing What to do if checks fail on a computer. Status and alerts 10. Check status Every check is assigned a status. 11. Receiving alerts for checks Administrators can be alerted to issues as they arise. 12. Acknowledging issues and alerts You can temporarily dismiss alerts. 7 Network Server Monitor 159

160 7.1 Quickstart Network Server Monitor The basics of Network Server Monitor. 1. What it is Network Server Monitor provides a suite of monitoring tools to check computers for issues. It can alert administrators to problems via or SMS text messages. 2. Adding Network Server Monitor to a computer 1. Add the GFI Cloud agent to the target computer; 2. Assign a license to the computer for Network Server Monitor from the Licenses section; 3. GFI Cloud automatically begins running checks. 3. See what checks are running Checks are run on individual computers. The Checks screen lists every check running on a computer: Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > Checks 4. Find out which computers have issues Network Server Monitor highlights computers that require attention at Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > Checks. 5. Network Server Monitor runs checks automatically Network Server Monitor works as soon as it is enabled on a computer. It runs a default set of checks based upon the unique hardware and software configuration of the computer. Any of the checks can be changed and adapted. New ones can be added from Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > Checks Find out more about the checks Network Server Monitor performs» 7 Network Server Monitor 160

161 7.2 What it does Network Server Monitor provides a suite of monitoring tools to check computers for issues. It can alert administrators to problems via or SMS text messages. It has the following features: Monitors and reacts to server and workstation failures and irregularities Pre-configured checks are intelligently added to devices automatically during installation Scheduled checks monitor disk space, windows services, critical events, physical disk performance, scheduled backups and antivirus software updates Checks can be tailored to specific needs Intuitive web interface shows real-time status of all workstations and servers, highlighting those that need attention Rapid alerts highlight critical issues to IT Admins using and text messages Remedial actions enable swift resolutions; for example rebooting a server remotely or restarting a Windows service automatically What is a check? A check is a test or series of tests run on the target computer. The essential activity of Network Server Monitor is to assess the state of a check and to highlight if the check fails. This failure state can then trigger an alert to administrators via or SMS. 7 Network Server Monitor 161

162 7.3 How it works The installed agent communicates with GFI Cloud and manages a series of checks run on the target computer. Network Server Monitor relies on the following: 1. The GFI Cloud management console The web-based console used to manage and monitor computers. 2. The GFI Cloud agent The software agent installed on each computer. 3. Checks Network Server Monitor makes use of its own suite of checks available to run locally on computers. Automated checks Network Server Monitor runs a series of local checks on each computer. The checks available depend upon the unique configuration of each computer, and Network Server Monitor is designed to run a set of default checks based on this configuration. These defaults are comprehensive, and for most networks will cover all the issues likely to emerge. 7 Network Server Monitor 162

163 7.4 How checks work Network Server Monitor makes use of services available on each Windows computer with supervision and control provided by the GFI Cloud management console. It monitors computers on your network by running a series of checks Check types There are six types of check you can perform on a computer when using Network Server Monitor: 1. Antivirus Update Check 2. Backup Check 3. Critical Events Check 4. Disk Space Check 5. Windows Service Check 6. Physical Disk Health Check Each check type has its own set of parameters and constraints, and this is reflected in the screens used to add a new check or update an existing one. Find out more about the checks you can perform» Checks failing A check is a test or series of tests run natively on the target computer. The essential activity of Network Server Monitor is to assess the state of a check and to highlight if it fails. This failure state can then trigger an alert to administrators via or SMS. A simple example A Disk Space Check it is designed to monitor the available space on a computer disk. If it drops below a set amount it fails. If it is above the threshold for the check it passes and no further action is taken. Find out more about where you can monitor checks that are failing» Check frequency There are two basic frequencies: daily checks and real-time checks. 7 Network Server Monitor 163

164 Daily checks These run each day at a time specified by you. The default is 6:00am. The time to run them is a property of each computer: Go to: Network > (Computer name) > Settings Screenshot 197: The time each day to run daily checks is a property of each computer. This can be set to any time of the day that is convenient. Real-time checks Real-time checks run every five minutes. Unique frequencies On some checks there are more detailed options. For instance, the Backup Check can be amended to run only on days specified by you. Screenshot 198: Some checks provide the option to limit the days a check runs. This is controlled in the Settings for the check itself, and is presented when you first create the check or later update it. Find out more about adding and updating checks» 7 Network Server Monitor 164

165 7.5 Current checks running on a computer The checks currently running on an individual computer can be found in two places, each providing different levels of detail View a summary of check activity Go to Network > (Computer name) > Overview. Screenshot 199: Each computer provides a summary of check activity. Each computer's Overview screen includes a summary box for Network Server Monitor, providing a snapshot of activity. It lists the following in a summary box: Number of checks failing; Number of checks passing; Total number of checks running on the computer; Number of checks currently synchronizing; Number of checks acknowledged. Each total provided is a link that provides more detailed information on Network Server Monitor checks running on the computer List every current check running on a computer Go to Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > Checks. This lists every check running on the computer now. 7 Network Server Monitor 165

166 Screenshot 200: A list of a every check currently running on a single computer. It lists information on checks within a table: Status of each check (passing or failing); Frequency it runs (daily or real time); Its name; Description of the status; Date and time it was last run. Find out more about check status» View details You can click on the name of any of the checks to receive more detailed information. 7 Network Server Monitor 166

167 Screenshot 201: Each check can be clicked to provide more information. This produces a screen for each check and includes the ability to gain more information on its status, past notifications and the check settings. The settings can also be updated from here. Find out more about Network Server Monitor checks» 7 Network Server Monitor 167

168 7.6 Past checks run by Network Server Monitor There are three places to find historical information on resolved checks: 1. Network-wide information 2. Individual computers 3. Individual checks Network-wide historical information on checks Click Network Server Monitor on the main menu. Screenshot 202: The main menu highlighting the link to Network Server Monitor. This lists all resolved notifications from across the network. 7 Network Server Monitor 168

169 Screenshot 203: The Resolved notifications screen lists historical information on checks run on your network. It acts as a useful source of recent historical notifications provided by Network Server Monitor and it retains information for 60 days. It provides summarized information on past issues: The computer name (each can be clicked for more information); The specific check performed (some categories have many different specific checks); The date it was resolved; The duration of the issue. Focus on one computer Screenshot 204: The filter menu enables you to focus on a single computer. The screen provides a filter mechanism to enable you to focus on a single computer Individual computer historical information on checks Go to: Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > History This presents a list of Recently resolved notifications. 7 Network Server Monitor 169

170 Screenshot 205: Each computer running Network Server Monitor retains a list of resolved issues. This stores information on the computer for 30 days. It contains basic information: The name of the check; The date it was resolved; The duration of the issue Individual check view A notifications history is retained within each check. Go to: Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > (Check Name) > Notifications history 7 Network Server Monitor 170

171 Screenshot 206: Every check running on GFI Cloud maintains a history of notifications for 60 days. It provides basic information: The start date for the issue; The end date for the issue; The cause or reason for failure. This is retained for 60 days. 7 Network Server Monitor 171

172 7.7 Add, edit or remove a check Add a check All checks are run on individual computers: Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > Checks > Add a check It offers checks available to run on the computer. This prompts a popup screen containing the parameters for the check. These are unique to each check. 7 Network Server Monitor 172

173 Screenshot 207: The check settings screen containing the parameters to add a new check. Review and choose from the options presented. Click Add to run the check. The check runs on the frequency set by you or the built-in default, and reports back on the same basis. Alerts are under your full control and are also set on the same screen. Find out more about the checks you can perform» 7 Network Server Monitor 173

174 7.7.2 Edit a check Any check can be updated at any time. Go to Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > Checks Screenshot 208: Click the name of any check to edit it. Click on the name of the check to produce the popup screen. One of the menu options is Settings. Screenshot 209: An existing check's menu. This displays the options for the check. 7 Network Server Monitor 174

175 Screenshot 210: The screen containing the settings for an existing check. Any of the parameters can be changed. Click Save to update Remove a check Any check can be removed at any time. Go to Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > Checks Click on the name of the check to produce the popup screen. One of the menu options is Settings. Screenshot 211: An existing check's menu. This displays the options for the check. 7 Network Server Monitor 175

176 Screenshot 212: Each existing check has an option to remove the check. Click Remove this check. This will prompt a confirmation box. Screenshot 213: Removing a check will prompt a confirmation dialog. Click Yes to remove the check. It takes time to initialize and synchronize When you make any changes assigning a service to a computer, adding a check or editing an existing one it takes a little time to synchronize. GFI Cloud does not actively send messages to computers, the computers themselves check in to retrieve updates. They do this every five minutes, so updates can take a few minutes to propagate. 7 Network Server Monitor 176

177 7.8 The checks Network Server Monitor performs There are six types of check Network Server Monitor can perform on a computer: 1. Antivirus Update Check Checks if antivirus definitions file is in sync with the current version released by the vendor. 2. Backup Check Determines whether a specified number of backups exist. 3. Critical Events Check Scans the event logs on a computer looking for any critical events during the past 24 hours. 4. Disk Space Check Measures the amount of free space on a disk. 5. Windows Service Check Monitors any available Windows service and alerts if a service has stopped. 6. Physical Disk Health Check Monitors hard disks for problems. Each check type has its own set of parameters and constraints, and this is reflected in the screens used to add a new check or update an existing one. 7 Network Server Monitor 177

178 7.8.1 Antivirus Update Check The antivirus update check determines if your antivirus definitions file is in sync with the current version released by the vendor. If a discrepancy exists it can send an alert. Screenshot 214: The Antivirus Update Check screen containing the parameters and settings for the check. 7 Network Server Monitor 178

179 Select product to check You are presented with a list of antivirus products in a dropdown box. Select the one installed on the target computer. Computers with VIPRE Business enabled If the computer has enabled GFI VIPRE Business Online then this does not appear in the products listed. The antivirus check is not needed if this is enabled on the computer through GFI Cloud. There are a number of listed products that share a similar name to GFI VIPRE Business Online. These are different products, and if selected will fail since they will not be installed on the target computer. Check options There is an option to restrict the days that the check is run. It can be run every day or only on selected days. Alert threshold The check fails, and an alert is sent, once the product is out of date for a set amount of time. This can be set to immediate and will fail as soon as it is discovered, or it can wait for up to ten days. Monitoring frequency Daily. Monitoring status Antivirus update checks have the following statuses: Status Awaiting synchronization Check passing Check failing Check failing Description The check has been created, but the target computer has not yet checked in and therefore it has still to run. The antivirus definitions file is the latest version. The antivirus definitions file is out of date. Product not found the product chosen from the selection is incorrect or cannot be found on the computer. 7 Network Server Monitor 179

180 Alerts Whenever you add a check you are given the choice of whether to be alerted as well as the preferred method of contact. Screenshot 215: Each check can use unique alert settings. The options are: 1. only 2. SMS only 3. and SMS 4. No alerts sent Important: The alert options are ultimately controlled by global alert settings the communication settings defined as part of an administrator s user details. The global settings override the local settings attached to a check. If an administrator marks a check to alert via , and is disabled for the administrator s user account, no alert will be sent. Find out more about alerts and communication» 7 Network Server Monitor 180

181 7.8.2 Backup Check The backup check determines if a specified number of backups exist. If not, the check fails. Screenshot 216: The Backup Check screen containing the parameters and settings for the check. 7 Network Server Monitor 181

182 Select product to check You are presented with a list of backup products in a dropdown box. Select the one installed on the target computer. Check options There is an option to select the days the check should cover (some computers may not be backed up every day). The check itself is run the next day to check the integrity of the previous day s backups. Alert threshold Some backup products can be configured to run multiple backups. An alert is sent if there are fewer backup jobs than expected. Complete with exceptions Some backups are marked as incomplete because they have skipped some files. There is an option to ignore these and include them as successful backups. This can help prevent minor discrepancies from causing the entire check to fail. Variable options The exact options available will depend on the product. When a product is selected the options change to reflect what is available. Many provide the same options, although the exact wording varies from product to product. Monitoring frequency Daily. Monitoring status Backup checks have the following statuses: Status Awaiting synchronization Check passing Check failing Description The check has been created, but the target computer has not yet checked in and therefore it has still to run. The expected backups have been found. The expected number of backups has not been found. 7 Network Server Monitor 182

183 Status Check failing Description Product not found the product chosen from the selection is incorrect or cannot be found on the computer. Alerts Whenever you add a check you are given the choice of whether to be alerted as well as the preferred method of contact. Screenshot 217: Each check can use unique alert settings. The options are: 1. only 2. SMS only 3. and SMS 4. No alerts sent Important: The alert options are ultimately controlled by global alert settings the communication settings defined as part of an administrator s user details. The global settings override the local settings attached to a check. If an administrator marks a check to alert via , and is disabled for the administrator s user account, no alert will be sent. Find out more about alerts and communication» 7 Network Server Monitor 183

184 7.8.3 Critical Events Check The critical events check scans the event logs on a computer looking for any critical events during the past 24 hours. It is intended as a comprehensive test to highlight potential issues on a computer before they become problematic, and to provide an opportunity for you to investigate. Screenshot 218: The Critical Events Check screen containing the parameters and settings for the check. 7 Network Server Monitor 184

185 Select event log to check You are presented with a list of event logs in a dropdown box; these are unique to the target computer. One can be selected for scanning. What checks are available? Each computer has a unique set available, but most have these important logs: Application logs a log used by installed applications and Windows; useful to monitor events related to software. System logs used by Windows to log events. Security logs (if enabled by an administrator) related to security issues, especially network activity. If these logs are available they will always be included as part of the default set of checks run automatically by Network Server Monitor. Check options There is an option to choose the focus the ten most frequent events or the ten most recent. Alert threshold The default behavior is set to Report only. This means the check continually passes but issues are reported on GFI Cloud without prompting an alert. Screenshot 219: By default, critical events are recorded on GFI Cloud without sending an alert. This is indicated with a "Pass" icon in green, and the Description column reflecting the number of events found. Monitoring frequency Daily. Monitoring status Critical events checks have the following statuses: 7 Network Server Monitor 185

186 Status Awaiting synchronization Check passing Check failing Description The check has been created, but the target computer has not yet checked in and therefore it has still to run. No critical events have been found or events have been found but are reported on the management console only. One or more critical events have been found. What are critical events? Microsoft Windows makes use of a centralized log system to record events. These logs can be monitored and the events that they record assessed in terms of importance. Potentially harmful events found in the logs can then be communicated to administrators. Alerts Whenever you add a check you are given the choice of whether to be alerted as well as the preferred method of contact. Screenshot 220: Each check can use unique alert settings. The options are: 1. only 2. SMS only 3. and SMS 4. No alerts sent Important: The alert options are ultimately controlled by global alert settings the communication settings defined as part of an administrator s user details. The global settings override the local settings attached to a check. If an administrator marks a check to alert via , and is disabled for the administrator s user account, no alert will be sent. Find out more about alerts and communication» 7 Network Server Monitor 186

187 7.8.4 Disk Space Check The amount of free disk space is measured as a percentage. If it falls below the level set by the check it fails. Screenshot 221: The Disk Space Check screen containing the parameters and settings for the check. 7 Network Server Monitor 187

188 Select disk to scan You are presented with a list of detected disks on the target computer. One can be selected for scanning. Alert threshold The amount of free space, recorded as a percentage, is defined. The check fails when the available disk space falls below this. Monitoring frequency Real time. Monitoring status Disk space checks have the following statuses: Status Awaiting synchronization Check passing Check failing Check failing Description The check has been created, but the target computer has not yet checked in and therefore it has still to run. The free space is greater that the threshold set. The free space is lower than the threshold set. The selected drive cannot be found. Alerts Whenever you add a check you are given the choice of whether to be alerted as well as the preferred method of contact. Screenshot 222: Each check can use unique alert settings. The options are: 1. only 2. SMS only 3. and SMS 4. No alerts sent 7 Network Server Monitor 188

189 Important: The alert options are ultimately controlled by global alert settings the communication settings defined as part of an administrator s user details. The global settings override the local settings attached to a check. If an administrator marks a check to alert via , and is disabled for the administrator s user account, no alert will be sent. Find out more about alerts and communication» 7 Network Server Monitor 189

190 7.8.5 Windows Service Check This check can monitor any available Windows service and alert if it has stopped. Screenshot 223: The Windows Service Check screen containing the parameters and settings for the check. 7 Network Server Monitor 190

191 Select service to monitor You are presented with a list of Windows services on the target computer. One can be selected for monitoring. Check options Start pending mode If the computer is in Start Pending mode alerts can be disabled. In this state the service may be legitimately paused for a time while it performs an operation. Automatic restarts If the service is discovered to have stopped GFI Cloud can attempt to restart it. There are separate alerts related to this activity to ensure the computer is not left to perpetually restart. Alert threshold The number of failures expected before an alert is sent; for example, you can be alerted only if the service has stopped 5 times. If service restarts are enabled If the restart option is enabled there are further options presented: 1. The check fails if the service restarts a set number of times; for example, receive an alert if it is restarted 6 times; 2. The check fails if the service is restarted a set number of times in a specified time period; for example, send an alert if the service is restarted 6 times in 48 hours. Monitoring frequency Real time. Monitoring status Windows service checks have the following statuses: 7 Network Server Monitor 191

192 Status Awaiting synchronization Check passing Check failing Check failing Description The check has been created, but the target computer has not yet checked in and therefore it has still to run. The service is running. The service is not running. The service cannot be opened. What are Windows Service Checks? A Windows service is a background process executed by the computer to perform a range of functions that do not require user input or intervention. They can be services that run when the computer starts or in response to user input, such as starting a program. Windows services operate constantly in the background and can be monitored to ensure they are not stopped or disrupted. Alerts Whenever you add a check you are given the choice of whether to be alerted as well as the preferred method of contact. Screenshot 224: Each check can use unique alert settings. The options are: 1. only 2. SMS only 3. and SMS 4. No alerts sent Important: The alert options are ultimately controlled by global alert settings the communication settings defined as part of an administrator s user details. The global settings override the local settings attached to a check. If an administrator marks a check to alert via , and is disabled for the administrator s user account, no alert will be sent. Find out more about alerts and communication» 7 Network Server Monitor 192

193 7.8.6 Physical Disk Health Check This check engages Self-Monitoring, Analysis and Reporting Technology (SMART), a mechanism for physical hard disks to monitor them for potential problems, ideally providing prior warning of failure before any data is lost. It is a standard feature of many hard disks and one of the tests performed is to determine if SMART is present. Screenshot 225: The Physical Disk Health Check screen containing the parameters and settings for the check. 7 Network Server Monitor 193

194 Check options There are no options for this check. It scans any disk it finds. Alert threshold The check is set to fail if a SMART-enabled disk finds errors. Monitoring frequency Daily. Monitoring status Physical disk health checks have the following statuses: Status Awaiting synchronization Check passing Check failing Check failing Description The check has been created, but the target computer has not yet checked in and therefore it has still to run. No errors have been found on the disk. One or more errors have been found on the disk. Check not available on this device (there is no SMART on the disk). Alerts Whenever you add a check you are given the choice of whether to be alerted as well as the preferred method of contact. Screenshot 226: Each check can use unique alert settings. The options are: 1. only 2. SMS only 3. and SMS 4. No alerts sent 7 Network Server Monitor 194

195 Important: The alert options are ultimately controlled by global alert settings the communication settings defined as part of an administrator s user details. The global settings override the local settings attached to a check. If an administrator marks a check to alert via , and is disabled for the administrator s user account, no alert will be sent. Find out more about alerts and communication» 7 Network Server Monitor 195

196 7.9 View computers with checks failing You can see the checks that are failing at three locations: 1. Dashboard 2. Each computer's summary screen 3. Each computer's Network Server Monitor screen The dashboard lists failed checks The Dashboard is the first screen you see when you log in. It always lists any failed Network Server Monitor checks. Screenshot 227: The Dashboard can be accessed from the main menu. Click the Dashboard link on the main menu then choose Network Server Monitor from the dropdown menu near the top of the page. Screenshot 228: A list of failed checks on the Dashboard. Check names can be clicked for more information, and each can be acknowledged to temporarily disable alerts. 7 Network Server Monitor 196

197 This lists all notifications issued by Network Server Monitor. Each computer name can be clicked to provide access to its details. The name of each check is also a link. This reveals the popup associated with the check running. Find out more about acknowledging checks» The computer's network summary screen lists failed checks Go to Network > (Computer name) > Overview. Screenshot 229: The Network Overview screen lists failed checks for each computer. The Overview screen provides a summary of activity on the computer, and lists any failed checks run by Network Server Monitor. Failed checks can be acknowledged from this screen. Find out more about acknowledging checks» The Network Server Monitor summary for each computer lists failed checks Go to Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > Checks. Screenshot 230: The Network Server Monitor Checks screen lists any failed checks at the top, before all other running checks. 7 Network Server Monitor 197

198 The Network Server Monitor Checks screen for each computer lists all running checks. Failed checks are highlighted with a red icon and always appear at the top before all other checks running on the computer. Failed checks can be acknowledged from here, temporarily disabling alerts. Find out more about acknowledging checks» 7 Network Server Monitor 198

199 7.10 Network Server Monitor check status Network Server Monitor uses statuses to help administrators keep track of checks Check statuses Status Awaiting synchronization Awaiting first run Check passing Check failing Check acknowledged Description The check has been created, but the target computer has not yet checked in and therefore it has still to run. The check has synchronized, but has not yet run. The check is passing, with no issues reported. The check has failed. The check has been acknowledged by an administrator Where to see check status There are two places to monitor the current status of a check: 1. Check summary screen 2. Viewing the detail of an individual check Check summary screen Go to Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > Checks Screenshot 231: The list of current checks running on the computer. Each displays an icon reflecting the status of the check. This lists every check currently running on a single computer. Each check's status is displayed using a distinct icon. 7 Network Server Monitor 199

200 Screenshot 232: Hovering over each icon displays more detailed information. Hover the cursor over each icon to access more detailed information on the current status. Viewing the detail of an individual check Screenshot 233: Click the name of any check to access its details. Go to Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > Checks and click on the name of a check to produce the popup screen. 7 Network Server Monitor 200

201 Screenshot 234: When viewing the detail for each check the current status is prominently displayed. The current status of the check is always present. Overall computer status Each computer is assigned an overall status to provide a sense of its health. This incorporates information from each service enabled as well as the availability of the computer itself. This status is distinct from the status of individual checks running on the computer. Find out more about the status assigned to each computer» 7.11 Receiving alerts for checks One of the purposes of Network Server Monitor is to alert administrators to issues as they arise. The platform uses two methods to achieve this: alerts and SMS text messages. Alerts can be configured for each individual check and also controlled with a global setting. 7 Network Server Monitor 201

202 Check-specific alerts Whenever you add a new check you can choose whether to be alerted as well as the preferred method of contact. Screenshot 235: Every check has specific alert options - you can choose the checks to be alerted about. This option is specific to each check you add, providing considerable control. Updating alert settings for an existing check Alerts can be amended at any time by accessing the check: Go to: Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > Checks > (Check Name) > Settings Screenshot 236: Each check has a menu providing access to settings and check information. This presents all the parameters related to the check, one of which is the /SMS setting. Important: Your mobile or cellphone number must be added to your own account details so that SMS messages can be sent. It can be found here: Settings > Alerts > I want to receive SMS alerts This will prompt you to add a valid cellphone or mobile number for GFI Cloud to message Global alert settings As well as individual settings for each check you have a global setting for your contact details as a user of the system. You can find this setting within the Settings section at Settings > Alerts. The options are and SMS. For each there is a field to add the appropriate information. 7 Network Server Monitor 202

203 Screenshot 237: The global alert settings record the addresses and telephone numbers for alerts. Find out more about global alert settings» 7.12 Acknowledging notifications and alerts When Network Server Monitor issues an alert it can be acknowledged and temporarily prevented from sending further alerts Notifications and acknowledging notifications When a check fails it provides a notification. There is an option to quickly dismiss these notifications whenever they appear. Go to Network > (Computer name) > Network Server Monitor > Checks 7 Network Server Monitor 203

204 Screenshot 238: A list of checks displayed on the individual computer Checks screen. By clicking Acknowledge you inform the system that the issue has been noted, but to stop alerting you to the fact. Screenshot 239: Acknowledged notifications are indicated with a dedicated icon. Any Acknowledged notifications are listed on the same screen, indicated by an orange icon Differences between daily checks and real-time checks The acknowledged state behaves in different ways depending on whether the check is daily or performed in real time. Acknowledging real-time checks Real-time checks run every five minutes. When acknowledged they remain acknowledged until the check next passes, at which point the system resets to enable further alerts if it again fails. Acknowledged real-time checks 1 - Failed check acknowledged, continues to fail Check fails > Acknowledged > No further alerts if it continues to fail Acknowledged real-time checks 2 - Failed check acknowledged, subsequently passes If the check passes the system resets, ready to provide an alert if it fails in the future. 7 Network Server Monitor 204

205 Check fails > Acknowledged > Check subsequently passes > Reset > New alert sent if check fails Acknowledging daily checks Daily checks are automatically reset. Since they only run once per day the acknowledged state only lasts until the check next runs, when you can be alerted to it failing (and then acknowledge again). Check fails > Acknowledged > Acknowledged status remains until next day Acknowledged check status Once a check is acknowledged it acquires a special state of Check acknowledged. This orange icon is visible wherever the check is listed Where can I see the computers with checks failing? There are a number of locations where GFI Cloud lists computers with checks failing. Find out more about checks failing» 7 Network Server Monitor 205

206 8 Asset Tracking The main features of GFI Cloud's asset tracking service. 1. What it does GFI Cloud monitors and reports on the hardware and software configuration of each computer. 2. Summary information Each computer's important details are summarized. 3. Hardware Outlines the hardware configuration of the computer. 4. Software The software installed on each computer. 8 Asset Tracking 206

207 8.1 What Asset Tracking does Asset Tracking is automatically enabled on every computer added to GFI Cloud: Network > (Computer name) > Asset Tracking Its purpose is to monitor and report on the hardware and software configuration of each computer. It is comprised of two sections: Hardware and Software. Screenshot 240: The Asset Tracking home screen. 8 Asset Tracking 207

208 8.2 Summary information Screenshot 241: Each screen within Asset Tracking provides summary information for the computer. At the top of each screen are two boxes that provide a quick summary with useful information. Device information: The model of the computer; The operating system version; The processor clock speed; The amount of memory installed; The serial number of the computer. General information: The system name assigned to the computer; The user of the computer; Its assigned role on the network; IP address assigned; MAC address. 8 Asset Tracking 208

209 8.3 Hardware Screenshot 242: The start screen within Asset Tracking displaying a full list of hardware components. The default screen is the hardware screen, focusing on the hardware installed on the computer. It is organized into categories, each represented by a link on the horizontal menu near the top of the screen. Screenshot 243: Each item listed provides similar details. For convenience, each category of hardware uses the same parameters to identify each element: 8 Asset Tracking 209

210 Category Name Details Manufacturer Status Description The name assigned to the component. Typically a short description of the component or device. The name of the manufacturer. The current status of the item, if applicable Categories of hardware At the top of the screen is a category menu that provides access to the different types of hardware. Screenshot 244: The menu categories for hardware. There are ten categories in total. Category Motherboard Processor Memory Network Drives BIOS Audio Input devices Display Description The name and details of the motherboard used by the computer. The name and clock speed of the processor(s) used. The amount, type and speed of the RAM installed. Details on the network cards used by the computer, including MAC addresses. Details of the storage devices in use. Details of the BIOS firmware installed. Details of the soundcard installed. Peripherals used for input such as mice or keyboards. Video card details and monitors in use. 8 Asset Tracking 210

211 8.4 Software Screenshot 245: The software screen displaying a list of software in use by the computer. The software screen focuses on the software installed on the computer. It is organized into categories, each represented by a link on the horizontal menu near the top of the screen. Screenshot 246: Each item listed provides similar details. 8 Asset Tracking 211

212 For convenience, each category of software uses the same parameters to identify each element: Category Name Version Date modified Description The name assigned to the software product/package. The exact version of the software. The date and time when the software was installed or last modified Categories of software Screenshot 247: The menu categories for software. There are two categories in total: Category Operating system Application software Description The name of the operating system and the version in use. Optional software installed on the computer. 8 Asset Tracking 212

213 9 Administrator Account, Receiving Alerts and Contact Details The administrator details and how to update them. 1. Quickstart The basics of administrator accounts. 2. Administrator details The information we collect on administrators and how to update it. 3. Receiving alerts You can receive alerts by or SMS. 4. Change account password How to change the password for an account. 9 Administrator Account, Receiving Alerts and Contact Details 213

214 9.1 Quickstart A quick overview of the administrator s account details. 1. Basic settings There are four main elements the Settings section controls: 1. Account details 2. Password 3. Group management (organizing computers into groups) 4. Alerts (messages automatically sent by GFI Cloud) 2. Change account details The details we hold on an administrator s account can be accessed from the site menu at the top of any screen: Settings > General settings Everything except the address and country can be changed at any time. 3. Change password This is the password administrators use to log in to GFI Cloud. It can be changed at any time: Settings > Change password 4. Change alerts Alerts are messages sent by GFI Cloud to an administrator: Settings > Alerts Administrators have two means of being contacted: SMS text messages There are only four options: 1. only 2. SMS only 3. and SMS 4. No alerts sent Extra addresses and telephone numbers can be used to send alerts to multiple recipients. 9 Administrator Account, Receiving Alerts and Contact Details 214

215 9.2 Administrator details GFI Cloud collects some basic details on users that can be changed at any time. These can be accessed from the Settings link on the site menu at the top of any page. Screenshot 248: The main menu, accessible from any screen on GFI Cloud Information on administrators Account details consist of the following: Name Company name address (this cannot be changed after registration) Telephone number Country and region (this cannot be changed after registration) Timezone Account ID (for information purposes only; this cannot be changed) All this information is summarized on the General Settings screen. 9 Administrator Account, Receiving Alerts and Contact Details 215

216 Screenshot 249: Each administrator's details are summarized in the Settings section Updating administrator account details The details can be updated from the same screen. Change any values and click Save. Important: The address listed is the one used to register with GFI Cloud. This cannot be changed once registration is complete. Similarly, the country field cannot be changed after registration Other GFI products Screenshot 250: The mailing list opt out form. There is an option for you sign up for more information on GFI products and services. You can remove yourself from our mailing list at any time by unselecting the checkbox. 9 Administrator Account, Receiving Alerts and Contact Details 216

217 9.3 Receiving alerts from GFI Cloud Alerts are managed from Settings > Alerts. You can choose to receive alerts via or SMS. Screenshot 251: The Alerts form with contact details recorded Update alert settings 1. Select the checkbox for the form of communication you prefer. 2. Enter your cellphone or mobile number if you want to receive SMS text message alerts. 3. Click Save to commit any changes. address This uses your default address to send alerts (the address you used to register with GFI Cloud). This can be extended by adding more than one address. Separate additional addresses with a comma. 9 Administrator Account, Receiving Alerts and Contact Details 217

218 Cellphone or mobile telephone number This accepts your mobile telephone number. Multiple telephone numbers may be entered by using a comma to separate the numbers. Telephone numbers for the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and Australia use the regular telephone number. For all other countries the leading 0 in SMS numbers must be replaced with the country code. Example - United States: Example - Netherlands: Important: Do not enter "+" before the number (typically used with international dialing codes) What are alerts? Throughout GFI Cloud there are processes that can result in information being sent to an administrator. This happens within the Network Server Monitor service. It creates a series of checks to run on each computer that monitor the health and reliability of the network. If issues are discovered an alert can be sent. The Alerts section of an administrator s account is where the global settings for alerts are managed; and where the recipient s address and telephone number are recorded. Global versus local control Within Network Server Monitor each check can be configured to send alerts via and SMS. However, the alert setting on the Settings > Alerts screen overrides any local check settings. If the global settings within Settings are set to no or SMS, for example, no alert will ever be sent, regardless of the alert settings for each individual check. Find out more about alerts in Network Server Monitor» 9 Administrator Account, Receiving Alerts and Contact Details 218

219 9.4 Change account password Passwords can be changed at Settings > Change password. Screenshot 252: The change password form. Enter the current password and a replacement. Click OK to confirm. Important: Passwords must be a minimum of eight characters and contain at least one uppercase letter. 9 Administrator Account, Receiving Alerts and Contact Details 219