Adminlog
Product Brief


Adminlog is a file oriented software system for maintaining the status of a 
complex computer system. It is designed to be very easy to use and therefore it 
invites system administrators to always make a note when they have done any 
essential rearrangements on the computer system; modifications to the 
user/group databases, installation of new software applications, modification of 
global files, backups, and so on. Today many multi-user systems suffer from 
lacking information between different system managers and administrators and 
Adminlog is the ultimate answer to this problem. Also, Adminlog is the perfect 
tool to document the entire lifetime of a computer system - from initial 
installation to the time when it will be put away.




Multi Platform System
Adminlog is available for a number of different operating systems such as

*	MS DOS (including all MS DOS oriented networks as Novell NetWare, Windows 
for Workgroups, Windows NT, LAN Manager, Banyan Vines, LANtastic, etc.)
*	IBM AIX
*	SUN Solaris
*	Linux
*	DEC Ultrix

All Adminlog systems are working at exactly the same manner and are produced from 
the same code and algorithms, which make the systems well-known by the users. The 
only thing that might distinguish one system from an other is the external text editor! 
If you are running Adminlog from a windowing system like X-Windows, Windows 
NT or IBM OS/2 you might launch an editor such as GNU emacs or Microsoft 
notepad in a separate window.


High Security and Robustness
Adminlog is very easy to set up on a host and there are different levels of security to 
keep unauthorized eyes and fingers from the delicate information. The first step is to 
completely hide the system from all users except the ones that will actually use it. Step 
two is that Adminlog looks in a write-protected file, where all authorized users are 
listed and terminates if the current user isn't listed in the user file. The last security 
level is that all Adminlog data is written into a file area only authorized users have 
read and write permissions to. If the installation guidelines are followed, there will be 
no problems to keep valuable information available for authorized users and 
completely hidden for unauthorized users.


Writing an Entry
Typically, an Adminlog user invokes the Adminlog system into write-mode by typing 
'writelog'. After a little while (s)he will be prompted for the subject (header) for the 
current entry and after this an editor of choice is spawned from the Adminlog 
program. In the current file, there will already be the number and subject of the entry, 
the date and time and the user's full name written at the top. All the user has to do is 
to write the contents of the entry! An entry might be as large as the editor and 
filesystem permits, but it will typically hold a couple of lines up to two or three pages.


Reading Entries
The default command to invoke the Adminlog system into read-mode is 'readlog'. By 
typing 'readlog', the Adminlog user will be able to read all entries in the Adminlog 
database and the latest and most "hot" entry will show up first. An entry will be 
written on the screen through a pager, which the user may specify in a configuration 
file. After an entry is shown the user migh continue with the next entry, specify an 
explicit entry by number or quit the program. A screen might look like this:



------------------------------------------------------------
   ENTRY: 117
 SUBJECT: Changed default printer for group 'users'
    USER: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    DATE: 1994-01-01
    TIME: 15:50:31
------------------------------------------------------------

As there have been numerous "accidental" printing on
the expensive Postscript-printer, I've changed the 
default printer for group 'users' from QMSPS to NULL.
The latter points to '/dev/null' and won't do any harm.
Inform your few employees who actually do serious printing 
that they must set up their LPDEST variable manually!



 => This was ENTRY #117 out of 121 entries.
 => Press <ENTER> for next entry.
 => Press <NUMBER> + <ENTER> to go to ENTRY #<NUMBER>.
 => Press <CTRL><C> to quit.



Individual Configuration
There is a configuration file that must be passed as an argument to Adminlog and 
there are examples of how to make global scripts that first check the existence of a 
private configuration file. If one exists, Adminlog will start with those settings and if 
one does not exist, a global configuration will be used instead. The user may specify 
which editor and pager (s)he wants to use.




Site Configuration
Along with the program, there are also examples of startup-scripts that take 
advantage of the different exit-codes the Adminlog program returns. For example, if 
exit-code 7 (seven) is generated, there has been an attempt to run Adminlog without 
being in the authorized user's file. In that case the script may want to send a mail to 
the Adminlog administrator for notification. Another useful thing is to send a message 
to the authorized user's group's members whenever a new message is written into the 
database. There are some other examples too, helping you to configure your site's 
Adminlog system.


Evaluation Copy
In order to get the feel of what Adminlog may give you and your corporation, there 
are evaluation copies available for all platforms. If you get an Evaluation Copy it'll 
expire on a certain date and you are only admitted to put ten entries into the database, 
but on the other hand you get the chance to evaluate the program "at home". If you 
later decide to get a "real" licence you only have to change two lines in the 
configuration file and off you go! You don't have to re-install the product. The 
Evaluation Copies are free of charge (a small fee for covering the distribution costs 
may occur) and will be available at various ftp-sites, bbs'es and dealers.


More Information
If you have any questions or just want more information you may contact JoS-Ware 
by mail or fax (stated below).

JoS-Ware Comp Tech
Box 739
220 07 LUND
SWEDEN
Fax: +46-46-188445


Document Date	94-02-16
Adminlog: Product Brief

Adminlog: Product Brief

Copyright  1994 JoS-Ware Comp Tech

Document Number	al-pb1


