Smart-Lan is a simple scheduler that enables schools to automatically wake up and shutdown devices at predefined times. For example, you may want the computers in the IT suite to turn on just before 9am and shutdown again shortly after 3pm. It gets the computers ready for class and saves power at the same time.
There are a number of tools on the market that allow this, so why is Smart-Lan different? Built into the scheduler is the ability to define school holiday periods. This means, the computers will not turn on during the summer holiday, wasting power. Its a great little tool that few know about. EIS traditionally set this up for the school after a new network has been installed, and it is often forgotten about. Which is exactly what the developer of a tool wants to hear. Their product is not noticed. It means it's working.
Having said that, a number of annoying issues have crept over over the past few years but mainly an annoying crash when assigning computers to groups.
The problem with version 1 is that it was written about 4-5 years ago using third party controls that are no longer supported. Therefore, the only real option is to re-write it completely.
Having the past few days spare (and wanting a small break from EISNet if I'm perfectly honest) I decided to see what it would take to rewrite it. Now, a few days later, it's almost ready. Its a reasonably simple tool for what it does, so didn't take long to do.
The benefit of re-writing a product is the ability to do things a new way, and improve on what previously existed.
So what's new?
- The whole product is targeted for .Net 4.5.1 which adds significant performance increases all over.
- Simplified group management
- Ability to specify that a schedule never expires.
- Import data from Smart-Lan v1
- Import from DHCP Server
- Import from EISNet v1.7 and above
- Search for devices, schedules and groups on the fly
- Flexible holiday periods
- Import holiday periods from iCal files
- Download holiday periods from the web
- Manage group members from device properties
- Manage devices from group properties
- Filtered device listings
- Reboot devices (for scheduled Windows updates)
- Manually invoke reboot, shutdown or wake of devices, groups or multiples of each
As a taster, I've included a number of screenshots below
This is the basic layout of Smart-Lan v2
Adding devices to a group
Group properties. From here you can remove devices from that group
Device properties. From here you can remove the device from a group.
Schedule editor
Search / filter devices. You can also do the same for schedules or groups
Schedules created and ready to go
When downloading the holiday periods you are presented with a choice of LEA calendars
Once downloaded, all the school holidays are downloaded and ready
Looks good, but what else is planned?
Well, already built into the core is the ability to assign schedules to devices, not just groups. However, I am not happy with the impact this has on the GUI and have left it out for the time being. I will return to that at a later date.
It is also planned that Smart-Lan will have the option of synchronising with EISNet v1.7 and above. This will allow for automatic syncing of devices and rooms. Further more, we plan on integrating Smart-Lan and EISNet v1.9 much more tightly.
While the core GUI side of the almost completed, we are still a way off being able to use it live in schools. I will update here, on our blog with a release date.
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