EISNet v1.7.4 on the horizon

Shortly we will be rolling out EISNet v1.7.4 to customers on the v1.7 platform. This is an important upgrade with many bug fixes and improvements all of which are listed below;


Fixed In Version : 1.7.4 ‎(7)
276 Bug Package Status after Client crash during installation
277 Bug Package Failures reported incorrectly.
278 Improvement Client package deployment efficiency
279 Improvement Importing users: SQL data validation errors
280 Bug Computers in rooms showing with wrong icons
281 Bug Manager: Importing Classnames not working correctly
282 Bug Client: Importing from SIMS. Year groups with trailing space

Fixed In Version : 1.7.3 ‎(10)
166 Bug [Manager] Import Users: Effective date doesn't show current date
174 Improvement New database health check feature
210 Bug Class Chooser: Show log off button
253 Bug [Client] Installing packages not ordered
254 Bug [Client] Trigger reboot after reinstall of package
255 Improvement [Manager] Deleting a room would not work if computers exist in it.
256 Improvement [Manager] Clean DB command line option added
257 Bug [Manager] Renaming a room would not update Computer ADS Path in DB
258 Bug [Manager] Shared Favourites share shows with Quotes
259 Improvement [Manager] Enabling a short cut shows Start menu folders logically unsorted

Fixed In Version : 1.7.2 ‎(1)
163 Bug Importing users from SIMS: Effective Date is missing

Fixed In Version : 1.7.1 ‎(12)
134 Bug Feature Request: Apply Package Changes globally
147 Bug GUI Glitch: Moving User Alerts
154 Bug GUI Glitch: 'Enable package' for users dialog
155 Bug Profiles: Crash if site only uses XP
156 Bug Importing users: Login names are blanked
157 Bug Client MSI: Permissions for logs being set in wrong folder
158 Bug Profiles: GUI glitch
159 Bug Create Intake: Permissions issue
161 Bug Package Manager: Default path and validation check
162 Bug Login Script: Class Chooser not triggering
164 Bug Client: Device MAC Addresses not storing in database
165 Bug Deployment: Remotely invoking package deployment hold entire process

EiS Secure Census

The project formerly known as IDK has been signed off and released as EiS Secure Census. As a component of Secure Census is based around the TrueCrypt source, the source code for IDK Encryption will be made available from this blog shortly inline with the TrueCrypt licence agreement.

Post conference news

EiSNet v1.7 was officially launched at our IT12 exhibition and its safe to say, it was a resounding success!

Feedback was extremely positive and a number of excellent ideas for future enhancements have been made, noted and don't tell anyone, but some have been implemented already!

Since the event we've done some intense deployment testing and packaging up so our build processes now has a fully deployable EISNet v1.7 network.

The source code is now locked which means no more additions, changes or improvements.

Our first school to have EISNet v1.7 is having it installed in early August.

13 months of hard work, head scratching and laughter is now at an end. Until the next project that is.

Device Status removal

In February we announced a new feature called Device Status. This would allow you to see if the device is on, or offline. Whilst extremely useful, it has proven to be highly unreliable and has been removed from  the first release. It is a disappointing change but we cannot allow the new version to be released with something we know to be buggy. Hopefully it will appear in a later release.

EISNet v1.7 official launch

EISNet v1.7 will be launched on June 14th 2012 at our IT12 Exhibition and Conference.

Mike and myself will be demonstrating the new version at the exhibition which is free! but whilst you'll there, why not book yourself into the conference where I'll be doing a talk on Windows 2008 GPO Extensions.

More details here (http://www.eiskent.co.uk/default.cfm?navid=7)

Couldn't resist one final improvement

Whilst finalising the demonstrations for IT12, I spotted a possible improvement and could not resist adding it in.

When a package is deployed, the end users will now automatically have the new icons appear on the desktop (or the start menu) once the installation is complete.

In addition, if you enable a package for a user or group, you can now force a workstation to update the user who may be logged on so that the icon automatically appears. This also means if you deploy a printer, update their wallpaper or map a drive for them, it will appear, on the fly.

Users no longer need to be logged off for the changes to be applied.

Change log

The following is a list of the final change log for EISNet v1.7

• Support SQL (means more than 128 devices now supported)
• Streamlined modern interface
• Support for roaming profiles
• Improved ClassChooser tool
• Archivist, Supervisor, Applications and Manager now wrapped into one Management Studio
• Re-written Package management and deployment
• Support for direct importing of users from SIMS
• Both users and computers can now be searched from with-in EISNet Management Studio
• Numerous bug fixes and improvements
• Inheritance now fully support for Printer deployment and drive mappings
• Global package deployment
• Advanced Support tools now built in
• Remote login rooms and workstations
• Much improved package status monitoring
• Advanced Shortcut management
• Web based (live) help
• Improved group membership management
• Shared folder management now built in
• Improved MyPage
• Major overhaul of speed and performance
• Ability to lock the management tool
• Alerts and history now logged
• Packages can now be imported and exported
• Packages can now be redeployed to a device
• Registry fragments can now be imported and exported
• Support for internet shortcuts
• Combined support for any package type regardless of whether it is CMD, BAT, MSI or EXE
• Packages can now have their own individual icons for use in Management Studio
• MSI files now support command line switches
• Packages now support description and version fields for easier management
• Remote execution including support for running under user or system context
• Remote execution now support in-line batch execution
• Stations can now be renamed either remotely from within Management Studio or on the device itself
• Wake on LAN now supported (Hardware dependant)
• Packages will automatically redeploy once a device is rebuilt. 
• Supervisor now integrated into Management Studio and shown based on group membership
• Management Studio can now run on multiple machines at the same time
• Upgrade engine now included for future releases