EISNet 1.8 Update

Both Kevin and I have been busy coding away on EISNet 1.8. We've taken this opportunity to move EISNet to .NET and bring in support for Windows 8 (Microsoft are not officially supporting the VB6 libraries on Windows 8)

So what does this mean to you the end users? EISNet is becoming a lot more robust with the ability to fix bugs and implement new features with greater ease. The client side components (Client Service, Agent, MyPage, Class Chooser and LoginScript) have already been rewritten in .NET and the end results are fantastic. The Client service can now handle multiple commands concurrently so while a device is installing packages you could also execute commands and take an inventory with no problems. LoginScript will map drives, connect printers and build the shortcuts simultaneously bringing vastly reduced login times.

On top of this, Agent, MyPage, Class Chooser and LoginScript have a more "polished" look and feel as we're no longer confined to the limitations imposed by VB6.

If I ask Kevin nicely, he might even post some screen shots.

Plans for EISNet v1.8

EISNet v1.8 is now under development and it has got some exciting changes!

• Packages will be able to have priorities set. There are five levels to the installation and it ranges from early to very late. The most common benefit to this is ensuring an Antivirus package is installed very late on the workstation build so that it doesn't slow the process down.
• Each package will have the ability to specify an un-install command and argument.
• Package dependency has been included meaning any package can be installed only if another package is already deployed. For example, Paint.Net will only be installed if the .Net Framework is deployed.
• Shortcut only packages are removed. From v1.8, all packages are the same. Whether they have a package file assigned to them or not. Shortcuts can still be assigned to a package that doesn't have an installer, meaning the functionality is still there.
• User importing has been improved. From v1.8 you can edit all cells in the Preview table. It also checks for duplicates that may occur once the import is complete, which prevents import failures.
• The interface has been improved significantly. It is now built using it's own chrome and no longer uses Windows built in edges. 

EISNet v1.7.6 released!

Further to my previous post, EISNet v1.7.6 has been released and contains more bug fixes than previously posted.

ID:335 Bug [Manager] Package management multi select nto working
ID:336 Improvement [Manager] Package Status. Sizable window
ID:337 Bug [Manager] Package Search doesn't reset after editing a package
ID:338 Improvement [Class Chooser] Alphabetical first name, not lastname
ID:339 Improvement [Class Chooser] Character search
ID:340 Bug [Manager] Crash if profile v1 folder does exist
ID:341 Bug [Manager] Importing / Exporting package. Incorrect information
ID:342 Improvement [Manager] Remember structure of last user import Displayname, Username and Password
ID:344 Improvement [Client] Startup Delay added
ID:345 Improvement [Client] Package deployment delayed if another MSI is in progress
ID:359 Bug [Manager] Fixed v1.7 upgrade crash

EISNet v1.7.6 is on the way

It's been a while since our last update. Various other projects have taken priority and the sheer scale of Installations over the past few months (and coming months) is on a scale never seen before.

Developments in EISNet have continued and v1.7.6 is a massive pack of 50 (yes, Fifty) bug fixes, tweaks and improvements. It's a colossal release.

The full list of changes are listed below:

ID:95 Improvement [Manager] Add Group Greyed out on User Properties
ID:145 Bug [Manager] Deleting an intake from archive: Group
ID:146 Improvement [Manager] Moving Users
ID:179 Improvement [Client / Manager] Ignore Shutdown if package maintenance is in progress
ID:180 Improvement [Manager] Importing Users: Add Additional Fields for 'Salutation', 'Description' and 'Display Name'
ID:184 Improvement [Manager] Import Users: Option to force users to change password
ID:191 Improvement [Manager] New Security Group: Allow immediate adding of users
ID:193 Improvement [Manager] Computer - Right Click - Properties
ID:198 Improvement [Manager] Reset profile button option
ID:199 Improvement [Manager] Duplicate profile option in profile manager
ID:200 Improvement [Manager] Rename Key Stage area
ID:201 Improvement [Manager] Reset ProfileSetup user's profile
ID:203 Improvement [Manager] Importing Users: Automatically add Password and Logon Name fields
ID:208 Improvement [Manager] Edit groups: Add search bar
ID:209 Improvement [Login Script] If user mapped drive letter is in use, use another letter
ID:211 Improvement [Manager] Help: Link to open in Window
ID:214 Bug [Manager] User Properties: Screensaver timeout should be minutes, not seconds
ID:260 Bug [Client] On reinstall of package, device reboots if user is logged on
ID:286 Improvement [Manager] Sortable Package Status lists
ID:287 Improvement [Agent] Immediate pull of packages
ID:289 Bug [Manager] Icon issue with disabled users
ID:290 Improvement [Manager] Add Column Sorting throughout
ID:291 Bug [Manager] Crash when Windows is Shutdown and Manager is open
ID:292 Bug [Manager] Alt-F4 not working on Manager
ID:293 Improvement [Manager] Tooltips added to options General tab
ID:294 Improvement [Client] Auto Update
ID:295 Improvement [Agent] About window status
ID:296 Bug [Manager] Rename computer: Form Displayed for a number of seconds
ID:297 Bug [Manager] Rename computer: Key not unique in collection error
ID:303 Bug [Manager] Importing one column in CSV fails
ID:304 Bug [Manager] Crash when deleting a user from archive with no AD property set
ID:305 Improvement [Manager] Import Users - Interface change
ID:306 Improvement [Manager] Import users: Disable confirmation messages
ID:307 Improvement [Manager] Package Manager: GUI Tweaks
ID:308 Improvement [Manager] All GUI Tweak: Incorrect font
ID:309 Improvement [Manager] Context menu doesn't work when sending messages to clients
ID:310 Bug [Manager] Closing Rename Computer or Rename Room using X - locks Manager
ID:312 Improvement [Manager] Import Users: right Click column headers
ID:313 Improvement [Manager / Client] Remote Reboot - Force Reboot/Shutdown regardless
ID:314 Bug [Manager] ScreenSaver timeout not setting for individual users
ID:315 Bug [Manager] Importing large number of packages causes a temporary freeze
ID:319 Bug [Manager] Importing users doesn't validate length of username
ID:320 Bug [Manager] Import SIMS users. Next button incorrectly enabled
ID:321 Improvement [Manager] Import shortcuts from Advanced Installer MSI
ID:322 Bug [Login Script] MyPage not launching when user is over their allowance of space
ID:323 Improvement [Manager] Package Status summary
ID:324 Bug [Manager] Crash when Auto Logging in workstations

In addition, we are paving the way for EISNet v1.8 which will contain many more improvements. v1.8 will be a major update and it will involve changes to the structure of the SQL database. In doing this, it will allow us to take EISNet to the next level.

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.