Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Reporter 65 Product Overview
Reporter 65 Product Overview
6.5
Product Overview
This guide contains proprietary information protected by copyright. The software described in this guide is furnished under a software license or nondisclosure agreement. This software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the applicable agreement. No part of this guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording for any purpose other than the purchasers personal use without the written permission of Quest Software, Inc. The information in this document is provided in connection with Quest products. No license, express or implied, by estoppel or otherwise, to any intellectual property right is granted by this document or in connection with the sale of Quest products. EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN QUEST'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS SPECIFIED IN THE LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR THIS PRODUCT, QUEST ASSUMES NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER AND DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY WARRANTY RELATING TO ITS PRODUCTS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL QUEST BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION OR LOSS OF INFORMATION) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS DOCUMENT, EVEN IF QUEST HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Quest makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this document and reserves the right to make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time without notice. Quest does not make any commitment to update the information contained in this document. If you have any questions regarding your potential use of this material, contact: Quest Software World Headquarters LEGAL Dept 5 Polaris Way Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 www.quest.com email: legal@quest.com Refer to our Web site for regional and international office information.
Trademarks
Quest, Quest Software, the Quest Software logo, AccessManager, ActiveRoles, Aelita, Akonix, Benchmark Factory, Big Brother, BridgeAccess, BridgeAutoEscalate, BridgeSearch, BridgeTrak, BusinessInsight, ChangeAuditor, CI Discovery, Defender, DeployDirector, Desktop Authority, Directory Analyzer, Directory Troubleshooter, DS Analyzer, DS Expert, Foglight, GPOADmin, Help Desk Authority, Imceda, IntelliProfile, InTrust, Invirtus, iToken, JClass, JProbe, LeccoTech, LiteSpeed, LiveReorg, LogADmin, MessageStats, Monosphere, NBSpool, NetBase, NetControl, Npulse, NetPro, PassGo, PerformaSure, Point, Click, Done!, Quest vToolkit, Quest vWorkSpace, ReportADmin, RestoreADmin, ScriptLogic, SelfServiceADmin, SharePlex, Sitraka, SmartAlarm, Spotlight, SQL Navigator, SQL Watch, SQLab, Stat, StealthCollect, Storage Horizon, Tag and Follow, Toad, T.O.A.D., Toad World, vAutomator, vConverter, vEcoShell, VESI,vFoglight, vPackager, vRanger, vSpotlight, vStream, vToad, Vintela, Virtual DBA, VizionCore, Vizioncore vAutomation Suite, Vizioncore vEssentials, Vizioncore vWorkflow, WebDefender, Webthority, Xaffire, and XRT are trademarks and registered trademarks of Quest Software, Inc in the United States of America and other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Quest Reporter Product Overview Updated - May 2011 Software Version - 6.5
CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCING QUEST REPORTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 GETTING THE MOST FROM QUEST REPORTER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 DAY-TO-DAY SECURITY AND STANDARDS ENFORCEMENT . . . . 8 PREPARING FOR AUDITS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 PREPARING FOR CHANGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 QUEST REPORTER COMPONENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 QUEST REPORTER CONFIGURATION BASELINING . . . . . . . . . . . .11 QUEST REPORTER FOR NOVELL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12 QUEST REPORTER EXPRESS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .13 MANAGING YOUR NETWORK WITH QUEST REPORTER . . . . . . . . . .14 QUEST REPORTER FEATURES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 REPORT GENERATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 MODES OF REPORTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 OBJECT SETS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 FAVORITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 FILTERING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 LINKING ATTRIBUTES BETWEEN CATEGORIES . . . . . . . . . . .17 MULTIFOREST REPORTING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .17 CHAPTER 2 INTRODUCING CONFIGURATION BASELINING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 OVERVIEW OF CONFIGURATION BASELINING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 WHAT IS THE CONFIGURATION BASELINING WORKFLOW? . . . .22 WHAT IS A CONFIGURATION CHECK? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .24 WHAT IS A TEMPLATE?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .25 WHAT IS A RULE SET?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26 WHAT IS A RULE? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27 CONFIGURATION BASELINING DATABASES . . . . . . . . . . . . .28 NAVIGATING CONFIGURATION BASELINING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .29 INTRODUCING THE CONFIGURATION BASELINING ROOT NODE .30 INTRODUCING THE TASKPADS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30 INTRODUCING THE TEMPLATES NODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .32
v
INTRODUCING THE RULE SETS NODE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .34 INTRODUCING THE JOB MANAGEMENT NODE . . . . . . . . . . . .37 ABOUT QUEST SOFTWARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 CONTACTING QUEST SUPPORT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40
vi
1
Introducing Quest Reporter
Getting the Most from Quest Reporter Quest Reporter Components Quest Reporter Configuration Baselining Quest Reporter for Novell Quest Reporter Express Managing Your Network with Quest Reporter Quest Reporter Features
Quest Reporter
The console displays network information. Use the console to select reports, and configure the Reporter data collectors (RDCs) and object sets.
10
Quest Reporter
The report display component formats the collected information and exports the information into HTML and other formats such as Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) and CSV (Comma Separated Values). The report engine coordinates all of Quest Reporters interaction with its database. It manages the information going to and coming from the collection routines as well as the generation of temporary views containing the actual report data. The report engine stores the data for the reports. Once the data is collected, the report engine invokes the report viewer to display the report. The collection routines are an extensible set of components that Quest Reporter uses to enumerate information about network objects and their attributes. The database is configured the first time you run Quest Reporter. Use the Database Setup Wizard to select the target database and to change the data source at a later time. The RDC schedules data collection and tracks changes. It stores and timestamps this information, which is then used to create the reports. The RDC is a special packaging of the collection routines and report engine. It is designed to facilitate network object data collection from remote locations in highly distributed environments. Deploying an RDC prevents the need for the RDC installed on the main console to enumerate information across potentially busy or slow WANs (Wide Area Networks). For more information on RDC deployment, see the Quest Reporter Installation and Deployment Guide.
11
For information on how to use Configuration Baselining, see the Configuration Baselining User Guide. You can access the Configuration Baselining User Guide from the Documentation tab of the installation program. You can access the installation program by double-clicking Autorun.exe after you have extracted the zipped files.
For an overview of the features, components, functionality, and workflow of Configuration Baselining, see Introducing Configuration Baselining on page 19.
12
Quest Reporter
You can create custom reports using the user attributes that are available.
All other reports can be viewed in the Quest Reporter console but can only be run if you upgrade your license to Quest Reporter.
13
14
Quest Reporter
Report Generation
You can run reports in the following ways: Selecting objects through the following nodes in the console: Active Directory, IP Subnet, or Object Set Running a report template from the Reports or Favorites nodes Generating a report using a scheduled favorite
Modes of Reporting
Using Quest Reporter, you can generate reports based on stored or live data.
15
Object Sets
An object set is a defined logical container that allows you to group objects in a convenient manner. An object set can contain specific objects, containers (Organizational Units and groups), or entire domains. An object set can cross domains. For example, you may want to run certain reports on users in the Finance department on a recurring basis but the users exist in multiple places throughout your directory. Instead of searching through your directory to find the users each time you run the report, you can create an object set and then add the users to the object set. The next time you run the report, you can select the object set rather than each user in the Finance department.
Favorites
A favorite is a special type of report template that provides a method of retaining or saving all report properties so that the next time the report runs, there is no user intervention. You can schedule a favorite to run at any time. The report attributes saved in a favorite include the following report properties: Objects, Filter, Output, Collection, Attributes, Grouping, and General.
16
Quest Reporter
Filtering
Using a filter, you can narrow the focus of report results by setting certain criteria on the resultant set of objects. You can build the filters using the available attributes for each report type, select a condition (for example, Equals, Is Greater Than), and enter a value for the filter.
Multiforest Reporting
A single forest deployment is characterized by all of an organizations network objects being contained within one forest and a group of domains, whereas a multiforest deployment separates an organizations network into various forests and their respective domains. The multiforest deployment is by far the more secure deployment; however, it can be complex to administer. Quest Reporter supports multiforest deployments. Domains in multiple forests are displayed as individual fully-functional nodes that allow you to connect to and run a single report template on object types from different forests.
17
18
2
Introducing Configuration Baselining
Overview of Configuration Baselining What is the Configuration Baselining Workflow? What is a Configuration Check? What is a Template? What is a Rule Set? What is a Rule? Configuration Baselining Databases Navigating Configuration Baselining
Figure 2: Quest Reporter collects, compares, and reports on AD and Windows-based configurations.
The compare capabilities are provided through Quest Reporters Configuration Baselining feature. Quest Reporters Configuration Baselining feature provides automated comparisons of Active Directory and Windows configurations against an ideal baseline. By implementing this solution, IT organizations can maintain operational efficiencies, lower total cost of server ownership, minimize risks associated with undocumented configuration changes, and assist in compliance efforts. Quest Reporters Configuration Baselining feature leverages Quest Reporters agent-less architecture, which minimizes typical deployment concerns of ease of installation and configuration. Quest Reporters Configuration Baselining feature is tightly integrated with the core components of Quest Reporter and leverages the collection and storage mechanism to gather state-based information about your environment.
20
Quest Reporter
The Quest Reporter Configuration Baselining feature introduces two additional databases to the architecture. The first is the Configuration Baselining Configuration Database this stores configuration information for the Configuration Baselining feature such as templates, rule sets, rules, and configuration checks. The second database is the Configuration Baselining Results Database. This database stores the results of the configuration checks. The Configuration Check Processor (CCP) leverages all three databases. The CCP leverages the baseline configuration database to get details of the ideal baseline you want evaluated. It then evaluates the ideal baseline against the Quest Reporter analytical database which contains the current configuration state information for your environment. After the evaluation is performed, the results are saved to the Configuration Baselining Results Database. Through the Quest Reporters Configuration Baselining user interface, you can initiate live data collections for your live configuration checks or run configuration checks against stored data that has already been gathered from Quest Reporters scheduled collection mechanism. There is great value in this integration as the data can be collected once and is used for both general reporting and comparison capabilities. This minimizes all of the typical concerns with having to collect the information from your environment multiple times for these independent and siloed processes.
For information on how to install and deploy Quest Reporter, see the Quest Reporter Installation and Deployment Guide.
21
Figure 3: The four steps in the Configuration Baselining workflow: establish, collect, compare, and view.
22
Quest Reporter
23
24
Quest Reporter
What is a Template?
A template contains the settings that Configuration Baselining uses to evaluate objects and determine if they comply with your companys standards, profiles, and policies. A template contains rule sets and rule sets are made up of rules.
Figure 5: A template is made up of rule sets and rule sets contain rules.
You can use one of the predefined templates that come with Configuration Baselining, you can create your own template, you can import one created by another user, or you can import one from an .inf file.
25
You can use the predefined rule sets that are included with the predefined templates or you can create your own custom rules sets. You can also apply a filter to a rule set to limit the scope of the Active Directory domains or computers that are checked against the baseline.
26
Quest Reporter
What is a Rule?
A rule is a combination of attributes, conditions, and values. Rules form the basis of the configuration check and they are what your configuration items are checked against. Each rule can only contain attributes from one attribute category, such as BIOS or NTFS Files. If you want to check the values of attributes across multiple attribute categories, you will have to create or use multiple rules.
You can use the predefined rules that the predefined templates contain or you can create your own custom rules. You can also apply a filter to a rule to limit the number of configuration items that are checked against the rule and to determine the existence of specific attribute values.
Example Rules
Three of the following example custom rules each contain one attribute, one condition, and one value. The fourth example contains two attributes, two conditions, and two values:
RULE NAME DNS Search Order List Memory Capacity in Bytes Check Maximum System Log Size ATTRIBUTE CIMV2.Network Adapter Description [WMI] CIMV2.Physical Memory Speed [WMI] System Log Max Size CONDITION equals equals is less than VALUE WAN Miniport (PPPoE) 2000 16
27
ATTRIBUTE Maximum Password Age (expires in x days) Minimum Password Age (changed after x days)
VALUE 90 5
28
Quest Reporter
to the end of the name of the Configuration Baselining Configuration database. For example, if you entered ConfigurationBaseliningApril17 as the name of the Configuration Baselining Configuration database in the Database Setup Wizard, the following databases would be created: ConfigurationBaseliningApril17 ConfigurationBaseliningApril17Results
The configuration check results data that is stored in the Configuration Baselining Results database is displayed for you in four different views that are accessible from the Configuration Check Results node in Configuration Baselining: Summary View, Object View, Template View, and Detailed View. These views provide different levels of detail about the configuration check results and the data in these views can be filtered and exported. For more information on viewing the results of configuration checks, see the Configuration Baselining User Guide.
29
The Configuration Baselining root node is the main access point for the three main Configuration Baselining nodes: Templates, Rule Sets, and Job Management. The Configuration Baselining root node and the three subnodes all have home pages that are displayed in the main pane (right pane) when you select the node in the console tree (left pane).
30
Quest Reporter
You can use these taskpads as your starting point for easily creating and scheduling configuration checks. These taskpads are a great place to start from if you are new to Configuration Baselining.
One of the main goals of the taskpads is to help you learn how to use Configuration Baselining and to help you learn how Configuration Baselining works. When you use the Build new content taskpad as your starting point, the first step in building new content is the creation of a rule using the Rule Wizard. Once you become more comfortable using Configuration Baselining, you will start using the nodes in the treeview as your starting point when creating new content. When you start to use the nodes, you will notice that you cannot create a rule without first creating a rule set. This means that the workflow is slightly different depending on your starting point. If you create new content from the Build new content taskpad, you will create a rule first and then you will create a rule set and then a template. If you create new content from the nodes in the treeview, you will normally create a template first and then a rule set and then rules. For more information on using the nodes to create custom content , see Introducing the Templates Node on page 32 and Introducing the Rule Sets Node on page 34.
31
STEPS TO CREATE A CONFIGURATION CHECK If you use the Build new content taskpad as your starting point, you will perform the following steps: 1. Create rules. 2. Create a rule set for the rules you created in step 1. 3. Create a template that contains the rule set you created in step 2. 4. Create and schedule a configuration check based on the template you created in step 3. 5. View the properties and results of the configuration check that you created and scheduled in step 4.
The wizards that you use to perform tasks though the taskpad are the same wizards that you use to create templates, rule sets, and rules through the Templates node and the Rule Sets node. For detailed step-by-step instructions on how to use these wizards, see the Configuration Baselining User Guide.
32
Quest Reporter
Template Categories
The Templates node contains template categories and templates. When you select a template category under the Template node, the main pane shows the names and descriptions of the templates in that category. Template categories already exist for the predefined content and they are automatically created when you import a template. You can also create your own template categories to help you organize the custom templates that you create. For more information, see the Configuration Baselining User Guide. If you right-click a template category, you can Import templates Export templates View the name and description of the template category Create new template categories Create new templates
You can also cut, copy, delete, and rename template categories by right-clicking them and selecting the appropriate option.
Templates
If you right-click a template, you can Export it View its properties Create new configuration checks Create new rule sets
You can also cut, copy, delete, and rename templates by right-clicking them and selecting the appropriate option.
33
Create a new rule set Add rule sets to the template Remove rule sets from the template View the properties of a selected rule set
If you expand the Configuration Check Tasks section of the summary page, you can View the names and descriptions of any configuration checks that are associated with the template Create a new configuration check View the properties of a selected configuration check
For more information on using the summary page to modify a custom template, see the Configuration Baselining User Guide.
34
Quest Reporter
You can also cut, copy, delete, and rename rule set categories by right-clicking them and selecting the appropriate option.
Rule Sets
If you right-click a rule set , you can View its properties Create new rules Create new filters Create new templates
You can also cut, copy, delete, and rename rule sets by right-clicking them and selecting the appropriate option.
35
If you expand the Filter Tasks section of the summary page, you can View the names and descriptions of the filters applied to the rule set Create a new filter Add filters to the rule set Remove filters from the rule set Create a copy of a filter View the properties of a selected filter
If you expand the Template Tasks section of the summary page, you can View the names and descriptions of the templates that contain the rule set Create a new template Add the rule set to a template Remove the rule set from a template View the properties of a selected template
For more information on using the summary page to modify a custom rule set, see the Configuration Baselining User Guide.
36
Quest Reporter
37
38
Quest Reporter
39
Contacting Quest
Refer to our Web site for regional and international office information. Email Mail info@quest.com Quest Software, Inc. World Headquarters 5 Polaris Way Aliso Viejo, CA 92656 USA www.quest.com
Web site
View the Global Support Guide for a detailed explanation of support programs, online services, contact information, policies and procedures. The guide is available at: http://support.quest.com.
40
Quest Reporter
41