Product Description

Compaq Survey Utility

Today's business environment demands that servers running critical applications be highly available. In order to maximize server uptime, tools must be available that allow administrators to work issues and resolve problems without taking the server off-line.

Compaq Survey Utility was developed to address this need, and assist in maximizing server availability. Compaq Survey Utility is an enhanced serviceability tool that delivers on-line configuration capture and comparison. This tool streamlines the service process by enabling quick and easy identification of detailed information about a server hardware and software configuration.

Compaq Survey Utility builds upon the service tool known as Inspect. Inspect has long been used from a service aspect to capture comprehensive hardware configuration information. The key advantage of Compaq Survey Utility over Inspect, however, is that it takes this comprehensive reporting functionality and now delivers it in an on-line format. The on-line capability means that customers with servers running business-critical applications will no longer be required to take their server off-line to collect the critical information needed during a service call. Not only can Compaq Survey Utility be run while the server is on-line, but also can be initially installed without ever having to reboot the server. This makes it truly an on-line service tool.

Compaq Survey Utility not only captures most of the hardware information that is gathered today by Inspect, but it goes a step further and gathers details about the operating system parameters (including NetWare NLM's loaded, NT Services running, etc.). By combining hardware and software configuration capture, Compaq Survey Utility delivers a comprehensive view of the server with the ease and simplicity of a single tool.

Another key benefit of Compaq Survey Utility is its ability to identify recent configuration changes. Each time a configuration snapshot is taken, it is stored in a file on the server. At the next snapshot interval, this latest file is automatically compared to the baseline configuration. Any significant changes that have occurred are highlighted and the output file is automatically updated to reflect the latest configuration, as well as differences relative to the baseline. Since it is often times a recent configuration change at the source of the problem that has been manifested on the server, the ability to quickly generate a comprehensive configuration snapshot, and highlight specific changes enables problem resolution time to be significantly reduced.

The information gathered by Compaq Survey Utility is accessible locally at the host server console. From the console, the administrator can initiate an updated snapshot, view the Survey Utility file on-line, and generate a new output file based on comparing different saved sessions. The output file can also be printed. In addition to user initiated snapshots, the Survey Utility tool automatically generates and stores an updated snapshot upon server reboot as well as at user specified time intervals. This automatic update mechanism helps to ensure that the latest information and change history are always recorded and available when needed.

Versions of Compaq Survey Utility are available for Windows NT and Novell NetWare, and the tool is supported on all ProSignia and ProLiant servers. Being delivered as an enhancement to Compaq service tools, Compaq Survey Utility is being broadly distributed as a standard feature. Copies of the tool can be obtained via Compaq SmartStart, Compaq Management CD, or SoftPAQ

Question and Answer Compaq Survey Utility

Q. What is Compaq Survey Utility?
A. Compaq Survey Utility is an online configuration capture and comparison tool. It collects extensive hardware and software configuration information, and has the intelligence to automatically highlight where recent changes have occurred.

Q. How is Compaq Survey Utility different from the Inspect service tool that customers have used in the past?
A. The key benefit provided by Compaq Survey Utility versus Inspect is its ability to operate on-line. Customers using the Inspect utility to gather server configuration information are required to take the server off-line in order to run the tool and collect the server configuration information, with Compaq Survey Utility this is no longer necessary. Additionally, Survey Utility captures operating system as well as detailed hardware configuration information and is also able to highlight recent configuration changes.

Q Does the customer have to reboot the server after installation in order for the utility to be recognized?
A. No. Compaq Survey Utility was designed to be easy for a customer to implement and be a completely online tool. That includes from an installation standpoint. Compaq Survey Utility can be installed and run at anytime, without having to reboot the server or take it off-line.

Q. How does a customer know that the information provided by the Survey Utility is current?
A. Compaq Survey Utility provides two mechanisms to ensure that the information stored in the Survey file provides an up-to-date view of the server configuration. First, Survey Utility is automatically triggered to capture a new configuration snapshot each time the server is rebooted. Each time a new configuration snapshot is generated, the current file is compared to the last file captured to determine if any significant change has occurred. If a change has occurred, the new file is stored on the server. Second, Survey Utility has a scheduled update feature. This time interval, with a default setting of one week, is user configurable and can be set to update at either more or less frequent intervals. Additionally, Compaq Survey Utility can be initiated at anytime by the user to collect a new snapshot for review.

Q. How can a customer access the Compaq Survey Utility information and can it be transferred to a service provider?
A. Compaq Survey Utility can be accessed and launched using command lines from the local server console. At the console, the customer can view the Compaq Survey Utility configuration file using a standard text editor. In addition to being viewed online, the information can be printed. The information can be transferred back to Compaq or another service provider either via hardcopy, by transferring an electronic copy to a diskette, or if the service provider has dial in access to the server they can access the directory where the file is stored and transfer it back electronically.

Q. Can Compaq Survey Utility identify changes in a server configuration?
A. Yes. A key benefit of Compaq Survey Utility is the automatic configuration comparison and check-point feature. The Survey Utility provides viewing of the most recent two configuration generations. The latest version includes highlighted text to indicate specific items that have changed since the previous generation. Having this configuration change information readily available is key to quickly identifying and resolving server problems when they occur.

Q. How does a customer get Compaq Survey Utility?
A. Compaq Survey Utility is available through several means. Customers can obtain a copy of the utility when using SmartStart to install a new server. During the SmartStart installation process, Compaq Survey Utility is set with a default to automatically install on the server. The Survey Utility is also available, and can be installed from the Compaq Management CD. Additionally, the utility will be distributed via SoftPaq.

Q. Is Compaq Survey Utility supported on all Compaq servers?
A. Compaq Survey Utility is available for Windows NT or NetWare servers, and can be used on any ProSignia or ProLiant server.