Adminlog
Product Brief


Adminlog is a file oriented software system for maintaining the status of a
complex computer system. It is designed to be very easy to use and therefore it
invites system administrators to always make a note when they have done any
essential rearrangements on the computer system; modifications to the
user/group databases, installation of new software applications, modification
of global files, backups, and so on. Today many multi-user systems suffer from
lacking information between different system managers and administrators and
Adminlog is the ultimate answer to this problem. Also, Adminlog is the perfect
tool to document the entire lifetime of a computer system - from initial
installation to the time when it will be put away.


Multi Platform System
=====================
Adminlog is available for a number of different operating systems such as

*	MS DOS (including all MS DOS oriented networks as Novell NetWare,
	Windows for Workgroups, Windows NT, LAN Manager, Banyan Vines,
	LANtastic, etc.)
*	IBM AIX
*	SUN Solaris
*	Linux
*	DEC Ultrix

All Adminlog systems are working at exactly the same manner and are produced
from the same code and algorithms, which make the systems well-known by the
users. The only thing that might distinguish one system from an other is the
external text editor! If you are running Adminlog from a windowing system like
X-Windows, Windows NT or IBM OS/2 you might launch an editor such as GNU emacs
or Microsoft notepad in a separate window.


High Security and Robustness
============================
Adminlog is very easy to set up on a host and there are different levels of
security to keep unauthorized eyes and fingers from the delicate information.
The first step is to completely hide the system from all users except the ones
that will actually use it. Step two is that Adminlog looks in a write-protected
file, where all authorized users are listed and terminates if the current user
isn't listed in the user file. The last security level is that all Adminlog
data is written into a file area only authorized users have read and write 
permissions to. If the installation guidelines are followed, there will be no
problems to keep valuable information available for authorized users and
completely hidden for unauthorized users.


Writing an Entry
================
Typically, an Adminlog user invokes the Adminlog system into write-mode by
typing 'writelog'. After a little while (s)he will be prompted for the subject
(header) for the current entry and after this an editor of choice is spawned
from the Adminlog program. In the current file, there will already be the
number and subject of the entry, the date and time and the user's full name
written at the top. All the user has to do is to write the contents of the
entry! An entry might be as large as the editor and filesystem permits, but it
will typically hold a couple of lines up to two or three pages.


Reading Entries
===============
The default command to invoke the Adminlog system into read-mode is 'readlog'.
By typing 'readlog', the Adminlog user will be able to read all entries in the
Adminlog database and the latest and most "hot" entry will show up first. An
entry will be written on the screen through a pager, which the user may specify
in a configuration file. After an entry is shown the user migh continue with
the next entry, specify an explicit entry by number or quit the program. A
screen might look like this:



------------------------------------------------------------
   ENTRY: 117
 SUBJECT: Changed default printer for group 'users'
    USER: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
    DATE: 1994-01-01
    TIME: 15:50:31
------------------------------------------------------------

As there have been numerous "accidental" printing on
the expensive Postscript-printer, I've changed the 
default printer for group 'users' from QMSPS to NULL.
The latter points to '/dev/null' and won't do any harm.
Inform your few employees who actually do serious printing 
that they must set up their LPDEST variable manually!



 => This was ENTRY #117 out of 121 entries.
 => Press <ENTER> for next entry.
 => Press <NUMBER> + <ENTER> to go to ENTRY #<NUMBER>.
 => Press <CTRL><C> to quit.



Individual Configuration
========================
There is a configuration file that must be passed as an argument to Adminlog
and there are examples of how to make global scripts that first check the
existence of a private configuration file. If one exists, Adminlog will start
with those settings and if one does not exist, a global configuration will be
used instead. The user may specify which editor and pager (s)he wants to use.




Site Configuration
==================
Along with the program, there are also examples of startup-scripts that take 
advantage of the different exit-codes the Adminlog program returns. For
example, if exit-code 7 (seven) is generated, there has been an attempt to run
Adminlog without being in the authorized user's file. In that case the script
may want to send a mail to the Adminlog administrator for notification. Another
useful thing is to send a message to the authorized user's group's members
whenever a new message is written into the database. There are some other
examples too, helping you to configure your site's Adminlog system.


Evaluation Copy
===============
In order to get the feel of what Adminlog may give you and your corporation,
there are evaluation copies available for all platforms. If you get an
Evaluation Copy it'll expire on a certain date and you are only admitted to put
ten entries into the database, but on the other hand you get the chance to
evaluate the program "at home". If you later decide to get a "real" licence you
only have to change two lines in the configuration file and off you go! You
don't have to re-install the product. The Evaluation Copies are free of charge
(a small fee for covering the distribution costs may occur) and will be
available at various ftp-sites, bbs'es and dealers.


More Information
================
If you have any questions or just want more information you may contact
JoS-Ware by mail or fax (stated below).

JoS-Ware Comp Tech
Box 739
220 07 LUND
SWEDEN
Fax: +46-46-188445


Document Date	94-02-16
Adminlog: Product Brief
Copyright  1994 JoS-Ware Comp Tech
Document Number	al-pb1
