Common Capabilities
Besides user sign-in, VeraLab provides the following value-added capabilities equally useful in both scenarios:
Front-End
Surveillance and Remote Control
In both scenarios, Lab Assistants have access to the "Monitor" module, which provides a powerful set of surveillance
and remote control capabilities aimed to prevent users from performing unwanted activities and stop these activities
once they occur. These include capturing user screenshots, sending messages to one or multiple workstations, viewing
a list of currently run processes, terminating remote processes, preventing launch of particular software packages,
preventing launch of software from removable media, forcing user logout, and computer shutdown.
Figure 3. Screenshot of user workstation
Software Metering and Concurrent License Management
In both modes VeraLab can limit the number of simultaneously used instances of a software product.
This allows a lab to purchase only a few concurrent licenses of a pricey software package,
install it on all the workstations in the lab, and ensure that the number of concurrently used instances
does not exceed the number of concurrent licenses. This solution provides cost savings (fewer licenses to be purchased),
user satisfaction (the software is available on every workstation; no more waitlists), and ease of maintenance
(only one disk image is needed for the entire lab).
Back-End
Access Log Analysis and Alert List Management
The access log can be analyzed to identify potential abusers. Abusers,
identified during access log analysis, can be added to the Alert List to control/prevent their
access to the computer resources in the future. To learn more about lab security, please read the
"Establishing a Secure Lab Environment" whitepaper.
Maintenance Automation
The Issue Tracking database allows Lab Assistants to enter maintenance issues,
and Technicians to handle these issues in an orderly fashion. Collaboration between
Lab Assistants and Technicians is streamlined and does not rely on sticky notes and
flip-over signs anymore. Technicians can mark workstations unavailable for sign-in,
which will automatically prevent user sign-in in all sign-in modes.
Supervisory Activities
Lab Coordinators can view current status of the lab from any place on the Internet.
Lab Assistant attendance data can be collected in any form convenient for
presentation to HR and Payroll services.
Managerial Decision Support
User sign-in and maintenance data can be pulled into tabular and graphical reports invaluable
for making scheduling, budgeting, staffing, purchasing, and other managerial decisions.
To learn more about VeraLab features, please read the
"Build a Secure and Efficient Computer Lab Through Lab Management System" whitepaper.
Intranet Capabilities
Many academic institutions develop Lab Information Portals where users can view lab schedules
and locations, and find workstations equipped with a particular software package.
This is a must in a self-service scenario when Lab Assistants are not always available.
Often current lab occupancy and workstation/software availability data are not available,
which presents a major customer satisfaction issue. Real-time user sign-in data stored
in the VeraLab database can be requested by the portal so that users can find answers 'to the following questions:
- What rooms have workstations available now?
- Is the software I need available now?
VeraLab Inc. plans to develop VeraLab Info Portal, the out-of-the-box user
information system ready to be plugged into your Intranet. The system will
feature deeper functionality than the ones developed in-house by leading academic institutions.
If you are interested in contributing to product requirements, or participating in our beta testing
program, please contact us at
info@veralab.com.
Conclusion
VeraLab can easily be configured to support both Counter and Self-Service sign-in scenarios.
In both scenarios VeraLab provides a considerable added value in areas of security,
operational management, and customer satisfaction.
