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OpenLM Version 1.5.5 in details |
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General
OpenLM version 1.5.5 is a major version that includes a lot of new features. All changes in version 1.5.5 are briefly listed in the "What is new?" article. This article will try to give more information on each new significant feature/functionality.
New (FAST!!!) EasyAdmin Interface
OpenLM EasyAdmin has been with us since the very early versions of OpenLM. The Flash interface is friendly and interactive but it also suffers from problems, mainly in sites with massive licensing activity. Those sites report on slow performance fetching records, error messages and lazy response.
The new EasyAdmin interface is based on HTML/JavaScript (Ajax) and was designed and created taking performance as a main concern. The changes where not limited to EasyAdmin interface; We have also changed the embedded web server to LightTPD and especially invested in OpenLM Server tuning.
The new EasyAdmin interface is accessible from Start->OpenLM->OpenLM EasyAdmin2 link and its initial load time was also significantly reduced. In previous versions of EasyAdmin the link also launched the SHTTPD web server that served the Flash EasyAdmin interface. In version 1.5.5 the web server is embedded and starts as a windows-service, like OpenLM Server. This configuration makes the need to configure OpenLM EasyAdmin on a web server unnecessary in most cases. The installation is simpler. It is possible to access EasyAdmin from other computers over the network immediately after the installation. Our tests have reviled that new web server is much faster both in the initial load time of the application and in serving additional information.
We have preserved both OpenLM EasyAdmin Flash and EasyAdmin2 interfaces until the full functionality of OpenLM EasyAdmin Flash will be implemented in the new interface. During the writing of these lines, the control panel and the charts functionalities are still under development.
OpenLM EasyAdmin2 interface is faster, more responsive and provides new functionalities. Some of the new functionalities are:
* Settings windows that allows the user to set the date format, time zone and the number of records per page. The system also allows the user to set working days and hours in order to provide better statistics.
* Show hide table columns from the system interface.
* A unique new method of selecting features or product names in OpenLM Filters. After selecting the server name and vendor the user should only type the initial letter of the feature name and the system will list all the features that begin with that letter. The user can select multiple features that are collected in the list box bellow. This method is fast and very convenient when many features are available.
Better Active directory integration
Version 1.5.5 of OpenLM features a smart Active Directory integration that supports both users and users groups. The system is now able to constantly synchronize users between active directory and OpenLM database.
Active directory integration allows system managers to avoid the hassle of manually maintaining users locally in OpenLM using the "Users and Groups" management interface. The system is now also able to synchronize groups of users which is required for the implementation of internal billing for FLEXlm and other floating license usage. The use of groups synchronization is only licensed for users that have purchased the "Groups and Projects Extension". Please contact OpenLM sales for more information.
OpenLM Active Directory integration can be configured from OpenLM Server configuration Form->Active Directory Tab.
 The upper part of the form is similar to the one provided in version 1.5.4 of OpenLM. The lower part adds the ability to synchronize users and groups from a predefined node. Groups synchronization is very flexible and supports three different methods: - Active directory groups will be translated to OpenLM Groups.
- OU's (Active directory organization units) will be translated to OpenLM Groups (Even full hierarchy is supported).
- A specific user attribute (For example, cost center) can be used in order to create OpenLM Groups.
OpenLM BrokerOpenLM Log Reader is replaced by OpenLM Broker that supports OpenLM Log Reader functionality and also provides a much broader range of functionality. The new functionality supported by OpenLM Broker is:
* The "Add/Edit Monitored Server" form now allows many more options. In many cases there is a problem with querying FLEXlm and other license servers remotely. In version OpenLM 1.5.4 the push of FLEXlm usage information to OpenLM Server was done by a manual configuration of the Log Reader XML configuration file. In Version 1.5.5 this configuration can be done automatically and we also support advanced options (Mainly for custom license servers).
* "Define Vendors Information" is a new functionality that allows OpenLM to read the FLEXlm vendor "Option Files" and send it to OpenLM Server. OpenLM can receive and store this information in its database, but currently does not actually using it. The next version of OpenLM will use this information to provide services based on reservations, groups and other options defined.
Support for FLEXlm node locked licensesOpenLM now fully supports all functionalities previously supported only for floating licenses. System administrators and managers can now easily determine which license is suitable for every user.
Control Panel General Statistics"Control Panel General Statistics" is now more accurate because it works according to the working days/hours as set in the new Settings form. The user is also able to Show/Hide licenses and by that remove some of the licenses from the calculation.
License status query from OpenLM AgentEnd user queries of license status are now much faster because the information is pulled from OpenLM database instead of accessing Active Directory with each query.
Many improvements in OpenLM Users ManagementOpenLM 1.5.5 adds many improvements to the OpenLM Users Management interface:
* Delete action is now supported. When a Group or a Project is deleted, all the usage time related to the deleted group will be unrelated. Delete action can be accessed by right clicking the Group or the Project.
* In order to save time when relating users to groups, the system will set the first group assigned to each user as the default group. We have also added the "email" attribute to the user record.
* New predefined filters "No Group" and "No Project" allow the user to easily locate users that are not related to any group or project.
New end-user tool for ArcGIS UsersOpenLM version 1.5.5 allows ESRI ArcGIS end users to set ArcGIS software level using a new tool. The new tool is accessible from OpenLM Agent by right clicking the Agent and selecting "Set ArcGIS License Level". The tool is making use of the new API supported by Version 1.5.5 of OpenLM. The API allows developers to easily extend OpenLM Agent functionality.
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