K2 - KeyAuditor & KeyServer
Automated Software Auditing & Inventory

Product Description:
The focus of KeyAuditor, the software auditing component of K2, is on software auditing and inventory augmented by sufficient hardware audit details to optimize administrative initiatives for software deployment and usage management. KeyAuditor builds a central audit database of all programs installed on desktop computers, laptops, and servers. A configurable refresh schedule enables K2 to maintain its audit data to any desired accuracy through optimized incremental updates.

Although K2 will identify virtually all installed software assets, typically there are a core set of programs that are of particular interest to administrators. K2 supports selective auditing and provides advanced data filtering options to view and report the exact details you need without the clutter of unwanted information. When running reports there is no need to do an audit first, because K2 discretely keeps the audit data up-to-date for the entire company.

KeyAuditor uses an accurate and convenient software recognition process based on an interrogation of the internal file properties. It eliminates the need to repeatedly install software recognition library updates. KeyAuditor automatically updates its own recognition tables as it collects identifying details directly from the internal resource information of each audited application.

Basic Hardware Inventory
In addition to K2's extensive software auditing and recognition capabilities, critical hardware information useful for software deployment planning is also collected. K2 collects details like: type, version, and release of operating system, clock-speed, total RAM, disk space/free space, hardware serial numbers, and MAC address. K2 also includes several modifiable fields for asset tag identification.

Software License Management/Compliance
The focus of KeyServer, the software management component of K2, is on software usage, with optional settings to either manage license compliance or simply monitor and log usage metrics, plus an optional "keyed" method to secure programs against intentional software piracy.

Software programs are commonly licensed under one of three general types of licenses: 1. computer-limit (node locked licenses), 2. site license, or 3. concurrent-use (floating) licenses. Most license management products are limited in their ability to only "audit" computer-limit licenses while they manage access to concurrent-use licenses. K2 audits and manages access to all common software licenses through its fully customizable license definitions.

Regardless of the type of licenses a company needs to manage, when properly configured, K2 will always keep usage within legal limits. K2 enforces site licenses, computer limit licenses, and concurrent use licenses. Plus administrators can define their own custom license limits and restrictions using a combination of features from K2's group definitions, location lists, reservation schedules, timed usage limits, and authentication rules.

Software Metering/Usage Metrics
In cases where license compliance management is unnecessary and administrators want to simply collect usage metrics, K2 will selectively track and report detailed or summarized metrics by program, computer, and user.

Optional Software Piracy Prevention
In addition to K2's standard methods of managing software licenses or metering usage, K2 also provides an optional method to secure programs against intentional software piracy. Secured or "keyed" programs can be deployed to end users that, even if pirated and copied onto computers outside of an enterprise, will not launch without receiving a "key" from the KeyServer. This functionality is especially useful if a company needs to prevent access to sensitive, in-house, or proprietary software.

Keyed software management is optional and completely unnecessary except when intentional piracy is a concern. All of the advanced functionality of K2 - with the exception of optional piracy prevention - is available through the standard methods of K2's software license management or software metering. But when software piracy prevention is a goal, K2's "keyed" method can't be cracked.

Support for Plug-ins
K2 supports management of many application "plug-ins". Plug-ins are typically implemented as shared libraries (DLLs) that are loaded by a host application and used only while that application is running. The following types of plug-ins are supported:

• OLE Components (OCX)
• SolidWorks Add-Ins
• Adobe Acrobat Plug-Ins
• Adobe Photoshop Plug-Ins
• Netscape Plug-Ins
• AutoCAD Plug-Ins
• MS Word Plug-Ins
• WordPerfect Plug-Ins

Extensive, built-in and customizable Reports
K2 provides comprehensive reporting capabilities from more than 100 built-in reports and standards-based ODBC query rules for unlimited customizable reports..

Administrators can run easy-to-read standard reports for software inventory, hardware details, license compliance, and software usage. The interactive report interface allows administrators to expose report detail, run related reports, or move directly to the relevant configuration windows to edit the settings for software auditing or the usage management rules for each software program.

For administrative review purposes, access can be granted to any reports without configuration privileges. Reports can be delivered directly by K2, or through Web browsers, to other staff members anywhere in the world.

K2 does not require the installation of a separate database server or any other type of server, but companies can optionally manage K2's data tables in a common environment with other data for ease of report integration with other enterprise management systems and help-desk systems. Custom report templates can be modified to provide details from multiple management systems integrated together with software auditing and usage details from K2.

System Requirements & Supported Operating Systems:

Client Agent: KeyAccess
    Windows: 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, 2003, XP
    Macintosh: Classic 7.5 - 9.2 / OS X 10.1 - 10.3
    WTS (thin-client): NT 4, 2000, 2003, Citrix 1.7, MetaFrame

Administrator Console: KeyConfigure
    Windows: 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, 2003, XP
    Macintosh: Classic 8.5 - 9.2 / OS X 10.1 - 10.3

Server process: KeyServer
    Windows: 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, 2003, XP
    Macintosh: Classic 8.0 - 9.2 / OS X 10.1 - 10.3
    Novell NetWare: 4.2 - 6.5
    Linux (or BSD Unix): 2.2 Kernel and higher

Pricing Pricing varies from $10/seat to $68/seat based on the number of seats purchased. Annual upgrade subscription contracts are offered at 15% per year. Technical support is free for life. Plus, SIIA Compliance Network members receive free pre-deployment planning assistance.

For Further Information:
http://www.sassafras.com/k2.html
info@sassafras.com

Sassafras Software Inc.
PO Box 150
Hanover, NH 03755