OAv2 Alpha update

I have sent the Alpha to one of our Developers (Andy Hull).
Andy has sent some feedback, which we are working on.
I'll post the download link here, when I make a public upload (when I get home tonight).
** As promised - try this - http://www.open-audit.org/OAv2.zip

Things to bear in mind.
THIS IS ALPHA SOFTWARE.
IT WILL EAT ALL YOUR DATA.

Now that I've scared you...

• I would NOT recommend this for running in Production.
  
  
• Sure, you might audit a production system, but I wouldn't rely on this as a replacement for Open-AudIT right now. Feature wise, it's still a way behind.

• There is no install routine. You will need to know how to setup MySQL databases, et al. There IS a readme in the file detailing basic steps needed to do this. Please don't ask for help. If you cannot install this, then you shouldn't be playing with it !!! One of the things high on the todo list is an installer (both for Windows and Linux).

• Linux auditing probably wont work. I have spent most of my time on the Windows side of things. Linux auditing is on the list - and indeed there is a basic script in the download. I haven't even opened it for months though, so I'm guessing it wont upload into OAv2 correctly.

• SQL Server doesn't have a database creation script. Simply because the database schema still isn't finalised.
  

What does work ?

• Manual running of the audit script and inserting it into the web form. Running the audit script against a remote system. Running the audit script and auto uploading (via Explorer).

• Dynamic Groups. I haven't built the web forms for static groups yet.
  
• OAv2 users and Group permissions.
  
• Locations and assigning systems to them.
  
• Editing manual values in web forms.
  
• Creating / Editing / Deleting Users, Groups and Locations.

Check back here later for a download link (I'm such a tease :-) ).
** As promised - try this - http://www.open-audit.org/OAv2.zip

OAv2 Alpha is inbound

Well, I have today (Mon) and Wed off from work.
Am coding my butt off to get OAv2 into an Alpha state.
Have spent a couple of hours on it this morning, and I think be Wed night (at the latest), I will look to push the code to SVN.
Looking "good enough" at this stage.

As per my last post, the status on various items are...

* - Audit script runs on PCs and submits to database. DONE.
* - Users can be created and assigned rights to groups. DONE.
* - Groups can be created/edited/deleted. DONE.
* - Devices can be viewed with all submitted audit details. DONE.
* - Devices can have their "manual" fields edited. DONE.
* - "List" type pages (based on groups) complete DONE.

It's more about cleanup and release readiness than anything else now.

Apologies

Apologies for the lack of recent updates.
Unfortunately, not a great deal has happened lately.
Damn "real life" keeps getting in the way.
So, what HAVE I managed to do...

Well, I have a MSSQL Server compatible database script.
I am working on a bug in the Software audit processing routine.

For an Alpha, I'd like to get basic functionality complete. By basic functionality I mean:
* - Audit script runs on PCs and submits to database.
* - Users can be created and assigned rights to groups
* - Groups can be created/edited/deleted
* - Devices can be viewed with all submitted audit details
* - Devices can have their "manual" fields edited
* - "List" type pages (based on groups) complete
Most of these items are nearly complete (as in 90%). It is more a matter of "finishing them off".
Realistically, I think it would be (maybe) 30 hours work. Not sure there. Might be way off.

My main problem is having a "real" job and a young family (and a slight World of Warcraft addiction, forgive me).

I also have to go back through the models (in CodeIgniter) and check the functions work with MSSQL. I've had a few enquiries about MSSQL compatibility lately, and want to make sure it's all OK. I've also had people say they (think Govt Dept Managers), don't want to use OpenSource. Not PHP, Linux, Apache or MySQL. They would like it rewritten in DotNet and MSSQL. It's frustrating that people STILL have this attitude. I don't mind catering to database abstraction, but the actual code ??? Sure, I'll just re-write the complete application, because you have a completely misguided notion of what "secure" means... sigh. Apologies for the slight rant.

Anyway - what you all want to know (well, the two people who bother to read this) is "WHEN CAN WE HAVE THE CODE ?". All I can say is that's there's not that much left to do for an Alpha and I want it done as much as you do.

Comparisons, Templates and Items

Bit of a brain dump here.
Apologies if it doesn't make much sense.
Was talking with some collegues this morning, and the subject of reporting on systems with a config (or sections of a config) that do not match the SOE.
Naturally, I am thinking in terms of OAv2 and what it's database can provide.

Brain dump follows.


Want to compare items on a system with predefined items or a template.
Say we want to check a group of systems (WinXP) have a specific list of Group Accounts and that those Groups consist of a given list of Users & Groups.
Take a given system that fits what we want to check click "make a template".
Details on selected sections (thinking DB tables), ie - Groups for example are "imported" into a table and flagged as "Template 1".
Compare the systems in a given group to the "Template 1".
Report differences -
group does not exist,
group exists and is the same,
group exists but has these differences,
this additional group exists.

That would compare against all items (say all groups) on a group of systems.
Remember - a single system can belong to it's own group, so single systems are catered for.
Also need to define a single item, ie - software called "XYZ".
Need to compare against all systems in a group - the single line item.
Report differences -
software extsis
software does not exist
software exists with a differing version number

End goal - show me all our systems that do not meet a given Template, and give me the reasons they don't.

Code in such a way to allow for abstraction - don't care what item or table is catered for in a template. Can compare on a complete system or just selected tables (users, software, groups, etc, etc).

Brain dump finished.
Apologies if that doesn't make much sense...

Bling

Added some sparkle to the List pages today.
When you mouse over a system, you get selected details appearing.
Done via jQuery and ajax.

Quick OAv2 update

Just a quick one.

I now have columns on the list page, for any group, displaying selected fields associated with that group. You're probably now saying "what the?".

Let me explain.

On any given Group List page, you see a list of devices in that group. Previously, the columns that were displayed were static (set in the display code). The columns were System Name, Description, IP Address, OS Type, OS Name, Tags. If you wanted something with different columns, you would need to code the PHP display stuff in the View. Now, you can add and remove columns on a per group basis and it's stored in the database. Instant reporting !!! Sweet.

Think of this...

You create a dynamic group. That group includes any systems that have Apache installed. On the list page for that group you might also include the Apache version number (for instance).

This is available on a per group basis. You can define if a column has a link, and what to. If a column just displays text or is an image. This should aleviate a _lot_ of the requests we currently receive in Open-AudIT like "Can you make me a report page that shows blah...". Also, because they're defined in the app and the definitions are stored in the database, you can update the base OAv2 code and not loose your custom reports.

Now I just need to front end it... sigh.

Nominate Open-AudIT in the Sourceforge Community Choise Awards

Anyone who likes what we're doing (or what we've done) with Open-AudIT could do us a favor. Go to the Open-AudIT homepage and click the shiny picture (or just click the one below). Don't forget to enter your email address and click the link in the email sent to you to confirm the vote.

Thanks in advance.