On Premises and SaaS Enhancements

Notification Bar

A new notification bar displays at the top of the VSA window and is visible from any module. The bar's icons provide immediate notifications throughout the VSA environment. Most of notifications that were shown to users as popup windows in earlier versions of the VSA now display as notification bar messages. By default, the types of events supported include:

• Service Desk tickets - Multiple notification icons can be created for different desks, groups of desks, or other filter criteria.
• RSS announcements - Multiple icons for different RSS feeds can be specified.
• System events - Includes both "critical" and "warning" level system-level messages.
• Inbox messages - Multiple icons can be created for different types of inbox message.
• Agents up / agents down counters - Clicking either one of these counters displays a dialog that enables you to a select an agent install package and immediately install it on the computer you are currently logged on to.
• Alerts generated by the new sendAlert() agent procedure step. This is described in a separate release note below.

Machine Search

A Machine Search edit box displays on the right side of the notification bar. Enter a string without spaces into the edit box and all machine names containing that string display in a drop down list. Search strings are matched against the following types of information.

• display name
• current login
• last login name
• mach name
• admin contact
• contact name
• contact phone
• contact email
• ip address
• ipv6 address
• default gateway
• connection gateway ip
• primary wins server
• dns server 1
• dns serve 2
• os type
• os info
• mac addr
• org name
• group name

The drop-down list displays the following information for each machine ID found:

• The computer name.
• The VSA administrator name responsible for this machine ID.
• The contact name for this computer.
• The number of tickets associated with this machine. Click the ticket icon to display the tickets in a ticket table.
• The number of alarms associated with this machine. Click the alarm icon to to display the Alarm Summary page for this machine.

The admin contact, contact name, contact phone, and contact email can all be specified using the Agent > Edit Profile page. All other fields are collected from audits and display on the Agent > Agent Status page or Audit > Machine Summary page.

Notification Bar Settings

A gear icon at the far right side of the notification bar provides access to a Notification Bar Settings dialog, enabling the user to customize the notification bar. Customization includes:

• Selecting different icons for each type of notification.
• Selecting which system-level warnings you want to be reminded of.
• Setting how "noticeable" the notification is: silent, subtle, or flyout.
• Using the separator bar to group icons.
• Hiding notifications that have no items to show.

You can can also move any notification icon left or right simply by dragging it along the notification bar.

Left Side Navigation

The gear icon at the far right of the notification bar provides access to a Left Side Navigation submenu of options.

• Shortcuts - If checked, displays the tool bar above the navigation pane.
• Search Navigation - If checked, displays the search box above the navigation pane. Enter a string in the Search Navigation box to find all navigation items that match that string.

Multi-level Navigation Pane

A new "Tree-Based" version of the navigation pane allows you to select and expand individual folders within a module. You can switch between using the legacy "Classic" navigation pane and the "Tree-Based" navigation pane.

Systems Management Configuration Setup Wizard

The Systems Management Configuration setup wizard enables you to quickly configure and apply machine management policies for a specific organization. Once configured, these policies are assigned to each machine you manage on behalf of that organization. Policies govern many different aspects of machine management:

• Audit scheduling
• Monitoring
• Alerts
• Patch Management
• Routine machine maintenance using agent procedures
  
  

Note: The policies enabled by the setup wizard are linked to a set of data objects called the Standard Solution Package which is described separately.

The Systems Management Configuration setup wizard leverages the existing capabilities of Policy Management. With policies you no longer have to manage each machine individually. You only have to assign or change the policy. A policy assignment or a change within an assigned policy is propagated within 30 minutes to all member machines without you having to schedule anything. Once applied, you can quickly determine whether managed machines are in compliance or out of compliance with their assigned policies. Compliance tracking by individual policy provides you with the information you need to deliver IT services consistently throughout the organizations you manage.

Note the following before running the Systems Management Configuration setup wizard on any organization.

• The Systems Management Configuration setup wizard is only intended to be run once. If your rerun it, any customizations you've made to an organization's policies will be overwritten.
• Running the Systems Management Configuration setup wizard means you intend on managing that organization by policy. If you modify the setting of a managed machine directly after that setting has been configured by policy, the policy for that managed machine is no longer in effect. An overridden policy can always be re-applied using the Policy Management module.

Standard Solution Package

The Standard Solution Package is a set of data objects—collectively called "content"—preloaded into the VSA. Kaseya has defined this content to reflect best-practice solutions for managing machines within a customer environment. The content, along with documentation and methodologies, is designed to help Kaseya administrators rapidly and consistently apply a standard set of recommended configuration solutions immediately after agents have been deployed.

Some types of content are organized by "System cabinet" in a data object tree. These include:

• Policies - Policy Management > Policies
• Agent Procedures - Agent Procedures > Create / Schedule
• Monitor Sets - Monitor > Monitor Sets
  
  

Other types of content display in dedicated drop-down lists:

• Views - A list of predefined views with a zz[SYS] prefix is displayed by selecting the View drop-down list at the top of any machine page displaying the machine ID / group ID filter.
• Patch Management Policies - A list of predefined patch management approval and denial policies with a zz[SYS] prefix displays by selecting the Patch Management > Approval by Policy > Policy drop-down list.
• Event Sets - A list of predefined event sets with a zz[SYS] prefix displays by selecting the Monitor > Event Log Alerts > Define events to match or ignore drop-down list.

Managed Credentials

Multiple credentials can now be managed at three different levels: by organization, by machine group and by individual machine. They are managed using three new navigation items in the Audit module:

• View Assets - Use this page to create multiple credentials for an individual machine.
• Management Credentials - Use this page to create multiple credentials for organizations and machine groups within organizations. An managed credential is created when a user runs the Systems Management Configuration Setup Wizard for an organization.
• Credential Logs - This page logs the creation, display and deletion of managed credentials.
  
  

Once created, use managed credentials:

• To instantly lookup all the credentials that apply to a machine you're working on. The Quick View popup window now includes a View Credentials option. Access is controlled by role and by scope.
• As the source credential for an agent credential in a policy. Check the "Use organization defaults" checkbox in the Credential setting of the Policy Management > Policies page to establish the link.
  
  If multiple credentials are defined for a machine, then the most local level defined has precedence: by individual machine, by machine group, or by organization. At any one level, only one managed credential can be designated the source credential for an agent credential.
  
  Note: A managed credential can not overwrite the Agent > Set Credential directly. The managed credential must be applied to a policy and the policy applied to the machine.

View Definitions

The View Definition dialog has been updated to the new K2 user interface. Options are organized by sections that can be expanded and collapsed as needed. Two new sections have been added.

• Add-On Modules - This section filters machines based on whether they have had additional software installed for selected add-on modules.
• Labels - This section filters server machines belonging to one or more labels. A series of keys in a machine's local registry is checked to identify whether the machine can be "labeled" a certain type of machine. Examples of labels include: DNS Server, Domain Controller, POP3 Server, SMTP Server, and SQL Server. Labeling is automatic. Each agent machine is checked periodically, typically once an hour, for configuration changes that may affect the labeling of the machine.

Record Desktop

A new Record Desktop option has been added. When enabled a video of the desktop is recorded and the recorded desktop session is left in the working directory of the agent machine. Typically a desktop session video enables a user to see what an administrator did on their box during the recording. This protects the administrator from being accused of making unauthorized changes to the machine. It can also be used to provide a personalized training demo for the end user. Applies to Windows and Mac machines only. Record Desktop sessions can be started and stopped from the following locations:

• Recording every remote control session - A "Record remote control to a file in the machine working directory" checkbox can be checked on the User Role Policy and Machine Policy pages in the Remote Control module. Every remote control session that uses these policies are automatically recorded.
• Recording a single remote control session - A "Record remote control to a file in the machine working directory" checkbox can be checked on the Control Machine page prior to launching a single remote control session on a machine.
• Recording without a remote control session - A Record Desktop button in the Quick View records the desktop without launching a remote control session.

Agent Icon Badges

You can now add badges to the lower right corner of agent status icons, such as . These badges display everywhere the agent icon displays in the user interface. For example, you could mark a machine with a badge to indicate the customer requires a phone call before anyone works on that machine. Or mark a server with a badge because you should not do anything to it until after hours.

• Badges are managed using the Agent > Edit Profile page. To add a badge, select one or more machines, click the Icon Badge link at the top of the page and select one of 23 badges. You can define a "Special Instruction" text message for each badge. Click the Update button to assign the badge to selected machines.
• When you hover the cursor over an agent status icon with a badge, the Quick View window displays the Special Instruction text in the bottom of the window.

Agent Procedure Editor

The agent procedure editor has been updated with a new user interface in conjunction with the KSD 1.4 service procedure editor. New features include:

• The editor is now divided into three panes. You now have instant access to each command in the left hand pane.
• Click the Help > Getting Started link to get a quick tour of user interface options in the procedure editor. Another help link displays command-specific help.
• Open and work on multiple procedures simultaneously. Each procedure you open displays in a separate tab. Copy and paste selected statements between tabs.
• You can now edit statements in the middle pane directly.
• Statements in the middle pane have adopted the conventional programming format of a function() call with multiple parameters separated by commas.
• Comment lines can now be inserted inline, anywhere in an agent procedure.
• After upgrading to 6.3 and for existing agent procedures only, any comment lines that were defined in 6.2 in the top right-hand pane now display as inline comments above each statement and can be edited. A generic tooltip description of each statement still displays in the right hand pane and cannot be edited.
• Multiple lines can be selected and acted on at one time.
• Right click selected lines to get additional options.
• Filter the list of statements you can select.
• Hovering the cursor over any statement in the left or middle pane displays a tooltip description of that statement. The same description displays at the top of the third pane.
• Hovering the cursor to the left of selected statements displays icons to remove, indent or outdent selected statements.
• When entering a value for a variable in a parameter:
  • Enter a < to select from a list of system variables.
  • Enter a # to select from a list of user defined variables.
• The WriteDirectory command now supports a variable in the source directory path.

Send Alert Step in Agent Procedures

A new sendAlert() command has been added to agent procedures. This step command takes no parameters. Instead getVariable() steps, run prior to the sendAlert() step, specify one or more "alert action variables" that determine the actions triggered by the sendAlert() step. All alert action variables are optional. If no alert action variables are defined, an alarm will automatically be raised with a system default message. An alert action variable can be used to disable the default alarm action. Alert action variables, if used, must use the specific names corresponding to their actions:

• alertSubject - Subject for alert message. A system default message is used if you do not define one in the agent procedure.
• alertBody - Body for alert message. A system default message is used if you do not define one in the agent procedure.
• alertDisableAlarm - When a default alarm enabled, enter any value to disable.
• alertGenerateTicket - Enter any value to generate.
• alertScriptName - Valid agent procedure name to execute on current machine.
• alertEmailAddressList - Comma-separated email addresses. Required to send email.
• alertAdminNameList - Comma-separated list of VSA user names. Required to send messages to the Info Center > Inbox.
• alertNotificationBarList - Comma-separated list of VSA user names. Required to send messages to the Notification Bar.
• alertNotificationBarMasterAdmins - Enter any value to send notifications to the Notification Bar for all master users.

alarmsSuspend() and alarmsUnsuspendAll() Steps in Agent Procedures

• A new agent procedure command, alarmsSuspend(), suppresses alarms on a machine for a specified number of minutes.
• A new agent procedure command, alarmsUnsuspendAll(), stops the suppression of alarms on a machine.
• Both of these commands update the status of machines on the Monitor > Suspend Alarm page.

Using Backslashes When Specifying Registry Values in Agent Procedures

In agent procedure registry commands, the last single backslash in a string is used to delimit the registry key from the registry value. To include backslashes as part of the value string, specify double slashes for each slash character. For example, the string HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SomeKey\Value\\Name is interpreted as the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\SomeKey with a value of Value\Name. This features applies to:

IF commands:

• Check Registry Value
• Check 64-bit Registry Value

STEP commands:

• Get Variable: registry value
• Get Variable: 64-bit registry value
• Set Registry Value
• Set 64-bit Registry Value
• Delete Registry Value
• Delete 64-bit Registry Value

WriteFile Agent Procedure Command

This command has been updated to support files larger than 2 GBytes.

Linux Agents

Linux agents now support:

• Monitoring of Processes
• Monitoring of SNMP
• Log Parser

Mac Agents

Mac agents now support:

• System Check
• Log Parser
• Desktop thumbnail images in Live Connect

Remote control enhancements:

• Mac remote control now uses the x11vnc server to deliver general reliability and performance improvements on Mac OS X 10.4 (Tiger) and above, including Lion.
• The color depth can now be reduced to 64 colors via Remote Control Tab -> Configure -> Set Parameters -> WinVNC Options.

Network Access Driver

Replaced for WIndows Vista and above. After an Agent update, the end user will receive notification to reboot if it is required to complete the removal of the previous Winsock Layered Service Provider driver.

Take Ownership Removed

In previous releases master users had an additional right, called Take Ownership, that allowed master users to "take ownership" of any shared folder or shared object. Take ownership gave the new owner full access to the folder or object, as though they were the original creator. The "take ownership" feature has been removed throughout the VSA. As of this release, ownership is now defined as any user/role that has Share permissions to a specific folder or object. Any user with a master role has full control of private and shared folders without having to take ownership first. The only exceptions are "system content" folders and objects like the "Sample Procedures" folder.

Live Connect

• Desktop Thumbnail support has been added for Mac OS X Agents, and works with both Mac OS X and Windows browsers.
• If direct peer-to-peer connectivity cannot be established, Live Connect will now attempt to use local relay servers. This improves network performance for Live Connect features.
• The Plugin Manager has been removed, and the Live Connect plugins are now installed using a standalone installer. A "Download Live Connect plugin installer for Windows browsers" option now displays on the Agent > Update Agents page. For all versions of Windows supported by Live Connect, clicking this link downloads a standalone installer to the VSA user’s local machine. The installer installs the Live Connect Plugin Manager and all Live Connect plugins for Chrome, Firefox and Internet Explorer.
• Session Recording functionality has been added for Live Connect sessions.
• Live Connect now works correctly for roaming users: Plug-ins are installed locally instead of on a network share.
• The Event Viewer functionality will now correctly display event descriptions for machines configured to use Windows MUI (Multilingual User Interface), even if the description is not available in the currently active user interface language.
• The VPN solution is now properly integrated into Live Connect and lives in the Live Connect directories.
• When transferring a directory of files to or from a Mac OS X Agent using File Manager, the file transfer will no longer stop after about 50 files have been transferred.
• The RDP option in Desktop Access now supports keyboard layouts other than standard English keyboards.
• The VNC option in Desktop Access now supports Mac Agents running on Mac OS 10.7 (Lion).
• Internet Explorer 9 on 32-bit Windows 2008 systems is now supported.
• The new Live Connect installers will now successfully install plugins for Chrome 21 on Mac and Windows.
• The Live Connect installer for OS X has been rewritten to support 10.8 (Mountain Lion). The installer has been signed with an Apple certificate, and can now be installed with the default Gatekeeper security settings.
• Live Connect no longer fails in Chrome 22 on the Mac.

MyOrg

MyOrg is now prevented from being assigned a parent organization.

Import Center Update

You can now import and export Report Builder reports and report parts

Patch Management - Online and Offline Scans

Prior to this release, agent machines always attempted to scan for updates using the Microsoft Update Catalog on the internet. If that failed, the agent machine ran an offline scan against a cabinet file (wsusscn2.cab) provided by Microsoft. This file is copied to the agent's working directory from the Kaseya Server at the time of scan. The Kaseya Server updates its copy of the cab file, if necessary, twice a day.

With this release agent machines can be set to scan for updates using two new "Default Scan Source" buttons on the Patch Management > Scan Machine page:

• Online - Scans for updates using the Microsoft Update Catalog on the internet, then the cab file second. This is the default scan type.
• Offline - Scans for updates using offline scan source (wsusscn2.cab).

A new "Default Source" column displays on the Scan Machine page, indicating which option has been assigned to each machine.

On the Scan Machine and Patch Status page, a new warning icon displays next to any machine that fails to scan using its default scan source.

Patch Management - Miscellaneous

• Changed the default patch scan from Legacy to WUA scan. Legacy only applies to old machines that are not WUA compliant.
• Removed support for Office Detection Tool (ODT) scan. ODT only applies to versions of Office that are no longer patched by Microsoft. New versions of Office are detected using WUA.
• Added an option to Clear or Ignore failed patches using a popup window that displays when clicking the failed patch count on the Patch Status page. Clear resets a failed patch back to "missing". Ignore prevents further attempts to install the patch and excludes the patch from being counted as a "missing" patch.
• On the Approval by Policy page, Default Approval Status choices are now included when copying a patch approval policy.
• On the Patch Approval Policy (Product View) page a Set New Patch Product Default Approval Status option has been added to set the policy for newly introduced patch products.
• Added Set Ignore and Clear buttons to the Machine Update page. Clear resets a patch back to "missing". Ignore prevents further attempts to install the patch and excludes the patch from being counted as a "missing" patch.
• Added LAN Cache as an option to on the File Source page.
• An existing schedule on the Automatic Updates page can now be suspended and unsuspended without changing the existing schedule.
• All patch schedulers have been updated to permit the use of "schedule using agent time."
• The Machine History, Machine Update, and Patch Update pages can now be sorted by clicking the column headings.
• A Release Date column has been added to the Machine History, Machine Update, and Patch Update pages.

New View Definition Options for Patch Management

New View Definition options have been added for Patch Management.

• Machines being used as file share
• Machines with file share located at <select a machine>
• Machines with patch scan source set to online but offline scan ran last
• Machines with installed patch (use KB Article ID - digits only)
• Default patch scan source Offline/Online

Agent Update Required for Monitoring

Any agent used for monitoring must be updated to v6.3, using the Agent > Update Agent page.

Agent Management of Monitoring Counters

For Windows machines later than Windows 2000:

• The discovery of new counter instances is managed entirely by the agent. For example, removable disks may be added to a machine. A new counter instance for that new removable disk will be discovered by the agent within a few hours. If a monitor set assigned to that machine specifies the monitoring of that disk—either by specifying the letter of that drive or by using the *ALL counter instance—then data will start to be returned for that newly added disk.
• "Self healing" of counters is provided. Any counters being monitored that stop are automatically restarted within the same discovery time period.
• Kaseya Server and database processing has been reduced. Previous
  to this release, each time a monitor set was changed, scripts had to be created and run by the Kaseya Server and data maintained in the
  database to instruct each agent about the change. In a VSA with a 1000 agents assigned to a monitor set, this meant at least 1000 new scripts were generated for any single change to a single monitor set. For example, when a user modified 10 counters in that set, potentially 10,000 scripts were deployed in the VSA. In 6.3, the only instructions the agent requires is an updated monitor set XML. The agent manages deployment of the monitor set independently without involving the Kaseya Server and database.

For Windows 2000 and Earlier Windows Machines

• Users may elect to run Update Lists by Scan on a recurring basis for the purpose of discovering new counter objects on those machines. This is the only reason to run Update Lists by Scan on a recurring basis.

Specifying Services in Monitor Sets Using Wildcard Asterisk (*)

You can add an asterisk (*) wildcard service to the Name or Description columns in the list of services supported using the Monitor Lists > Service tab. Once added, the wildcard service will display in the drop-down list of services. For example specifying the service *SQL SERVER* will monitor all services that include the string SQL SERVER in the name of the service. The Monitor Set > Enable Matching checkbox must be checked to support this functionality.

Monitor Service Alert Remediation

Monitor set alerts for services are no longer processed until an attempt is made to restart the service and the restart fails. Prior to this release the alert was triggered even if the restart subsequently succeeded.

Auto Close of Alarms and Tickets

A new checkbox called "Enable auto close of alarms and tickets" has been added to the System > Configure page. The checkbox applies to open alarms and tickets for monitor sets and offline alerts. Offline alerts are configured using Agent Status alerts.

LAN Cache

A new Agent > LAN Cache page designates a machine to act as a file source for other machines on the same LAN. You select the LAN Cache machine first, then assign machines to it using a new Assign LAN Cache page. Once a machine is assigned, a new Write File or GetURL step in agent procedures can be run to copy files from the assigned LAN Cache to the local machine.

A managed machine is configured to be a LAN Cache by specifying a unique identifying name, a fixed disk drive on the machine, and a customer directory name. Creation of the LAN Cache entails:

• Automatic creation of a Windows local user assigned to the administrators group.
• Creation of the specified customer directory on the specified fixed disk drive configured as a Windows administrative share.
• Creation of the special Kaseya directory (always VSAFileShare as a sub-directory under the customer’s directory) on the specified fixed disk drive configured as a Windows administrative share.

The Windows user is created with a unique name (FSAdminxxxxxxxxx where x is a digit) with an automatically generated strong password. These credentials are associated with this LAN Cache within Kaseya and are used when necessary instead of any assigned agent credential. The directory specified for the LAN Cache is strictly for customer use. Kaseya never uses this customer-specified directory/share.

Patch Management > File Source supports using the new LAN Cache option.

Reporting - General

• Provides a built-in, proprietary report server for running reports on smaller implementations of the VSA. This report server is used by default for new installs of the VSA. The SSRS report service will continue to be supported, for larger implementations and existing VSAs upgrading to 6.3. The option is configured using the System > Configure > Change Reporting Configuration button.
• Reports can now be generated for a selected language on the Filter tab when a report is scheduled or run immediately. The language option does not display if language packs are not installed.
• The look and feel of all 2005 RDLs have been updated to match the look and feel of 2008 RDLs.

Custom Report Builder

A new "Custom" report builder enables users to customize report templates and report definitions. Existing report definitions are labeled "Legacy" reports to distinguish them in the user interface.

• Elements of a Custom report are called "parts". Parts can be re-used to create multiple layouts. Types of parts include: Tables, Bar Charts, Pie Charts and Name Value Parts.
• A Name Value part queries the database and displays the result in a report as a single value next to a single descriptive label or "name". Useful for creating "counts" in a report.
• Modified Custom report definitions can be saved as new report templates.
• A configured report part "instance" can be saved as a "standard instance" and reused in multiple report templates and report definitions.
• Custom report templates and report parts can be imported/exported.
• Customizable cover pages, headers and footers can be assigned to any Custom report template or Custom report definition.

Installer

A single installer is now used to install or upgrade 6.3 and all addon modules selected for installation or upgrade by the user. Includes an interactive checklist that guides the user through the configuration of prerequisites required to complete the installation.

Time Tracking

Time Tracking has been converted into an addon module.

Advanced API asmx

API operations associated with the System tab and Agent tab have been reorganized into a separate Advanced API.asmx that is licensed separately.

Add-on Modules Conversion

All addon modules have been upgraded to be compatible with the 6.3 installer.

Discovery Functionality Moved to New Module

LAN Watch has been removed from the Monitoring module. In the Agent module LAN Watch and the entire LAN Discovery folder, except for the View vPro page, has been redesigned and incorporated into a new Discovery module being released in conjunction with VSA 6.3.

VPro Functionality Moved

The following vPro-related pages in the VSA are being removed and replaced with similar functionality in two addon modules.

• Agent > View vPro.
  • Use the Discovery > Discovered Devices - Grid View > View button to display information for a discovered vPro machine.
  • Use the Desktop Management > vPro > Advanced > Generate Rebate Form option to generate a rebate form.
• Remote Control > Power Management
  • Use the Desktop Management > vPro page.
• Remote Control > Remote ISO Boot
  • Use the Desktop Management > vPro page.

Migrating Legacy AD Logons

If legacy AD logons were created using the View AD Users page in VSA 6.2 or earlier and these legacy AD logons continue to be used, then in the System Default Settings page, set "Use domain short name in the construction of user passwords" to Yes. This enables user passwords for existing legacy AD logons to continue to be recognized. Whenever a password for an existing AD logon is reset, a newer hashing algorithm is used, based on fully qualified domain names. If legacy AD logons using the View AD Users page were never implemented prior to 6.3, then set this option to No.

Preventing the Logging of Successful Child Script Execution

The System > Configure page includes the following option: Enable logging of successful child script execution in agent procedure log. If unchecked, child script success entries are not included in the agent procedure log. This can reduce the size of the agent procedure log tremendously. It takes up to 5 minutes for the KServer to read this setting change. 6.2 was hotfixed with this same option.

SAAS Only Features

Sharing View Definitions Across Partitions

Enables configuration of view definitions in a single "source" partition to easily populate and update view definitions in "target" tenant partitions.

Sharing Sample Sets Across Partitions

Enables configuration of sample sets in a single "source" partition to easily populate and update sample sets in "target" tenant partitions.