inGOT Makes it Even Easier to Manage Internet Usage and Costs

Novell Cool Solutions: Trench
By Jennifer Blake

Digg This - Slashdot This Posted: 22 Nov 2002

Since our last note to you on inGOT we've made some cool upgrades to version 3.5 that we wanted to tell you about.

In case you're not up to speed, inGOT is an innovative Internet Control and Reporting solution developed to work with BorderManager. It has the power to significantly reduce the cost of providing Internet access to your staff and/or students and to modify how they use their Internet access.

As users browse the web, inGOT calculates individual traffic usage, based on pre-configured megabyte charges, and deducts this amount from their Internet "account". Access can be automatically blocked when their account goes negative and restored when funds are added. Different rates can be billed for different groups and a multitude of useful daily reports are available.

With inGOT your IT Department can:

• Automate the monitoring, control and management of Internet usage.
• Accurately budget for Internet access, as well as allocation, recovery and control of costs.
• Report on the amount of usage and what content was viewed/downloaded by individuals and departments.
• Modify Internet usage patterns.
• Take the risk out of upgrading Internet access to broadband/ADSL.
• Encourage greater user responsibility in their Internet usage.

Some of the really neat inGOT features we wanted you to know about include:

Automatic User Creation

When users access the Internet for the first time inGOT will automatically create a user account for them within the inGOT database. The user will be assigned a specific "profile" that will define their initial settings, like their starting balance and user type (and therefore the rate they will be charged).

Automatic Database Management

inGOT can automatically purge old data and compact (if necessary) its databases, meaning minimal database administration is necessary once inGOT is up and running. This is of significant benefit given the high volumes of data generated by proxy servers as they log user traffic details.

inGOT Balance Utility

A workstation utility is available that will display the current Internet balance (in dollars or megabytes) of the user logged into the workstation.

inGOT in "Admin Mode"

Multiple copies of inGOT can be set to run in Admin Mode. In this mode all of the core "scanning" functions are disabled. This would enable a cashier or user administrator to add funds to a user or check the users details without having to have access to the main inGOT system.

inGOT supports MS-Access and MS-SQL Server databases

Customer Feedback

We've also had some great feedback from schools and colleges around Australia who think inGOT really is a ?Cool Solution'.

Here's what Mathew Powell, Network Engineer at Saint Ignatius' College in Sydney had to say --

?inGOT creates a controlled Internet environment which saves us time and money. Users are aware of their usage through detailed reports. I have cut internet usage by as much as 90% in some areas!"

Steve Fraser, Director of IT Services at Woodleigh School in Victoria uses Novell BorderManager -

"We have been waiting years for a product like inGOT. The main reason for purchasing it was to control Internet downloads. The school uses Novell BorderManager and inGOT integrates/talks with it readily. This was very important in the decision to purchase."

For more info

You can read more feedback on how inGOT (a Liverton product) has helped other customers at (http://www.liverton.com/products/ingot/custcomments.htm). We'd also like your input so why don't you download a free, fully functional 5-user version and try it out yourself-- just go to www.liverton.com/products/ingot.htm.

If you have any questions you may contact Jennifer at Jennifer@liverton.com

Reader Comments

• inGOT holds more information about users than can be realistically held in the NDS. It is therefore necessary to store user information in the inGOT database. To ensure that system administrators do not need to setup or manage a second set of user accounts, inGOT manages the internal 'inGOT' account automatically. When a new user appears in the Border Manager server logs inGOT automatically creates the new account within the inGOT database, reading relevant additional information about the user from the NDS (e.g. the users NDS Full name). inGOT can also assign different charge rates and user types to each new user based on the users membership of NDS groups. For example, if a new user is a member of the 'students' NDS groups (e.g. ".student.container.org") they will be assigned a pre-defined 'student' profile. Where as a new user who is a member of the 'Staff' NDS group (e.g. ".staff.container.org") will be assigned the pre-defined 'staff' profile. A profile defines characteristics like the user type, charge rate, group name etc. For further information please feel free to contact me directly at richard.bourne@liverton.com. Richard Bourne, Technical Director (inGOT Developer), Liverton
• Just one question: Why is the Automatic User Creation function necessary? How does inGOT interface with NDS/eDirectory?

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