E.0 Glossary

Agent: Compact programs that can run on Micro Focus Open Enterprise Server and Microsoft Windows Server hosts. Agents can examine and report on NNSS and NTFS file systems. Additionally, Agents examine and report on file system security, including folder rights, trustee assignments, and permissions.

Analytics Tools: Windows workstation application included in the Client Tools designed to analyze data from scans. The current Analytics Tools include the Dashboard, Pivot Grid, and Tree Map.

Baseline Scan: A scan that you save as a reference for a comparison with another scan via a Historical Comparison report. You can have one File System Baseline scan and one Permissions Baseline scan for each storage resource.

Built-in Reports: With the exception of Custom Query reports, all of the report types that you can generate through the options displayed on the Add Report Definition page.

Current Scan: The most recent scan of a storage resource.

Custom Query Reports: Custom reports generated through SQL commands to the database. Custom Query reports can be generated both from the File Reporter browser-based administrative interface and from the Report Designer client tool.

Engine: The component that runs File Reporter. It can be hosted on a Microsoft Windows Server 2008 R2, Windows Server 2012, or Windows Server 2012 R2.

The Engine does the following:

  • Schedules the scans that the Agents conduct

  • Compiles scans for inclusion in a report

  • Provides the report information to the user interface

  • Determines that a condition has been met to start a triggered report

  • Runs scheduled reports

  • Monitors how many agents are online

  • Sends notifications that File Reporter has completed a scan or generated a report

Historic Comparison Report: File system or permissions reports that specify the differences between two similar scan types of the same target system. Historic Comparison reports can compare Baseline scans to Previous scans, Baseline scans to Current scans, and Previous scans to Current scans.

Identity System: Refers to the supported directory services, which are eDirectory and Active Directory. File Reporter can report on storage resources that reside in either identity system.

Micro Focus Storage Manager: A network file management system that utilizes directory services enacted policies to automatically manage user and group network storage. When installed and configured in the same network, File Reporter can report on Storage Manager policies.

PostgreSQL Database: One of the supported databases developed by the PostgreSQL Global Development Group.

Preview Report: A report generated through the Generate Preview option. Might also be referred to as “viewing the report in Preview mode.”

Previous Scan: When the Retain existing Previous scan option is selected in the Scan Policy Editor, the status of the Current scan becomes the Previous scan. You can then use the Previous scan as a reference for a Historic Comparison report. There is only one File System Previous scan and one Permissions Previous scan for each storage resource.

Proxy Agent: An Agent that performs agent services on a storage resource through a proxy association. NAS devices, clustered configurations, and NetWare servers require proxy agents.

Proxy Target: Servers, clusters, and NAS devices that are not hosting an Agent but are being scanned through a proxy agent.

Report: The result of a report request specified through the report definition. Reports are first presented on-screen in either Preview or Stored mode. You can save reports in a number of different formats.

Scan: Comprehensive file information pertaining to a storage resource at a specific time. Information from scans is the means of generating reports.

Scan Policy: Specifies how and where the scan is conducted. All scans are managed through a scan policy.

Scan Processor: Introduced in File Reporter 3.0, the Scan Processor alleviates some of the workload that was previously performed by the Engine. This workload includes storing the scans in the database and processing the scans.

Scan Target: The storage resource on the network that can be scanned by File Reporter.

SQL Server: One of the supported databases developed and distributed by Microsoft. File Reporter supports SQL Server 2012 and above.

Storage resource: A resource within the network environment that File Reporter monitors and reports on. Depending on the environment in which File Reporter is deployed, a storage resource can be a server volume, a Windows server share, a Micro Focus Storage Manager policy, or a network folder path.

Stored Report: A report that is stored in the Reports folder of the Engine. By default, a stored report is only stored for 30 days, but this setting can be adjusted through the Stored Reports Configuration page.

Unformatted Report: Report data generated as “raw” text rather than formatted and presented in a formatted report. In some instances, having an unformatted report might be useful for doing extensive sorting and filtering of the report data through a product such as Microsoft Excel.

Web Application: The File Reporter administrative interface that runs on top of Microsoft IIS.