Gathering Data With Custom Methods

For even more thorough change tracking and security management, you can define custom methods to augment the data you are collecting. Custom methods are actually Windows-based commands that run on the machines from which you are collecting data; the commands generate additional data that you can view as reports. Custom method reports are available as both Documentation Reports and from Fact-Finding Reports.

It may be helpful to remember that custom methods refers to both:

• the Windows-based commands that run (during Auditor's data collection) to generate additional data, and

• the Documentation or FFR reports in which you see the data generated by these commands.

About the Custom Methods File

The custom methods commands are contained in one or more xml files. You create this file when you configure data collection options (either as part of generating a Documentation report or when you click on Collect).

Specifying Custom Methods

To specify that custom methods will be executed as part of data collection:

1. Start the Auditor software.
2. Begin defining data collection, either by clicking on Collect or by generating a Documentation report that collects new data. Either choice takes you to the Data collection options display.

   

3. At the bottom of this display, you'll notice the Report custom methods check box. There is also a text entry field (in which to enter the name of your custom methods file), and a Browse button to help you locate the file if it already exists.

   

4. Click the Report custom methods checkbox to run custom methods as part of data collection.
5. If you know the name of your custom methods file, enter it in the text entry field. Otherwise, click on Browse to call up the Browse for Settings File display.

   

6. At this point, you can:
   • Select an existing file in the list and click on OK to use that as the custom methods file.
   • Click on New to create a new custom methods file.
   • Select an existing custom methods file from the list and click on Edit to modify the file you selected.

Creating or Editing a Custom Methods File

To create or edit a custom methods file:

1. From the Browse for Settings File display, click on either the New button (to create a new file) or the Edit button (to edit an existing file). If necessary, a popup window will ask you to specify a filename (customMethod.xml is provided as a default).
2. The Edit Custom Method Settings display appears. This display lets you assign a Title to a custom method (that is, to a command or set of commands); these titles appear in the box on the left. This display also lets you specify how the method is to be executed (the Method field).

   

3. To add a new custom method to your file, click New and then assign a Title and the Method. Then, enter the command to be run for data collection in the Enter command text entry field.
4. To modify an existing custom method, select the existing method from the list on the left. Then. adjust the Title, Method, and Enter command fields according to your choice.
5. Repeat the procedure of adding and customizing custom methods as necessary, then click OK when finished to return to the Data collection options display.

About the Method Field

The Method field allows two alternatives.

• Select Execute command if your file contains commands that will be run during data collection, generating output that is then available for reporting.

• Select Copy file to remote system if you want files located on your Auditor server to be copied to remote systems. You must also specify a Local Path to the source of the files being copied, and a Remote Path to the files' destination.

  Important: The output of this kind of custom method will not be collected and reportable.