Next Generation of ZENworks Reporting
March 27, 2014
Since I last wrote, the pile of snow at the end of our driveway has grown by two feet - this is not a happy thing. (You can see a shot of the snow pile here.) But while Spring is slow to arrive here in New Hampshire, great new ZENworks features are bustin' out all over. This time my focus is on the new ZENworks Reporting 5.
All the Features, Easy to Use
ZENworks Reporting 5 replaces ZENworks Reporting Server as of ZENworks 11 SP3, released in February. The new reporting tool includes coverage for all of the core ZENworks features (discovery, inventory, bundles and policies) along with many of the modules that used to require an additional purchase but are now rolled into the ZENworks Suite (asset and patch management, endpoint security, full disk encryption). It also features an architecture that allows for the easy addition of reporting coverage for new ZENworks modules; application virtualization and mobile management will be first to arrive.
Building reports in ZR5 is simple and intuitive. Drag and drop elements into a work area and your report grows and changes with each addition. Filtering is powerful and straightforward as is applying formatting for tables, charts and crosstabs for professional presentations. Administrators have full control over which reports low-level users can see and execute; admins can also construct views of the data domain that limit the scope of reports that may be constructed for users who only need access to certain areas. Reports can be scheduled and the output automatically forwarded to an email list. Drill down into more granular data - such as in the chart below - is controlled through a simple slider above the filter definition that is automatically configured based on the data in your report.
Since I last wrote, the pile of snow at the end of our driveway has grown by two feet - this is not a happy thing. (You can see a shot of the snow pile here.) But while Spring is slow to arrive here in New Hampshire, great new ZENworks features are bustin' out all over. This time my focus is on the new ZENworks Reporting 5.
All the Features, Easy to Use
ZENworks Reporting 5 replaces ZENworks Reporting Server as of ZENworks 11 SP3, released in February. The new reporting tool includes coverage for all of the core ZENworks features (discovery, inventory, bundles and policies) along with many of the modules that used to require an additional purchase but are now rolled into the ZENworks Suite (asset and patch management, endpoint security, full disk encryption). It also features an architecture that allows for the easy addition of reporting coverage for new ZENworks modules; application virtualization and mobile management will be first to arrive.
Building reports in ZR5 is simple and intuitive. Drag and drop elements into a work area and your report grows and changes with each addition. Filtering is powerful and straightforward as is applying formatting for tables, charts and crosstabs for professional presentations. Administrators have full control over which reports low-level users can see and execute; admins can also construct views of the data domain that limit the scope of reports that may be constructed for users who only need access to certain areas. Reports can be scheduled and the output automatically forwarded to an email list. Drill down into more granular data - such as in the chart below - is controlled through a simple slider above the filter definition that is automatically configured based on the data in your report.
Another great feature is the ability to take a set of stand-alone reports and bring them together into a dashboard. Individual elements of the dashboard can have separate refresh cycles, and you can pull in data from external URLs or RSS feeds to complement your reports.
The ZENworks Reporting 5 installation is quick and simple on a server OS but does not require a ZENworks Primary Server. Logins are managed through your LDAP authoritative source, not the ZENworks Control Center. (Users creating reports actually need never log into ZENworks as an admin.) ZR5 may be used with ZENworks version 11.2.4, but the old ZENworks Reporting Server will no longer work once you upgrade to ZENworks 11.3.
ZENworks Reporting 5 Training
Novell invited me to create the training for ZENworks Reporting 5 and we held the first formal presentation of the class last week. Training comes in two parts: an Administration class that includes installation and maintenance, as well as setting up permissions for user rights, and a Building Reports class that works through how to build great reports and dashboards. Each class is a half day with separate registration; you can take one class on one date and the other later, or send the admins in the morning and a flock of report builders in the afternoon.
Registration links are available on the Events page on my website, and dates from now through the Summer are currently available. Dates for ZENworks Asset Management training are also listed - remember that ZENworks customers become entitled to ZENworks Asset Management as they move up to the ZENworks Suite licensing, so there's no better time to learn how to use your new tools!
IAITAM Notes
I can't wait to escape the snow and ice and head to the M Resort and Casino in Henderson, Nevada, for the IAITAM Spring Annual Conference and Exhibition, April 29 - May 1. I'm looking forward to delivering a session entitled "The Zen of Software Asset Management." Remember that, to complement your ZENworks Asset Management work, I'm now accredited to present the IAITAM Certified Software Asset Manager course. There's information about the class on my web site on the IAITAM Training page.
If you work in the desert or near a beach, let's talk - I'm sure I have something to offer your organization!
The ZENworks Reporting 5 installation is quick and simple on a server OS but does not require a ZENworks Primary Server. Logins are managed through your LDAP authoritative source, not the ZENworks Control Center. (Users creating reports actually need never log into ZENworks as an admin.) ZR5 may be used with ZENworks version 11.2.4, but the old ZENworks Reporting Server will no longer work once you upgrade to ZENworks 11.3.
ZENworks Reporting 5 Training
Novell invited me to create the training for ZENworks Reporting 5 and we held the first formal presentation of the class last week. Training comes in two parts: an Administration class that includes installation and maintenance, as well as setting up permissions for user rights, and a Building Reports class that works through how to build great reports and dashboards. Each class is a half day with separate registration; you can take one class on one date and the other later, or send the admins in the morning and a flock of report builders in the afternoon.
Registration links are available on the Events page on my website, and dates from now through the Summer are currently available. Dates for ZENworks Asset Management training are also listed - remember that ZENworks customers become entitled to ZENworks Asset Management as they move up to the ZENworks Suite licensing, so there's no better time to learn how to use your new tools!
IAITAM Notes
I can't wait to escape the snow and ice and head to the M Resort and Casino in Henderson, Nevada, for the IAITAM Spring Annual Conference and Exhibition, April 29 - May 1. I'm looking forward to delivering a session entitled "The Zen of Software Asset Management." Remember that, to complement your ZENworks Asset Management work, I'm now accredited to present the IAITAM Certified Software Asset Manager course. There's information about the class on my web site on the IAITAM Training page.
If you work in the desert or near a beach, let's talk - I'm sure I have something to offer your organization!
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