Chat/IM
Spector Client (Client) is configured to record Chat/Instant Message IM events by selecting options within the Chat/IM configuration tab. The Chat/IM configuration tab can be found when:
Pre-configuring a Client installation file using the Spector CNE Deployment Utility
Figure 1:- Chat/IM Settings within Deployment Utility
Selecting a computer within the Configure Computers View of the Control Center
Figure 2: Settings within Configure Computers View
Selecting the Settings button within the Spector Viewer when viewing the recordings of a computer from the Monitor Computers view of the Control Center
Figure 3: Chat/IM Settings within Viewer
Selecting the Settings button within the Spector Viewer if the Viewer was installed as part of the Client installation (only recommended for troubleshooting)
Capture Chat and Instant Messages
The Client provides the ability to record conversations that take place on a computer, which use the most popular Chat and Instant Message applications. The Chat and Instant Message applications supported by the Client include:
The Client records the following information for each Chat/IM conversation:
Date and time the conversation took place
Windows program the conversation was recorded in
Title of the window the conversation was record in
Windows user logged in when the conversation was recorded
Entire Chat/IM conversation
To enable recording of Chat and Instant Message conversations that occur on monitored computers, select Capture Chat and Instant Messages to put a checkmark in the option box. To disable Chat and Instant Message recording, clear the checkbox from the Capture Chat and Instant Messages box. For more information on recording Chat/IM events, please see Chat/IM Recording.
Chat File
When Chat and Instant Message events are recorded on a monitored computer, the Client stores them in a data file that resides in the Data File Folder. If the Client is configured to upload recorded events to the Data Vault, this information will be moved from the Chat data file into the Data Vault. If the Client is configured to keep the recorded events on the computer or the Data Vault is unavailable for uploading of events, then the size of the Chat data file is a consideration. In general, the size of the Chat data file is not much concern, because a very large number of conversations can be recorded in a relatively small data file size. The following settings control the amount of storage space needed on the computer drive to record Chat and Instant Message events.
Delete Data After … Days
Select the number of days that the Client should keep recorded Chat/IM events on the computer. If Chat/IM has been recorded before this number of days, then the Chat/IM events will be deleted. For example, if this setting is for ten days and today is August 11, the Client would keep all Chat/IM events recorded on August 1 and later. This setting is not a concern if the Client is configured to move recorded events to the Data Vault. They would be moved frequently and not reside for ten days on the computer.
The Default number of days is 10.
Maximum Data Size … Megabytes
Select the maximum number of megabytes that the Chat data file should grow. When the Chat data file has reached this size, the oldest conversations will be deleted to allow for the recording of newer conversations and keep the Chat data file under the maximum size. This setting should not be a concern if the Client is configured to upload recorded events to the Data Vault, because the maximum data file size could not be reached before the events are uploaded to the Data Vault (approximately every five minutes). If the Client is NOT uploading recorded events to the Data Vault, this setting should still not be a concern unless the computer's user is creating very large chat/IM conversations over many days
The default Chat/IM Data File size is 3 megabytes.
Figure 4: Advanced Chat Dialog
The Client provides the ability to capture Chat and Instant Messages from most of the most popular Chat/IM applications. The Client uses two methods to accomplish this.
The first method is called “low-level” in which the Client monitors the known communications ports used by the Chat/IM protocols. This is the preferred method for capturing Chat/IM because it does not depend on the application performing the Chat/IM conversation. It allows support for many versions of an Instant Message program like AOL Instant Messenger as well as third party Instant Message programs that interface with AOL IM, like Trillian
The second method is called “high-level” in which the Client monitors specific versions of the most popular Chat/IM applications and records the conversations directly from the application windows. This method is used as a backup to the low-level method, because it relies on a specific version of a Chat/IM application and the vendors of these programs (Microsoft, AOL, and Yahoo) are constantly releasing new versions, which may no longer be supported by the Client
The high-level method is most useful for recording Chat/IM conversations from applications that use communications protocols not supported by the low-level methods, such as Windows Messenger configured for an MS Exchange account.
The high-level method is also useful for recording Chat/IM conversations from applications that have been configured to perform encrypted communications. With encrypted communications, the low-level method would capture the conversation, but it would be unreadable. The only method to record encrypted Chat/IM is with the high-level method.
IRC Ports - MSN Ports - AOL/ICQ Ports - Yahoo Ports
The Port definitions are the communications ports monitored by the Client for the respective Chat/IM protocols. These should not be changed unless directed by SpectorSoft. Changes to these options will not take effect until the Chat/IM application being recorded is restarted.
IRC Capture - MSN Capture - AOL/ICQ Capture - Yahoo Capture
The capture methods define whether the respective Chat/IM conversations should be recorded using the “high-level” or “low-level” method. The default is “auto,” which means the Client will record using the method in which it first detects a conversation. In general, the Client will detect a conversation using the low-level method first, unless the Chat/IM application is using a communications protocol not monitored by the Client or the communications protocol is encrypted. If either of these is detected, the Client will use the high-level protocol. With the “auto” method, a low-level or high-level will be determined each time a Chat/IM application is executed and that method will be used for that Chat/IM application until it is closed.
The following option can override the auto method, forcing the low-level or high-level method to be used when a Chat/IM application is executed:
if a Chat/IM application will be used in which the conversations will be encrypted and unencrypted, it may be necessary to configure the Chat interface to use the high-level method of capture