Like a surveillance camera, the Client takes regular screen snapshots of activity
Spector CNE
Administrator's Guide
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Like a surveillance camera, the Client takes regular screen snapshots of activity
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When you install the Client Recorder on a network computer, it immediately begins monitoring the computer's activity by recording:
Chat/Instant Message Activity - All conversations in Chat Rooms and Instant Message (IM) exchanges. More...
Document Tracking - Creation, writing, renaming, deleting or printing of a file
Email Activity - Email sent and received, including attachments. More...
Files Transferred - Peer-to-Peer, FTP and HTTP file transfers. More...
Keystroke Activity - All keystrokes typed, including hidden characters and true keystrokes. More...
Network Activity - Communications on the Intranet or Internet. More...
Program Activity - Every program opened and the amount of activity that took place. More...
Screen Snapshots - Graphical snapshots of the Client computer screen. More...
User Activity - A user's log on and log off times, and the duration of time spent in activity or inactivity. More...
Web Sites Visited - Domains and URLs surfed by the user. More...
The Client Recorder also provides Keyword Alerts, Internet Blocking, means for reviewing recordings on a local Viewer, "record" toggle hotkeys, and instant screen snapshot hotkeys. All settings are available through the Deployment Utility or Client Settings.
By default, the Client runs in stealth mode, but you can configure it to be visible to the computer user. Either way, the Client operates in the background, monitoring and recording all computer events without causing degradation in computer performance.
You can install one Client for each license you have purchased. If you have a 100 Client license agreement, you can install the Client on 100 computers. You can purchase additional Client licenses under your current serial number. See Adding Clients.
When you install the Client Recorder on a computer
A license is reserved specifically for that computer.
You can NOT move the license to another computer.
If you uninstall the Client, you can only reinstall the reserved license on a computer with the same Windows computer name.
To record on a Windows multi-user server:
You need one license for each unique user logging into the server. For example, a 50 Client license would allow installation of the Client onto a CitrixMetaFrame server configured for 50 users.
Your installation is "unlocked"
for a set number of Clients
when you register your serial number
When you install the Client on a computer, you are installing two main components:
The
Client Service is a Windows Service that communicates with:
(a) the Primary Server to verify licensing
(b) the Control Center to provide status
and configuration information
(c) the Data Vault Service to transfer recorded
data
The Client Recorder Agent is a software module that monitors and records activity.
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The Client Service, although installed as a Windows service, is hidden from the computer's user and cannot be removed from the computer unless the user has the appropriate Administrator privileges to remove it. |
Client activity begins immediately after the Client is installed. Each of these tasks is described in more detail below.
To record activity:
As soon as it is installed, the Client Service communicates with the Primary Server to establish licensing.
When a license is verified, the Client Recorder Agent begins recording activity and storing it in a local data file.
The Client Service periodically communicates Client status to the Control Center and attempts to upload data to the Data Vault service (every 30 minutes by default).
Once recorded events are pushed to the Data Vault, the Client deletes them from the local data file.
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Make sure the Primary Server configuration is correct before deploying Clients. The Primary Server configuration is provided (based on the Server Components installation) in the Deployment Utility's Server Communication settings. If the wrong configuration somehow is installed on Clients, you will need to rebuild the Client Install file using the Deployment Utility and reinstall the Client. Simply changing the Client Settings will not work. |
See Client Installation Issues in the Troubleshooting section of this guide if you have trouble with Client/Primary Server communication.
The Client Recorder Agent begins recording computer activity as soon as it is installed and establishes contact and a verified license with the Primary Server.
To record events:
By default, the Client Recorder Agent records all types of activity continuously.
You can configure it to run on a schedule (for example, 9 AM - 5 PM, Monday through Friday) and to record specific types of activity (for example, record Web Sites Visited, but do not record Files Transferred). Change the configuration before installation using the Deployment Utility or after installation using Client Settings from the Configure Computers view.
The Recorder saves recorded activity in 15 minute chunks.
Events are compressed, encrypted, and stored in a hidden folder on the hard drive of the Client computer. Event data files on the Client can only be read by a local Client Viewer.
When the recorded events are transferred to the Data Vault, they are deleted from the local Client computer.
The Client Service provides Client Recorder status (installed or not, recording or not, and which settings are in place) to the Control Center so that you can monitor, manage, and configure the Clients.
Communication with the Control Center lets you:
Install or uninstall the Client Recorder from the Control Center
View configuration settings and change Client settings from the Control Center
Start or stop recording
Schedule recording
Change communication settings
