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iNetware
iNetware - A System Administrators Tool
Language/App: VB, Winsock Programming
Front End: Visual Basic
Back End: Visual Basic
Operating System: Windows
iNetWare is a system administrators tool that is used to monitor and control the remote systems connected in a LAN. The software is based on a client server model. The features available include chat, voice chat, remote explorer, remote control panel, task manager, remote desktop and IP monitor.In addition to these there are several other features. This was carried out as a project work for 8th semester. I have not put up the source code of this project on purpose since I did not have the consent of my team members.
The development of front-end design simplified by the very fact that we used Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 as the user interface designer. Visual Basic (VB) provides a click and drag approach to create user interfaces. Hence very little coding is to be done for the user interface to function properly.
The major portion of this software involved the back-end coding. Back-end coding refers to the processing done to the inputs specified by the user, and giving the desired outcomes back to the user. Many different modules were used, some user-defined and others built-in modules. The modules for the design of the back-end may be split up according to the number of options in the software.
Front End: Visual Basic
Back End: Visual Basic
Operating System: Windows
iNetWare is a system administrators tool that is used to monitor and control the remote systems connected in a LAN. The software is based on a client server model. The features available include chat, voice chat, remote explorer, remote control panel, task manager, remote desktop and IP monitor.In addition to these there are several other features. This was carried out as a project work for 8th semester. I have not put up the source code of this project on purpose since I did not have the consent of my team members.
The development of front-end design simplified by the very fact that we used Microsoft Visual Basic 6.0 as the user interface designer. Visual Basic (VB) provides a click and drag approach to create user interfaces. Hence very little coding is to be done for the user interface to function properly.
The major portion of this software involved the back-end coding. Back-end coding refers to the processing done to the inputs specified by the user, and giving the desired outcomes back to the user. Many different modules were used, some user-defined and others built-in modules. The modules for the design of the back-end may be split up according to the number of options in the software.
Features
iNetware has the following features:
Connect/Disconnect: This module takes as input the IP address of the user to which the system administrator wishes to connect to. If the specified address is an invalid one, immediately a message is displayed giving information indicating that the input is invalid. Similarly, for disconnect, a confirmation is requested when the administrator selects the disconnect option. When a positive confirmation is received, only then would the client be disconnected from the server.
Chat: This module is used to communicate between the server and the client at run time. When the server invokes the chat option, a chat window appears on the server and client machine. Messages are sent from either side using the socket opened specially for chat. The system administrator has the complete control over the chat windows, as he/she is the person who initiates it and also can close it. When the process of sending and receiving messages is complete, the system administrator can close the chat window on the client side. Simultaneously, the chat window on the server side closes.
Voice Chat: The voice chat module is used for immediate communication between the administrator and the remote user. The operation of this module is similar to that of the chat module. The conversation between the administrator and the remote user is over a microphone. The system administrator is the one who initiates and ends the voice conversation, and has complete control over the conversation. For the voice chat module, a particular Active X called "VaxVoipOcx.ocx" is used, which is capable of directly sending the voice input to the destination over the network.
Remote Explorer: This option helps the system administrator to monitor the file system of the remote system. When invoked, the display is a tree view along with the list view. The tree view displays the drives and the folders, whereas the list view displays the files in a specific folder. When some selection is made with respect to the drive or folder, the corresponding view is obtained. Now, the system administrator has the option of downloading files from the server. Once the source and the destination files are selected, the transfer is made through sockets. The server file is opened for reading and the client file is opened for writing. Data from the server file to the client file is transferred using sockets. Every time a part of the file is received at the destination, the download progress bar in incremented to show the progress in the downloading of the file. Also, the system administrator may want to upload some files from the client system to the server system. He/she can do so, by selecting the upload option. Once the source and the destination location are specified, similar to the downloading process, both the files on either machine are opened for reading and writing. A portion of the file is read at a time and transferred via the socket to the destination. The upload progress bar is incremented at each level, thus showing the overall progress of the uploading process. The system administrator can create new directory, as and when required, on the server machine. This requires the administrator to specify the directory name. If no directory name exists, then the system specifies the default name as "Folder01". This name is sent to the client side and a call to the windows Application Programming Interface (API) is made, to create a new directory. The administrator also has the option of running remote files. For this he/she has to select a file shown in the list view, for the corresponding drive and folder. Then clicking on the "Run" button will transfer the file from the server to the client and execute with some associated application on the client machine. The system administrator may want to view the properties of a specific file. To do this, he/she has to select a file from the list view. Then, on clicking the file properties option, a dialog box appears which informs the administrator the file name, location, type, size, creation time and modified time. This information is obtained by invoking a windows API, which fills a file structure with its attributes for use. The final option in the remote explorer is to delete a specific file. To do this, the administrator selects a file. Then on clicking the delete button, a message is sent to the server indicating the command and the data for the command. On the server side, a windows API is invoked to delete the specified file.
Remote Desktop: Remote Desktop helps the system administrator to view the desktop of the remote system. The administrator can keep track of applications that the users are running, by requesting for the remote desktop. The remote desktop has two modes of operation: capture desktop once and capture desktop continuously. In single desktop capture, a request is sent to the server to view the desktop. The server, on receiving the request, calls certain windows APIs to capture the desktop window and store it in the Bitmap format. Then another API is called to convert this bitmap image into the JPEG format. This is for the reason of less data, as compression of the image takes place, with almost no loss in data. This JPEG file is then transferred to the client side, and displayed to the system administrator. In case of capturing desktop continuously, a timer is enabled. This timer, for an interval of every 4 seconds, captures the desktop and displays it to the administrator.
Remote Task Manager: This option allows the administrator to view all the applications and the processes running on the remote system. On selecting the option, a tabbed dialog appears. Initially, it lists the applications with desktop windows, along with the status of each application.
Remote Control Panel: The Control panel is a tool that helps the system administrator to control a remote system connected in the LAN. The control panel has the following features:
IP Monitor: IP monitor allows the system administrator to view the incoming and outgoing traffic in the system, which is connected to the network. This gives a graphical view of the incoming and outgoing
Connect/Disconnect: This module takes as input the IP address of the user to which the system administrator wishes to connect to. If the specified address is an invalid one, immediately a message is displayed giving information indicating that the input is invalid. Similarly, for disconnect, a confirmation is requested when the administrator selects the disconnect option. When a positive confirmation is received, only then would the client be disconnected from the server.
Chat: This module is used to communicate between the server and the client at run time. When the server invokes the chat option, a chat window appears on the server and client machine. Messages are sent from either side using the socket opened specially for chat. The system administrator has the complete control over the chat windows, as he/she is the person who initiates it and also can close it. When the process of sending and receiving messages is complete, the system administrator can close the chat window on the client side. Simultaneously, the chat window on the server side closes.
Voice Chat: The voice chat module is used for immediate communication between the administrator and the remote user. The operation of this module is similar to that of the chat module. The conversation between the administrator and the remote user is over a microphone. The system administrator is the one who initiates and ends the voice conversation, and has complete control over the conversation. For the voice chat module, a particular Active X called "VaxVoipOcx.ocx" is used, which is capable of directly sending the voice input to the destination over the network.
Remote Explorer: This option helps the system administrator to monitor the file system of the remote system. When invoked, the display is a tree view along with the list view. The tree view displays the drives and the folders, whereas the list view displays the files in a specific folder. When some selection is made with respect to the drive or folder, the corresponding view is obtained. Now, the system administrator has the option of downloading files from the server. Once the source and the destination files are selected, the transfer is made through sockets. The server file is opened for reading and the client file is opened for writing. Data from the server file to the client file is transferred using sockets. Every time a part of the file is received at the destination, the download progress bar in incremented to show the progress in the downloading of the file. Also, the system administrator may want to upload some files from the client system to the server system. He/she can do so, by selecting the upload option. Once the source and the destination location are specified, similar to the downloading process, both the files on either machine are opened for reading and writing. A portion of the file is read at a time and transferred via the socket to the destination. The upload progress bar is incremented at each level, thus showing the overall progress of the uploading process. The system administrator can create new directory, as and when required, on the server machine. This requires the administrator to specify the directory name. If no directory name exists, then the system specifies the default name as "Folder01". This name is sent to the client side and a call to the windows Application Programming Interface (API) is made, to create a new directory. The administrator also has the option of running remote files. For this he/she has to select a file shown in the list view, for the corresponding drive and folder. Then clicking on the "Run" button will transfer the file from the server to the client and execute with some associated application on the client machine. The system administrator may want to view the properties of a specific file. To do this, he/she has to select a file from the list view. Then, on clicking the file properties option, a dialog box appears which informs the administrator the file name, location, type, size, creation time and modified time. This information is obtained by invoking a windows API, which fills a file structure with its attributes for use. The final option in the remote explorer is to delete a specific file. To do this, the administrator selects a file. Then on clicking the delete button, a message is sent to the server indicating the command and the data for the command. On the server side, a windows API is invoked to delete the specified file.
Remote Desktop: Remote Desktop helps the system administrator to view the desktop of the remote system. The administrator can keep track of applications that the users are running, by requesting for the remote desktop. The remote desktop has two modes of operation: capture desktop once and capture desktop continuously. In single desktop capture, a request is sent to the server to view the desktop. The server, on receiving the request, calls certain windows APIs to capture the desktop window and store it in the Bitmap format. Then another API is called to convert this bitmap image into the JPEG format. This is for the reason of less data, as compression of the image takes place, with almost no loss in data. This JPEG file is then transferred to the client side, and displayed to the system administrator. In case of capturing desktop continuously, a timer is enabled. This timer, for an interval of every 4 seconds, captures the desktop and displays it to the administrator.
Remote Task Manager: This option allows the administrator to view all the applications and the processes running on the remote system. On selecting the option, a tabbed dialog appears. Initially, it lists the applications with desktop windows, along with the status of each application.
Remote Control Panel: The Control panel is a tool that helps the system administrator to control a remote system connected in the LAN. The control panel has the following features:
- Lock the system
- Unlock the system
- Log off
- Restart
- Shutdown
- Get system
- Get user info
- Get usage time
- Mouse options
- Miscellaneous options
- System tools
- Other options
IP Monitor: IP monitor allows the system administrator to view the incoming and outgoing traffic in the system, which is connected to the network. This gives a graphical view of the incoming and outgoing
Misc info
The source code and the Dodumentation of this project is not put up on purpose. It does not come under the Open Source Category. Please do not try to contact me requesting for the source code/Documentation. Such requests will not be entertained.