Hi, i need such a tool because in my company we are deploying a lot of PC in our factory, they run 24/24 and are used by several people to get some informations. All i want to know is how long the PC are really used each day, so i need to track the real human activity (Keyboard + mouse move), i don't care about what they are doing, i don't want to spy them. The goal is to know if there are enough PC or too much. I guess we have too much PC deployed but i need proofs to argue with my chief i don't like to have 10 PC runing 24/24 and used only 10 minutes/day All i found until now are paid spying Tools... Thanks for your help.
@cetipabo2: I'm wondering how much of that info is in the event logs. So maybe what you need is a free event log viewer with some kind of filtering capability. I hope that helps.
Maybe you like to google for: Computer activity tracker! Also, while company computers are mainly connected to a Network (LAN), there would be quite a lot of ways for to simply track the time, based on it's internal static IP! Time to do your Home Work?! Isn't it? All infos on the Internet!
i didn't know that when you move the mouse, click somewhere or just type Something on the keyboard, it write something in the event log. They don't start/stop any application, they just use an AS/400 terminal open 24/24 on the computer. @pisthai The computer's IP will not say me anything interesting. i don't want to know since how long the pc is started or online. i need to know how long someone used it. i need to track the human activity, not the computer activity. I searched Google before posting her. But as English is not my native language, sometimes i don't use the correct words so i don't find...
First at all: a Computers IP is just for to identify WHICH Computer is running on that IP! From that IP, it's possible to trace what is done, how long that computer was used, and ...........and! If you like to get all (or just some) info's for each different computer on your Network, the IP and/or the Mac Address is the way to go, while the IP is simpler to configure! Even if you like tor track/trace the human activity on a computer, that action will simply via one/many computers, and if they're on the same network, the IP or even Mac Address is the only way to go. If you're using an advanced Hardware Firewall, like a Cisco or Netscreen, you may could get those data via that Firewall, if the Firewall is configured for to backup that data to an extra storage. Some of the advanced Routers could do the same. Just, it's not so easy to get the human activity! On a Network, that would be possible only by tracing the Log on/Log off data, and even that would never be correct! To get the false info as low as possible, it would need to configure that Log on/Log off to a max of inactivity, which would be boring for the users! What time of inactivity should be set: 5, 10, 20, 30min, or how much? So, let say 30min: a user connect for 2 min to get some data and reconnect after 1 hour again, and such 5 times a day! How many time he really used: 10-20min, and how much time was miscounted: more than 4.5h! Don't forget: every single activity is using one/any computer on your network! On an AS400 Server, such user activity could be logged directly, different by the System OS using! It's depend on the time of inactivity set to Log off automatically by the system! Even if the users using a Windows OS on their computer, they need to Log on separately via the AS400 Terminal, for to get what they want from the AS400! And, if you need to track the user activity differently for the PC and the AS400, you'll have a lot problems if you're not really have a deep knowledge of both OS'es! Good Luck.
@Cetipabo2: This sounds like something that needs to be done on the AS400 server itself. Perhaps something that needs to be done in JCL or something like it? Only someone with experience in the AS400 would be able to tell you exactly what should be done.
@pisthai Thanks, but are you trying to teach me how a network is working ? i'm working as sys admin since 20 years... Going the "IP way" to track if someone used the keyboard or the mouse... Never thought about that Thanks anyway, but i think the lillte tool i found will do the job. Since the V9 an idle counter was added, which is very helpfull. cause you know how long the pc was not used.
i don't understand why you are all trying to go in the most complicated direction ? isn't it more easier to track the keyboard/mouse activity with an existing tool than develop an as400 program which will probably slow everything... i just need an approximative idea at the moment.
As an Sys-Admin with 20 Years experiences, you should know very well, which you told in your answer to my post upfront too! God luck!
@Cetipabo: Actually, we're just trying to throw ideas out there. None of us are in front of the system, so we don't really know. I have done VAX programming before. If I was using something like Citrix, communicating with a mainframe, the Sys Admins of the mainframe would take on that responsibility. There's more than one way to skin a cat.