What's new in version 8.0

December 2017

Version 8.2 of Alloy Navigator Express adds HTML support, introduces Chromebook inventory and provides a number of other new features and enhancements over previous releases.

User interface

HTML support

Now we support the HTML format in descriptions for Tickets and in Activity Log records for all Alloy Navigator Express objects. All e-mail notifications also operate in HTML. This change provides the following benefits:

• E-mail bodies come over to ticket descriptions as is, including all formatting and embedded images. Technicians no longer need to refer the Attachments tab searching for screenshots.
• Now all e-mail notifications are in the HTML format, meaning technicians can format their responses using different font styles (bold, italic, etc.), font colors, and include images (screenshots) in response bodies. To cover scenarios where e-mail clients do not support HTML, automatically generates alternative plain text message parts with all HTML formatting stripped out.
• Activity Log shows embedded images enabling technicians to see screenshots sent from or to customers.

Improved advanced filter

The process of creating complex filtering expressions in data views (grids) has been simplified. The Filter Builder's UI has been redesigned and now supports drag-and-drop operations.

Improved layout of Products from the Product Catalog

The layout of the General tab of the Product form has been improved. More screen real estate is provided for the Name and Description fields; other fields are organized in sections.

Software asset management

Named User licensing

The new version adds support for named user licensing. Licenses of this type can be allocated to specific users for compliance tracking. This licensing principle entitles users to install and use the software on multiple computers. The license remains in compliance as long as it is used by designated users only.

Multiple installations per user

Now you can manage software licenses that allow more than one installation per user.

License restrictions for auto-allocation

Now the auto-allocation of software licenses works with regard to license restrictions. When using the Auto-allocate to Computers with unreconciled Installations only command, Alloy Navigator Express makes allocations only when discovered installations match all of the License Compliance Rules and Restrictions for the license.

Tracked changes to license restrictions

Now changes made to license restrictions are tracked and displayed on the History tab.

Friendlier interface for restriction rules

Now when you specify a Restriction by Device Name compliance rule, you can select a computer using our standard Select [Object] functionality. The previous version required you to type in the computer name.

Security

Improved security with encrypted data

Alloy Navigator Express 8 adds support for new custom fields of "Encrypted" type. This helps you store sensitive data, such as login credentials and account details. Encrypted data can be read back and displayed only by the workflow engine while appearing as a series of asterisks on the screen.

Web Portal and Self Service Portal

Pop-up windows in Web Portal remember their size

Now pop-up windows in the Web Portal remember their sizes so users do not have to adjust the window size each time.

Easier customizing views in the Web Portal

The Customize View dialog box provides better performance and supports drag and drop for reordering and adding.

Quick reports from the Web Portal

Now Web Portal users can export data records from grid views to various formats, such as CSV, RTF, Excel, and PDF.

Customizable colors of the Self Service Portal

Customizing the look-and-feel of the Self Service Portal is much easier thanks to the added support for LESS. The dynamic nature of LESS helps applying colors quickly and consistently with stylesheet variables.

Regional settings for the Self Service Portal

Now Self Service Portal customers can use 12-hour or 24-hour notation for specifying time, depending on their regional settings.

Administration

Customizable Preview Pane

The Preview Pane is now fully customizable. You can change its layout, hide certain fields, or add user-defined fields as needed.

Safeguard against deletion of shared views that are in use

Alloy Navigator Express no longer allows deleting views that are used in dashboard widgets.

Easier copying of roles

Now the Copy Item command for security roles is on the Module menu, above the Roles grid.

Workflow management

Workflow parameters for easier workflow customization

Now business logic can be easily fine-tuned using the Workflow Configuration parameters.

Workflow parameters eliminate the need for modification of individual E-mail Notifications, macros, and other workflow items. For example, once you specify a value (a person) for the Administrator parameter, all administrative alerts and notifications will be sent to that Administrator. For another example, the Depreciation Convention parameter lets you easily choose a depreciation convention for assets, which determines the first and last years' amounts of depreciation to be taken.

For details, see Administration Guide: Adjusting Workflow Configuration.

Service Support

Categories for Recurrent Tickets

Now you can categorize your Recurrent Tickets to make them easier to work with.

Friendlier Ticket forms

Ticket Forms now display not only the ID of related tickets, but also their summary (for example, Incidents now display the summary of their Related Problem). This helps users understand the essence of the related ticket without having to open it.

Hint messages for read-only Ticket fields

Now hovering over any read-only ticket field in the Main Console (for example, over any closed ticket's field) triggers a hint message explaining why the field is not editable.

Discovery and audit

Chromebook inventory

Network Inventory leverages Google API to extract Chromebook data and incorporate it throughout Alloy Navigator Express’s workflow. Now you can collect and report on inventory data, and perform system management tasks on Chrome devices. This integration provides you with conveniently consolidated view of your entire Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebook computers, as well as mobile and other networked devices providing even more comprehensive asset management capabilities.

Information about scheduled tasks

Now Network Inventory is able to scan the Windows Task Scheduler and retrieve information about all tasks scheduled on audited computers. To enable the collection of the new data, you should turn on the corresponding option in the audit profile.

Software Recognition

Software recognition based on custom Registry keys

Now you can create software recognition rules based on custom Registry keys. This will help differentiate software editions, such as Adobe Acrobat Standard and Adobe Acrobat Pro.

Recognition of cross-platform software products

Now Network Inventory distinguishes products running on different platforms but having the same Product Name, Version, and Publisher (such as Adobe Acrobat for Windows and for Mac).

Immediate evaluation of discovered installations

After making changes to software recognition rules, you no longer have to wait until computers have been audited again for your changes to take effect. Now you can immediately force the recalculation of discovered installations and get up-to-the-minute results.