Managing License Activations

All of South River Technologies applications include a feature that permits them to run in trial mode for a specified number of days. This feature permits a potential customer to run the application in their environment for a while to determine if it meets the requirements.

As is the case with most trials, it all comes to an end at some point and the software must be either purchased, or removed from your system. Of course, it’s our preference that you will decide to move ahead with the purchase.

Once a registration code is purchased and entered into the program (eliminating the annoying nag screens), the program is activated. The registration code purchased determines how many times the software may be simultaneously activated. Multi-seat WebDrive licenses can be installed on multiple systems, server products can be installed on a single computer.

SRT has set up a Customer Activation Portal where an end user may manage the activations on a given registration code. Using the Portal you have the ability to view your current activations, download the list of activations in XML format, deactivate one (or all) computer activations, edit the customer registration information for the registration code, and manage any SRT email mailing list subscriptions.

On The “Edge”

When inbound ports to networks are opened, private networks become vulnerable to malicious hacking attempts. When a hacker’s primary motivation is theft, that hacker will attempt to gain unauthorized access to a network, intent upon stealing and exploiting private and valuable information. Network intrusion attacks can seriously damage an organization’s reputation, and compromise assets and revenue. 

In order to protect  Titan servers, South River Technologies has written a product called DMZedge Server.  The DMZedge server resides outside the firewall. The  Titan and GroupDrive servers call out to the DMZedge server by opening an outbound port, preventing unauthorized client requests. Client requests are satisfied by a response on the outbound port; no inbound ports are ever opened. No unauthorized requests can gain access to valuable information and resources that exist on the private network.  Access to Titan and GroupDrive servers is securely extended beyond the local LAN with minimal firewall configuration/administration.  You can take an “out of the box” stateful firewall with DENY ALL as the incoming firewall rule, put up a DMZedge server and still have an Internet facing, remotely accessible Titan and/or GroupDrive server.

DMZedge will act as an authentication proxy for internal servers.  If your users authenticate against Active Directory or LDAP, or even Native GroupDrive or Titan authentication, that capability is extended via the Edge server to external networks.  The authentication database is never stored on, or replicated to, the DMZedge server.  It can also listen on all the Titan/GroupDrive supported secure protocols – FTPS, SFTP, HTTPS, and WebDAV over SSL.   It supports multiple server environments as well as server clustering. 

One could explain DMZedge as being both bouncer and doorman – stopping unwanted visitors while allowing residents to enter.  The reality is that it’s a fast, simple way to secure access to internal servers while leveraging existing authentication and data access policies.

PATCH IT!

A familiar icon appeared in my system tray a few hours ago and it got me thinking. Now that’s always dangerous, me thinking.

The icon was the “New updates are available” notification icon. So I started thinking about a conversation I had over the weekend with a new friend of mine, Sean. Sean is an avid Macintosh user. I am not. In the many conversations I have had with avid Macintosh users, the common theme seems to be that a Mac is largely flawless and invulnerable to attack whereas Windows computers are always being attacked because they are horribly vulnerable because of security holes. My personal experience with Windows over the last twenty years is quite the opposite, I have never (knocking on wood here) had a virus or trojan or spyware on any of my Windows based computers. And I have owned or used several dozen such computers over that span and for the last fifteen years they’ve all had constant connections to the Internet.

I thought I should check on the situation from a neutral party. I found a paper from the Computer Engineering and Networks Laboratory – Swiss Federal Institute of Technology titled “0-Day Patch – Exposing Vendors (In)security Performance.”  In the paper the writers compare the speed of response to published vulnerabilities in Microsoft’s Windows and Apple’s Macintosh operating systems. The concept of a “zero day” patch is that the company releases the patch for a vulnerability on the same day it is publicly disclosed. I was surprised by two things: it turns out that Macs and Windows PCs have had about the same number of high and medium vulnerabilities over the study period from January 2002 to December 2007, with Macs having 738 to Windows’ 658; and Microsoft has been much better at releasing 0-day patches over that period with over a 60% average rate of 0-day patches vs Apple’s under 40% average.

Patches are an important feature of any software package and they are often critical in operating systems. At South River Technologies we recently began using our own Windows Server Update Services server to better manage how and when updates are installed. And all of our software packages also have a “Check for Updates” feature. Our new Webdrive for Mac, which is currently in beta testing, also has this feature. I’m amazed when one of our support engineers tells me that a customer is using version 6 of Webdrive (the current one is 9.0) or version 5 of Titan FTP (the current one is 7.11). Like most software companies, we don’t provide support for older versions of the software. The reason is that it can’t be patched. So if you’re using software: PATCH IT!

What do I do with a new registration code?

You have been running WebDrive or Titan for a while now – at least a year or more. You have gone through the “Check for Program Update” a few times over the past year to keep your version of the application up to date, but now you find that it’s time to purchase a maintenance renewal. You make the purchase either online through our web shop or through one of our world-wide reseller partners. You have just received the new registration code. What to do next?

The process is as simple as deactivating the application with your current registration code and then reactivating with the new registration code. Once reactivated with the new reg code, perform the “Check for Program Update” to download and install the latest version of your software.

The deactivation / reactivation process is slightly different depending on if you are running a server application or a client application.

For WebDrive, you will take the following steps, with the program running:

1. Right-click the WebDrive icon in the systray and select “Open WebDrive”.
2. Navigate to the HELP menu and select “License >” option.
3. Select “Registration and License Information”.
4. Click the “Deactivate” button and select “Yes” when prompted to confirm.
5. You will return to the license splash screen.
6. Select “Reactivate License”.
7. Enter the NEW registration code into the dialog box and select “Next”.
8. Click the “Activate” button,  followed by OK and FINISH.

For Titan or GroupDrive servers, from the admin PC you perform the following steps:

1. Right-click the server administrator icon in the systray and select “Open Administrator”.
2. On the Welcome tab, select “License Details”.
3. Follow from Step 3 above.

After you complete these steps you will be able to perform the “Check for Program Update” function to download and install the latest version of the program. It is not necessary to uninstall the current version.  All of your current configuration settings will be maintained in the new version.

Be sure to visit our knowledge base for more information regarding license questions, cache settings, protocol configuration, and multi-seat deployment, to name a few topics.

Checking for updates…

In today’s fast paced, highly competitive technology environment, applications need to adapt (let go of old technologies and embrace new ones) and overcome (address and improve shortcomings ) in order to stay viable.  South River Technologies has done an excellent job keeping pace with the market by adding features (such as 64 bit support and FIPS compliance) to its products and the product Road Map promises even more of the same.  SRT also makes bug fixes a high priority by addressing, testing, and releasing new product builds within a very small time frame.  The time from inital issue discovery to final build release has been as short as one day.

That being said, what’s up with the title of the blog?  Well, SRT products all have a “Check For Updates” feature built into the application.  This function will go out and determine if you are running the most current release of the software.  In Webdrive,  you will find it under HELP, License, Check for Program Updates. In Titan Server it is under Online, Check for Program Updates.  The process will tell you what version you are currently running and let you know if a new release is available.  The release notes are available on the SRT website (http://www.southrivertech.com/products) – click on your product icon, then click on Release Notes.

What does that mean to you?  In a nutshell, the Check for Program Updates feature is a fast, effective way to leverage not only SRT’s tech knowledge, but the experiences of our entire user base.  Put simply, it is entirely possible that if you have a specific issue or require a specific functionality, it has been identified or addressed via an update or fix.  This can save precious  researching and troubleshooting time. If you require technical support, our staff can very easily identify issues through log files and/or streaming support sessions at no cost, which is another benefit of keeping current  – sorry, phone support is still gonna cost you.

So, definitely take a moment to check for updates.  It is the first step in the troubleshooting process and the benefit dramatically outweighs the effort.

Time to Call the Exterminator?

It’s been particularly rainy out here in the muggy Mid-Atlantic this spring. And unfortunately that means one thing: ants and other insects invade our dry homes trying to escape the deluge. So as I was pouring my coffee this morning and thinking about what to write for my blog post, I was watching ants scouting for food on the counter and a topic came to mind:

BUGS!

No, not the 8 legged kind. The software kind. Most bugs in software are the result of a well intentioned programmer (like myself) trying to improve the software. Inevitably one feature or improvement will lead to an inadvertent oversight or the breaking of some formerly working code.

I think the key to good programming is not only to get it right, but to care enough to fix the bugs found in the software quickly. To be responsive, not defensive.  How a software company responds to a bug report says a lot about the company and how much they care about their product and ultimately how much they care about their customers. 

At South River Technologies we take great pride in our suite of software solutions and we care about our customers. We’ve enhanced our technical support offerings by hiring two new very capable support engineers and increasing the support options to include paid phone support so that we can be more responsive than ever to the needs of our customers. Our engineers are top notch, and we work diligently, sometimes very late into the night, to offer the finest quality software.

We all make mistakes, in software we call them bugs, in business it matters how we choose to deal with them.

Oh, and honey, if your reading this, yes, please call the exterminator.  🙂 

Benefits of 64 bit Server Software

Most computers these days ship pre-loaded with 64 bit Windows operating systems.  This had led to some compatibility issues with some 32-bit software either not working at all, or running with limited functionality.  The primary issue many users face is driver incompatibility for their peripherals which require 64 bit drivers.  Most 32 bit application software will still install and run on 64 bit Windows platforms; however, there are usually configuration issues that can frustrate users and leave them wondering what benefits, if any, there are to a 64 bit operating system.

The primary benefits to running native 64 bit software on your 64 bit operating system are the ability to allocate and use more memory and speed.   When running 32 bit applications on a 64 bit OS, Windows will run them in a subsystem called “Windows on Windows (WOW64)” which is a transition layer to map all Windows calls from their 32 bit to 64 equivalents.  The WOW64 layer also intercepts registry calls and uses a special tree in the registry to store settings to not interfere with native 64 bit software.  Using the WOW64 transition layer will have a negative effect on performance and will not give 32 bit applications the increased memory space that native 64 applications enjoy.  A 32 bit Windows application can use/address at most only 2 GB of memory, even though the computer system may have 16 GB of memory installed.   Even when running on a 64 bit operating system, 32 bit applications still can only address 2 GB of memory.   A native 64 bit application can access/allocate 8 terabytes (TB) of memory.

You may be wondering if any application really needs to address more than 2 GB of memory.  If you are running file server software, then the answer is yes.  To be highly scalable, your server software should be able to make use of all available system memory.  File server software, such as FTP/SFTP/DAV servers, are designed to handle many clients and sessions simultaneously and generally interact with database servers at the same time.   The more users accessing the server at the same time the more memory that it requires.  If your file server software only supports 32 bit operating systems then you are limiting its scalability.  When choosing a file server solution it is a good idea to look for servers that natively support 64 bit operating systems to get the benefits of increased memory capabilities, scalability and speed.

Going Viral with Scalability

About 18 months ago, I joined Facebook. I befriended a handful of colleagues and then began using the Find Friends feature to see which adventurous souls from my high school had made the jump. To my surprise, there were only two. Over the months, friends would trickle in and I’d get an occasional friend request, then two, then three. The trickle quickly became a stream and now it’s a flood. Each friend has their own space, some info, and the inevitable portfolio of 20 year old photos that have been scanned in at 300dpi, 24-bit color, and uploaded to yield petabyte after petabyte of data.

The viral phenomenon of Facebook, and its ability to stay responsive, is a classic case study in scalability and architecture. To build such a system, you need to start with components that have the ability to scale and expand in capacity as the needs of the end users increase. One web server must become two, two database servers must replicate and become four, and disk after disk must accommodate the growing amount of information.

Social Networking aside, this same logic is critical in your organization. Your IT group has been given the task of deploying a new Managed File Transfer solution. Initially it will service one or two departments as a pilot. Over the coming months, just as more friends joined Facebook, so too will more departments be brought online with your new offering. Finally, you will reach a point where your entire organization is managing files and collaborating with a scalable, secure, and manageable solution.

To be successful, choose a Managed File Transfer vendor that not only provides an entry level solution capable of handling your pilot without breaking the bank, but also has the ability to scale exponentially with your organization. One server must seamlessly become two, then four, databases must replicate, and data storage must expand. With 64-bit architecture being standard issue today, this all must be done in a true 64-bit multithreaded environment because you may not need to handle a million users today, but it sure is nice to know that you could.

Yep, I Facebook, do you?

Help! Where is my Product License Key?

Everywhere you go, there is a need for some kind of code, and if you do not have the correct one, your access is restricted.  From the ATM to Twitter, it seems we need a code to do everything now. At South River Technologies, we are no different. There are support ticket IDs, customer information IDs, trial codes, tracking codes, and license codes.  Occasionally our returning customers find themselves in a sea of codes and business comes to a screeching halt for a few minutes.   Your lifeline is a good record of what you are working with, and the proper steps to finding your registration code within the product itself.  Here are some things to keep in mind:

When you update your product, make sure you are using the correct registration code. Your trial code will not work on the full product version, and your old registration key will not work on the new license or upgrade.  Server codes work ONLY on the server product you purchased, and WebDrive client codes work ONLY on the WebDrive product you purchased.

To locate your registration code(s) within the product, do this:

For Titan FTP Server

Launch the FTP Server Administrator and click Titan Domains, on the “Welcome” tab you will see your registration code.

For WebDrive

Launch WebDrive and click HELP then License; click on Registration & License Information. You will have to deactivate then reactivate your license to see your registration code.

OR

Launch WebDrive, click HELP and select License – Check for Program Updates. Highlight the WebDrive license installed. Click MORE INFO to see your registration code and other product information.

 For GroupDrive

Launch the GroupDrive Server Administrator and click GroupDrive Domains. On the “Welcome” tab, you will see your registration code.

For more specific technical support issues, please review our Knowledge Base Articles or submit a help ticket through our online HELP DESK.

Southrivertechnologies.com

Welcome

Hello and welcome!
Originally founded in 1996, South River Technologies (SRT) is a Maryland based, privately held company, that pioneered and paved the way for document collaboration, secure file access, and managed file transfer. In 2004, SRT received the Baltimore SmartCEO Future 50 award, which recognizes the top 50 fastest growing small businesses in Maryland.  To date, over 65,000 customers have adopted our simple, powerful approach to file management, and we proudly share that our enterprise customers include more than 70 universities across the country.

Our home office is in Annapolis, Maryland, 2 miles from the beautiful South River and about 5 miles from the Chesapeake Bay. We are also conveniently located just 2,461 miles from the heart of Silicon Valley!

It is our pleasure to be able to offer this medium to interact with our customers, answer questions, and provide up to date informtion on our products. This is a conversation  medium, and not a support desk option. For technical support please visit our online help desk at http://www.srthelpdesk.com/, this is a free support option for all.
SRT will be represented weekly by our technical, sales and administrative staff to ensure that you find something new and valuable on a regular basis. You will find information on all of our products: WebDrive, Titan FTP Server, and the DMZedge Server.
We welcome your presence here and hope you will visit us often. My name is Shaunna, and I will be activly monitoring activities here. Your appropriate, relative, and thoughtful posts will make this blog a smashing success!