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SolarWinds LANsurveyor version 10.2 Release Notes

Revised: 03/17/2008

Congratulations on your purchase of SolarWinds LANsurveyor version 10.2. LANsurveyor automatically discovers the variety of devices on your network and produces comprehensive, easy-to-view network maps that can then be exported into Microsoft Office Visio. You can also extend the standard functionality of LANsurveyor by purchasing SolarWinds LANsurveyor Add-ons, including LANsurveyor Responder Client software. For more information, see the LANsurveyor area of SolarWinds.com.

New Features of LANsurveyor Version 10.2

LANsurveyor version 10.2 offers the following new features and improvements:

  • Performance enhancements to the Discovery Engine provide accelerated device discovery.
  • New map layouts and icons improve the usability of generated network maps.

Why Install LANsurveyor

In addition to the new features available with this version, LANsurveyor provides the following network mapping and monitoring features:

Realtime Updates with Continuous Scan
Using a LANsurveyor diagram as a baseline, Continuous Scan automatically updates maps and the associated topology database with newly discovered devices. This allows you to maintain a constantly-accurate representation of your enterprise for meeting your visibility, troubleshooting, and compliance requirements.
SNMPv2c, SNMPv3, Active Directory, and Other Discovery Options
Automated discovery options include support for SNMPv2c, SNMPv3, Active Directory Domain Controllers, and multiple, disconnected network ranges on a single network map.
Automated and Enhanced Visio Diagram Generation
LANsurveyor automatically generates up-to-date, time-stamped Visio diagrams that reflect your current infrastructure. In addition, LANsurveyor maps use SmartShapes in Visio to store node information within the Visio diagram itself. SmartShapes also enable integration with other software, including Microsoft Excel and MBSA.
Spanning Tree Support
Spanning Tree support provides accurate mapping of switch-to-switch connectivity.
Updated User Interface
Multiple user interface enhancements combine to make LANsurveyor 10.2 even easier to use. Topology diagrams have been improved to include a new Map Filter interface for displaying desired device groups, new icons, customized map information displays and more.

Enabling LANsurveyor Responder Clients

LANsurveyor Responder Clients are provided with your licensed copy of LANsurveyor 10.2, so you do not need to download any additional software. The following procedure enables your licensed LANsurveyor Responder Clients.

To enable new LANsurveyor Responder Clients:

  1. Click Start > All Programs > SolarWinds LANsurveyor > LANsurveyor.
  2. Click Window > License Manager.
  3. Enter the license number in the Add License field.
  4. Click Add License.

Updating Maps in LANsurveyor

LANsurveyor allows you to maintain continuously updated maps of your network. With the Continuous Scan feature, you can configure LANsurveyor to continuously update the status of devices on your network map, as shown in the following procedure.

Note: The Rescan Map command (Tools > Rescan Map) does not perform the same function as the Continuous Scan feature in LANsurveyor. The Rescan Map function simply scans your network again, using your original settings, so new discovery data is not updated, as it is with the Continuous Scan feature.

To enable Continuous Scan for your LANsurveyor network maps:

  1. Open the map you want to scan continuously.
  2. Click Monitor > Continuous Scan > Options.
  3. On the Scanning tab, select Scan immediately after previous scan for immediate continuous scanning or provide an appropriate scanning interval.
  4. Check appropriate Ethernet Address Switch Tracking Options.
  5. On the IP Node Responses tab, check the Authentication Methods you want to use, and provide required criteria.
  6. If you want to enable alerts for newly discovered IP nodes, check the types of alerts you want to enable for New IP Node Responses.
  7. If you want to enable alerts for newly discovered Ethernet addresses, on the Ethernet Address Responses tab check the types of alerts you want to enable for New Ethernet Address Responses.
  8. On the Criteria tab, check the Node Matching Criteria you want to use for your continuously scanned map, and then set the Scanning and Switch-to-Switch Delete Thresholds.
  9. If you want to AutoSave your continuously scanned map, click the AutoSave tab, check the formats in which you want to save your map, provide a save interval, and then provide appropriate save locations for your map.
  10. Click OK.
  11. Click Monitor > Continuous Scan > Start Scanning to initiate continuous scanning.

Configuring LANsurveyor for Windows Vista

The Windows Vista firewall blocks ICMP ping replies by default, preventing LANsurveyor from performing network discovery using ping. To correct the situation, either adminstratively turn off the Vista firewall or add a rule permitting ping replies through the firewall, as shown in the following procedure.

To add a rule enabling ICMP ping for LANsurveyor on Windows Vista:

  1. Login to Windows Vista as an Administrator.
  2. Click Start > Control Panel > Administrative Tools > Windows Firewall with Advanced Security.

    3. Note: This option is not available if you are not an Administrator.

  3. Click Inbound Rules in the left pane.
  4. Click New Rule in the right pane.
  5. Select Custom, and then click Next.
  6. Select All programs, and then click Next.
  7. Select ICMPv4 as the Protocol type, and then click Next.
  8. Confirm that Any IP address is selected for both Which local IP addresses does this rule match? and Which remote IP addresses does this rule match?, and then click Next.
  9. Select Allow the connection on the Action page, and then click Next.
  10. Confirm that all options are checked on the Profile page, and then click Next.
  11. Provide an appropriate Name for your new rule, and then click Finish.
  12. Repeat the preceding steps, clicking Outbound Rules instead of Inbound Rules.
  13. Test the new rules by opening LANsurveyor and then creating a new map with only ICMP (Ping) checked in the Other IP Service Discovery area of the Create a New Network Map window.

The Mapping Progress window will show ICMP receipts, and the resulting map should show one or more workstations with generic IP icons.

Fixes in this Version

The following issues are fixed in this version of LANsurveyor:

  • Files saved using Continuous Scan Autosave no longer include extra .lsu file extensions or timestamps when the AutoOpen feature is enabled.
  • Maps exported to Microsoft Visio now correctly label Ethernet switch ports.
  • The user interface has been modified to improve usability.

Known LANsurveyor Issues

The following known LANsurveryor issues may be addressed in a future reslease:

  • If you are running LANsurveyor as a service on Windows Vista, Vista will not display the LANsurveyor user interface.
  • If you are running LANsurveyor on Windows Vista, "net send" alerts are not available.
  • Backup Status is not returned from some EMC Dantz Retrospect Windows and Linux clients. As a result, LANsurveyor displays the Backup Status of these devices as "Unknown". Current Retrospect clients for Windows and Linux return Backup Status correctly.

Known Responder Issues

Some of the most advanced features of LANsurveyor rely on the presence of a LANsurveyor Responder Client on each and every Windows, Linux, or Mac OS cmoputer on your network. For more information about LANsurveyor Responder Clients, see the SolarWinds LANsurveyor Administrator Guide.

Note: LANsurveyor can only communicate with version 4.0 or later LANsurveyor Responder Clients. For more information, see the LANsurveyor Responder Clients area of SolarWinds.com or contact SolarWinds support.

The following known LANsurveyor Responder Client issues may be addressed in a future release:

  • Due to either bugs or omissions in the Windows OS API, data returned by a LANsurveyor Responder Client on a Windows device may be incorrect or limited, as detailed in the following:
    • Windows 95/98/ME Startup Items return all applications contained in the RunServices Registry entry.
    • Windows NT/2000/XP/2003 Startup Items return all NT Services and their status instead of version.
    • SCSI Devices are not returned by Windows 95/98/ME nodes.
    • The capacity and free space values for Volumes are not accurate for Windows 98 nodes.
    • The Process type is always Application for all running processes.
    • The Process time and size are zero for Windows 95/98/ME nodes.
    • PCI Devices and Hard Disk data are not returned by Windows 95/98/ME nodes.
  • Data returned by a LANsurveyor Responder Client on an OS X device may be incorrect or limited, as detailed in the following:
    • The Process time and size are always zero.
    • SCSI devices are never returned.

Note: The LANsurveyor Responder Client for OS X versions before OS X 10.3.9 is only active when a user is logged-in to the OS X computer. On OS X 10.3.9 and later the LANsurveyor Responder Client runs continuously as a daemon.

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