Quest® Spotlight on Active Directory

Version 6.8

Release Notes

May 2008


Contents

Welcome to Spotlight on Active Directory

New in this Release

Resolved Issues and Enhancements

Known Issues

Best Practices

System Requirements

Global Operations

Getting Started

For More Information

 


Welcome to Spotlight on Active Directory 6.8

Spotlight on Active Directory Topology Viewer displays the entire Active Directory (AD) site and replication infrastructure. It visually indicates where replication, performance, and availability problems exist in the environment. You can view an entire Active Directory forest at a glance, view links between AD domain controllers, and with a simple green=good, red=bad paradigm, you can quickly locate and troubleshoot AD problems. Because of its easy-to-understand graphical representation of the AD environment, even first-level administrators can use this tool to determine the root cause of a problem.

The Spotlight on Active Directory Diagnostic Console visually represents the flow of data from the network and through domain controllers using flowcharts, graphs, and icons. In this consolidated view of system status, resource bottlenecks are highlighted in yellow and red, and you can drill down on alerts for expert help and resolution suggestions. Because Spotlight uses graphical images and provides expert help, first-level administrators can easily use Spotlight to help with problem diagnosis and resolution.

 


New in This Release

Quest Spotlight on Active Directory 6.8 includes the following new features:


Resolved Issues and Enhancements

The following is a list of issues addressed and enhancements implemented in this release of Spotlight on Active Directory 6.8.

Feature Resolved Issue Change Request
Authentication Hourly Report  The Time Period column of the Authentications Hourly Report shows as 00:00 always.

CR# 230068

Directory Replication Verify Directory Replication Health Test can fail to retrieve inbound link information and read NTDS options attribute in Test Results Summary. CR# 230401

Known Issues

The following is a list of issues known to exist at the time of Spotlight on Active Directory 6.8 release.

Feature

Known Issue

Change Request

Spotlight on Active Directory Topology Viewer

 

After creating the Verify Directory Replication test for the first time, you must wait a sufficient period of time for the QuestReplicationMonitoring container to replicate to all domain controllers in the domain before creating a second Verify Directory Replication test. Since the QuestReplicationMonitoring container is created in the Domain Naming Context, these instructions also apply to the first Verify Directory Replication test created in each new domain. You can use the Object Tracking test to make sure that the QuestReplicationMonitoring container has been successfully replicated.

CR# 227821

Access to the Diagnostic Services is restricted to users who are members of the local administrators group on the computer running the diagnostic services. If you have just added a user to the local administrators group, you may have to wait a few minutes before Spotlight on Active Directory Topology Viewer can connect to the Diagnostic Services using this user. You will see this behavior if any previous connections are cached.

CR# 227822
If you change the MOM Database Server and/or MOM Connector Framework Server in the Spotlight on Active Directory Topology Viewer Options dialog box, you must restart the DiagnosticTestEngineSLAD service for the changes to take effect. CR#228394
When viewing Favorites, the color of computer icons shows green even if analysis tests have failed. CR# 226540
Transferring the PDC FSMO role to another computer within the domain failed. CR# 230602

Spotlight on Active Directory Web Reports

Renaming reports or report folders causes the report to stop working.

CR# 227906
Spotlight on Active Directory Diagnostic Console No value displays for Windows Networking Users. CR# 227682
Spotlight Assistant does not appear in the Task Bar. CR# 227683
If you have Spotlight on SQL Server and Spotlight on Active Directory installed on the same server, you may experience compatibility issues. If you uninstall one application, then the other application cannot make Spotlight connections.  If you uninstall then re-install the affected application, Spotlight connection functionality should be restored.  CR# 232144
On a computer where Spotlight on Active Directory 6.8 and Spotlight on Exchange 5.8 are installed, the Diagnostic Console plugin for Microsoft Exchange 2000/2003 servers becomes unusable when Spotlight on Active Directory is uninstalled.

Solution: Spotlight on Exchange 5.8 must be re-installed. Carry out the following steps:

  • Uninstallation: Select the Spotlight on Exchange installation package msi file and select Install.

    This allows earlier actions to be run that affect the Spotlight on Exchange Topology Viewer and Diagnostic Console components.
     
  • Re-Installation: Select the Spotlight on Exchange installation package msi file and select Install.

NOTE: Ensure that you install Spotlight on Exchange before you have installed Spotlight on Active Directory.

CR# 232294

Best Practices

The following best practices should be followed when installing Spotlight on Active Directory 6.8:


System Requirements

Before installing Spotlight on Active Directory 6.8, ensure your system meets the following minimum hardware and software requirements:

Platform x86 2.2 GHz
Memory 1 GB RAM
Hard Disk Space 150 MB free disk space. Additional space will be required depending on the application usage.
Monitor SVGA at 1024 x 768, 16-bit (65535) color
Operating System
  • Microsoft® Windows® 2000 Server
  • Microsoft Windows XP
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008
  • Microsoft Windows Vista
Mandatory Software
  • IIS 5.0
  • MDAC 2.8
  • Microsoft Management Console 3.0 (supported on Windows 2003 and Windows XP platforms only)
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
  • Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0 (for System Center Operations Manager 2007)
  • Internet Explorer (IE) 6.0
  • SQL Server 2000 Service Pack 4 (SP4), SQL Server 2005, SQL Server 2005 Express

NOTE: For deployments of 50 or less domains controllers, use SQL Server 2004, SQL Server 2005, or SQL Server 2005 Express Standard Edition or MSDE 2000. For deployments of 51 or greater domain controllers, use SQL Server 2004, SQL Server 2005, or SQL Server 2005 Express Enterprise Edition.

Optional Software
  • Quest InTrust® for Active Directory 2.5
  • Quest InTrust 9.5
  • Microsoft Operations Manager (MOM) 2005
  • System Center Operations Manager 2007

Global Operations

This section contains information about installing and operating this product in non-English configurations, such as those needed by customers outside of North America. This section does not replace the materials about supported platforms and configurations found elsewhere in the product documentation.

This release supports any single-byte character set. Double-byte or multi-byte character sets are not supported. It supports simultaneous operation with multilingual data. This release is targeted to support operations in the following regions: North America, Western Europe and Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe.


Getting Started

Contents of the Release Package

The Spotlight on Active Directory release package contains the following products:

  1. Quest Spotlight on Active Directory version 6.8
  2. Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
  3. Web Reports 4.5
  4. Spotlight on Windows 3.8
  5. Product Documentation, including:

Installation Instructions

Refer to Spotlight on Active Directory Quick Start Guide for installation instructions.

 


For More Information

Contacting Quest Software:

Email info@quest.com
Mail Quest Software, Inc.
World Headquarters
5 Polaris Way
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656
USA
Web

http://www.quest.com

Refer to our Web site for regional and international office information.

Contacting Quest Support:

Quest Support is available to customers who have a trial version of a Quest product or who have purchased a commercial version and have a valid maintenance contract.
Quest Support provides around the clock coverage with SupportLink, our web self-service. Visit SupportLink at http://support.quest.com/.

From SupportLink, you can do the following:

View the Global Support Guide for a detailed explanation of support programs, online services, contact information, and policy and procedures.
The guide is available at: http://support.quest.com/pdfs/Global Support Guide.pdf.

 


© 2008 Quest Software, Inc.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

This document contains proprietary information protected by copyright. The software described in this document is furnished under a software license or nondisclosure agreement. This software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the applicable agreement. No part of this guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording for any purpose other than the purchaser’s personal use without the written permission of Quest Software, Inc.

 

If you have any questions regarding your potential use of this material, contact:

Quest Software World Headquarters
LEGAL Dept
5 Polaris Way
Aliso Viejo, CA 92656

 

www.quest.com

Email: legal@quest.com

Refer to our website for regional and international office information.

Trademarks

Quest, Quest Software, the Quest Software logo, Aelita, AppAssure, Benchmark Factory, Big Brother, DataFactory, DeployDirector, ERDisk,   Foglight, Funnel Web, I/Watch, Imceda, InLook, IntelliProfile, Internet Weather Report, InTrust, IT Dad, JClass, Jint, JProbe, LeccoTech, LiteSpeed, LiveReorg, NBSpool, NetBase, Npulse, PerformaSure, PL/Vision, Quest Central, RAPS, SharePlex, Sitraka, SmartAlarm, Spotlight, SQL LiteSpeed, SQL Navigator, SQLab, SQL Watch, Stat, Stat!, StealthCollect, Tag and Follow, Toad, T.O.A.D., Toad World, Vintela, Virtual DBA, Xaffire, and XRT are trademarks and registered trademarks of Quest Software, Inc in the United States of America and other countries. Other trademarks and registered trademarks used in this guide are property of their respective owners.

 

Third Party Contributions

This product includes software developed by Zlib.

 

Disclaimer

The information in this document is provided in connection with Quest products. No license, express or implied, by estoppel or otherwise, to any intellectual property right is granted by this document or in connection with the sale of Quest products. EXCEPT AS SET FORTH IN QUEST'S TERMS AND CONDITIONS AS SPECIFIED IN THE LICENSE AGREEMENT FOR THIS PRODUCT, QUEST ASSUMES NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER AND DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY WARRANTY RELATING TO ITS PRODUCTS INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, THE IMPLIED WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT. IN NO EVENT SHALL QUEST BE LIABLE FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, DAMAGES FOR LOSS OF PROFITS, BUSINESS INTERRUPTION OR LOSS OF INFORMATION) ARISING OUT OF THE USE OR INABILITY TO USE THIS DOCUMENT, EVEN IF QUEST HAS BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES. Quest makes no representations or warranties with respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this document and reserves the right to make changes to specifications and product descriptions at any time without notice. Quest does not make any commitment to update the information contained in this document.