ZENworks
The Novell ZENworks client (little blue Z icon in the Taskbar 
) is the software that CNS uses to provide Drew-issued computers access to the Application Explorer. In some cases, such as with F-Prot Anti-virus, GroupWise, and MS Office, ZENworks automatically updates the software to your computer every time you log in to the Drew network. Not all updates and security measures can be done automatically, so it is important that you read and act on updates and notifications from CNS about ZENworks and other software.
KeyServer & KeyAccess Information (LAN-based software license control)
Drew currently uses an application called KeyServer on campus. It provides software metering for networked applications. KeyServer is the control mechanism that allows authorized Drew users to download and update software programs that the university makes available to faculty, staff, and students. Keyserver is a program that runs on the university servers.
KeyAccess is the the program installed on your Drew-issued laptop that allows you to run software handled by KeyServer. KeyAccess is your laptop's method of communicating with KeyServer. Having KeyAccess on your computer is a requirement if you expect to run network-delivered (or other campus-wide) applications on your PC.
When the university buys software, CNS sometimes arranges with the software maker to allow only a few people on campus to use the software at the same time. This is called "concurrent licensing." By allowing us to control how many users at a time can run a package, KeyServer allows us to only buy licenses for what will likely be the typical number of simultaneous users. This saves a tremendous amount of money, and gives us added flexibility in how we install and deploy software applications. Not all packages allow for "concurrent licensing." For some, we have to pay for every computer from which it could be run. But many packages do allow the more flexible "any computer, as long as it's no more than 20, or 50, or whatever you've bought, at a time," type of licensing.
Installing KeyAccess on Your Drew Computer
KeyAccess is not automatically installed on Drew-issued computers. If you need to access any of the programs that require KeyAccess, you can download it through the Application Explorer.
- Navigate to the Application Explorer by double-clicking on the icon from your desktop.
- Chose Install Software - Networking
- Double-click the Keyserver Client 6.1 icon. A green, double-arrow will appear as the software downloads. Once it has downloaded to your computer, a grey x will appear on the icon.
- You may now download KeyAccess-controlled software like Adobe Reader from the Application Explorer.
Frequently asked questions
Q. What is "KeyServer?"
A. It's a package that allows us to keep the number of users simultaneously running an application on the network limited to the number of licenses Drew owns for the package.
Q. I'm off-campus, how does this affect me?
A. Not at all. The KeyAccess software only runs on computers on campus connected to the network. It is not possible to access Key Served applications off campus
Q. What happens if no licenses are available for a particular program?
A. You have to wait until other users exit the program. For that reason, it is important for you to exit the software when you are finished. We do have the ability to configure a particular application to force you out if you stay idle in a program for too long. This is to insure that other users have the opportunity to use the software.
Q. What happens if the KeyServer machine can't be reached?
A. The KeyServer is the same machine on which most keyed applications reside. If the server is down, the applications won't be available anyway. If needed, the Keyserver application can be moved to a different Netware server quickly and easily.
Q. How does it work?
A. There's a small program (KeyAccess) that runs on your computer. Programs registered with KeyServer (for example, SPSS) have had a small portion of the .EXE file changed. When the KeyAccess program on your computer sees that, it asks the KeyServer for permission and is provided with a "Key" that enables the program you're trying to run to start normally on your computer. The entire process takes a split-second, so the program should start in the same amount of time it always does, as long as licenses are available.
