This FAQ page generally answers the questions you may have before purchasing LabStats. For more technical questions, check out our Knowledge Base.

Go to a specific section:
General
Features
Requirements
Licensing
Maintenance

General

I know a school that has their own custom solution to gather statistics, and they give it away for free. Why should I buy LabStats?
We have a long list of reasons why LabStats is a better choice. The main reason, however, is that LabStats is a fully supported, commercial product designed to be easy to install and maintain. Adapting another school’s custom code to your own school can be difficult and time-consuming, and soon that code will be outdated. LabStats is a growing company committed to keeping your software running for as long as you own it.

Features

Can I create custom graphs?
Yes. LabStats currently has options to create custom graphs based on user-specified time periods. For example, you could create graphs of each semester’s activity.

Can I display the graphs on my school's website?
Yes. Each time you generate a graph, you will also see a custom URL for that graph. You can use this URL in an HTML <img> tag as the src and call the graph real-time from your own web pages. The default graphs and custom graphs have this ability. An example of how to use the URL in your HTML is: <img src="http://192.168.0.3:8080/HistChart?period=day&lab=1">.

Can I also display the maps of labs on another web page?
Yes. You can display each map embedded in your own page, or use a link for a popup that shows the map. Since the maps are flash-based, they update themselves to show the true status of the lab whenever they are open. With each map you create, we generate code snippets that you can copy and paste into your own web page and show the map.

What kinds of graphs does LabStats produce?
LabStats produces timelines, pie charts, and bar charts, as well as other statistics displayed in table format. Check out these screenshots of them all.

Can I customize the appearance of the graphs?
Yes. The Public Stats page, which lets you choose the graph you want to see, has options to customize the appearance of the graphs.

Requirements

Do I have to know how to configure databases or use SQL?
No. LabStats does all the database work for you, including installation of the database server. The only tool you will need to administer and use LabStats is a web browser.

My labs are set up to login automatically, will LabStats still work?
LabStats will still function normally, but if your computers are always logged in, the statistics will show 100% usage, which may not be true. The rule to decide if a computer is in use is whether it has one or more logged-in users. We are currently investigating a feature that would allow you to use LabStats based on an inactivity timeout interval on the client. Please contact us if you would be interested in testing this feature.

Can I use Windows XP Home for my LabStats server?
Yes. You can use 2000 Pro, XP Home, XP Pro, 2000 Server, and 2003 server.

Can I run the LabStats server on Linux?
Not yet. Please contact us if you are interested in this option.

What are the hardware requirements for my client workstations?
The Client Agent is so small that if you can install an OS on your workstation, you can install the client. The only other requirements are that they have to be able to communicate with the LabStats server via the network, and they have to be configured to require a login.

Is my 10 mb network enough to run LabStats?
We recommend at least 100 mb, but because LabStats generates very little network trafffic, it will run on 10 mb if you have a small network.

I run a version of Linux that is not supported, what can I do?
You can try installing the Fedora Core 2 Client Agent that we have. It is compatible with many Linux builds. If that doesn’t work, you can contact us and we’ll do our best to build a new version of the Client Agent for you. Or, if you have someone skilled in Linux, we can send you the Linux executable file, which will run just fine on any version, but you will need to configure it to run at startup. In most cases this is not difficult and we can provide direction.

I use a version of Mac OS that is not supported, what can I do?
Contact us about your needs, and we’ll do our best to build a version of the Client Agent that works for you.

Does LabStats work on Novell networks?
Yes. LabStats is fully compatible with computers running the Novell client, and will return the Novell username in those cases.

Licensing

Can I purchase UserTracker separately from LabStats?
No. UserTracker is dependent on the LabStats framework and cannot be purchased or run without LabStats.

Why is my server IP address or DNS name required for my license?
While the LabStats Client Agent may be installed on many computers, the Server may only be installed on one computer, per license. This is regulated by your server IP address or DNS name being coded into your license key.

What if I have to change the IP address or DNS name of my LabStats server?
No problem. Let us know and we’ll issue you another license at no charge.

Can I run multiple LabStats servers at my school?
Yes. You will need a separate LabStats license for each one. Contact our sales department if you need us to split up a single order into multiple licenses, or you can just make separate purchases for each server.

What will happen if I install the Client Agent on 250 computers, but I only have 200 licenses?
All 250 computers will register with the LabStats server, but only 200 of those computers will be included in the statistics generated. Since there is no way to tell which 200 are included, we recommend you purchase additional licenses or deactivate the extra clients in Web Admin, in order to preserve the integrity of your statistics.

Maintenance

Do I have to purchase maintenance?
No. Maintenance is optional, but recommended. Check out our maintenance page for the benefits of maintenance.

What if I don’t purchase maintenance?
Maintenance is your key to free technical support as well as free product upgrades. Without current maintenance, you will not have free access to these items.