Monday, 3 July 2023

Release Available v2.3

Greetings Disco ICT Community!

I'm happy to announce the general availability of Disco ICT v2.3.

Much thanks to the organisations that have continued to test new features in preparation for this release.

This project has now existed for over 12 years and continues to be released free and open-source.

Download

Release Features:
Device Hardware Auditing

During device enrolment hardware details are imported into Disco ICT. This information is available within the Device interface but can also be exported for analysis.
Document Fulfilment Plugin

Generate unique URLs so documents can be completed electronically.

Automatically email the document (to the user, parent, or anyone imported via the User Details plugin)

Completed documents are automatically imported back into DiscoICT.

Imported documents can assign/unassign user flags. Simple rules can be added based on how the document was completed (eg. selected checkbox).

Create and manage bulk campaigns. Resend emails to those who haven't yet completed the document.

Export all collected information for analysis/reporting.

Contact support for license details.
Official Support

Disco ICT continues to be freely available and open source. Official support is now also available. Organisations with a support package will receive end-to-end help with getting Disco ICT up and running, troubleshooting any issues, and (optionally) training to make the most of this great tool. Additional functionality will be opened up to those with a support package and the opportunity to provide feedback for new functionality and early releases.

Please reach out to discuss official support for your organisation. Discounts are available for non-profit organizations or those experiencing financial hardship.
Additional Features
  • Import/Export devices using Microsoft Excel (xlsx) format instead of CSV
  • Support Active Directory Trust Relationships
  • Attachments can be added to Device Batches
  • Customisable user bulk document generation tool
  • Automatically assign/unassign user flags when importing documents
  • User Details plugin supported EduHub
  • Hide decommissioned devices by default
  • Client: Use device UUID if no serial number is found
  • User details can be accessed from expressions
  • Allow Plugins to send emails
  • Support importing device computer name
  • Email addresses and phone numbers are interactive links
  • Add user flag helper methods for expressions
  • Device/Job/User lists remember their pagination size
Bug Fixes
  • Fix support for SQL Server 2016+ (SQL Server 2008 or greater is required)
  • Globally enable TLS 1.2
  • Import user when ingesting documents
  • Client: Discover device information using BaseBoard
  • Computer name length maximum
  • Job Queue member usernames not case-sensitive
  • Be more flexible with certificate names
  • Correctly query Active Directory distinguished name attribute
  • Stale cache when adding a user flag via expressions
  • Correctly write device enrolment log
  • Fix Document Template managed group members
  • Correctly escape LDAP queries
  • First device in an import was skipped
  • A document import was failing if the template no longer existed
  • Increase image resolution in generated templates
  • and many more
By: Gary Sharp | Not tagged | Comments closed
Monday, 14 August 2017

Plugin: LAPS Support

I wanted to briefly let you know of a significant update to the Password Manager plugin. This update includes extensive integration with Microsoft LAPS (a new requirement for Victorian DET schools - TSCirc2017-003).

Local Administrator Password Solution
  • Easily access current LAPS passwords by looking up devices in Disco ICT.
  • Queue LAPS password resets.
The 'LAPS Password' button will appear for any device which has successfully completed LAPS deployment (see section 1.2 of the LAPS Operation Guide).
Remote Logon

To prevent having to write down LAPS passwords this plugin includes a remote logon feature. After selecting the 'Remote Logon' button a temporary PIN is issued and a dialog appears on the device login page. When the PIN is entered the device is automatically logged in using LAPS credentials.

Communication between the device and the Disco ICT server is authenticated and protected with elliptical curve Diffie Hellman key exchange, 256bit AES encryption and SHA256 integrity checks.
Lock Screen Image Generator

To complement the Remote Logon feature a Lock Screen Image Generator tool is included in the plugin package. This tool can be deployed using Group Policy (similar to the Bootstrapper) and embeds a QR-code into the lock screen background. When scanned by a QR-code app the browser is taken directly to the device in Disco ICT.

Download this tool from the plugin configuration page. A range of command-line options are available. Run the utility with the /? argument to review the options.
Remote Desktop Connect

In addition to Remote Logon the RDP Connect feature creates a Remote Desktop session to the device from the technician. The session is established using the LAPS credentials. This can make tasks (such as software installation) much easier and more secure.
Instructions

Updating this plugin takes only a moment and shouldn’t incur any down-time.

Navigate Disco ICT to:

  • CONFIGURATION
  • PLUGINS
  • INSTALL PLUGINS

Choose the INSTALL or UPDATE action for the Password Manager plugin.

Any feedback or issues can be reported directly via the Disco ICT Forum.
 
Disco ICT v2.2 Release Available

After 5 years, Disco ICT is still free and open-source, and used by hundreds of organisations to manage thousands of jobs and devices.

If you haven’t had a chance to experience Disco ICT v2.2 yet, be sure to check out some of the new features:

DISCO ICT v2.2
By: Gary Sharp | Not tagged | Comments closed
Wednesday, 16 November 2016

Release Available v2.2

It's been a while! We hope Disco ICT is still helping you deploy devices and manage their lifecycle.

We're very happy to announce the general availability of Disco ICT v2.2. While this release primarily features support for the new eduSTAR.net PKI there are a host of other features, enhancements and bug fixes.

The team particularly want to pass on their appreciation to the dozens of schools who participated and provided feedback in the alpha and beta programs leading up to this release.

After 5 years, Disco ICT is still free and open-source, and used by over 300 organisations to manage 130,000 devices.

Download

Release Features:
eduSTAR.net Plugin

This updated plugin provides certificates from the new eduSTAR certificate authority. It will now also deploy all associated root/intermediate certificates and install or update wireless profiles on devices.

Warning: If new new certificates have been manually installed, devices will still disconnect from the eduSTAR network in mid-December.
Disco ICT automates the task of not only installing the new certificates but also the wireless profile ensuring the device will continue to connect after the migration.

In just the last few weeks our beta testers successfully deployed ten-thousand certificates to devices with little effort required.

Install the plugin from the Plugin Library. If you currently have the plugin installed it will be included when upgrading Disco ICT.
Document Template Enhancements

Disco ICT's framework for generating, importing, detecting and filing documents received a rewrite in this release. Document QR-Codes are detected with even better accuracy and when pages are scanned in bulk they are automatically rotated and sorted.

Document Template Packages can be created combining multiple document templates into one package. Some schools are using this to generate enrolment packages for new students which includes a network use agreement, software waivers, BYOD forms, etc. They can be generated in bulk or individually.

If you haven't had a chance to see the power of Disco ICT's Document Template framework, this release might be the opportunity to have a closer look. Find more information and samples in the guides section of this website.
Password Manager Plugin

Adds the ability to change user passwords within the Disco ICT interface. The plugin honours delegated permission in Active Directory.

A mobile-friendly page is provided to allow users to change their password from any device.

Install this from the Plugin Library after upgrading.
MacOS/OSX Enrolment Fix

This release restores the Mac Enrolment feature which stopped working due to changes in Apple's operating system.

Note: Mac Enrolment does not include wireless certificate/profile integration.
Additional Features
  • User Flag & Job Action Expressions
    Expressions can now be added which are evaluated when User Flags are assigned/removed and when Jobs are opened/closed. For example, several of our beta deployments used this feature with a "Disabled Users" flag. When a user was assigned this flag their Active Directory account was automatically disabled, and enabled again when the flag was removed.
  • Minor UI Tweaks
    Many small changes have been made to the user interface to improve efficiency and the user experience.
  • Bug Fixes
    Since Disco ICT v2.0 was released the community has been reporting bugs to the Development Team via GitHub. This release includes many bug fixes. More detail can be found in our GitHub repository.

Support & Feedback

Receive support from a growing Disco community on the Forums. Review the source code, report bugs and request features at the GitHub repository.

Community Forums GitHub Repository

Want to Help?

The Disco ICT Community Forums supports subscribing to categories. If you would like to help other users (and the development team), please consider subscribing to categories where you feel you can contribute. Whenever a new thread is created we’ll let you know.

By: Gary Sharp | Not tagged | Comments closed
Thursday, 18 September 2014

Release Available v2

It's been nearly a year since our last release, and in that time we've been hard at work on Disco ICT version 2. This release contains stacks of new features, an overhaul of the UI and reliability and performance improvements.

Disco ICT has been implemented in over 200 organisations and is now managing 67,000 devices and 54,000 jobs - a 75% increase over the past year.

We take this opportunity to sincerely thank the Disco ICT alpha and beta users for their excellent feedback and efforts to find and resolve bugs in pre-release versions.

Download

Release Features:
New Theme

From the navigation bar to dialog boxes, Disco ICT’s theme was overhauled to improve efficiency, touch support and user experience.
Repair Requests & Attachments

Repair requests can be submitted to repairers in a similar manner to warranty requests.

Job attachments can be submitted to repairers or warranty providers.
Job Queues

Jobs can be placed into one or more Job Queues. Technicians can be grouped into Job Queues which provides a curated list called "My Jobs" – now shown on the home page.

Job Queues can be configured to automatically include jobs of a certain type (for example: repair or user management jobs). Jobs can optionally be assigned a target completion date (SLA) and priority.
User Flags

Flags can be created and associated with users (individually or in bulk). Flag information is presented where appropriate and can be hovered over to get full details. User Flags can be linked to Active Directory Groups.
Linked Active Directory Groups

Document Template Attachments, Device Batches, Device Profiles and User Flags can be associated with an Active Directory group. This AD group is then automatically synchronized with relevant user or machine accounts.

Information within Disco ICT can then be used to deliver organisation policies. For example, a User Flag which specifies no internet access, or access to a network resource only after a user has returned a completed document.
Job Noticeboards

Noticeboards have been updated to improve visibility, performance and reliability. 16 themes are available.

The report link-builder helps create targeted noticeboards with filters and themes.
Active Directory Interop

This release includes a complete rewrite of our Active Directory interoperability. Disco ICT is now site-aware and supports multi-domain forests. In multi-tenant environments, search scopes can be configured to only include Organisational Units relevant to the organisation.
Device Importing/Exporting

Additional fields are available for importing and exporting. Importing no longer relies on a known CSV format – any CSV file can be imported and fields automatically or manually assigned.
CentreCom Frankston Plugin

CentreCom have recently added a new warranty provider plugin to the Disco ICT library. Customers can now easily submit warranty claims directly to their Frankston store.
eduSTAR.net Plugin

This plugin now features automatic site discovery and performs automatic certificate maintenance. Decommissioned devices will have their certificates disabled. Certificates will be deleted when the device is deleted from Disco ICT.
Additional Features
  • Stale Jobs
    Replaces "Long-Running Jobs" on the home page and includes jobs which haven't been modified since a configurable time.
  • Markdown Comment Support
    Markdown syntax can be used to add formatting to text (including job logs, queue comments and user flags).
  • Live Timestamps
    Fuzzy dates and times are automatically updated without refreshing the page.
  • Quick Search
    Search suggestions offered and search results are sorted by relevance.
  • Job Device Location Lists
    Device locations are suggested from a configurable list. The list shows which locations are free and which are already assigned.
  • Disco Administrators
    A special authorization role which allows all access. Replaces the "Disco Admins" AD Group which was previously used. This role always includes Domain Admins.
  • Device Details
    Battery and Keyboard Serial Numbers can be assigned to devices.
  • WebCam Capture and File Uploading
    Silverlight no longer required. The feature has been migrated to take advantage of native browser features or to use Flash if not supported.

Support & Feedback

Receive support from a growing Disco community on the Forums. These forums can also be used to discuss bugs and request features. Review the source code and make bug fixes or request features at the GitHub repository.

Community Forums GitHub Repository

Want to Help?

The Disco Community Forums now supports subscribing to categories. If you would like to help other users (and the development team), please consider subscribing to categories where you feel you can contribute. Whenever a new thread is created we’ll let you know.

By: Gary Sharp | Not tagged | Comments closed
Thursday, 28 November 2013

Release Available v1.2.1128

The Disco Development Team is happy to announce the latest public release. During the past 4 months we've been working hard adding new features and streamlining some existing ones.

It has been just over a year since Disco was publically released and we're happy to see the adoption continue to grow (130% since our last release). The project is now helping 300 technicians in 150 organisations manage about 40,000 devices and 25,000 jobs.

We take this opportunity to thank the Disco alpha and beta users for their excellent feedback and efforts to find and resolve bugs in pre-release versions.

Download

Release Features:
Authorization & Permissions

This release provides fine-tuned, role-based authorization which can be assigned to Active Directory groups or users. The 'Disco Admins' group is no longer required , and roles can be created to define user access.

A group or user can be associated with multiple roles to accumulate permissions and if a user lacks permission for a Disco feature, that feature won't be shown.

Device Decommission Reasons

Device history can be more accurately recorded by indicating a decommission reason.

Note: Any existing decommissioned devices will be considered 'End of Life'.

Device Hardware Details

An initial selection of device hardware details have been added, including LAN and WLAN MAC addresses (discovered automatically) and the ability to store an associated AC Adapter serial number.

Note: After upgrade, device enrolment logs will be analysed and MAC addresses extracted automatically.  

Improved Bulk Document Generating

The interface to bulk generate documents has been improved to increase feature discovery and exception handling.

Additional Features
  • Improved Unauthenticated Device Enrolment Scenario
    When this Device Profile based option is configured, unauthenticated enrolments are automatically allowed if a Reimage job is open for the device.
  • Configurable Long-Running Job Threshold
    Choose from days or months before a job appears on the Long-Running Jobs list. Configure Disco to match your organisation policies.
  • Server SKU Support for the Disco Bootstrapper
    Add your servers into Disco to keep track of warranty and maintenance jobs.
  • Improved Touch Support
    Touch support for Internet Explorer 10 & 11, Chrome 31 and Firefox 23 is included.
  • Configure Assigned User Local Administrators Group Membership
    Keep assigned users as standard users, or make them Local Administrators (default).

View Closed Issues View All Code Changes


When upgrading: please carefully consider the Update Notes on the Download page.

Support & Feedback

Receive support from a growing Disco community on the Forums. These forums can also be used to discuss bugs and request features. Review the source code and make bug fixes or request features at the GitHub repository.

Community Forums GitHub Repository


700 Days of Disco

This visualization animates the changes to the source code over time.

MUSIC: THE DESCENT - KEVIN MACLEOD (INCOMPETECH.COM)

Want to Help?

The Disco Community Forums now supports subscribing to categories. If you would like to help other users (and the development team), please consider subscribing to categories where you feel you can contribute. Whenever a new thread is created we’ll let you know.

By: Gary Sharp | Not tagged | Comments closed
Tuesday, 13 August 2013

Release Available v1.2.0725

Update The Disco Development Team is happy to announce the latest public release. We've been working hard over the past 4 months adding new features and streamlining existing ones.

Since its public release less than a year ago Disco has been widely implemented and is now helping over 100 organisations manage their ICT environments. The project as a whole is managing 27,000 devices and has assisted local IT teams with 17,000 jobs.

We take this opportunity to thank the Disco beta users for their excellent feedback and efforts to find and resolve bugs in pre-release versions.

Release Features

Device & User Details

Entirely new Device and User details pages have been implemented. This redesign attempts to focus attention on the next required action and provide support for smaller screen resolutions. This design follows on from the improvements to Job details at the last public release.

User Details:
UserDetailUI
Device Details:
DeviceDetailUI

New Plugins

A plugin catalogue hosted on discoict.com.au provides plugin updates and a way to further customise Disco to meet the needs of more organisations.

Be sure to check out these new plugins after updating to the latest Disco release:

PluginNNLogo Network Neighborhood

This plugin provides integration with Network Neighborhood's online warranty claims process.
This plugin is provided by Sean Benham
PluginDMDLogo Device Model Details

Automatically provides descriptions and images for Device Models. Powered by a database maintained by the Disco ICT Community based on device popularity and your submissions. The database currently holds details for 85% of devices managed by Disco and is being improved all the time.
PluginUDLogo User Details

The User Details plugin integrates with external data sources to provide User Details and Photos for Disco. Integration is currently provided for the following data sources:

  • Accelerus SQL Database
  • Cases21 SQL Database
  • Human Edge SQL Database
  • File System Directory/Network Share for Photos
  • Upload CSV and Photos
  • Custom SQL Database
  • Custom ODBC Database
PluginUDSample

These plugins are available from the Plugin Catalogue after upgrading to the latest Disco public release.

Search Shortcuts

SearchShortcuts Search Disco using the following shortcuts to redirect directly to the target:

  • !{Device Serial Number}
  • @{User Id}
  • #{Job Id}

DeviceImportingLogo Device Importing & Exporting

CSV files containing device information can be imported into Disco. Options for Device Model, Profile, Batch, User, Location and Asset Number are available.

This feature removes the need to manually add devices offline one-by-one. Lists of serial numbers provided by device suppliers can be bulk-imported into Disco.

Devices can also be exported by Model, Profile or Batch. Bulk-changes can be applied by re-importing modified versions of these files.

DeviceImportingSample

Performance and Stability Improvements

  • The architecture now allows components and plugins to access 'live' data feeds.
    • Job Log Messages are updated instantly for all users viewing a job.
    • Improved stability for the Noticeboard.
  • To maximize performance, Internet Explorer 8 (and lower) is no longer supported. Internet Explorer 10 ( now available for Windows 7) is used thoroughly during testing and is recommended for best performance.
  • Better support for Proxy Servers and the NetSpace Internet Service Provider.
  • Many bug fixes.

When upgrading: please carefully consider the Update Notes on the Download page.

For further information, refer to the Release Changelog.

ForumHelp Want to help?

The Disco Community Forums now supports subscribing to categories. If you would like to help other users (and the development team), please consider subscribing to categories where you feel you can contribute. Whenever a new thread is created we'll let you know.

Support Support & Feedback

Receive support from a growing Disco community on the Forums. These forums can also be used to report bugs or make request features. Recently, the categories have been redesigned to make getting assistance easier.

By: Gary Sharp | Not tagged | Comments closed
Thursday, 28 March 2013

Release Available v1.2.0328

Update We have seen a huge take-up of Disco over the past few months, with 20,000 devices, 9,000 jobs and 22,400 users being managed by Disco in 65 different organisations since its release less than six months ago. The development team is happy to announce the next public release.

Release Features

Job Details

An entirely new job details page has been implemented. This redesign attempts to focus attention on the next required action and provide support for smaller screen resolutions.

JobDetails

PluginCatalogue New Plugin Framework and Catalogue

A plugin catalogue hosted on discoict.com.au provides plugin updates and a way to further customise Disco to meet the needs of more organisations.

The new 'UI-extensions' feature allows plugins to integrate with the Device, Job and User pages.

For example:
UIExt
NOTE: A plugin is in planning to provide this integration with 3rd-party databases and not yet available.

Performance and Stability Improvements

  • StyleSheets are now pre-compiled and compressed which improves start-up time and reliability.
  • Document Importing implements better heuristics to locate QR codes and corrects page thumbnail rotation where possible.
  • While any modern web browser is compatible with Disco, Internet Explorer 10 (now available for Windows 7) is used thoroughly during testing and is recommended for best performance.

When upgrading: please carefully consider the Update Notes on the Download page.

For further information, refer to the Release Changelog.

Guide: Wireless Deployment via Group Policy

The new 'Wireless Deployment via Group Policy' Guide complements the device enrolment feature and encourages good practices.
If you have an idea for a future guide or would like to write one for the community please get in contact with the team via the community forums.

ForumHelp Want to help?

The Disco Community Forums now supports subscribing to categories. If you would like to help other users (and the development team), please consider subscribing to categories where you feel you can contribute. Whenever a new thread is created we'll let you know.

Support Support & Feedback

Receive support from a growing Disco community on the Forums. These forums can also be used to report bugs or make request features. Recently, the categories have been redesigned to make getting assistance easier.

By: Gary Sharp | Not tagged | Comments closed
Wednesday, 12 December 2012

Release Available v1.1.1211

Update This notification is being sent out due to a bug in the update components. This bug has been corrected and accurate notifications will be available from the System configuration page moving forward.

Release Features

Re-written Client and Updated Bootstrapper

This completes the migration of all .NET managed code to C#. Many minor bugs were fixed and support was improved for several devices. Additional error reporting has also been integrated.

JobCreation Job Creation

A new interface for job creation has been implemented. Alongside other changes, this now allows for 'Quick' job-logging.

QuickLog

Performance and Stability Improvements

Loading of the Jobs Home Page has improved by as much as 40%.

When upgrading: please carefully consider the Update Notes on the Download page.

For further information, refer to the Release Changelog.

Support Support & Feedback

Receive support from a growing Disco community on the Forums. These forums can also be used to report bugs or make request features.

By: Gary Sharp | Not tagged | Comments closed
Thursday, 11 October 2012

Disco released to the wild!

DiscoReleased We're very happy to finally announce the release of "Disco" - the information communication and technology management system we've been working on for over twelve months!

Disco is a web-based application designed to manage all the devices in your environment and the processes associated with them. Disco can automate:

  • adding hundreds (or thousands) of new devices to your network (Active Directory),
  • associating them with an owner,
  • securely distribute custom certificates (enterprise wireless for example) and
  • ensuring enforcement of organisation policies (such as computer naming conventions).
  • Disco can manage the jobs that belong to these devices; for example,
    • warranty claims can automatically be submitted to warranty providers (via plugins) and
    • forms automatically generated for insurance claims.

Disco started out as a small project at Geelong High School and Bellarine Secondary College (state-schools in Victoria, Australia) and was designed to assist with the ongoing rollout of a one-to-one (one notebook-to-one student) project. The small team of technicians recognised they would have trouble meeting ever-shortening deadlines. In January 2012 the team were required to have over 1,200 notebook computers configured, personalised and distributed to students within a couple of weeks; the Disco project was born.

The user-base of Disco has grown, and for the last few months Disco has been managing over 7,800 devices in 10 organisations. Before today's release, only those who heard by word-of-mouth knew and were instructed to keep a tight-lip until the infrastructure was in place to handle more organisations coming on-board. The growth of the project and (eventually) this website is a testament to the need of a management system designed to manage device ownership, job management, and the variety of other organisation-specific processes.

The complete source-code for Disco will be released shortly and we're hoping this will inspire others to contribute - we're constantly looking to improve Disco - we have loads of ideas, and hope you'll come up with some too. We also hope that by the release of the source-code this project can give back to many open-source projects Disco uses.

So go ahead - review the features, then register for an account to access the latest version. Check out the video-tutorials (more coming soon), and make sure to stop by the Forum to provide feedback or get support from those in the community.

DiscoWall Bonus trivia: Where did Disco get its name?
The answer to that question is steeped in legend and mystery. According to one account, a technician had decided to "recycle" old CDs by creating a mirror wall and at the same time debate arose concerning the naming of the newly developed system. The temporary code-name "Disco" was decided upon. The name stuck and… the mirror wall is still incomplete.
(BTW, in the latin: "Disco: learn; become acquainted with; acquire knowledge of")

By: Gary Sharp | Not tagged | 1 comment