Active Directory 'Roll Call'/Attendance capabilities ?

13 Nov 2006 10:11 PM

E-Double

Are there any native capabilities, third party solutions, or add-ons to AD
that would allow certain users (eg HR dept. or receptionist) to determine who
is presently in the office by checking what users are logged on to AD ? TIA
....

14 Nov 2006 2:26 AM

Joe Richards [MVP]

No. AD authenticates, it doesn't maintain open sessions to every user
who has logged in. The kerberos tickets given out by default have a 10
hour life, once you get the tickets you need for the resources you need
then you don't need the DCs until you need renewal.

You can use something like limitlogon or something like that but even
that really isn't fullproof as what happens if someone just shuts a PC
off or hibernates or gets disconnected from the LAN. What you need is
some program that does regular "pings" to a centralized database which
still isn't the best as that can impacted by network issues.

I would say the cheapest solution is called IM. Make everyone get an IM
account (yahoo, MSN, whatever) and log on and publish their status. Then
the secretary or HR folks can look at their IM list.

--
Joe Richards Microsoft MVP Windows Server Directory Services
Author of O'Reilly Active Directory Third Edition
www.joeware.net

---O'Reilly Active Directory Third Edition now available---

http://www.joeware.net/win/ad3e.htm

E-Double wrote:

Show quoteHide quote

> Are there any native capabilities, third party solutions, or add-ons to AD
> that would allow certain users (eg HR dept. or receptionist) to determine who
> is presently in the office by checking what users are logged on to AD ? TIA
> ...

14 Nov 2006 2:47 AM

kj

I had a client where they made this a "must have" for an RFP. I used
http://www.eioboard.com/?gclid=CL3uytW_xYgCFRw6GAodqVWJAQ
they liked it, worked fine for them, and not much of a PIA for me.

Google "in out board" will turn up various other "offerings".

--
/kj

Show quoteHide quote

"E-Double" <EDou***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
news:30408332-0F7B-4EA4-8798-BBEC023C15D2@microsoft.com...
> Are there any native capabilities, third party solutions, or add-ons to AD
> that would allow certain users (eg HR dept. or receptionist) to determine
> who
> is presently in the office by checking what users are logged on to AD ?
> TIA
> ...

14 Nov 2006 3:09 PM

E-Double

Cool, thanks for the info guys.

Show quoteHide quote

"kj" wrote:

> I had a client where they made this a "must have" for an RFP. I used
> http://www.eioboard.com/?gclid=CL3uytW_xYgCFRw6GAodqVWJAQ
> they liked it, worked fine for them, and not much of a PIA for me.
>
> Google "in out board" will turn up various other "offerings".
>
> --
> /kj
> "E-Double" <EDou***@discussions.microsoft.com> wrote in message
> news:30408332-0F7B-4EA4-8798-BBEC023C15D2@microsoft.com...
> > Are there any native capabilities, third party solutions, or add-ons to AD
> > that would allow certain users (eg HR dept. or receptionist) to determine
> > who
> > is presently in the office by checking what users are logged on to AD ?
> > TIA
> > ...
>
>
>

14 Nov 2006 4:14 PM

Christopher Anderson

E-Double wrote:

> Are there any native capabilities, third party solutions, or add-ons to AD
> that would allow certain users (eg HR dept. or receptionist) to determine who
> is presently in the office by checking what users are logged on to AD ? TIA
> ...

We developed our own application client that sits in the tray of our
users when they log in. Then our Network Admins have a "Remote Control
Wizard" that talks to the client and responds with an Online or Offline
(as well as many other functions, such as who is logged in, what their
phone number is, and what version of VNC they are using).