The Secure Workplace for OS/2

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Article Info
Author
Date 1994-10-14
OS Version OS/2 2.0
Companion File N/A
Source


VERSION 2.01 NOW AVAILABLE - SEE BELOW FOR NEW FEATURES

DESKTOP MANAGEMENT MADE EASY

No need to worry about what your users will do to the desktop you spent so much time configuring. Now you can Protect, Setup, and Support your OS/2 desktop while reducing technical support time and costs. If your users cannot break it, you will not have to spend time fixing it.

The Secure Workplace includes a collection of software objects and utilities designed to protect your desktop from unwanted changes and intrusions. You can set objects to a locked condition. Once locked, unauthorized users cannot move, copy, delete, shadow, or rename them. A locked object prevents users from changing its settings.

With security folders, you can lock away workplace objects you do not want users to access. To open these folders you need a password. We provide you with three different security folders for this purpose.

IT'S SIMPLE TO SETUP

The desktop setup utilities include an Object Maker and an Object Relocator. These utilities will reduce the time spent configuring your OS/2 workplace.

You can drag a secure object from the Templates folder just as you do with other workplace objects. We provide additional pages in each Settings notebook to give you extended access to the Workplace Shell. You will appreciate these easy to use features with each new configuration.

HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS

  • Protects your workplace from adventurous users and kids.
  • Deploy your custom desktop on many workstations.
  • Each user can have their own custom desktop.
  • Ease the migration from a terminal based environment into OS/2's graphical user interface by limiting the user's options.

SECURITY COMPONENTS

The Secure Desktop replaces the existing OS/2 desktop and allows you to remove items in the pop-up menu.

The Secure Program replaces the standard program object to enable protection.

The Restricted Folder replaces the standard folder. It prevents users from changing its settings.

The Secure Folder uses a time based password. This feature allows help desks to temporarily grant users access to restricted facilities for problem resolution. A matching Password Generator utility program is provided for this activity.

The Password Folder adds password protection to the standard folder. A user cannot open this folder without knowing the password.

The Logon Folder allows multiple users to open the same folder with different results. You can use each userid and password combination to generate a unique set of objects.

The Window List Manager utility is used to limit the applications that users can switch to or close from the OS/2 window list. The utility runs interactively or in the background.

The Secure Printer replaces the standard printer object. It allows the user to operate and manage the printer queue without changing the printer's settings.

SETUP COMPONENTS

The Object Maker utility is used to create, update, or delete workplace objects. Use an ASCII file to specify an object creation list. This utility is used for desktop setup and by the Logon Folder.

The Object Relocator lets you move objects from folder to folder programmatically or with the object maker file.

The Class Lister produces a list of the classes.

The Object Lister produces a list of Objects in the system.

The Class Replacer allows you to replace one class with another.

SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

386 PC or PS/2 with OS/2 Version 2.0 + Service Pack or higher.

AVAILABLE EDITIONS

The product can be obtained in two editions. We have an End User edition for individuals and an Enterprise edition for organizations. The Enterprise edition comes with a 10 station license minimum. For more information call Syntegration or your reseller.

SYNTEGRATION

13241 Norton Avenue
Chino, CA 91710
USA

Phone: (909) 464-9450
Fax: (909)-627-3541
Internet: 73707.3331@COMPUSERVE.COM
IBMMAIL(I1072230)

UK Reference Site, SUN ALLIANCE (Peter Toogood, 01403-234764)

NEW FEATURES IN VERSION 2.01 (OCTOBER 94)


  1. A Logon folder object class was added. This class can be used for multi-user setups. Logon folders also provide an audit trail of user activity.
  2. Workplace image backup and restore utilities were added.
  3. An object manager class was added. Now you can query, save, and update the settings of workplace objects with a drag and drop operation. This tool saves object make files which can be edited with the object editor.
  4. An interactive object make file editor was added. This tool will help you setup a custom workplace.
  5. A Shutdown utility program was added. You can put this program as an icon on the desktop to replace the shutdown item on the desktop popup menu.
  6. We added a Secure Printer object class that replaces the standard printer class. This new class has all of the standard features of our secure objects. (Note: A problem exists with this and OS/2 2.1, OK with 2.11).
  7. We improved our installation program to handle updates, improved logging and update the CONFIG.SYS file. We removed the REINSTAL.CMD utility since the function was incorporated into the SSETUP.EXE program.
  8. We added a setup program, SWUTILS.CMD, to create a Secure Workplace Utilities folder. The objects in this folder are intended for

CONVERTING YOUR DESKTOP INTO A SECURE WORKPLACE

With Version 2.01 the job of converting your standard OS/2 Desktop is remarkably easier. The Secure Program object replaces the standard program. To create a secure environment, all you have to do is convert the folders the user will access to secure ones. A typical setup procedure follows:

  1. Drag a Secure Folder (or Password Folder) from the templates folder.
  2. Configure the Security through the folder's settings notebook. (refer to the detailed description of the folder in the user's manual.)
  3. Move the objects you do not want users to access into this new folder. (eg. Templates Folder, Command Prompts, System Setup, OS/2 System)
  4. Convert all other folders into Restricted Folders.

To convert a standard folder into a Restricted Folder:

  1. Create a Restricted Folder by dragging one from the templates folder.
  2. Move the objects from the standard folder into the Restricted Folder.
  3. Delete the standard folder.
  4. Rename and reconfigure the new folder using the old folder's settings.

You can also convert any standard folder into a secure folder by using the Object Manager. The Object manager is usually contained in The Secure Workplace Utilities Folder. This folder is created by the SWUTILS.CMD program that you must invoke separately.