IBM BigFix WebUI Release: BigFix Query, Executive Dashboard and Updated Overview Dashboard

Release Announcements WebUI (Release Announcements)
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The IBM BigFix team is pleased to announce the release of the BigFix Query application, Executive Dashboard and several other features in WebUI.

BigFix Query
BigFix query application brings real-time endpoint inspection to Lifecycle and Compliance customers. Security analysts and Master operators can easily gather endpoint information by creating ad-hoc queries. Bigfix Query comes with pre-defined queries as well as the ability to create and share your own queries.

Executive Dashboard
Executive Dashboard provides a real-time health view at a glance. It contains 6 customizable tiles that displays metrics, charts and analysis of real-time endpoint data. It serves as an additional overview page specifically for the management team.

Updates to Overview Dashboard
The overview dashboard is now customizable! Master operators can create up to 6 customized views by creating, rearranging and removing tiles in the overview dashboard. There are a selection of pre-defined tiles, as well as the ability to create 5 different types of custom tiles.

Actions to Take:
For BigFix Query, platform version 9.5.2 must be installed and you must have Lifecycle and/or Compliance, then new application will be loaded.
For updated overview dashboard, no action is necessary, Updated WebUI application sites will be gathered and loaded automatically.

For updated documentation see
http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSTK87_9.5.0/com.ibm.bigfix.webui.doc/WebUI/Users_Guide/c_bigfix_query.html

http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSTK87_9.5.0/com.ibm.bigfix.webui.doc/WebUI/Admin_Guide/c_editing_dashboards.html

Also for additional information on BigFix Query and Executive Dashboard, please review the users guide and administration guide at:
http://www.ibm.com/support/knowledgecenter/SSTK87_9.5.0/com.ibm.bigfix.webui.doc/webui.html

IBM BigFix Team

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Fantastic capabilities released, looking forward to hear more comments from our customer base.

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This all sounds excellent, but I’m afraid I won’t be using the WebUI until I can run it on a non-root server. Here’s hoping!

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Looks really good with the customized dashboards. I really wish the Query was available to those with only patch :frowning:

Hopefully I will be getting in Compliance, but right now, just in POC, so at least I can play with it.

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Hello TheTick:

If you don’t have access to the customized dashboards for whatever licensing reason, we do have alpha.bigfix.com and I can create you an account so that you can test stuff out if you’d like?

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Hey @atlauren, I hear you. We’re still working on that one :slight_smile:

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BigFix Query is very cool!

A good way to confirm if computer is up and BigFix Client service is running without waiting for next report to be received.

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Can’t you do that much with “Send Refresh” from the console? If “Send Refresh” doesn’t work (due to network or firewall configuration), Query isn’t going to work either, is it?

(I understand that Query can do much more, but that’s not what you said.)

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Send Refresh simply instructs the client to generate a full report and send it back up to the server. It uses the reporting mechanisms. BigFix query is different, I’m looking into those differences…

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I had a quick question regarding the new Query tool in the new WebUI. Has anyone asked to get this functionality built into Webreports so that non-webui users could use this new feature? When I saw the Webui at Interconnect, it sounded like it consumed a ton of resources per user, and it sounded like something that we would not be moving to until it has been refined, particularly regarding performance. However, I would love the feature to query my endpoints in real-time like in the new Query piece. Please let me know, thank you

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Query does depend on the UDP messages reaching the endpoint so if your network or firewall blocks that it will not function as expected in the current version. We are looking at improving that however.

If your endpoint receives the normal Gather/Refresh messages then it will work.

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@heagsta we’re looking at moving the WebUI piece to run on a machine that’s not the root server. Would that address some of your performance concerns?

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I believe so, we would just need to get up to 9.5, we are below that currently. we still have XP machines, and I don’t think those machines are supported on 9.5??

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XP is not supported by a 9.5 agent, but you can continue to run 9.2 agents for XP in a 9.5 deployment. Obviously you will not be able to use the Query functionality for XP endpoints, though.

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Got it. Makes sense :slight_smile: Thank you for the information.

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Does anyone know if the Executive Dashboard can be extended to Operators? I’m reading that it’s only accessible to Master Operators, but I could really use the information from the Executive Dashboard, but my privileges are only that of an Operator.

Thanks.

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Hey @Snojack, the overview dashboard can be made to look like the executive dashboard with some customization from a master operator. So while NMOs can’t normally reach executive overview dashboards, you can get the same effect with some work in the WebUI.

The team has been also thinking about giving people the ability to customize and save dashboards to their own operator site. Do you think something like that would address this your need?

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The team has been also thinking about giving people the ability to customize and save dashboards to their own operator site. Do you think something like that would address this your need?"

Absolutely it would address my need - and I’m sure many other NMO’s would be appreciative.
Thanks so much!

Sno

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