14 DAY TRIAL // Network resources management can be a real art, and I am glad that I didn't become a network administrator. There are a lot of people into management, but only a few can be called good managers, and I am only talking about hardware and software resources here. I don't even want to try thinking about how hard can be to manage people, but that's not my purpose here, so let's get to the point: network management. To be more precise, what I have here is a program that can be used to create an inventory of your network's computers software and hardware configurations.
The program I am talking about is called Alchemy Network Inventory, its latest version is 6.2, and what I have here is a shareware version that can only process the data about the local computer. The price of this program makes it clear that home users are not really a target for this program, because the price you'll have to pay for its full version is 199$. Nevertheless, you can grab the shareware version and play with it a while, because it can replace most average system information tools around, but Alchemy Network Inventory is much more than just that. Its setup package is very easy to install and weighs only 3.2MB. These being said, let's move on and discover this program's interface and features!
I don't expect art when it's about network tools, especially those priced over 100$, and the reason is that these programs are done for people who know what they're doing, but sometimes, even beginners can enjoy them. This program's interface is simple, well organized and good looking, that's all. The main window has a menu bar, a toolbar, a tree-view pane for exploring the network items and the work area, reminding me of various system information tools, such as Fresh Diagnose, Everest or many others.
The Administrator module is the main module of this program and the one having a graphical interface, the one that I just told you about, because the client is a command-line software agent that is run on the users' computers to collect information about software and hardware components. Now, you know how this program works, so let's get back to the Administrator and find out what can be done with it...
The amount of information that can be obtained with this program simply blew me away, but if I get to think about this for a while, a lot of information from a single computer means a huge amount of data to manage when it's about the computers in a network. Don't worry, Alchemy Network Inventory has this covered too! Department structure from your company can be replicated inside the program's tree-view easily, while generating reports or viewing computer information is a piece of cake.
After retrieving the information of my computer, I was amazed to find even my hard drive's SMART parameters values here, but this is only one out of many tips you can get about your computer's hardware and software. Just visit the More Views and Reports menus and you'll understand what I am trying to say here.
While some information tools fail to discover some things, this time, the situation is exactly opposed to that, because Alchemy Network Inventory discovers simply too much information. Just think about what can happen if your system administrator watches your Internet Explorer history, and don't think that he (or maybe she) must come to your computer and see that, because Alchemy Network Inventory can be a network management tool, a system information utility or a network spy, depends what you make of it!
Need I say more? Let's check the conclusions now!
The Good
Alchemy Network Inventory is a well organized and useful network tool with excellent features. Despite its complexity, it's not hard to use at all, and the well done documentation that comes with it can help you a lot.
The Bad
While the shareware version can be excellent for home users, the price of the full version can be considered too high for them.
The Truth
Alchemy Network Inventory is simply amazing, starting with its ease of use and outrageous amount of information it can deliver, so no matter if you plan to become a system administrator or not, get it now, it is worth your time for sure!
Here are some snapshots of the application in action:
