NFR Version 2.0.2 Research Now Available

[dag () NFR NET (Deborah A. Greenberg)]

Network Flight Recorder is pleased to announce the official release of

        Network Flight Recorder
        Version 2.0.2 Research

Features
--------
This release includes several new subsystems, a few new N-Code
features, and support for new operating systems:

- Access Control
  Many organizations provide varying levels of access to their
  administrative tools.  The NFR software allows administrators to
  configure access control for the GUI, including permissions to configure
  and query.  This feature can be used in both stand-alone and distributed
  environments.

- Web Server
  This mini-Web server provides a quick and easy way to run the NFR GUI.
  This eliminates the need to install and configure third-party Web
  servers.  Running on all of the platforms supported by the NFR
  software, the NFR Web server provides all the functions needed to run
  the GUI.

- Package Download
  Through the NFR GUI, users can easily download packages from the NFR
  Web site, or other locations on the Web. Includes utilities to help
  users create their own sites of NFR packages.

- New Operating Systems
  OpenBSD 2.3 is supported, while Debian Linux 1.3 is listed as
  experimental.  Check the NFR Web site (http://www.nfr.net/nfr/) for
  the list of supported, works, and experimental operating systems.

- Improved Querying
  The NFR software now allows you to query for negatives.  You can search
  for data that does not match other data or is not in a range of data.

- Packages
  Loading and unloading packages and backends can now be done through
  the GUI, and without stopping and restarting the NFR engine.

- N-Code
  New functions and statements provide additional capabilities.
  These include:
  - atoi function - converts an ASCII string to an integer
  - elem function - extracts a single member from a list
  - ethmac function - constructs an ethernet MAC address from a string
    except function - displays a string describing an exception number
  - formattedtime function - displays time using user-supplied formatting
  - split function - breaks blobs into separate blobs
  - strtype function - determines the kinds of characters that are found
    in a blob
  - ubyte function - returns an unsigned byte value at a specified offset
    from a blob
  - ulong function - returns an unsigned four-byte value at a specified
    offset from a blob
  - ushort function - returns an unsigned two-byte value at a specified
    offset from a blob
  - requires statement - causes N-Code not to execute until certain values
    have been set
  - support for different naming schemes for global variables to enhance
    distribution of backends and packages

- Improved Install
  Executables and data are now stored outside of the NFR source tree,
  and users are prompted for the directory during the install process.

Availability
------------
NFR Version 2.0.2 Research is now available for download from the NFR
Web site:

        http://www.nfr.net/download/

We recommend that you first read the system requirements, release notes,
and other documentation:

        http://www.nfr.net/nfr/

As before, the research version is available for your internal,
non-commercial use.

NFR Version 2.0.2 Commercial
----------------------------
The release of Version 2.0.2 Research marks a difference from previous
releases of NFR software, when the commercial and research versions were
the same.  NFR Version 2.0.2 Commercial, which is already available,
contains several additional features:

- Distributed NFR Systems
  Busy or physically dispersed networks may need multiple NFR systems.
  Using NFR software in these distributed environments is now much easier
  through centralized management, querying, reporting, and alerting.

- High Speed Networks
  The NFR software includes optimizations for high speed networks, such
  as FDDI and 100baseT. These optimizations are only included on systems
  BSD/OS 3.1 or OpenBSD 2.3.

If you need these features or need to use NFR software in a commercial
environment, and we hope you do, please contact one of the certified
NFR resellers (http://www.nfr.net/products/resellers/).

Feedback
--------
Send suggestions, bug fixes, and so forth to feedback () nfr net.

Enjoy!
Deborah
--
                          http://www.nfr.net
Deborah A. Greenberg    Communications Director   301.765.7945 (phone)
dag () nfr net             Network Flight Recorder     301.765.7946 (fax)