Captell is a multi-user cross platform cross data source reporting solution designed specifically for IT management reporting. (see an online demonstration of Captell here)

 Captell incorporates:

• Tables which hold your "raw" IT management data;
   
• Queries which summarise and subset the data;
   
• Parameters which control the output from queries;
   
• Charts to present the data in graphical form;
   
• Traffic lights; a simple coloured shape that changes colour based on data from the database;
   
• A Word Processor to combine all the report elements into a cohesive report document;
   
• Data ageing which allows older unnecessary data to be summarised (rolled up) into summary tables or culled/archived;
   
• Web publication to allow non-IT management staff visibility of the reports; (see a demonstration of the Captell web here) and
   
• Automation facilities which can be used to schedule database updates.

 Captell Report Objects and Captell Reports:

Captell report objects are the "atomic" components that make up Captell reports.  Report objects include individual

• Tables;
   
• Queries;
   
• Procedures;
   
• Parameters;
   
• Charts;
   
• Traffic lights; and
   
• Documents.

Captell Reports are the complete documents which can include other Report Objects.  Of course individual Captell Report Objects can be published standalone in which case they are Reports too.

Tables

Captell Tables are the starting point for your Captell report. The first step in creating a new report is to establish a source of data for the report. The Captell Table holds both the definition of the data and the actual data. (see table definition screen shots)

Captell can read data from the following sources:

• Text, delimited or fixed column;
   
• ODBC;
   
• JET;
   
• SQL Server;
   
• Spreadsheet;
   
• Demand Technology Software Performance Sentry (NTSMF);
   
• From queries in the Captell database;
   
• Oracle; and
   
• Other sources to be added include a free form record type that can process data from sources that have mixed record types in the same file such as UNIX performance data.

Table options can be set to allow:

• Culling and archiving; To control the volume of data stored in your Captell database.
   
• Scheduled updates; To facilitate unattended loading of new data to your database.
   
• Data ageing; To automatically "roll" up your data creating various summary tables as necessary.
   
• Automatic table partitioning; To facilitate efficient storage and retrieval of your vast stores of capacity and performance data.
   
• Automatic addition of new columns from the source; simplifies changes to source data structures (additional column or the removal of columns and their impact on the Captell database.
   
• The creation of indexes on the tables; To improve overall performance of the Captell reporting system

Queries

Captell Queries are used to summarise and subset data contained in tables, queries can be stored as a view which makes them dynamic (i.e. they are executed every time the data is referenced) or the can be stored as data which makes then static, similar to a table, store-as-data queries can be manually refreshed or updated.

Queries can be used to "join" data from different sources such as technical response or utilisation data from your monitors with your business volume count or transaction data.  Change management data may be joined with Problem or Incident management data to determine the relationship between changes and incidents. (see Query definition window here)

Charts

A "picture speaks a thousand words" or so the saying goes; the Captell charting engine provides a comprehensive list of chart types and features to satisfy all capacity management charting requirements including: (see chart definition window here)

• Line; Bar; H-bar; Pie; Gantt; Waterfall; Donut; Point; Bezier; Area; Surface; Volume; Hi-Lo; Error Bar; Bubble; 2 or 3D.
   
• Charts may be exported to JPEG, GIF, WMF, BMP;
   
• Functions can be applied by the charting engine including Trend; Curves, and moving averages;
   
• Multiple axis, used to show data of different scales;
   
• Dynamic Series and Dynamic Charts;
   
• Each series on a chart can have its own data source;
   
• The ability to control the colour of series through data values in the database or through “colour mapping”.

Traffic Light

Traffic Lights are a simple graphical representation of data; a coloured shape (circle, square, triangle etc.) that can change colour based on a data value from the database.  Traffic lights are: (see traffic light definition window here)

• Typically used to show key performance metric;
   
• can be grouped together on same web page; and
   
• are great for an executive summary.

Documents

Captell incorporates it's own word processor engine that brings all other Report Objects (Charts, Queries etc.) together into cohesive (cross platform - if required) report. (see document definition window here)

The word processor features:

• The ability too drop Tables, Queries, Charts and Traffic lights onto the Captell document;
   
• When a Document is re-opened Captell will refresh all objects in the Document from the database;
   
• Captell can automate text changes based on data in the database, effectively re-writing the text of the document based on the data in the database;
   
• Documents can be exported in MS Word, PDF or RTF format;
   
• Ability to save archived document;
   
• Parameters Parameters provide filtering on query results;
   
• Basic text substitution;
   
• Ability to embed in documents;
   
• Embedded parameters are presented to user before a document is displayed allowing content of document to be changed dynamically;
   
• Called in Captell query as CAP_PARM(parm-name);
   
• Each update user has their own copy; and
   
• Database wide copy for use by browse users.

 Report Publication:

 Captell reports can be published as:

• Paper based
   
• WORD / PDF
   
• WEB

 Service:

Scheduled table updates are managed by the Captell Service. This is a windows service that runs on the same platform as the Captell database.

The Captell Service:

• is a background Windows Service;
   
• Handles unattended update of Captell tables through a defined schedule;
   
• Handles server based long running processes;
   
• is controlled from within Captell or through Windows Service Control interface;

 Web Access:

To allow non-Update users visibility of the various reports Captell V6 provides the Captell Web interface. (see online demonstration of Captell web interface here)

The Captell Web interface:

• is a simple interface to present report objects over web;
   
• is controlled via windows security;
   
• only allows users to see report objects they have been given access to;
   
• Causes report objects built on the fly when requested;
   
• Presents documents as PDF or MS Word documents; and
   
• Report object output can be controlled via Captell parameters, allowing the user to re-drive the object with different parameters.

 Security:

Captell V6 comes complete with a comprehensive security facility that controls access to the Captell programs and the report objects contained within the Captell database. Captell Security can be controlled within Captell or with Windows User Groups and Roles

Controls:

• access to the programs;
   
• access to update report objects; and
   
• access to browse objects.
   

Each report object has a:

• Browse Access List (BAL) which control browse access; and an
   
• Update Access List (UAL) which controls Update access.

Both BAL and UAL are derived from database wide default lists maintained by ADMIN users