Directory Catalog 2.0

Capture file system status information

Manually tracking a file system can be a complex task. This task isespecially difficult in an OS with a directory structure composed of large,loosely organized folders, such as Windows NT. To complicate matters, mostpackages install and uninstall with automated utilities that give you littletangible feedback. Although this setup is efficient and easy to use, itcomplicates monitoring file system changes. Directory Catalog 2.0 fromBarnStormer Software is a solution.

Directory Catalog builds, maintains, and examines snapshots of your filesystem. These snapshots, or Catalogs, record a file system component'sstate at a given time. You can customize the content and level of detail aCatalog contains. Also, you can access all Directory Catalog's features,including the online user manual, through one graphical interface.

Why Use Directory Catalog?
The primary purpose for building a Catalog is to capture the state of apiece of your file system at a specific time. By itself, this functionality isnot particularly useful. However, Directory Catalog also includes a Reconcilefeature that compares a Catalog with your file system's current state. For each Catalog entry, Reconcile determines whether the corresponding file still exists and, if so, whether its timestamp,date, or size has changed. Reconcile also checks whether you have added anyfiles to the current directory. As the lower pane in Screen 1 shows,Reconcile summarizes all discrepancies in a tabbed window that listschanges by category.

Suppose you install NT on a new system. With Directory Catalog, you canbuild Catalogs that capture your system's brand-new state. You can build newCatalogs for each system upgrade or you can simply refresh previous Catalogs.With these Catalogs, you can archive a history of system modifications.Directory Catalog also includes an export facility, which lets you pull thesearchives into other applications, such as Microsoft Excel. Also, if youencounter system problems, you can use your Catalog history and the Reconcilefeature to generate a list of files that you have changed, removed, or added.This information can pinpoint the source of your problems.

Creating a Catalog
After downloading the software from BarnStormer's Web site and completingthe installation, you create a new Catalog by clicking the New Catalog icon. Thesystem then presents you with a file dialog box that lets you traverse your filesystem. When you find a folder you want to include in the Catalog, you highlightthe selection and specify whether Directory Catalog should include the folder'ssubdirectories in the Catalog. Also, you can specify a file mask. A file masklets you use standard wildcards to filter the cataloged files based on filenamepatterns. You can use the Add Directory Mask option to add files to apreexisting Catalog. For example, you can build a new Catalog of executablefiles by specifying a file mask of .exe. You can then use Add Directory Mask toadd libraries to the Catalog using a .dll file mask.

Specifying Catalog Content
For each file in a Catalog, Directory Catalog contains a distinct entry thatmatches a directory mask at the time you created or last updated the Catalog.Each entry contains the name, full path, size, date, and timestamp of thecorresponding file. You can also specify file entries, digital signatures, andversion information.

The Verdict
Directory Catalog is easy to learn and use. This product provides aconvenient method for capturing and analyzing the state of your file system.Directory Catalog is a handy utility that lets you monitor and analyze your filesystem's changes.