After you complete the Network Inventory, Vivinet Assessor can use the information in the database to perform a Configuration assessment. Although the Configuration assessment is part of an overall assessment of VoIP readiness, you can use it to find and report on any network devices that lack certain resources—resources that are necessary for Voice over IP, for a planned network upgrade, or for any other purpose.
Assessing configuration does not require a scheduling component because it takes place on the spot and usually takes only a few minutes to complete. No testing, querying, or monitoring of devices takes place. Instead, you simply supply a rules file in XML format that summarizes the software and hardware resources that you want your switches and routers to have. Valid rules files use a set of simple operators, such as LessThan, GreaterThan, GreaterThanEqualTo, and OR, to define acceptable levels of operating systems, memory, and installed modules. When setting up the Configuration assessment, you import the rules file, and Vivinet Assessor performs a quick validation of the rules file format to make sure it conforms to a schema.
For a full discussion of the rules file format, see Section 4.1.1, Creating a Rules File.
When you activate the Configuration assessment, Vivinet Assessor examines the information in the database for devices discovered during the Network Inventory. It compares the available information to the rules file. Then it clearly reports any devices that passed or failed rule criteria, along with the applicable rules you specified, on the Run tab of the Assess Configuration view. Results can also be included in the VoIP Readiness Assessment report.