The Case for ITOM Visibility Into The Browser (Part 2)

In case you missed it "The Case for ITOM Visibility Into the Browser (Part 1)

The browser gets deployed without being deployed

More than a decade after they have become the core of the ‘modern desktop’ and the most used application in the end-user environment, the same issues remain. These issues are further complicated because IT never really deployed a browser in the first place. Internet Explorer came with Windows and therefore was used by default. It might seem simple, but the mere fact that IT didn't manage the initial rollout of the browser has arguably had a lasting impact on the browser's perception in the business environment.

Leaving the legal battles aside, the notion that the browser was a component of the operating system allowed it to get an install base larger and faster than any other single enterprise-level application. Since IT didn’t go through the standard process to package and deploy the browser, teams never went through their routine exercise to address application lifecycle management. After all, how many IT administrators even think about needing tools to manage notepad or calculator? Those tools just exist, and unless the end-user reports a problem, no one ever thinks about them.

So, the browser ended up on all end-user machines, and unlike notepad or calculator, the browser was a critical line of business tool. End users relied on it regularly, even in the earliest days, as the vehicle to access core applications. Over time the list of demands grew, but without IT following their standard software process. Web applications were ‘deployed’ by publishing code to websites. Users were driven to those new tools by links communicated via emails or through connections in other web applications.

IT intervention was required for sites that required third-party tools like Java or ActiveX controls. ActiveX represented a unique approach in that many of the controls were built into Windows, so IT wasn’t involved. Specialized vendor applications did require IT involvement for deployment. Still, ActiveX controls themselves were viewed as a ‘useless’ piece of binary code rather than a standalone application. Meaning, there were no appropriate testing or validation processes, and IT would only deploy the controls because it was required.

Looking back now, we can see just how problematic this process truly is. We allowed the most powerful and broadly used application to be rooted in the environment without utilizing our time-tested methods and validation techniques. This process also helps explain the challenges of calling it ‘just a browser’ as well as describing why most IT administrators never thought about how to manage the browser itself. Instead, IT looked to existing ITOM tools they owned as a way to manage the browser.

Limitations of existing ITOM tools

There are no enterprise organizations that operate an infrastructure without some level of ITOM tools. The vendors and specifics will vary, but the software will always have a core set of functionalities based on supporting and controlling the end-user operating system and application set. These tools provide critical visibility into the end-user environment to address and resolve performance, reliability, and security issues - among other uses.

Having established that the browser is unlike other applications, it then stands to reason that existing tools would not necessarily translate for the browser's needs and design. Existing ITOM tools were designed for a world where the browser didn’t exist. Those tools do their prescribed functions very well, but they don’t manage or control browser activity.

The ITOM industry had addressed similar problems before – new technologies arose, and they adapted their offerings to deliver functionality. So, it’s no surprise that IT thought ITOM tools would inevitably add browser management functionality. Unfortunately, in response to the rise of the browser, ITOM vendors simply focused on the conventional installed characteristics. They looked at the browser executable no differently than a standard software package. The problem is that the browser isn't like these other applications, and traditional ITOM tools lack the information, insight, and details critical required for proper management.

ITOM tools entirely miss the ‘chewy center’ of the browser by using the standard application management model. They can report on high-level functions of the browser process – did it launch, how much memory is it using, etc. That is a fraction of the information needed to manage the browser environment. Without insight into the user's page-level activity, organizations are operating in the dark. Traditional ITOM tools are unable to provide answers when questions arise about web application usage, performance, security, add-ons, Java, dependencies, or any range of data regarding end-user browser activity.

Delivering Web Browser focused insights

That’s where Browsium Proton comes in - Proton fills in the gaps left by other ITOM tools. It’s a complementary tool, not a replacement, to an organization’s existing toolset. It can be thought of as a module enhancement. Proton is built to look from inside the browser and can deliver critical insights that existing ITOM tools lack. Proton’s data can be used in conjunction with the organization's existing management tools to manage the entire environment properly. When used with other Browsium apps, Proton data can be turned into actionable insights within the browser. Proton gives IT the ability to granularly manage settings, browser functionality, application compatibility, and security from within the browser.

Proton sheds light on the dark areas left behind by other ITOM tools. Proton takes a fundamentally different approach to gather and monitor data from inside the browser itself. This provides the most comprehensive data for browsers, web applications, and web application dependencies better than any tool on the market. Providing this data and the resultant insights in one place enables IT to regain control of the missing pieces of their IT dashboard.

For example, measuring performance data on the webserver provides a view from the outside, which doesn’t reflect when loaded objects are usable. Proton performance data from within the browser ensures complete insight into the whole end-user experience. The data shows the entire range of the process from query to information calls to object load and when the page is user ready. To help IT administrators go deeper, Proton data can yield insights into what content and types of objects were loaded on that page. These insights produce actionable information to identify and resolve issues. Proton provides multiple layers of data appropriate to the browser and web application model. It delivers all the answers in one place, which is critical to saving time and financial resources.

Proton also fills the “ITOM visibility gap” when looking at 3rd party browser components. The most common example of that type is Java, but a range of other tools needed to augment browser functionality are included as 3rd party components. In the case of Java, existing ITOM tools are great at revealing Java runtime environment installations. They can deliver information about the machines with Java installed and a complete list of which versions are on each machine. Then the visibility gap comes in, and they are unable to tell anything more than that for any web or browser-based Java usage.

Proton goes beyond just data on where Java installations exist – it includes the version, requested version, what systems used which releases, and other critical data for managing Java. From a security and application rationalization perspective, Proton can deliver a report on which versions (if any) use which website’s web applications to aide in quickly removing unnecessary installs. Proton can even provide data on non-web-based Java application usage. This usage further provides critical operations data on how, when, and where Java is used. Without this added level of detail, it is impossible to manage Java effectively and safely in the enterprise.

Additionally, existing ITOM tools are limited and entirely blind to browser extensions. With all modern browsers using JavaScript-based extensions, the components are not actually ‘installed’ in the conventional sense. Traditional ITOM tools look for any footprints in the system registry or application related data stores. Meaning, they lack ways to detect non-installed browser extensions. Proton is designed for the browser environment, so it can see precisely show what extensions are added to the browser.

Proton can not only detect their presence but also provides the usage data that IT needs to evaluate and quantify risk. Extensions don’t require administrator-level permissions to install so that any end-user can access and install them on their systems. Extensions can do a wide range of things and present a unique security threat. Some common examples are password managers that monitor all browser traffic and can read as well as inject content, and unwanted extension screenshots in regulated industries.

This type of data and detail is critical to ensure that IT and security administrators know what is truly going on at that endpoint. Traditional ITOM tools aren’t designed around the browser model, so organizations end up with blind spots and visibility gaps around these types of critical data. Proton ensures and enables enterprises to control and manage their systems at the granularity levels they have come to expect in their environment.

Manage the entire desktop

The browser is a fixture of the modern end-user computing environment. The browser radically changed how IT delivers services, and in turn, it requires a change in how IT manages the situation. It is not possible to get a complete ITOM picture without the proper tools in place. Continuing to manage by relying on existing ITOM systems will keep IT from controlling the environment and achieving the mission. Adding Browsium Proton to your ITOM toolset will instantly augment existing ITOM solutions and deliver critical insights.

Proton provides visibility and sheds light on the dark corners current ITOM tools leave unchecked. Advancements in web browser capabilities demand that IT has the tools and strategy needed to manage browsers today and into the future. The start of this strategy is to gain real visibility into the browser environment. Proton turns on the lights to provide the most in-depth view across all browser platforms and delivers the tools to fill the gaps of existing ITOM environments required for the modern desktop.