Tutorial Inventory Methods 2011 DeskCenter Solutions AG
Table of Contents 1. Introduction...3 2. Manual inventory...3 3. Inventory with DeskCenter Management Service...4 3.1 Configuring Management Service...4 3.2 Defining schedules... 5 3.3 Setting options... 6 3.4 Using Inventory Now!... 7 4. Inventory with DeskCenter Scriptinventory...7 4.1 Configuring Scriptinventory...7 4.2 Executing Scriptinventory...9 5. Inventorying with DeskCenter SDI Agent...9 5.1 Configuring SDI Agent...9 5.2 Deploying SDI Agent on client systems... 11 5.3 Defining schedules...12 5.4 Setting options...12 5.5 Using Inventory Now!...13 6. Inventorying with DeskCenter One Step Inventory...14 6.1 Entering systems locally...14 6.2 Unattended execution...14 6.3 Importing data...15 7. Optional file scan...17 www.deskcenter.com
1. Introduction DeskCenter Management Suite supports different methods in all for technical inventory of computer systems. You can decide which inventory method is best suited for your system structure. 2. Manual inventory The simplest option in DeskCenter Management Studio for inventorying a computer system is offered for a single system. Double-click a system entered in the system overview to open a dialog with detailed information. The Inventory button starts an immediate remote inventory of the client. Please note that this inventory method is only useful for the update of single systems. If you need to inventory a larger number of clients, we recommend using one of the inventory methods described below. 3 of 17
3. Inventory with DeskCenter Management Service Inventory using Management Service is the standard method for inventory with DeskCenter Management Suite. The DeskCenter Management Service records the hardware and software information for your client systems remotely without the additional installation of agent software on the client system. 3.1 Configuring Management Service Before you can inventory systems with the Management Service, a few additional configuration settings are required. The configuration program is started from the DeskCenter Service Configuration in the start menu program directory: DeskCenter Management Suite\DeskCenter Management Service. Alternatively, you can also start the file srvcfg.exe in the program installation directory: C:\Programs\DeskCenter Management Suite\DeskCenter Management Service\. The database connection must always be configured in this configuration dialog. If the database was installed in a named instance on the SQL server, the database server name must be followed by the name of the named instance. Syntax: DBServer\Instance name Please enter the SQL user and the password. This is usually the user sa with the password provided during installation of the database server. The SQL user to use must have read and write privileges to the DeskCenter database. To ensure that the connection to the database is correctly configured, test the connection by clicking Test database. The Inventory Timeout (Minutes) option specifies the number of minutes after which Management Service will try to inventory a system again after the first failure. You can use the Simultaneous Inventories to define the number of systems that will be inventoried at the same time by the Management Service. Finish the configuration by saving the current settings. Use the Close button to close the configuration dialog. 4 of 17
3.2 Defining schedules One prerequisite for automated, scheduled inventory with DeskCenter Management Service is the definition of schedules for inventorying systems. You can define schedules when systems are registered or change them later in the system settings. 5 of 17
You can define a schedule for inventorying according to different criteria. If a system cannot be reached by DeskCenter Management Services during its scheduled time, the inventory will be retried every 5 minutes. 3.3 Setting options Another prerequisite for using DeskCenter Management Service is the definition of default settings for each computer system. You can define settings when systems are registered or change them later in the system settings. A central standard user can be set up in DeskCenter Management Studio. This default user can be assigned to all systems. You also have the option of setting a different user for each system. The default user must be a member of the Administrators group on the client systems to permit inventory through the WMI interface. In domain environments, it is therefore recommended to use a domain administrator account globally as the default user. For configuration, enter the user and password twice. Please note that you must prepend the name of your Windows domain to the user name. To carry out automated, scheduled inventory of the system, the option Registration active must be turned on. 6 of 17
For DeskCenter Management Service to take an inventory, the inventory method Management Service must be selected. Within these settings, you can specify whether a system should be started before inventorying using Wake on LAN. Please note that the system s network card must support this function. For the Wake on LAN function, the system must be reachable by DeskCenter Management Service. You can also use the Shut down function to determine whether a system should be shut down after inventorying. 3.4 Using Inventory Now! DeskCenter Management Service gives you the option of inventorying systems outside the configured schedule, too. To do this, in the DeskCenter Management Studio computer overview, select all the systems you want to update. You can then start the inventory using the Inventory Now! function on the right side of the screen. 4. Inventory with DeskCenter Scriptinventory Scriptinventory is an application for local inventorying. It is a command line program that does not need to be installed on your systems. Scriptinventory can be executed within a group guideline, e.g. in a user login or computer start script. It is also possible to copy Scriptinventory onto the client system and execute it locally. 4.1 Configuring Scriptinventory Script inventory is installed together with DeskCenter Management Services. After installation, it is in the default directory: C:\Programs\DeskCenter Management Suite\DeskCenter Management Service\Scriptinventory Before you can use Scriptinventory, a few additional configuration settings are required. The configuration program is started from the Configure DeskCenter Scriptinventory in the start menu program directory: DeskCenter Management Suite\DeskCenter Management Service\DeskCenter Scriptinventory Alternatively, you can also start the file scicfg.exe in the directory listed above. 7 of 17
The database connection must always be configured in this configuration dialog. If the database was installed in a named instance on the SQL server, the database server name must be followed by the name of the named instance. Syntax: DBServer\Instance name Please enter the SQL user and the password. This is usually the user sa with the password provided during installation of the database server. The SQL user to use must have read and write privileges to the DeskCenter database. To ensure that the connection to the database is correctly configured, test the connection by clicking Test database. The Create systems option specifies that Scriptinventory can also create a computer in the database if it is not yet there. By activating the User can cancel option, you can permit the user logged in during the inventory to stop the running inventory. You can also use the Waiting time before registration (sec.) option to set up a waiting time. This specifies when Scriptinventory will start the inventory after it starts. A waiting time of at least 60 seconds is a good idea so that a system will not experience additional load during a boot or login sequence. The Scan files (SAMS) and Omit printer detection options, you can activate a file scan during inventory with Scriptinventory, and deactivate detection of any printers installed. Finish the configuration by saving the current settings. 8 of 17
Use the Close button to close the configuration dialog. The configuration of Scriptinventory is saved in the application folder in the scicfg.ini file. This configuration is used centrally for all systems. 4.2 Executing Scriptinventory For execution, Scriptinventory only needs its configuration files ( scicfg.ini ) and a connection to the SQL database. Scriptinventory is executed by a command line call to the file scriptinv.exe. During execution, the user sees an icon on the Windows taskbar. 5. Inventorying with DeskCenter SDI Agent The DeskCenter SDI agent is a local application for inventorying your systems. The SDI agent must be installed on the system. If you use the software deployment functionality of DeskCenter Management Suite, SDI agent is required on all client systems. In this case, we recommend using the SDI agent for inventory as well. 5.1 Configuring SDI Agent Before installing SDI agent on your client systems, you must specify some additional configuration options. To configure the SDI agent, select the Options / SDI Agent options menu. 9 of 17
The configuration dialog for the SDI agents is divided into two areas. The Configuration view provides various settings for the agent. The Create computer account option specifies that the SDI agent can create a record for a computer in the database if it is not yet there. The other configuration options are explained below: Load user module If this option is checked, the SDI agent user module (SDIClient.exe) will be started on the client system after installation. Hide icon Activation of this option specifies that the task bar symbol of the SDI agent should be hidden on the client system. This option is only available if the Load user module option is checked. Allow manual update Activation of this option specifies that the configuration can be updated manually from the SDI agent user module. This option is only available if the Load user module option is checked. Manual patch scan Activation of this option specifies that a patch scan can be started manually from the SDI agent user module. This option is only available if the Load user module option is checked. Allow Inventory Now! Activation of this option specifies that an inventory can be started manually from the SDI agent user module. This option is only available if the Load user module option is checked. The Error wait time (hrs) defines how long the SDI agent will wait after a failed software deployment before making another attempt. The Update (min) option defines the interval at which SDI will carry out an automatic configuration update. The Activate message client and TCP/IP port define the use of message receiving via TCP/IP. Messages can be sent through the system management for a client in Management Studio. The System configuration option specifies that the SDI agent settings in question are fixed for the selected systems. This permits individual systems to use a specific SDI agent configuration that differs from the base configuration. In the Database connection view, database connection settings are defined for the SDI agent. Configure the connection to the database in this dialogue. If the database was installed in a named instance on the SQL server, the database server name must be followed by the name of the named instance. Syntax: DBServer\Instance name Please enter the SQL user and the password. This is usually the user sa with the password provided during installation of the database server. The SQL user to use must have read and write privileges to the DeskCenter database. 10 of 17
To ensure that the connection to the database is correctly configured, test the connection by clicking Test database. Then save your settings with the Save button. Use the Close button to close the configuration dialog. 5.2 Deploying SDI Agent on client systems Before you can use the SDI agent, you must deploy it to your client systems. The deployment of SDI Agent is carried out using DeskCenter Management Studio. To do this, in the computer overview select all the systems on which SDI Agent should be installed, then select the Install SDI Agent function on the right side of the screen. 11 of 17
5.3 Defining schedules One prerequisite for automated, scheduled inventory with DeskCenter Management Service is the definition of schedules for inventorying systems. You can define schedules when systems are registered or change them later in the system settings. You can define a schedule for inventorying according to different criteria. 5.4 Setting options Another prerequisite for using DeskCenter SDI Agent is the definition of default settings for each computer system. You can define settings when systems are registered or change them later in the system settings. A central standard user can be set up in DeskCenter Management Studio. This default user can be assigned to all systems. You also have the option of setting a different user for each system. The default user must be a member of the Administrators group on the client systems to permit inventory through the WMI interface. In domain environments, it is therefore recommended to use a domain administrator account globally as the default user. For configuration, enter the user and password twice. Please note that you must prepend the name of your Windows domain to the user name. To carry out an automated, scheduled inventory of the system, the option Registration active must be turned on. For DeskCenter SDI Agent to take an inventory, the inventory method SDI Agent must be selected. 12 of 17
To carry out scheduled inventory of the system, the option Registration active must be turned on. Within these settings, you can specify whether a system should be started before inventorying using Wake on LAN. Please note that the system s network card must support this function. For the Wake on LAN function, the system must be reachable by DeskCenter Management Service. You can also use the Shut down function to determine whether a system should be shut down after inventorying. 5.5 Using Inventory Now! DeskCenter SDI Agent gives you the option of inventorying systems outside the configured schedule, too. This function is available in the SDI Agent user module. The prerequisite is that the Load user module and Allow Inventory Now! options are checked and the Hide icon option unchecked in the SDI Agent base configuration in Management Studio. 13 of 17
6. Inventorying with DeskCenter One Step Inventory With One Step Inventory, you can inventory systems that are not connected to your network. One-Step Inventory does not need to be installed. You can copy all program files onto a USB drive or another mobile data medium. 6.1 Entering systems locally Start One-Step Inventory on the system to be inventorying by simply calling the file onestepi.exe. In the One-Step Inventory user interface, you can also record serial numbers, a barcode, and the inventory number. Start the inventory using the Inventory button. A progress display informs you about the progress of the inventory. 6.2 Unattended execution You can also execute One-Step Inventory from the command line. This function is useful when you have a large number of a systems to inventory that have no continuous connection to your database. You can call One-Step Inventory from a login script in a group guideline, for example. 14 of 17
One-Step Inventory supports different options for unattended execution: S - Silent (no application window) The following parameters are only available when the /S parameter is set: /NP: No inventory detection of printers /TO=30: Waiting time in seconds until inventory begins. /FS: File scan will be carried out 6.3 Importing data You can import all systems recorded with One-Step Inventory directly in the DeskCenter Management Studio. To do this, in DeskCenter Management Studio, select the Register system function on the right side of the screen within the system overview, then in the following dialog window, select the One-Step Inventory import option. 15 of 17
After calling the import function, specify the path to your One-Step Inventory database Inventory.adb. In the One-Step Inventory import dialog, you see an overview of all the systems contained in the database. Select those systems you want to import. Start the import with the Register systems button. Please note that when importing all system data will be entered. All of the existing settings and asset data for the systems will not be changed. 16 of 17
7. Optional file scan The file scan represents a special inventory option. While the data are being retrieved via the system s WMI interface, the files are scanned to the hard drive. The file scan has a significant effect on the performance of a system since all hard drives are searched for file patterns. At the same time the network load and the size of the database increase. If a file scan is performed during the inventory process, by default all drives and subdirectories in the computer being inventoried are searched for.exe files. These search patterns can be influenced if the files exclude.cfg and/or include.cfg are added. The files used are simple text files in ANSI format. If the exclude file exists, the directories and files defined in it are excluded. If the included file exists, the default is deactivated and the search is only in directories and for files that are defined in it. For the definitions, information for folders and files are written in columns in the appropriate file. The following Windows variables may be used for path information. Examples: exclude.cfg: C:\Windows\*.* (with Windiows variable: %windir%\*.*) C:\Programs\*.* (with Windiows variable: %programfiles%\*.*) A configuration like this specifies that Windows and program directories are not included in the search. include.cfg: C:\*.mp3 D:\*.mp3 A configuration like this specifies that the search is only for mp3 files on the logical data carriers C and D. and D:. When these two examples are combined, all the mp3 files located in the Windows or Program directories will not be found. Subfolders are always included (or excluded). The location at which these files have to be installed depends on the inventory method. DeskCenter Management Service: Installation directory for Management Service. DeskCenter Script Inventory: Directory from which Scriptinventory is started. DeskCenter One Step Inventory: Directory from which One Step Inventory is started. DeskCenter SDI Agent: Windows directory of the client systems (or subfolder sdia in the Management Studio installation directory, before installation of SDI Agent). 17 of 17