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OCS Inventory Usage
1. The agent.
All inventory settings are stored in the database (see chapter 2.5
below).
However, agent have 3 command line switches:
- /CSV or -CSV which forces the agent to use the CSV
database access.
- /BIOS[=myfile.csv] or -BIOS[=myfile.csv] which allow
the agent to import BIOS informations retrieved by an external tool like Daniel Arbour BiosInfo.exe.
This informations will overwrite those retrieved by the agent.
This tool must store the informations in a CSV file with the follwing format:
ComputerName;System serial number;System model;BIOS version;BIOS date;System
manufacturer (optional);BIOS manufacturer (optional);Machine type (optional)
If a filename is not specified, the agent try to import the content of the file named <ComputerName.csv>
in the BIOS subfolder of the agent folder.
A filename using long filename with spaces must be set with quotes.
NB: The file is removed after the import.
- /DEBUG or -DEBUG which forces the agent to produce a
log file in the same folder as the agent executable. This file is named <ComputerName.log>.
Command line examples :
\\MYSERVER\\MYSHARE\OCSinventory.exe /CSV /BIOS /DEBUG.
\\MYSERVER\\MYSHARE\OCSINventory.exe /BIOS="C:\Program Files\Bios\BIOS.CSV"
/DEBUG.
2. The management interface.
With the windows management GUI, use menu commands, or select item in the tree view
(the left pane) to query the database. You can double-click on a item of the list view
(the right pane) to display his properties (if they are available). You can also use
context menus (mouse right click on an item) on the tree view or list view to display,
modify, delete items properties.
Sorting by clicking the column header is now working. Sort is always ascendent.
You can select the language by using the command "Language"
of the "View" menu. Available languages are:
- English (Default)
- French
- Spanish
- German (not yet finished)
2.1. Managing devices.
Windows computers are inventoried by the agent and automatically added to the database.
Select the "Network device map" or "All network
devices" item of the tree view to display all devices under the selected item.
NB : In the Windows GUI, you can choose to display the device tree as a
network map, or as a flat view (all devices at the under the root node) by selecting the
appropriate command in the "Network devices view" sub menu of the
"View" menu. In the network map mode, the device properties sub node are not
shown (logical drives, graphics adapters, network adapters, printers, softwares and access
logs).
To create the network map, you must select the up linked device in the
"General tab" of a device properties dialog box. Just display this
dialog by double-clicking on the desired device of the list view.
Now, you can add other devices such as Unix box, network printers,
hubs, switches... Choose the "Add new device" command from the context
menu and follow the wizard. You must at least specify a device ID (i.e a computer
name).
To force inventory at next logon for a device or a group of devices,
select the desired items in the list view, right click in the list view and select "Force
inventory" command. You can also the the "Force inventory"
button from the "Tools" tab of a device properties dialog box.
To delete a device or a group of devices, select the desired items in
the list view, right click in the list view and select "Delete"
command. You can also the the "Delete" button from the "Tools"
tab of a device properties dialog box.
To import inventory results from CSV connected computers, select the
"CSV support/Import check results from CSV" command from the "File"
menu.
2.2. Managing vendors.
Select the "Vendors" item of the tree view to display all registered
vendors.
To add a new vendor, use the context menu and select "Add new
vendor" command, either from the list view or the tree view.
To update a vendor, double-click item in the list view, or select an
item and use the context menu "Modify vendor" either in the list view
or the tree view.
To delete a vendor or a group of vendor, select the desired items in
the list view and use the context menu command "Delete".
NB : deleting a vendor will also delete all his applications and licenses.
2.3. Managing vendor applications.
Select the "Application" node of a "Vendor" item
of the tree view to display all registered applications.
To add a new application, use the context menu and select "Add
new application" command, either from the list view or the tree view. You can
use the "Browse" button to retrieve all application informations from
the executable file.
Tip : You can also add an application from the "All Softwares"or
"Softwares" for a device view by selecting the desired item, right clicking the
item to display the context menu and selecting "Add application" command.
To update an application, double-click item in the list view, or
select an item and use the context menu "Modify application" either in
the list view or the tree view.
To delete an application or a group of application, select the desired
items in the list view and use the context menu command "Delete".
NB :
- When adding a new application from a vendor, the filesize field is important if you
want version checking. Applications are found by looking for a filename (i.e. WINWORD.EXE
for Microsoft Word for example) and a filesize in bytes. If you don't specify the filesize
you may get multiple files with the same name i.e. two different versions of word ! If you
are sure you don't need the filesize then just leave the size as 0, this will get files of
ANY size.
- Deleting an application will also delete all associated licenses.
- Don't forget to export configuration to CSV with the "CSV Support/Export
configuration to CSV" from the "File" menu. Otherwise, updates will not be
applied for CSV connected computers.
- OS also appears in the list of detected softwares or license compliance because
they are defined in the applications list of Vendor Microsoft. Agent find the software by searching
the list of applications to search for with the name and the version of the OS. The filename and filesize
are not used, so the definition include for example "windows98se.exe" as the filename for
the application Windows 98 SE. An OS definition must have the same name and version as it appear in
OS tab of the computer properties.
CAUTION ! When configuring many versions of a
software, take care to the version name. When viewing the software list, the software with
unknown version MUST the last one. If not, the agent will find the the unknown version
before the version you've added. That's the reason why i've put for example Microsoft
Office version "10 or XP" in the software definitions.
2.4. Managing vendor licenses.
Select the "Licenses" node of a "Vendor" item of
the tree view to display all registered licenses.
To add a new license, use the context menu and select "Add
new license" command, either from the list view or the tree view.
Tip : You can also add a license from the "Licenses compliance" view
by selecting the desired item, right clicking the item to display the context menu and
selecting "Add license" command.
To update an license, double-click item in the list view, or select an
item and use the context menu "Modify license" either in the list view
or the tree view.
To delete an license or a group of license, select the desired items
in the list view and use the context menu command "Delete".
2.5. Customizing OCS Inventory settings.
Here is the meaning of the settings. You can update them through the Windows or Web
Management GUI.
- AutoImport : If the Integer Value field is set to 1, the manager will
import at startup inventory results stored in CSV format in the same folder as the
executable.
If set to 0, you must import the CSV inventory results by selecting the "CSV
Support/Import checks results from CSV" command from the "File"
menu.
- CheckFileVersion : If the Integer Value field is set to 1, the agent
will store the version informations (file version, product name and file description)
extracted from the file.
Set it to 0 to disabled this option.
NB :Use with care because this agent execution duration can be up to 2 times
slower.
- CheckGraphics : If the Integer Value field is set to 1, the agent will
store informations (adapter description, chipset and memory) for graphical adapters.
Set it to 0 to disable this option.
- CheckIP : If the Integer Value field is set to 1, the agent will store
informations for network adapters (adapter type, description, MAC address, IP address, IP
network mask, status).
Set it to 0 to disable this option.
- CheckPrinters : If the Integer Value field is set to 1, the agent will
store informations for printers (description, driver and connection port).
Set it to 0 to disable this option.
- Company : Put in the Text Value field the name of your company to be
used in the report prints.
- Error : If the Integer Value field is set to 1, the agent will display
an error message on the client computer if it encounter a problem.
Set it to 0 to disable this option.
- ExcludeFolder : If the Integer Value field is set to 1, the agent will
skip all folders containing one of the strings separated by commas of the Text Value
field. For example, if you specify "i386,dllcache", all folder with a path
containing i386 and/or dllcache will be skipped by the serach of softwares.
Set the Integer Value to 0 to disable this option.
- Frequency : Specify in the Integer Value field the delay in days
between 2 hardware and software inventory Agent checks. 1 is the default, 4 is reasonable
value.
- LogAccess : If the Integer Value field is set to 1, the agent will
store the user name and the date/time of people loggin on client computers.
Set it to 0 to disable this option.
- Processes : If the Integer Value field is set to 1, the agent will
search for some running process at the loggin on client computers. Put process filenames
to search in the Text Value field, comma (,) separated (for example, "VetMsgNT.exe,
persfw.exe" will tell the agent to search if proccesses named VetMsgNT.exe and
persfw.exe are running). LogAccess MUST also be enabled.
Set it to 0 to disable this option.
- RemoteControl : If the Integer Value field is set to 1, you will be
able to launch a remote control tool from the manager with the command specified in the
Text Value field. The command string have a parameter $IP_ADDR$ which will be
replaced at execution by the real IP address of the device. If your are using a Windows
program (not an internet protocol like http or telnet), the command line must include the
path to the executable without space.
Example : use HTTP://$IP_ADDR$:5800 if you're using VNC
through a web browser, or TELNET://$IP_ADDR$ if your're using telnet.
If set to 0, this option is disabled.
- SearchUnknown : If the Integer Value field is set to 1, Agent will
store in the database all files with the extension specified in the Text Value field,
separated by commas. Application Unkown for Vendor Unkown must also be enabled, because
unknown applications are stored with this ID.
Example : "exe,com" will indicates the agent to store all
files with exe or com extension.
Set the Integer Value to 0 to disable this option.
- Visible : If the Integer Value field is set to 1, the agent will
display a splash screen on client computers while it is running.
Set it to 0 to disable this option.
NB : don't forget to export configuration to CSV with the "CSV
Support/Export configuration to CSV" from the "File" menu. Otherwise,
updates will not be applied for CSV connected computers.
2.6. Managing operators.
Select the "Operators" node item of the tree view to display all
registered operators.
To add a new Operator, use the context menu and select "Add
new operator" command, either from the list view or the tree view.
To update an operator, double-click item in the list view, or select
an item and use the context menu "Modify operator" either in the list
view or the tree view.
To delete an operator or a group of operators, select the desired
items in the list view and use the context menu command "Delete".
NB : There is 3 operator access level.
- Administrator : all is allowed.
- Manager : can add devices to the database, update the network map view, import CSV
checks results to database, export configuration to CSV, manage vendors, their
applications and licenses.
- Operator : can only view the database content, no update is allowed.
2.7. Customizing the device view with the Windows GUI.
In the Windows GUI, You can use the "Network devices view" commands
from the "View" menu to customize the device view. You can choose :
- to display the devices tree as a network map, or with all devices under the root node
(called the flat view).
- to display system informations extracted from the BIOS, or manually added through the
"Manuafcturer" tab of device properties dialog box.
- to display the last logged on user ID, the owner name manually added through the
"Comments" tabs of the device properties dialog box.
2.8. OCS Inventory and the community.
OCS Inventory now include functions to share vendors and applications definitions with
other OCS Inventory users. You can find in the download page of OCS
Inventory web site the last updates send by OCS Inventory users in the world.
Through the command "OCS Team and Community/Import Vendors and Applications
from the Community" in the "File" menu, you can import from a
CSV file vendors and applications definitions configured by other OCS Inventory users in
the world.
Through the command "OCS Team and Community/Export Vendors and Applications to
the Community" in the "File" menu, you can export to a CSV
file your vendors and applications definitions. Please, send this file to OCS Developer Team, so it will be added in the
reference file of the web site.
NB: You can also use the OCS Inventory Users mailing list (see
Contacting us page) to share Vendors and applications definition
with others OCS inventory users.
If you enjoy this product, help the community by contributing to the list
of detected vendors and applications. Many thanks by advance.
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