Deploying an Inventory Agent

An agent must always be installed on a target inventory device. There are two main deployment options, which can be configured when you set up the inventory agent configuration:

• Manual deployment. You manage the deployment using your existing tools and infrastructure. For convenience, we label these approaches “third-party deployment,” meaning that you likely use tools/methods from a company other than Flexera. For example:
• Deployment with a tool such as Microsoft SCCM or Symantec IT Management Suite
• Pre-installation on the gold image for new device configuration
• Logon scripts used in conjunction with domain controller(s)
• Active Directory Group Policy Objects
• Manual installation by a local administrator on the target device.
• Automatic deployment. The deployment is managed by the inventory beacons, in accordance with the targets you declare in Flexera One. This process is called “adoption”, since it adopts the target device into a closely managed environment.

Tip:This inventory collected does not include third-party inventory collected from other products (such as Microsoft SCCM, ILMT, and the like). For other settings that are inclusive and affect all inventory sources, navigate to the Inventory tab in the IT Asset Management Settings General page (Administration > IT Asset Management Settings > General). Also on the same Inventory tab are a separate group of long-term inventory settings for advanced use.

To deploy an agent, complete the following tasks:

1. Creating an Inventory Agent Configuration.
2. Customizing an Inventory Agent Configuration, which includes configuring the following attributes of an agent:
• The target inventory set to deploy the agent and the inventory beacons for the agent to communicate with. See Specifying Inventory Groups to Which the Agent Configuration Applies.
• Manual deployment or automatic deployment for newly discovered devices. See Editing Inventory Agent Options.
• The version of the agent to be deployed. See Editing Inventory Agent Options.
3. Editing Inventory Agent Common Settings on the Default agent configuration, which will apply to all agents.
4. Scheduling the agent. See Editing Agent Configuration Scheduling Options and Flagging Outdated Agents.

After the deployment is completed, you can start gathering inventory by enabling the relevant agent configuration. For more information, see Disabling and Enabling an Agent Configuration.