Core Deployment: Implementation

IT Asset Management (Cloud)

Deploying on the FlexNet inventory core components, and doing so with third-party tools, is not the recommended best practice for using IT Asset Management to gather specialized inventory. It is a path available for those who cannot use any of the other preferred paths (in particular, third-party deployment of the complete FlexNet Inventory Agent in the Agent third-party deployment case offers much better automation and simplified on-going management). Because it is not recommended, there is no easy path to securing and configuring all the required elements.

In particular, separate executables are not readily available for the various UNIX-like platforms, so that only a path for Windows platforms is described here. (On UNIX-like platforms, the closest equivalent is to use the FlexNet Inventory Scanner, which takes care of platform-specific differences. For details, see FlexNet Inventory Scanner: Implementation on Unix-Like Platforms.)

To use third-party deployment tools for the FlexNet inventory core components on Windows platforms:

  1. Obtain a copy of the appropriate files from a convenient inventory beacon:
    1. In Windows Explorer on your inventory beacon, navigate to C:\Program Files (x86)\Flexera Software\Inventory Beacon\RemoteExecution\Public\Inventory.
    2. Take a working copy of all files in this directory (including the plugins subdirectory), with the exception of the two files for UNIX-like platforms (ndtrack.sh and ndtrack.ini).
    3. Save this collection to a working location suitable for preparing deployment with your preferred technology.
    These files are the version of the tracker component that is automatically installed with the FlexNet Beacon software. You may wish to note in your procedural documentation that a future update to your inventory beacons should also trigger a re-deployment of the updated tracker.
  2. Optionally, in that working location, customize the wmitrack.ini file to reconfigure the WMI classes used for inventory collection on target Windows devices.
    The components to be tracked can be any valid Win32 classes. A full list of classes is provided at https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa394583%28v=vs.85%29.aspx.
  3. Optionally (and subject to your license terms), extend the inventory gathering capabilities to cover Oracle inventory, or Microsoft SQL Server inventory, on target devices:
    This functionality is only available if you have licensed the FlexNet Manager for Datacenters product.
    Check that your saved folder contains a copy of InventorySettings.xml.
    Important: Do not edit this file!
    Tip: Take note of the revision number in the first line of the InventorySettings.xml file for future reference. Set a reminder for yourself in your preferred tool to check the revision number of InventorySettings.xml after future updates of the Application Recognition Library. If the revision changes, you should manually update all the copies you manually deployed. These changes allow the inventory tool to stay abreast of inventory changes necessary to support the latest Oracle or SQL Server licenses.

    For this Core deployment case, the InventorySettings.xml file must be deployed to the same directory as the ndtrack executable. (Don't be confused by other cases, such as the Agent third-party deployment case, where the InventorySettings.xml file must not be co-located with the full agent.)

  4. Configure your deployment tool to set a schedule for inventory collection and upload on each target inventory device (for example, using a Microsoft Scheduled Task, or your preferred scheduling technology).
    • The task should run under an account with administrator privileges, preferably the local SYSTEM account. When run as SYSTEM, it is not necessary to specify the inventory type, as the default for this account is to take machine inventory. If you run under any other account, you must include the -t Machine command line parameter.
    • The command line must include a parameter to attempt uploads to an inventory beacon (preferably a high-reliability server and network, since there is no catch-up from failed upload attempts), such as the following (on a single line, and inserting your inventory beacon server's domain name in place of the place-holder):
      drive-and-path\ndtrack.exe -t Machine 
    -o UploadLocation="http://InventoryBeacon/ManageSoftRL"
      See UploadLocation for alternative formats, including the use of IPv4 or IPv6 addresses.
    • The command line may include other parameters discussed in ndtrack Command Line.
    • You may need to vary (or randomize) the scheduled time for inventory collection, to spread the load on both the network and the inventory beacon accepting the subsequent uploads.
  5. As required for your deployment tool/method, pack and deploy the modified folder of files.
    The typical folder for installation of the FlexNet inventory core components is:
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Flexera\Agent
    However, you may customize the installation path as required (for example, to install on another fixed disk drive).
  6. Validate by visiting a targeted Windows inventory device, and using the scheduling tool to trigger an immediate (one-off) inventory collection and upload.
    Alternatively, use the same command line and options in the command-line window. For details of saved files, paths, and logs, see Core Deployment: Normal Operation.
The installed FlexNet inventory core components continue to collect and upload hardware and software inventory (and, where applicable, additional Oracle and Microsoft SQL Server inventory and discovery data) as scheduled. Because there is no download of policy possible to the FlexNet inventory core components, inventory gathering on these devices is not controlled by any aspects of the web interface of IT Asset Management. Control, and future management of updates, are entirely in your hands.

IT Asset Management (Cloud)

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