Deployment Overview: Where to, and How
Each of the FlexNet Inventory Agent and the FlexNet inventory core components can be deployed in different ways, and to different places within your network hierarchy. These decisions affect both the immediate deployment effort, and the ongoing management effort. In some cases, the options also impact functionality and system requirements. (These distinct names for the two entities were defined in What Can Be Used for FlexNet Inventory Collection.)
FlexNet Inventory Agent
- Automatic deployment through IT Asset Management, managed by the inventory beacons, in accordance with the targets you declare in the web interface. This process is called "adoption", since it 'adopts' the target device into a closely managed environment.
- Deployment that you manage, 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. Installable packages are available through
the web interface of IT Asset Management for use in
third-party deployment. Under this loose heading, we include, for
example:
- Deployment with a tool such as Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (previously Microsoft SCCM) or Symantec IT Management Suite (formerly Altiris)
- 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.
FlexNet inventory core components
- On inventory beacons (for zero footprint inventory collection)
- In a self-extracting executable format (separately named as the FlexNet Inventory Scanner)
- As a 'code folder' available for third-party deployment.
FlexNet inventory core components on inventory beacons (zero footprint inventory collection)
The FlexNet inventory core components are always installed as part of each inventory beacon (no separate deployment or installation is required). As discussed in What Can Be Used for FlexNet Inventory Collection, the fact that it is the FlexNet inventory core components explains why usage tracking is not available from inventory beacons (usage tracking is only available in the full FlexNet Inventory Agent).
However, its co-location on the inventory beacon provides a special use case, because the FlexNet Beacon code provides some of the functionality normally found only in the full FlexNet Inventory Agent. For example, provided that the target device is not included in any target configured for adoption, FlexNet Beacon invokes the FlexNet inventory core components in line with the rules you declare in the web interface for IT Asset Management, and honors the targeting and schedules used in those rules (a level of integration that is not available to the FlexNet inventory core components in any other context). FlexNet Beacon also manages uploads of the collected data; and [self-]updates to FlexNet Beacon include the latest version of FlexNet inventory core components.
- On Microsoft Windows, the inventory beacon creates a service on the target inventory device. This service then invokes the FlexNet inventory core components installed on the inventory beacon (using the inventory beacon as a file share), with command-line options to cause an immediate upload of the collected data to the inventory beacon. Finally, the service removes itself, leaving "zero footprint" after the inventory collection process is completed.
- On UNIX-like platforms (which includes various UNIX varieties and OS X), the
inventory beacon connects to the target device (using
ssh
), and copies (scp
) the FlexNet inventory core components to the target device, executing them there and uploading the resulting data. It then removes the copied files, and logs out.
- Install FlexNet Inventory Agent on each application server and configure it to transfer the inventory file(s) to a separate standalone server before uploading it back to the central application server.
- Use remote inventory collection, known as zero-footprint, by targeting application server(s). This method temporarily installs an agent on the target device(s) and removes the agent afterward collecting and uploading inventory.
Self-extracting executable (the FlexNet Inventory Scanner)
- The executable extracts the FlexNet inventory core components (on UNIX-like system, it first determines the current operating system, and then writes the files appropriate to that platform).
- The ndtrack inventory component is immediately executed. If you provided any command line options, these are passed directly through to ndtrack.
- If your command line included an option for an upload location, the resulting data is uploaded; and if not, the data file(s) are saved locally for your inspection and management.
- All extracted FlexNet inventory core components are then removed (only the FlexNet Inventory Scanner is left, in the folder where you had copied it originally).
- The FlexNet Inventory Scanner is independent of any inventory beacon, so that you control its deployment, updating, and so on.
- The FlexNet Inventory Scanner does not respond to schedules or rules set in the web interface of IT Asset Management, so you control its operational behaviors, uploads, and so on.
- On Windows, the FlexNet inventory core components are extracted on the target device and later deleted, rather than being run from a file share as in the Zero-footprint case. (On UNIX-like systems, both approaches temporarily save the appropriate executable on the target device.)
- The FlexNet Inventory Scanner remains in the location where you placed it, so that there is a small disk footprint (documented later).
- By default, the FlexNet Inventory Scanner has less specialized functionality than the zero footprint inventory collection managed by the inventory beacon (and, of course, less than the complete FlexNet Inventory Agent). FlexNet Inventory Scanner cannot collect Oracle Database inventory, for example, or some details about Microsoft SQL Server. However, as described later, you can enable this specialized additional functionality by deploying an auxiliary InventorySettings.xml control file.
The FlexNet Inventory Scanner meets the requirement (particularly for Windows) of a single executable that can be copied or shared, and just run. However, it incurs the overhead of installing the FlexNet inventory core components each time it is run (or on UNIX, writing the appropriate files per platform). If you wish to avoid that overhead, we have the third deployment option.
Code folder for third-party deployment
- Deployment with a tool such as Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (previously Microsoft SCCM) or Symantec IT Management Suite (formerly Altiris)
- 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.
When you use this approach, you take responsibility for management (such as version control, updates and compatibility) and operations (such as scheduling, command line options, and uploads). If you require advanced inventory functionality, you must also deploy and manage the InventorySettings.xml file.
This option is simply referred to as Core deployment, meaning third-party deployment of the FlexNet inventory core components.
Summary
This discussion leads us to the following matrix of what is deployed, how, and where, with each combination given a unique case name. Subsequent topics provide more details for each of these cases.Case name | What | Where | How |
---|---|---|---|
Adopted |
FlexNet Inventory Agent |
Target inventory device |
Automatically by IT Asset Management |
Agent third-party deployment |
FlexNet Inventory Agent |
Target inventory device |
Third-party deployment |
Zero-footprint |
FlexNet inventory core components |
On an inventory beacon |
Not applicable (installed with the inventory beacon) |
FlexNet Inventory Scanner |
FlexNet inventory core components (in self-installing wrapper) |
Target inventory device, or a network share |
Third-party deployment |
Core deployment |
FlexNet inventory core components |
Target inventory device running Microsoft Windows |
Third-party deployment |
IT Asset Management (Cloud)
Current