Novell Documentation: ZENworks 6.5 - Deploying Workstation Inventory

Deploying Workstation Inventory

The following sections will help you to deploy Workstation Inventory:

IMPORTANT: The recommendations discussed in the scenarios are generic. Based on the topology of your enterprise, further refinements might become necessary.

Simple Deployment

In the example scenario, the network consists of a single site and up to 5000 inventoried workstations. The Inventory server components and the database are located on a Standalone Server, and the inventoried workstations send scans to the Standalone server.

This scenario is illustrated in the following figure.

A Standalone Server that has inventoried workstations and an Inventory database attached to it.

The following sections contain detailed information to help you deploy Workstation Inventory in a single site:

Deployment Options for Inventory Agent

Before installing the Inventory Agent on your workstation, you must deploy the Inventory servers to receive workstation scans. For more information about the deployment options for Inventory Agent, see Deploying the Inventory Agent.

Recommendations for Deployment

The minimum base Inventory server configuration includes 512 MB RAM and a database cache of 128 MB.
The transmission of inventory information to the Inventory server and storage of the inventory information into the Inventory database is an ongoing back end process that can take several hours or even more than a day.
If many inventoried workstations are attached to the same Inventory server, we recommend that you do not schedule the scan of all inventoried workstations at the same time, because this will stress the Novell eDirectory^TM and the Inventory services.
Ensure that the eDirectory time synchronization radius is set within 2 seconds.
The optimal database cache size requirement for the server could vary because of the server environment. Determine the database cache size that needs to be set by trying a range of cache sizes in the runtime environment. The default Sybase* database cache size is 128 MB. For more information about improving the database performance, see Performance Tips.

Installing Workstation Inventory

During the Workstation Inventory installation, configure the Inventory Standalone Configuration settings. For detailed information, see "Desktop Management Server Installation Procedure" in the Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Installation Guide.

Understanding the Effects of Workstation Inventory Installation

For detail information on the effects of Workstation Inventory installation, see Understanding the Effects of Workstation Inventory Installation.

Configuring the Required Policy

Configure the Workstation Inventory Policy.

Starting the Inventory Service

After installing ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management, the Inventory service is automatically started.

Updating the Software Dictionary

You must manually download the latest version of the dictionary from TID 10093255 in the Novell Support Knowledgebase and update the software dictionary.

NOTE: The dictionary is updated and published once in every three months in this TID.

Understanding the Inventory Scanning Cycle in the Standalone Scenario with Novell Client Installed on Inventoried Workstations

The inventory scanning cycle is as follows:

The Inventory policies in eDirectory define the inventory settings, such as scanning time, the location of the scan directory, etc. These settings can be customized.
The scanner reads the inventory policies and collects the workstation inventory information.The Inventory scanner also checks whether an updated dictionary is available at its Inventory server and downloads the updated dictionary.
The scanner stores the inventory information of each inventoried workstation at the Inventory server.
The scanner stores the minimal inventory information of the inventoried workstation in the respective workstation objects in the eDirectory.
The Selector validates the inventory information and places the information in the Inventory database.
The Storer updates the database with the inventory information.
The ZENworks administrator views the inventory information.

The following illustrations depict the inventory scanning cycle in the Standalone Server with Novell Client installed.

Inventory scanning cycle in the Standalone Server consisting of workstations with the Novell Client installed.

Advanced Deployment

Deploying Inventory in a Single Site with More than 5,000 Inventoried Workstations

In this example scenario, the network consists of a single site with more than 5000 workstations. The inventory configuration consists of two or more Standalone Servers, each server receiving scans from up to 5,000 inventoried workstations. All the Standalone Servers store the inventory data to a single database.

The following sections contain detailed information to help you deploy Workstation Inventory in a single site:

Deployment Options for Inventory Agent

Before installing the Inventory Agent on your workstation, you must deploy the Inventory servers to receive inventory scans. For more information about the deployment options for Inventory Agent, see Deploying the Inventory Agent.

Recommendations for Deployment

The minimum base Inventory server configuration includes 512 MB RAM and a database cache of 128 MB.
All inventoried workstations should send the inventory information to the nearest Inventory server on the LAN; policies must be created based on this information.
The transmission of inventory information to the Inventory server and storage of the inventory information into the Inventory database is an ongoing back end process that can take several hours or even more than a day.
If many inventoried workstations are attached to the same Inventory server, we recommend that you do not schedule the scan of all inventoried workstations at the same time, because this will stress the Novell eDirectory^TM and the Inventory services.
Ensure that the eDirectory time synchronization radius is set within 2 seconds.
The optimal database cache size requirement for the server could vary because of the server environment. Determine the database cache size that needs to be set by trying a range of cache sizes in the runtime environment. The default Sybase* database cache size is 128 MB. For more information about improving the database performance, see Performance Tips.

Installing Workstation Inventory

During the Workstation Inventory installation, configure the Inventory Standalone Configuration settings. For detail information on installing Workstation Inventory, see Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Installation Guide.

Understanding the Effects of Workstation Inventory Installation

For detail information on the effects of Workstation Inventory installation, see Understanding the Effects of Workstation Inventory Installation.

Configuring the Required Policy

Configure the Workstation Inventory Policy.

Starting the Inventory Service

After installing ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management, the Inventory service is automatically started.

Updating the Software Dictionary

You can update the Software Dictionary in any one of the following ways:

On each Inventory server, manually download the latest version of the dictionary from TID 10093255 in the Novell Support Knowledgebase and update the software dictionary.
Manually download the latest version of the dictionary from TID 10093255 in the Novell Support Knowledgebase on one of the Standalone Servers and automatically distribute the dictionary from this server to all other Standalone Servers in your setup by configuring the Configuring the Dictionary Update Policy. For more information, see Setting Up Distribution of Dictionary.

NOTE: The dictionary is updated and published once in every three months in this TID.

Understanding the Inventory Scanning Cycle in the Standalone Scenario

The inventory scanning cycle is as follows:

The Inventory policies in eDirectory define the inventory settings, such as scanning time, the location of the scan directory, etc. These settings can be customized.
The scanner reads the inventory policies and collects the workstation inventory information.The Inventory scanner also checks whether an updated dictionary is available at its Inventory server and downloads the updated dictionary.
If Novell Client^TM is not installed on the inventoried workstation, the Scanner accesses the eDirectory through the ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Middle Tier Server.
The scanner stores the inventory information of each inventoried workstation at the Inventory server.
If Novell Client is not installed on the inventoried workstation, the Scanner sends the inventory information of each inventoried workstation to the Inventory server through the ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Middle Tier Server.
The scanner stores the minimal inventory information of the inventoried workstation in the respective workstation objects in the eDirectory.
If the Novell Client is not installed on the inventoried workstation, the Scanner accesses the eDirectory through the ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Middle Tier Server.
The Selector validates the inventory information and places the information in the Inventory database.
The Storer updates the database with the inventory information.
The ZENworks administrator views the inventory information.

The following illustrations depict the inventory scanning cycle in the Standalone Server, both with and without the Novell Client installed.

Inventory scanning cycle in the Standalone scenario consisting of workstations without the Novell Client installed.

Deploying Inventory in Multiple or Enterprise Sites

The following sections contain detailed information to help you deploy Workstation Inventory in multiple or enterprise sites:

Designing the Inventory Tree

In an enterprise or multiple site, complete the following tasks, in order, to design the inventory tree:

1. List the sites in the enterprise

Describe the entire network of your enterprise.

List the various sites in your enterprise.
List the physical links between the various sites.
Identify the type of links in terms of bandwidth and reliability.

The following figure illustrates the network organization of a enterprise with servers in different locations.

This illustration depicts four sites (Site A, Site, B, Site C, and Site D) connected to a central site. It depicts the physical links between the sites and the type of links in terms of bandwidth.

2. What is the ideal place for the Root Server?

The Root Server in the inventory tree is the highest-level server. Necessarily, an Inventory database is attached to the Root Server.

The inventory information available from the Inventory database of the Root Server will consist of all information from lower-level sites on the network and from the Root Server site.

Factors that you must consider include:

There must be high-speed links between the Root Server and the management console.
We recommend that there should be high-speed links between the site having the Root Server and the sites having the lower-level Inventory servers.
Using the management console, the administrator can collect the inventory information from any of the sites connected on high-speed links from the Root Server, or from the Root Server level site.
A database server of suitable configuration should be provided for the Inventory server.

3. Is any other database needed?

In addition to the database at the Root Server, you can maintain database servers at different sites.

You might want to maintain additional databases if there are sites or subtrees that are managed for inventory at different locations, and these sites are connected to the network over a slow link.

You should also determine if there are specific reasons to have a separate database for a single site or a set of sites. There might be some organizational needs for your enterprise to have the database server on different sites, even if there is no product deployment need to have any other database.

NOTE: For a majority of enterprises, there could be no need to have any other database besides the enterprise-wide single database.

Optional step: If another database is needed

If you decide to have additional database servers, identify the sites that need a database. Additionally, you need to examine whether the database will cater to the local site or a site with many subsites. Also, identify the sites that require information in each Inventory database.
All the sites served by a single database should typically access this database instead of the database at the Root Server for inventory management. This reduces the load on the database at Root Server.
Database administrators should be available for these sites.

4. Identify the route for Inventory information

Identify the routes for inventory information for all Inventory servers to the nearest database.

To devise a route plan:

Each route can have an Intermediate Server at a staging site. The Intermediate Server receives and transmits the information to the next destination. These are application-layer-level routes for inventory information. There can be various network-layer-level routes between two adjacent servers, which will be determined and managed by the routers in the network.
The route provides information indicating how inventory information travels from a particular site to its final destination, which is the database at the Root Server.
There can be multiple routes. Choose the fastest and most reliable route. To determine the route, consider the physical network links.
Routes identified and made operational can be changed later, although there might be some cost in terms of management and traffic generation. If there is no intermediate database involved, you can change the route by changing the eDirectory-based policy.
Put Intermediate Servers on sites where the link parameters change substantially. Criteria to consider are difference in bandwidth, difference in reliability of the links, and the need for roll up of inventory information.
Availability of Inventory servers on the intermediate site for staging the inventory information should be considered while deciding the sites for Intermediate Servers. Ensure that there is enough disk space on these servers to store all the inventory information on the disk until the Sender sends it to the next destination.

5. Identify servers on each site to act as Inventory and Database Servers

In ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management, you choose the role for each Inventory server. For more information, see Understanding the Inventory Server Roles.

The number of inventoried workstations attached to an Inventory server also determines the load. The following table lists the disk space requirements for the server:

Server Type	Disk Space Requirements
Leaf Server	(n1 x s) + (n1 x z)
Leaf Server with Database	(n1 x s x 2) + {(n1 x dbg)}
Intermediate Server	n2 x z
Intermediate Server with Database	(n2 x z) + (n2 x s) + {(n2 x dbg)}
Intermediate Server with Inventoried Workstations	(n1 x s x 2) + (n2 x z)
Intermediate Server with Database and Inventoried Workstations	(n1 x s x 2) + (n2 x z) + (n2 x s) + {(n1 x dbg) + (n2 x dbg)}
Root Server	(n2 x z) + (n2 x s) + {(n2 x dbg)}
Root Server with Inventoried Workstations	(n1 x s x 2) + (n2 x z) + (n2 x s) + {(n1 x dbg) + (n2 x dbg)}
Standalone Server	(n1 x s x 1) + {(n1 x dbg)}

In the table, n1 is the number of inventoried workstations attached to the server.

s is the size of the scan data files. This file size varies depending on the data collected. Calculate 400 KB scan data from each inventoried workstation to calculate the load.

dbg is the storage space of the inventory information in the database.

n2 is the number of inventoried workstations rolled up to the Inventory server.

z is the size of the compressed scan data file per inventoried workstation. The average compression ratio is 80-90% of the STR file size.

{ } denotes the disk space of the database server, depending on whether the database is on the same Inventory server or if it is connected to the Inventory server. If the database is on the same Inventory server, calculate the total disk space including the database space for the Inventory server. For example, if the Leaf Server with Database has the Inventory database on the same server, calculate the requirements for storage of inventory information, including the database disk space.

6. Create the tree of servers for enterprise Inventory collection

Ensure that the inventory tree you design follows these guidelines:

The root of the tree is the Root Server.
At least one Inventory server per site is recommended.
Each site has inventoried workstations to be scanned.
Optionally, there will be databases and Intermediate Servers on different sites.

7. Create an implementation plan

After you design the inventory tree, you should develop an implementation plan to cover the phased deployment plan for the network. Use the top-down deployment of the Workstation Inventory installation. Always begin the installation at the topmost level server (Root Server) and proceed with the next lower-level servers.

8. Start the actual deployment

After your implementation plan is finalized, start the actual deployment according to the plan.

Follow these steps:

Install the Inventory servers on the sites. For more information, see Installing Workstation Inventory.
Create and configure the policies applicable to Inventory server and inventoried workstations. For more information, see Configuring the Required Policies.

Adding a Database Server to an Existing Inventory Setup

If you have already configured the servers for inventory setup, and you need to add another database server, follow these instructions:

Run the installation program to install the Inventory database on the server.

The installation program installs the Sybase database. If you are maintaining the database in Oracle*, make sure that the Oracle database exists. For more information, see Setting Up the Sybase Inventory Database. If you are maintaining the database in MS SQL, make sure that the MS SQL database exists. For more information, see Setting Up the MS SQL Server 2000 Inventory Database
Shut down the Inventory services. For more information, see Starting and Stopping the Inventory Service.
Based on the database you select, make sure that you configure the database. For more information, see Configuring the Database Location Policy.
If you want to attach a new database to an existing Inventory server, which does not have a database attached, you must change the role of the Inventory server in its Inventory Service object (Inventory Service_server_name). For example, if you attach an Inventory database to an existing Leaf Server, you must change the server role from Leaf Server to Leaf Server with Database in the Inventory Service object of the Leaf Server.

If you want to attach an Inventory database to a freshly installed Inventory server, you must choose an appropriate server role for the Inventory server.

To change the role of an Inventory server:
1. In ConsoleOne, right-click the Inventory Service object, click Properties, then click the Inventory Service Object Properties tab.
  1. Choose the new role of the Inventory Service object, then click Apply.
  Follow the actions that you need to change the role. For more information, see Changing the Role of the Inventory Server.
Make sure that you enforce Full Scan for the Inventory Service object.
1. In ConsoleOne, right-click the Inventory Service object, click Properties, then click the Inventory Service Object Properties tab.
2. Select the Enable Scan option, then click OK.
Bring up the Inventory service. For more information, see Starting and Stopping the Inventory Service.

Deployment Options for Inventory Server and Inventory Database

This section covers these scenarios:

Scenario 1: Inventory Deployment without Intermediate Servers in WAN

In this scenario, the network consists of many remote sites connected to a Central Site over WAN. Each remote site has a Leaf Server that collects inventory information from workstations located in the same site, and rolls up the inventory information to the Root Server located at the central site. The remote sites are administered from the Central Site because the Leaf Servers do have Inventory database attached to it.

HINT: To locally administer the remote sites, you must have Inventory database attached to Leaf Servers and change the role of the Inventory server to Leaf Server with Database. For more information on how to change the role of an Inventory server, see Changing the Role of the Inventory Server.

This scenario is illustrated in the following figure.

Several Leaf Servers connected to a central Root Server.

Scenario 2: Inventory Deployment with Intermediate Servers in a WAN

In this scenario, the network consists of four remote sites (A, B, C, and D), and a Central Site. Sites A and B are connected to Site C over slow links and are not directly connected to the Central Site. Site C is connected to the Central Site over a fast WAN link. Site D is directly connected to the Central Site over a fast link. Sites A, B and C are administered at Site C.

This scenario is illustrated in the following figure.

To administer the enterprise from the Central Site, and also administer Sites A and B from Site C, do the following:

Install Leaf Servers at Sites A, B, and D.
Install Intermediate Servers with Database at Site C.
Configure Leaf Servers at Sites A and B to roll up the inventory information to the Intermediate Server with Database at Site C.
Configure the Intermediate Server with Database at Site C to roll up the inventory information to Root Server at the Central Site.
Configure the Leaf Server at Site D to roll up the inventory information to Root Server at the Central Site.

Scenario 3: Roll-Up of the Inventory information Across eDirectory Trees

In this configuration, you can deploy any of the previous scenarios. The highest-level Inventory server of one eDirectory tree rolls up the inventory information to an Inventory server located on the other eDirectory tree.

The following illustration depicts a sample scenario where you can deploy this inventory configuration.

Roll-up of inventory information across eDirectory trees.

There are two organizations: A and B. Each organization has its own eDirectory tree and inventory tree. Organization A has two Leaf Servers and a Root Server in its inventory tree. Organization B also has two Leaf Servers and a Root Server in its inventory tree. A decision is taken to merge both the organizations and both the inventory trees but to retain the eDirectory trees. After the merger, the role of the Root Server on the eDirectory tree T2 is changed to Intermediate Server with Database and the inventory information is rolled up from the Intermediate Server to the Root Server residing on the eDirectory tree T1.

Scenario 4: Merging eDirectory Trees

In this configuration, you can merge the inventory trees and the eDirectory trees. After you merge the eDirectory trees, you must manually change the eDirectory tree name and (optionally) the Inventory Service DN in the inventory_server_installation_drive or volume\zenworks\inv\server\wminv\properties\config.properties file before starting the Inventory service. For more information on merging the eDirectory trees, see the Novell eDirectory documentation Web site.

To merge the inventory trees, you must change the role of the Root Server of one inventory tree to roll up to an Inventory server in the other inventory tree.

To change the eDirectory tree name and the DN of an Inventory server, edit the following entries of the config.properties file:

NDSTree=Target_eDirectory_tree_name

InventoryServiceDN=New_DN_of_the_Inventory_server

Scenario 5: Deploying Inventory Server Across Firewall

There are two sites; Site A and Site B connected through a WAN link. The Inventory server of Site A rolls up to an Inventory server in Site B. All communication from Site A to Site B flows through the firewall at Site B.

The following illustration depicts a sample scenario where you can deploy this inventory configuration:

Deploying Inventory server across firewall

To enable the roll-up:

Install an XML proxy at Site A. For more information about installing the Proxy, see "Installing the ZENworks Desktop Management Server"in the Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Installation Guide.
You must have at least one XML proxy/site installed. One proxy server can handle requests for multiple Inventory servers.
You can configure the port that the proxy listens to during the ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management installation. For more information, see "Installing the ZENworks Desktop Management Server"in the Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Installation Guide.
You must allow requests to the proxy server on this port at the firewall. You can configure the XML proxy to listen to standard ports allowed by your firewall.

The XML proxy does not support any commercial Web server. You must ensure that the port number assigned to the XML proxy is not used by any other service on the same server.

You must also configure the Roll-Up policy with the XML proxy server's address and port number.

Deployment Options for Inventory Agent

Before installing the Inventory Agent on you workstation, you must deploy the Inventory servers to receive workstation scans. For more information about the deployment options for Inventory Agent, see Deploying the Inventory Agent.

Recommendations for Deployment

When you configure the inventory scanning of inventoried workstations, we recommend staggering the inventory scanning to scan at different times or to scan some inventoried workstations at a time.
If many inventoried workstations are attached to the same Inventory server, we recommend that you do not schedule the scan of all inventoried workstations at the same time, because this will stress the eDirectory and the Inventory service.
You can attach inventoried workstations to the server as determined by the number of connections supported by Novell NetWare^® or Windows* servers up to a maximum of 5,000 inventoried workstations.
When you schedule the roll-up of information in the Inventory policies, we recommend the roll-up frequency should be at least one day. If the roll-up of inventory information is scheduled too frequently, for example less than one hour, there might be some performance degradation of the Inventory server.
Use top-down deployment for Inventory installation. Always begin the installation at the topmost level server and proceed with the next lower-level servers. For example, in an inventory setup with a Root Server and a Leaf Server, complete the inventory installation at the Root Server, and then run the installation for the Leaf Server.
If an Inventory server must receive Inventory scans either directly from the Inventory servers or through roll-up, you must install ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management on this server.
We recommend that you configure the DNS for your Inventory and database servers. If you have not configured the DNS, choose the IP address in the roll up and database location policies. Scheduling the frequency of information gathering and roll-up must be fine-tuned based on the Root Server. Make sure that the Root server is able to handle the load of the .str files.

Installing Workstation Inventory

For detail information on installing Workstation Inventory, see Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Installation Guide.

Understanding the Effects of Workstation Inventory Installation

For detail information on the effects of Workstation Inventory installation, see Understanding the Effects of Workstation Inventory Installation.

Configuring the Required Policies

The following table lists the actions that you should follow to setup the server for Workstation Inventory.

To set up this type of server:	Do this:
Standalone Server	Follow the steps in Configuring the Database Location Policy Follow the steps in Configuring the Workstation Inventory Policy
Root Server	Follow the steps in Configuring the Inventory Service Object Follow the steps in Configuring the Database Location Policy
Root Server with Inventoried Workstations	Follow the steps in Configuring the Inventory Service Object Follow the steps in Configuring the Workstation Inventory Policy. Follow the steps in Configuring the Database Location Policy
Intermediate Server	Follow the steps in Configuring the Inventory Service Object . Follow the steps in Configuring the Roll-Up Policy.
Intermediate Server with Database	Follow the steps in Configuring the Inventory Service Object . Follow the steps in Configuring the Roll-Up Policy. Follow the steps in Configuring the Database Location Policy.
Intermediate Server with Inventoried Workstations	Follow the steps in Configuring the Inventory Service Object . Follow the steps in Configuring the Workstation Inventory Policy. Follow the steps in Configuring the Roll-Up Policy.
Intermediate Server with Database and Inventoried Workstations	Follow the steps in Configuring the Inventory Service Object . Follow the steps in Configuring the Workstation Inventory Policy. Follow the steps in Configuring the Roll-Up Policy. Follow the steps in Configuring the Database Location Policy.
Leaf Server	Follow the steps in Configuring the Inventory Service Object . Follow the steps in Configuring the Workstation Inventory Policy. Follow the steps in Configuring the Roll-Up Policy.
Leaf Server with Database	Follow the steps in Configuring the Inventory Service Object . Follow the steps in Configuring the Workstation Inventory Policy. Follow the steps in Configuring the Roll-Up Policy. Follow the steps in Configuring the Database Location Policy.

Starting the Inventory Service

After installing ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management, the Inventory service is automatically started only if you have configured the Inventory Standalone Configuration settings during the installation.

To manually start the Inventory service, see Starting and Stopping the Inventory Service.

Updating the Software Dictionary

You can update the Software Dictionary in any one of the following ways:

On each Inventory server, manually download the latest version of the dictionary from TID 10093255 in the Novell Support Knowledgebase and update the software dictionary.
Manually download the latest version of the dictionary from TID 10093255 in the Novell Support Knowledgebase on one of the Standalone Servers and automatically distribute the dictionary from this server to all other Standalone Servers in your setup by configuring the Configuring the Dictionary Update Policy. For more information, see Setting Up Distribution of Dictionary.

NOTE: The dictionary is updated and published once in every three months in this TID.

Understanding Rolling Up Inventory Information Across Servers

If the inventory deployment rolls up inventory information across servers, the process of scanning is as follows:

The Inventory policies in eDirectory define the inventory settings, such as scanning time and the location of the scan directory. These settings can be customized.
The Scanner reads the Inventory policies and collects the workstation inventory information. The Inventory scanner also checks whether an updated dictionary is available at its Inventory server and downloads the updated dictionary.
If Novell Client is not installed on the inventoried workstation, the Scanner accesses the eDirectory through the ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Middle Tier Server.
The Scanner stores the inventory information of each inventoried workstation as a scan data file in the scan directory at the Inventory server.
If the Novell Client is not installed on the inventoried workstation, the Scanner sends the inventory information of each inventoried workstation to the Inventory server through the ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Middle Tier Server.
The Scanner stores the minimal inventory information of the inventoried workstation in the respective workstation objects in the respective workstation objects in the eDirectory.
If the Novell Client is not installed on the inventoried workstation, the Scanner accesses the eDirectory through the ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Middle Tier Server.
The Selector validates the .str file and places the file in the enterprise merge directory for roll-up of inventory information. If there is a database attached, the Selector places the files in the database directory also.
The Sender on the server has a Roll-Up policy to identify the server to which it will transmit the inventory information and the Roll-Up Schedule specifies time for roll-up of information. the sender compresses the .str files as a .zip file and places the .zip file in the enterprise push directory (entpushdir). The Sender then sends the .zip file to the Receiver on the next-level server.
The Receiver on the next-level server receives the .zip file.
NOTE: The next-level Inventory server can be located on the same eDirectory tree or on a different eDirectory tree or across firewalls.

On the Intermediate Server, the Receiver copies the file in the enterprise push directory. On the Intermediate Server with Database, or the Intermediate Server with Database and Inventoried Workstations, the Receiver copies the file in \entpushdir and copies the file in the Database Directory.

On the Root Server, or the Root Server with Inventoried Workstations, the Receiver copies the file in \dbdir only.
The Storer extracts the .zip file containing the .str files in to a temp directory (dbdir\temp) and updates the database with the inventory information of the inventoried workstation .str file.
The ZENworks administrator views the inventory information, queries the database, generates inventory reports, and performs other Inventory based tasks in ConsoleOne.

The following illustrations depict the inventory scanning cycle in the Roll-Up scenario, both with and without the Novell Client installed.

Inventory scanning cycle in the Roll-Up scenario consisting of workstations with the Novell Client installed.

Inventory scanning cycle in the Roll-Up scenario consisting of workstations without the Novell Client installed.

Deploying the Inventory Agent

Before installing the Inventory Agent on your workstations, you must deploy the Inventory servers to receive workstation scans.

IMPORTANT: Before deploying Inventory Agent, we recommend that you customize your software scan rules to create a base-line configuration. For more information, see Customizing the Hardware Inventory Information To Be Scanned.

You can deploy the Inventory Agent in the following scenarios:

Scenario 1: Deploying the Inventory Agent to Workstations that are in the Same LAN as the Inventory Server

In this scenario, the inventoried workstations and the Inventory server are in the same LAN environment.

If Novell Client is installed on inventoried workstations or if you plan to install Novell Client on inventoried workstations before installing the ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management - Inventory Agent:
- Install the ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management - Inventory Agent on inventoried workstations. For more information, see "Installing and Configuring the Desktop Management Agent" in the Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Installation Guide.
  The Inventory Agent directly sends the scans to the Inventory server.
- You can configure a maximum of 5000 inventoried workstations to send scans to an Inventory server.
If Novell Client is not installed on inventoried workstations or if you do not plan to install Novell Client on inventoried workstations before installing the ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management - Inventory Agent:
- Install the ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Inventory Agent, which will work in the clientless mode. The Inventory Agent will route the requests through the Middle Tier. For more information, see "Installing and Configuring the Desktop Management Agent" in the Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Installation Guide.
- You must have one ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Middle Tier Server for each site. For more information, see "Installing the ZENworks Middle Tier Server"in the Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Installation Guide.
- You can configure a maximum of 5000 workstations to send scans to an Inventory server.

Scenario 2: Deploying the Inventory Agent to Workstations that Send Scans over a WAN across Firewall

Consider a scenario where there are two sites, A and B, that are connected via a WAN link. All communication from Site B to Site A goes through the firewall at Site A. Site B has five workstations with Inventory Agent installed, and they do not have the Novell Client installed. The five workstations must be inventoried and the scan must be sent directly to the Inventory server at Site A. You must install the Middle Tier Server at Site A. For more information, see "Installing the ZENworks Middle Tier Server"in the Novell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Installation GuideNovell ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management Installation Guide. Site B must be connected to Site A through a fast WAN link. This should have sufficient bandwidth to handle traffic generated by the workstations when accessing policies in the eDirectory and sending scans to the Inventory server.

The following illustration depicts a sample scenario where you can deploy this inventory configuration

Inventoried Workstations send the scan over a WAN across a Firewall

Scenario 3: Deploying Inventory Agent to Workstations that Are Periodically Connected to the Network

In this scenario, the Inventory Agent is installed on workstations that periodically connected to the network.

The inventoried workstations are connected periodically to the network. The workstation policies are refreshed when the inventoried workstation connects to the network. If the scan schedule expires, the Inventory Agent will defer scanning the inventoried workstation until the workstation is connected to the network.

We recommend that you set your scan schedule to match when the inventoried workstation connects to the network.

For more information, see Scanning for Workstations That Are Periodically Connected to the Network.

Scenario 4: Deploying Inventory Agent to Workstations that Are Never Connected to the Network

In this scenario, the Inventory Agent is installed on workstations that are never connected to the network. For more information, see Collecting Inventory for Workstations That Are Not Connected to the Network.

Understanding the Effects of Workstation Inventory Installation

On the Inventory servers, the Workstation Inventory installation program does the following:

On NetWare Inventory servers:
- Copies the inventory related files to the installation_volume.
- Copies the Workstation Inventory snap-ins to the ConsoleOne^® directory.
- Creates an Inventory Service object (Inventory Service_server_name) in eDirectory for each server on which Inventory server is installed. This object is populated with the attributes: zeninvRole (role of the server), zeninvScanFilePath (path to scandir directory), zeninvHostServer (DN of the server on which Inventory server is installed), and zeninvDictionarypath (Path to the dictionary directory).
- If the Inventory Service object already exists, the object is validated and re-created again if it is invalid.
- During installation, the Inventory Service object is made a trustee of the NCP^TM server with Compare and Read rights.
- The installation program assigns the Inventory Service object as trustee to itself.
- Creates the scan directory with the subdirectories in the specified volume on the Inventory server. [Root] is granted the Create rights to this directory.
- Creates a dictionary directory (dictdir), and copies the files of general dictionary and private dictionary. [Root] is granted the Read and Write rights to this directory.
- Creates the zenworks.properties file in sys:\system. This file contains the installation path of the Inventory server and the ZEN Web server.
- During the Workstation Inventory installation, if you have configured Inventory Standalone Configuration settings, then the Inventory Service Manager is automatically started.
- Installs the ZEN Web server on the Inventory server, if it is not installed already.
- If Workstation Inventory is reinstalled in the same directory as the previous installation, the config.properties and directory.properties files are backed up and re-created.
On Windows Inventory servers:
- Copies the inventory related files to the installation_directory.
- Copies the Workstation Inventory snap-in component to the ConsoleOne directory.
- Creates the scan directory with the subdirectories in the specified directory on the Inventory server, and creates a share with Create rights to this directory for all users.
- Creates a dictionary directory (dictdir), copies the files of general dictionary and private dictionary, and grants Read and Write rights to this directory for all users.
- Creates an Inventory Service object (Inventory Service_server_name) in eDirectory for each server on which Inventory server is installed. This object is populated with the attributes: zeninvRole (role of the server), zeninvScanFilePath (path to scandir directory), zeninvHostServer (DN of the server on which Inventory server is installed) and zeninvDictionarypath (Path to the dictionary directory).
- If the Inventory Service object (Inventory Service_server_name) already exists, the object is validated and re-created again if it is invalid.
- During installation, the Inventory Service object is made a trustee of the NCP server with Compare and Read rights.
- Assigns the Inventory Service object as trustee to itself.
- The Inventory Service Manager is created as a service.
- Edits the Registry settings to add the installation path of the Inventory server and the ZEN Web server.
- On the Inventory server, the ZENworks Service Management is created as a service.
- If the Workstation Inventory is reinstalled in the previous installation directory, the config.properties and directory.properties files are backed up and re-created.
On the database servers:
- Installs the Sybase database on the server you specify.
- At server startup time, the database is loaded.
- On NetWare, the mgmtdb.db entries are added to the sys:\system\mgmtdbs.ncf file. On Windows, the mgmtdb.db entries are added to the registry.
- Creates two database objects (Inventory database_server_name and Desktop Management database_server_name_) for Sybase and configures the properties of the object.
- If the database server is installed in the previous installation directory, the database files are re-created if they were found invalid or non-existing.
- If Sybase is already installed, only the database files are copied.

Starting and Stopping the Inventory Service

The section provides information on:

For more information about the various Inventory services, see Understanding the Inventory Service Manager.

Starting the Inventory Service on a NetWare Inventory Server

Before you start the Inventory service, make sure that the Inventory database are up and running. The Inventory database will be automatically started after the installation.

To start an Inventory services on the NetWare Inventory server, enter startinv at the server console prompt.

To start an Inventory service, enter startser inventory_service_name at the server console prompt. For more information about different Inventory services, see List of Services.

After starting the Inventory service, make sure that the Inventory services are up and running. To list all services, enter listser * at the server console prompt. To list an Inventory service, enter listser inventory_service_name at the server console prompt.

If the services are not up and running, check the Server Status log. For more information on the Server Status log, see Viewing the Status of Inventory Components on a Server.

Stopping the Inventory Service on a NetWare Inventory Server

To stop an Inventory service, enter stopser Inventory_service_name at the server console prompt.

To stop all the Inventory services, enter stopser * at the server console prompt.

Starting the Inventory Service on a Windows Inventory Server

Before you start the Inventory service, make sure that the Inventory database are up and running. The Inventory database will be automatically started after the installation.

To start the Inventory services on the Windows 2000/2003 Inventory server:

In the Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools.
Double-click Services.
Select Novell Inventory Service, then click Start.

To start an Inventory service from the console prompt:

Go to the installation_directory\inv\server\wminv\bin directory.
At the prompt, enter startser inventory_service_name.

After starting the Inventory service, make sure that the Inventory services are up and running. To list all services, enter listser "*" at the server console prompt. To list an Inventory service from the console prompt:

Go to the installation_directory\inv\server\wminv\bin directory.
At the prompt, enter listser inventory_service_name.

If the services are not up and running, check the Server Status log. For more information on the Server Status log, see Viewing the Status of Inventory Components on a Server.

Stopping the Inventory Service on a Windows Inventory Server

To stop the Inventory services on a Windows 2000/2003 Inventory server:

In the Control Panel, double-click Administrative Tools.
Double-click Services.
Select Novell Inventory Service, then click Stop.

To stop an Inventory service on a Windows Inventory server from the console prompt:

Go to the installation_directory\inv\server\wminv\bin directory.
Enter stopser inventory_service_name.

Changing the Role of the Inventory Server

When you install ZENworks 6.5 Desktop Management, by default, the role of the Inventory server is that of a Standalone. By configuring the Inventory Service object, you can assign specific roles to the Inventory server based on your inventory deployment.

For example, if the deployment plan identifies three servers, such as a Root Server, an Intermediate Server with Database, and a Leaf Server for inventory deployment, you install Workstation Inventory on these servers, and choose the role for the server. Later, if you want to make changes in the inventory deployment, such as attaching the inventoried workstations to the existing Root Server, you need to change the role of the Inventory Service object from Root Server to Root Server with Inventoried Workstations. Additionally, depending on the new role, there are some policies you need to configure.

To change the role for any Inventory server:

Plan the change of roles carefully because the changes will impact the existing inventory deployment. Also, consider the disk space requirements and ensure that you have the required configurations for Inventory.
In ConsoleOne, right-click the Inventory Service object (Inventory Service_server_name), click Properties, then click the Inventory Service Object Properties tab.
Choose the new role of the Inventory Service object, then click Apply.
Bring down the services running on the changed server, follow the actions that you need to change the role, and then bring up the server.

To stop all Inventory Services:
- At NetWare server console prompt, enter the following commands:
```
stopser *
```
```
java -killZenWSInv
```
- On the Windows 2000/2003 server, from the Services window, click Novell Inventory Service, then click Stop.
To restart all Inventory Services:
- At NetWare server console prompt, enter startinv
- On the Windows 2000/2003 server, from the Services window, click Novell Inventory Service, then click Start.

The following sections contain information to help you change the role of the Inventory Service object:

Changing the Role of the Root Server

To change the role of the Root Server to a different role, follow the actions specified in the following table:

To change the role of the Root Server to ...	Tasks:
Root Server with Inventoried Workstations	Perform the following tasks after changing the role: Configure the Workstation Inventory Policy so that the inventoried workstations that you have attached to the Root Server with Inventoried Workstations will be scanned for. Ensure that you enable the Full Scan setting in the Inventory Service Object property page for the server. This setting will ensure that a complete scan of the inventoried workstations attached to will be done.
Intermediate Server	Perform the following tasks: Before changing the role, remove the Database Location policy associated with the Root Server. After changing the role, configure the Roll-Up policy to specify the next-destination server for roll-up of information from this server.
Intermediate Server with Database	Perform the following task: After changing the role, configure the Roll-Up policy to specify the next-destination server for roll-up of information from this server.
Intermediate Server with Database and Inventoried Workstations	Perform the following tasks after changing the role: Configure the Workstation Inventory Policy so that the inventoried workstations that you have attached will be scanned for. Ensure that you enable the Full Scan setting in the Inventory Service Object property page for the server. This setting will ensure that a complete scan of the inventoried workstations will be done. Configure the Roll-Up policy to specify the next-destination server for roll-up of information from this server.
Intermediate Server with Inventoried Workstations	Perform the following tasks: Before changing the role, remove the Database Location policy associated with the Root Server. After changing the role, configure the Workstation Inventory Policy so that the inventoried workstations that you have attached will be scanned for. After changing the role, ensure that you enable the Full Scan setting in the Inventory Service Object property page for the server. This setting will ensure that a complete scan of the inventoried workstations will be done. After changing the role, configure the Roll-Up policy to specify the next-destination server for roll-up of information from this server.
Leaf Server, Leaf Server with Database, or Standalone Server	Workstation Inventory does not allow you to change the Root Server to these servers because these changes affect the complete inventory system. If you want to assign these roles, you must uninstall Workstation Inventory, and then reinstall the Workstation Inventory component.