We have two ways to systematically collect inventory information from PCs and Macs:
1. Install the Kace client.
This small package will connect the machine to the Kace server in an ongoing fashion, periodically updating the software and hardware inventory data for the machine so that accurate information is always available. The Kace client also allows SAS IT to perform other standard management functions on the machine, such as deploying new programs and program updates, installing security patches, and diagnosing the possible causes of some problems. Only specific SAS IT personnel are authorized to perform management functions on SAS machines.
At the moment, off campus systems cannot reach the Kace server, so this option only makes sense for machines permanently located on campus or those (such as laptops) that come to campus at least periodically.
Our Kace installer for PCs is available here:
http://sasdeploy.rutgers.edu/kacewin.exe
Our Kace installer for Macs is available here:
http://sasdeploy.rutgers.edu/kacemac6.dmg
Note that there may be multiple Kace servers to distribute load. SAS machines reside on kbox2.rutgers.edu. If manually installing a client on an SAS machine, please specify kbox2.rutgers.edu as the Kace server name. The installers linked above will automatically specify this as the preferred server name.
Since these installers are fully automated, they may be deployed through a variety of distribution mechanisms: e.g., Novell Zenworks, Apple Remote Desktop.
For more on using Apple Remote Desktop for these purposes, see this page.
2. Run a one-time inventory program.
* For PCs:
Kace provides a utility for PCs that collects a subset of the information the full client collects, but it only does this when run manually. We've rolled that into a program that makes it easy for non-IT people to run a one time inventory and upload it to SAS IT over an encrypted connection. It's available here:
http://sasit.rutgers.edu/custom/inv/inv.exe
Simply download it, run it (e.g., double click), and the follow the prompts. Before any data is collected, you will first need to click Accept. Note: because the software is executable and we don't currently have the ability to digitally "sign" such files, it may be flagged by your computer as potentially harmful. However, we know it is safe, so please choose the appropriate options to let it run. When the inventory is complete, the results are displayed in a browser and automatically uploaded to SAS IT. After uploading the data, the program cleans up after itself, deleting any temporary files that are not still in use and configuring a final cleanup script (%temp%\cleanup.cmd) to run at next logon. This deletes the program itself and ensures the machine is left in its original state.
* For Macs:
Unfortunately, Kace provides no one-time inventory software for Macs, so we authored a script that collects mostly software information only. It's available here:
http://sasit.rutgers.edu/custom/inv/inv.zip
Once download is complete, the Mac will automatically uncompress the zip archive, making the script available in the Downloads folder and/or the Dock. Click the script to launch it and follow the prompts. Before any data is collected, you will first need to click Ok. It will then create a file on the Desktop called Report.txt and an encoded version of that in upload.txt, which it sends to SAS IT over an encrypted connection. Finally, it moves both Report.txt and upload.txt to the Trash.
An alternative to running this script interactively is to leverage Apple Remote Desktop's ability to run a software report. Under the right circumstances, this can be done silently, across a number of machines, without the need for user interaction.
For more on using Apple Remote Desktop for these purposes, see this page.
