Audits via login script are by far the most widespread method, since they pose the advantage of assuring ongoing diffusion and control of the agents without need of installing software on the PCs. This method guarantees that ALL the machines connecting to the network will be automatically scanned by the SXSi agent.
If you want to prevent any local installation, chose to deploy the agent through the network login script.
Before calling the Synexsys agent, you must ensure that the Synexsys Inventory ..\client folder has been shared so that it is visible from all the PCs you wish to audit. Even if SXSi can deal with long or complex names, try to avoid them as they could easily become a source of trouble.
REMARK: if needed, the ..\client folder and its sub-folders can be placed on one or several other servers (such as login servers). |
It is strongly advised:
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to end the share name by a dollar sign ($) so that it will not be visible by a simple browse of the network. |
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to assign a "Read only" access to the share, ("Authorisations" button). Remote PCs only need to read the information contained in this folder. |
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to control the parameters of file ..\client\config\config.ini using the agent configuration program or directly from the file. More particularly: |
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SERVER=IP Address or HOSTNAME of the Synexsys Server (HOSTNAME is recommended during evaluation tests if the Synexsys server is installed on a DHCP machine). |
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PORT=IP Port of the Synexsys Server (5026 by default, but it can be modified). Make sure the port is accessible and there is no firewall forbidding the access. |
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TEMP=Local temporary folder: either an existing environment variable such as %temp or a local path such as "C:\SXSi\TEMP". (the path will be created automatically on the audited PC). |
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SID=Folder where the workstation's unique identifier (SID) will be stored. It can be either an existing environment variable such as %windir or a local path such as "C:\SXSi". (the path will be created automatically on the audited PC). |
then enter the following command in the login script (normally a file named login.bat):
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2000/XP/2003 Clients |
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START /PRIORITY /B /D “\\server_name\share_name” sxsiagent.exe /H /W /S /FHy /FWy /FSy /FULL [/Dnn|/Thhmm**] /DETAIL |
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NT4 Clients |
START /D\\server_name\share_name /PRIORITY /B sxsiagent.exe /H /W /S /FHy /FWy /FSy /FULL [/Dnn|/Thhmm**] /DETAIL IMPORTANT: on NT4, no space should be left between /D and the path. The path should also carry no spaces. Quotation marks are also not allowed. |
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Win95 and Win98 Clients |
START \\server_name\share_name\sxsiagent.exe /H /W /S /FHy /FWy /FSy /FULL [/Dnn|/Thhmm**] /DETAIL |
** Parameters [/Dnn|/Thhmm] are taken into account after the frequency (F) parameters. This prevents from keeping the agent in memory while it has no audits to perform.
where:
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START [/B /D] is a command used in batch files that executes another command in an independent process. It can be used for what follows the script to be executed without waiting for the audit to finish. The agent path must follow option /D. START CANNOT BE EXECUTED FROM THE START / EXECUTE MENU. THE COMMAND MUST BE PLACED IN A BATCH FILE (.BAT) OR EXECUTED FROM A DOS WINDOW (START / EXECUTE / "CMD") |
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\\server_name makes reference to the server where the Synexsys agent ..\client folder is found. |
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\share_name makes reference to the name of the share where the Synexsys agent ..\client folder is found. I you used the "$" sign to hide your shared folder, don't forget to include it (share_name$). |
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sxsiagent.exe makes reference to the Synexsys Inventory agent found in ..\Client\bin\Agent |
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/H /W /S refers to the inventory nature (/H hardware, /W Windows, /S Files). |
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/Fxyy refers to the frequency of the audits: |
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x: H Hardware; W Windows; S Files |
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/FULL: this parameter allows you to force a full inventory each time. By default, an inventory is incremental compared to the previous one, and therefore a smaller transfer to the server is required. Using the option /FULL is normally not necessary. |
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/Dnn: allows delaying the audit nn minutes after the start of the agent. This option avoids potential slow-down at login script time and possible conflicts that the agent could have with 16 bits applications loading at startup. |
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Example: sxsiagent.exe /H /FHF /D30 |
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/Thhmm: allows forcing the time of the audit. For instance, in order to perform the audit at non-peak times. |
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Example: sxsiagent.exe /H /FHF /T1230 |
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/PRIORITY: this optional parameter allows defining the priority Windows assigns to the agent's process. The Synexsys agent does not use many system resources, but given the tasks it needs to perform and based on local PC performance, lowering process priority may be convenient in certain situations. Replace the term PRIORITY by one of the following possibilities: /REALTIME ATTENTION: it is strongly advised not to assign the REALTIME level of priority to the agent as this will prevent any other process from running on the PC during the audit. |
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/DETAIL: Only use this option in specific cases or when advised to use it by the Synexsys support team. This optional parameter allows obtaining a more detailed hardware audit when data is stored in the area above 1 MB of the local BIOS (DMI information is there sometimes). Certain machines may not function correctly if this option is selected. |
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Put the following code in your login script to launch the appropriate command line according to the local operating system : call server_name\share_name\getwinver.exe |
Using the sxsirun.exe launcher, you may execute the agent with the prerogatives of a different network account. To obtain a detailed explanation of the possible parameters, you may execute "sxsirun.exe /?" from the command line.
sxsirun.exe is in the same folder as the sxsiagent.exe and has to be used in the following way:
sxsirun.exe APP=application USER=user_name PWD=password DOMAIN=domain_name [/WAIT] [/VERBOSE] |
where:
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APP=sxsiagent.exe |
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USER, PWD, and DOMAIN allow launching a process with the prerogatives of a different network account. To do it: Windows requires that the 4 following rights are assigned to the account:
USER=user_name PWD=password: passwords are encrypted for security reasons. To generate a password, you must use the SXSICRYPT.EXE tool (available on demand) using the "ONLY4U" keyword. DOMAIN=domain |
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/WAIT=wait until the process launched using sxsirun.exe is finished (this option should not be used normally) |
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/VERBOSE=displays the execution details of sxsirun.exe |
Examples :
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2000/XP/2003 Clients |
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START /PRIORITY /B /D sxsirun.exe APP=“\\server_name\share_name\sxsiagent.exe” PARAM="/H /W /S /FHy /FWy /FSy /FULL [/Dnn|/Thhmm] /DETAIL" USER=user_name PWD=password DOMAIN=domain_name [/WAIT] [/VERBOSE] |
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NT4 Clients |
START /D\\server_name\share_name /PRIORITY /B sxsirun.exe APP=sxsiagent.exe PARAM="/H /W /S /FHy /FWy /FSy /FULL [/Dnn|/Thhmm] /DETAIL" USER=user_name PWD=password DOMAIN=domain_name [/WAIT] [/VERBOSE]
IMPORTANT: on NT4, no space should be left between /D and the path. The path should also carry no spaces. Quotation marks are also not allowed for the path. | |
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Win95 and Win98 Clients |
START sxsirun.exe APP="\\server_name\share_name\sxsiagent.exe" PARAM="/H /W /S /FHy /FWy /FSy /FULL [/Dnn|/Thhmm] /DETAIL" USER=user_name PWD=password DOMAIN=domain_name [/WAIT] [/VERBOSE] |
* Refer to the previous chapters for an explanation of the commands that are not in bold characters.
Deployment through the Console (NT/2000/XP/2003)
Other Deployment Possibilities (95/98/Me/NT/2000/XP/2003)