Console Application systemhound 2007
From systemhoundwiki
The systemhound console is run from Start/Programs/systemhound/tools.
When the console is running, the systemhound site-builder service is stopped so that the database is not updated by new client log files. There are ten functions which can be run from the console. These are launched from the grey buttons on the console home page and the first two functions can also be run from the VIEW box in the top menu.
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Machine Maintenance
This allows you to delete machines, add notes and assign a new systemhound GUID to a machine when it has been duplicated in the database.
A sample screen is shown in 'hardware maintenance screen'.
Deleting machines
1. To delete machines, check the box for the relevant machine(s) and click on Update database.
2. To search for a particular machine, use the Machine Name search box at the bottom of the page.
3. To delete machines which have not updated recently, sort the page on the Last Update column by clicking/double clicking on the column heading.
Note: Machine deletion can take between 7 – 12 seconds per pc depending on the speed of the server, and the amount of software present on the selected machines.
Note: Using this feature does not delete systemhound client software from the client machine. In most cases, a machine will only be deleted from the database if it is being taken out of service or being reformatted, etc. However, if the machine is still ’active’ then it will continue to report to the systemhound server at its next scheduled scan and thus re-appear in the database.
Assigning a new systemhound GUID
This feature is used to prevent client machines from using the same systemhound ID, a situation that can occur if you have installed the client software using ghosted images without following the proper procedure as outlined in drive imaging
If more than one machine has the same ID, they will keep overwriting each other in the database. The result is confusion when you view that machine’s information as it will keep changing, and there will be large numbers of changes showing on the hardware and software change reports. Machines with duplicate IDs also cause the systemhound sitebuilder service to take up more CPU processing time.
To prevent this, you can force machines that have the same ID to obtain a different one automatically. This is referred to as blacklisting. Machines are "blacklisted" by clicking the ID column in Machine Maintenance on the console.
1. Identify whether you have machines with possible duplicate IDs (the ID of each machine is listed in the detailed hardware report for that machine). Symptoms can be the Asset ID of the machine changing frequently. The hardware change report for the machine will have a history of such changes.
2. Once you have identified machines with the same ID, check the box in the ID column for those machines (see Fig 2) and click on Update database.
3. These machines will then be scheduled to receive new IDs and will appear on the hardware report with this symbol
. Hover your mouse over it to see an info box that explains that the machine will receive a new ID.
4. The final stage is to delete the machines that have been highlighted with
by clicking on the checkbox in the Delete column. This can either be done immediately following step 3 or after the machine has reported with a new ID.
Adding Notes
1. You can add free format notes for any machine by clicking on the Change button in the Notes column.
2. Enter Notes into the dialog box that pops up.
3. Click OK, and then OK again to close it. Your notes will now appear on the systemhound web reports in the Hardware Details page for that machine.
Software Maintenance
This is used to assign software applications to groups (eg Microsoft Word and Excel could be put in a group called "Office"), entering the software licences that you own and hiding software from the main reports.
See fig 3.
Software grouping
Find the application that you want to make part of a group, either by paging down or putting the first part of the application name in the Application Name search box at the foot of the screen.
Click on add to group then select a group from the pick list in fig 4 or enter a new group name.
Hit OK.
When you have made all required changes, click on Update database then click OK.
In the Master Software Report, there is an option to show grouped applications together.
Entering Software Licences
To add licences, enter the licence numbers into the input field for the relevant application.
Once you have made your selection, click on Update database then click OK.
These licences will be shown in the Master Software Report as a comparison against the number of licences you have installed with a warning if your installed licences exceed your purchased licences.
Hiding Software
To hide software, check the box next to the software you wish to hide.
Once you have made your selection, click on Update database then click OK.
The software is hidden from the Master Software Report. It is still present on the individual machine software report.
Licensing systemhound product
When you purchase systemhound you will be supplied with a License Key. The license key entitles you to a certain number of machines in the systemhound database, sending data to your systemhound server.
More than one License Key can be applied to the same systemhound server, extending the number of machines recorded.
External Tools
The console screen provides an easy way to launch additional tools installed on the server from within the user interface.
View systemhound Log Files
You may be asked to look at the systemhound logs by systemhound support.
Database Refresh
You can run the shrefresh program on the console machine to update its data in systemhound. When you click the ’Refresh’ button to refresh this machine’s information then exit the console to restart the site-builder, the systemhound reports will reflect this within a couple of minutes.
Missing Software Retrieval
Manually configure systemhound to find Software.
You can tell systemhound to check for a particular file or registry information and report on Software that is not being found on a standard scan. Click the ’Customize’ button to run the "shCustom" utility.
See the Custom Software Overview for more information.
Export systemhound data
Create a CSV, Excel or Access database with your systemhound data.
It’s easy to export the systemhound database with the "shexport" wizard. Simply choose CSV or Access, select your data categories and let systemhound take care of it. Click the ’Export’ button to run the "shExport" utility.
See the Export Tool Overview for more information.
Standalone Auditing
Create a systemhound database record of machines that are currently not connected to your network. Using the Standalone Audit wizard it is easy to build a customized executable that you can easy run on any machines to instantly create a systemhound report file. Once you have collected all you report files the same wizard imports them into your systemhound database for reporting. Click the ’Audit’ button to run the "StandAloneAuditWizard" utility.
See the Standalone Audit section for more details.
Remote Installation via MSI
Install systemhound onto multiple Windows machines (NT4 and later) from the systemhound central server. Using the systemhound MSI wizard it is easy to remotely deploy systemhound to client machines (subject to your local firewall policy).
You will need administrative rights on the destination machines and be currently logged on as an Administrator. Click the ’Deploy’ button to run the "shwizMSI" utility.
See the Remote Install section for more details.
Installation via Login Scripts
If you do not have a suitable Software Distribution capability, you can use Login Scripts for easy deployment of systemhound. It is easy to deploy systemhound using Login Scripts and the ’Client Install’ utility. Simply configure the ’clientinstall.exe.ini’ with your details and place this and the ’clientinstall.exe’ program in a location that your users can see. Then update the login script to call the program and install systemhound.
See the Client Install section for more details.
