SCCM Inventory

What is hardware inventory?

In Configuration Manager, use hardware inventory to gather data about the hardware configuration of virtual machines in your entire organisation. To acquire hardware inventory, go to client settings and check theeEnable hardware inventory on the client's box.

After enabling hardware inventory and running a hardware inventory cycle, the client sends the information to a management point on the client's site. The inventory information is then 

forwarded by the size distribution to the Configuration Manager site server, which holds it in the site registry. Client hardware inventory runs according to the plan you specify.

How to view hardware inventory in SCCM?

In general there are several ways to view hardware inventory in sccm. They are:

• Research paradigm that returns devices based on a particular hardware configuration.
• Create query-based collections based on a particular hardware configuration. Memberships in query-based collections are automatically updated on a regular basis. Collections can be used for a variety of tasks, including software deployment.
• Run reports that demonstrate detailed information about your agency's hardware configurations.
• View detailed information about the hardware inventory collected from client devices using Resource Explorer.

Configuration Manager only supports dual-boot computers to a limited extent. Configuration Manager can detect dual-boot computers but only returns inventory information from the operating system that is active at the time the inventory cycle runs.

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How to extend configuration manager hardware inventory?

In regards to the built-in hardware inventory in Configuration Manager, you can obtain more information by using one of the following methods to extend hardware inventory:

• From the Configuration Manager console, you can enable, disable, add, and remove hardware inventory inventory classes.
• NOIDMIF files can be used to collect information about client devices that Configuration Manager cannot inventory. For example, you might want to collect device asset number data that is only available as a label on the device. 
• IDMIF files can be used to collect data about assets that aren't correlated with a Configuration Manager client, such as projectors, photocopiers, and network printers.

Configuring hardware inventory in configuration manager:

This method sets the default client settings for hardware inventory and applies to all clients in your hierarchy. If you only want these settings to apply to a subset of your clients, create a custom device client setting and assign it to a collection that includes the devices for which you want to use hardware inventory.

With the exception of a few systems, disabling a specific hardware inventory class requires unchecking the class in the default client settings. Then, to enable the class, create a custom client setting and deploy it to the target systems.

In order to configure the hardware inventory we need to follow the following steps. They are:

• Select Administration > Client Settings > Default Client Settings from the Configuration Manager console.
• Select Properties from the Home tab's Properties group.
• Select Hardware Inventory from the Default Settings dialog box.
• Configure the following in the Device Settings list:

       1. Select Yes to enable hardware inventory on clients.

       2. Schedule hardware inventory - Click Schedule to specify the interval at which clients collect hardware inventory.

• Configure any additional hardware inventory client settings that are required.

When the client policy is updated, these settings will be applied to the client devices.

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Now we will discuss the software inventory in the configuration manager.

What is software inventory?

To obtain intelligence about files on client devices, use software inventory. Software inventory can also record and analyze files from client devices on the site server. When you choose the Enable software inventory on clients setting in client settings, software inventory is collected. In client settings, you can also schedule the operation.

When you adopt technology inventory and the clients run a software inventory cycle, the information is sent to a management point on the client's site. The inventory information is then forwarded by the management point to the Configuration Manager site server, which stores it in the site database.

Ways to view data in software inventory:

• There are some methods in order to view data in software inventory. They are:
• Make queries that return devices containing the specified files.
• Make query-based collections that include devices that have specific files.
• Execute reports that provide information about files on devices.
• Analyze the complete reports about the files that were inventoried and collected from client devices using Resource Explorer.

The first report generated by software inventory on a client device is a full inventory. Subsequent reports only include delta inventory data. The delta information is processed by the site server in the order it is received. If a client's delta information is missing, the site server rejects additional delta information and instructs the client to run a full inventory.

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Configuring software inventory:

This method manually configures the software inventory default client settings for all computer systems in your pyramid. If you can only want these settings to be applied to a subset of computers, create a custom device client setting and assign it to a collection.

The following steps are performed or followed to configure the software inventory. They are:

• Select Administration > Client Settings Default Client Settings from the Configuration Manager console.
• Select Properties from the Home tab's Properties group.
• Select Software Inventory from the Default Settings dialog box.
• Configure the following values in the Device Settings list:

1. Allow software inventory on clients by selecting True from the drop-down menu.
2. Plan software inventory and file collection - Sets the frequency with which clients collect software inventory and files.

• Just configure the client settings you need.

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When the client policy is downloaded again, these settings will be applied to the client computers as well.

Moreover resource explorer helps to view the data presented in the software inventory.You will explore the data related to the softwares,collected files, files information, product details To perceive the accumulated inventory information in a more usable form, right-click any item in the right-pane of the Resource Explorer window and select Properties.and latest software scans, etc

In order to run the resource explorer from the configuration manager console, following steps are performed. They are:

• Select Assets and Compliance from the Configuration Manager console.
• Select Devices from the Assets and Compliance workspace, or open any collection that displays devices.
• Select the computer containing the inventory you want to view, and then select Start > Resource Explorer from the Home tab > Devices group.
• You can perceive the collected inventory information in a more readable format by right-clicking any item in the right-pane of the Resource Explorer window and selecting Properties.

Conclusion:

The blog topic covers the details of SCCM inventory i.e both hardware and software inventory data and how it can be analyzed and interpreted in order to generate good results. The hardware and software SCCm inventory helps to get the real time insights of the complete organization at an instance. Hope you got enough information, if you had any queries please comment below.

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