Author: Ravella Raghunadh

In an organization, administrators need to maintain different inventory scan schedules based on the device hierarchy or device categories. Thus, the administrators prefer the following use cases:

1. Different scan schedules for servers and workstations.

• Different scan schedules for different folders and device groups based on the user working hours and geographic locations.

• Multiple scan schedules for different devices in a Management Zone.

Currently, ZENworks Configuration Management allows you to configure a single inventory scan schedule for the devices either at the zone or device levels. However, using the Bundles features of ZENworks Configuration Management, you can still configure multiple and multilevel inventory schedules for device folders, device (server/workstation) groups and dynamic device groups. This enables an enterprise zone with large-scale device deployment to schedule device inventory scan in groups and reduce the load on their Primary Server.

This article provides information on how to configure inventory scan schedules based on the above use cases preferred by the administrators.

Creating Device Groups and Folders:

Steps to be performed:

1. Categorize the devices to be organized based on the architecture, geographic locations, and user working hours.

• Prepare the hierarchy of the devices.

• Log in to ZENworks Control Center.

• Create server or workstation groups and folders.

For more information on creating folders and groups, see the Novell ZENworks 10 Configuration Management Documentation link: http://www.novell.com/documentation/zcm10/zcm10_quickstart/data/ba6az7s.html

Configuring the Inventory Scan Bundle:

Steps to be performed:

1. Login to ZENworks Control Center.

• Create a new Directive Bundle.

For more information on creating directive bundles, see the Novell ZENworks 10 Configuration Management Documentation link: http://www.novell.com/documentation/zcm10/zcm10_software_distribution/data/bfismpk.html

• Add a Run Script action to the bundle.
  
  
  
  

  
  
  

  
  

  Figure 1 - Add Actions window – Run Script action selection

  
  

  Click to view.

  
  
  
  
  

  For more information on adding the Run Script action, see:
  http://www.novell.com/documentation/zcm10/zcm10_software_distribution/data/action_runscript.html

  
  

• Select Define Your Own Script to run the script.

• Type the following command as the script content:
  
  

  zac inv scannow

  
  
  

• Proceed to finish the Bundle Creation Wizard.
  
  

Assigning a Bundle to the Device Groups:

Steps to be performed:

1. Decide the scan schedules to be configured for all Device groups or Device folders as per your business requirement.

• Login to ZENworks Control Center.

• Select the directive bundle created in the section "Configuring the Inventory Scan Bundle".

• Assign a bundle to ZENworks Configuration Management devices (workstations/servers), device groups, device dynamic groups and device folders based on the hierarchy decided earlier.
  
  For more information on assigning bundles to the devices and users, see
  http://www.novell.com/documentation/zcm10/zcm10_software_distribution/data/bav0nan.html.

• Configure the bundle launch schedule to match with the inventory scan schedule decided in Step 1.

• Assign a bundle to all the device groups and folders with a different launch schedule.

• Refresh all the devices in the Management Zone.

• In the Relationships tab, verify the bundle assignment details and launch schedule (which works Inventory scan schedule for the device category assigned).

Figure 2 - Bundle Relationships

Click to view.

Figure 3 - Bundle Assignment Details – Launch Schedule ~ Inventory Scan Schedule

Click to view.

I would like to thank Binika Kumar for reviewing this Appnote and providing valuable feedback.