| What every IT pro should know about network | | | | the issue. |
| inventory So you've been tasked with setting up a | | | | So, how is a network inventory collected? There are |
| network inventory to better manage your network. If | | | | two primary ways that network inventory collectors |
| you're not a seasoned network admin or IT pro, this | | | | work: by scanning devices via scanning agent or via |
| can be quite a daunting task. A quick search for | | | | an agentless scanner. |
| "network inventory" leads you to many applications | | | | Scanning agents need to be deployed on each |
| that will help you get an accurate inventory - some are | | | | computer on your network. When in place, these |
| free, some are expensive. So how can you tell what | | | | agents scan the computer and report back to a |
| will work best for you? | | | | central database with the information they've gathered. |
| What exactly is a "network inventory"? Simply put, a | | | | On the plus side, scanning agents don't have to |
| network inventory is a list of devices such as | | | | connect to a device to scan it, so you don't have to |
| computers, routers, servers, and printers which are | | | | worry about firewalls and antivirus programs blocking |
| connected to your network. The amount of detail you | | | | the connection. All you need to do is make sure it's set |
| collect on these assets will depend on what you're | | | | at the correct admin level and can connect to the |
| using to collect the inventory and whether the collector | | | | central installation. |
| has administrator access. | | | | On the down side, you'll have to install the agent on |
| At the simplest level, a network inventory is a basic list | | | | every computer in your network, and update them all |
| of devices. However, as it gets more involved, it can | | | | when new versions are released. |
| evolve to contain detailed information about software | | | | Agentless scanners don't require anything to be |
| installed, hotfixes applied, Windows events, serial | | | | installed on each device in your network as all the |
| numbers, and much more. | | | | devices are scanned from a central installation. If your |
| How can software inventory software help me | | | | network is set up correctly and maintained properly, |
| manage network assets? If you're in the IT space, it's | | | | using an agentless scanner can be much easier. |
| important to have an accurate network inventory. For | | | | Can a network inventory include multiple networks? If |
| instance, keeping track of what software is connected | | | | your company manages networks at multiple sites, |
| to your network can save you time, money, and | | | | you'll need to make sure you're able to get a reliable |
| bandwidth. A quality software inventory software will | | | | inventory snapshot for each site. This can be done in a |
| let you keep track of software licenses to make sure | | | | variety of ways including using a simple agentless |
| you're in compliance. Knowing who has what licenses | | | | scanner over a VPN connection, or using remote |
| can help with loss prevention. | | | | scanners that will report back to a central installation. |
| Convenience plays a role as well: it can be annoying | | | | Scanning over a VPN can slow down your network |
| when an employee tells you he has a problem with | | | | traffic significantly, so if you like to run a scan during |
| software but doesn't provide any information. With a | | | | business hours, be sure to use a remote scanning |
| good network inventory in place, you can look and see | | | | solution. |
| what pesky software he installed and quickly address | | | | |