Scanning Windows computers on the network is an important task that provides invaluable information about hardware and software components, allowing you to effectively manage your IT infrastructure. This data is crucial for assessing the performance levels of various equipment, identifying any potential hardware or software issues, and ensuring compatibility across the network.
Moreover, regular scans help maintain the integrity of the system drives by detecting early signs of failure or corruption, thus preventing potential data loss. They also play a significant role in security management. By keeping track of the latest system updates and patches, network administrators can ensure that all Windows computers are up to date, thereby minimizing vulnerabilities to cyber threats.
To scan Windows computers on a network, Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) is typically used. In addition, data can be obtained from the Windows registry and Active Directory. Using Total Network Inventory software, you can fully automate the scanning process by combining data from various sources in one place.
In this method, the scan agent is downloaded to the remote computer and removed after the scanning is completed. While this approach minimizes the lingering footprint on the scanned system, it can potentially load the network when scanning a large number of computers regularly.
With this method, Total Network Inventory directly connects to the WMI service of a remote computer and extracts the necessary information about it. However, this approach can noticeably increase network traffic and should be considered an alternative if the SMB protocol is not available.
TNI can scan the Windows computer's hardware using a driver that allows you to collect data that is not available in WMI, such as detailed information about memory modules, S.M.A.R.T data, and more.
A permanently installed agent running as a service allows you to check on a schedule without using the main TNI module. This method reduces the load on the network and enables you to constantly have the most up-to-date information about computers for further analysis and reporting.
For more detailed information about scanning methods and configurations, consult the TNI user manual.
The scanner in Total Network Inventory enables you to scan remote computers on the network using all the methods described above. Scan targets can be set in several ways, including network names, IP addresses, network ranges with mask indications, IP address ranges, Windows workgroup names, Active Directory domain controllers, and LDAP notation.
All device scanning tasks can be entered into the scheduler. TNI will perform them automatically, according to the set schedule. The program has a lot of fine-tuning of the scheduler, which is described in detail in the user manual.
It is worth clarifying that the program allows you to work with such equipment as: network storage devices (NAS), printers, routers, switches, UPS devices, VOIP phones, web servers based on various OS. The scanning algorithm is nearly identical for all equipment, with the only difference being the protocol used by the specific device.
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With the network scanning capabilities of Total Network Inventory, organizations can gain a comprehensive understanding of their IT infrastructure by regularly receiving up-to-date information about the hardware and software of their Windows-based computers. Try your free trial now!
The long-awaited TSD update is here, bringing significant improvements to software and computer storages.
This version brings network map export, several quality-of-life changes for database storages management and a number of important updates for scanning agents.
