Software inventory

Introduction

Our system have three–level software inventory depending on the required accuracy and degree of automation. Each level is good in its own way. This is done because not all people want to take into account all the programs that they have because it is quite time–consuming and maybe sometimes meaningless. If you work for a small company, you may want to consider a simpler software inventory, built only on software licenses that you have purchased.

In case you need inventory of software, for example, in a serious bank with a strict information security system, where users are forbidden to install additional programs themselves, because it can lead to security holes and possibly in the future will cause leakage of important information, another methodology is used. In this case, you will be satisfied with the level of software inventory, when all installed software is monitored. Also, our system allows you to get full list of programs installed in a computer network of a company and monitor the installation and removal of software.

There is also a middle level, less strict than the previous.

Next, consider the structural scheme of software inventory in our program.

Software inventory

List of software of company

First of all, inventory software offers cataloging all the programs that are in your company, create one common list of all programs that are in the company. In this case, for each program to be considered, you have to specify name, version. In addition, you can set type of the software, data about software vendor.

Moreover, the types of software and the software manufacturer are also stored in separate catalogs in order to avoid unnecessary duplication of the same names.

This approach allows us to get reports on the software in the context of the name and version of programs and you can get a list of all programs of a given type or a specific vendor. Agree that it is very convenient!

Inventory of licenses

Next, let's talk about first the most important level in software inventory. This is the inventory of all used software licenses. The program has special menu item License where you can enter data about licenses for software. Name of license, Quantity license, Quantity of users, Date license, Date end of license, etc. is indicated.

In general, software licenses can be of different types. Maybe one license per computer or a license for a certain number of users. All kinds of licenses can be taken into account in this program.

To make a mark a license installation in Hi–Tech Manager on the shortcut menu of the license list, select the menu item To show the installation place. Then, in the opened Software window in the Workplace/Employee field, select a workstation or an employee where we want to install the inventoried software. Then click on the Add data button.

Since in principle one license can be for several users, we use the concept Rest of installation = Quantity license * Quantity of users to counting for software installations. The list of licenses indicates the rest of possible installations. After each installation, this value is reduced by one.

Second level

This level allows you to keep a record of software inventory directly at each workplace or employee. It is more detailed and therefore a bit more time–consuming than the first. In the program in Placing of equipment window, you can select Software context menu item for each work place or employee. You will see a list of programs installed to that employee or workplace.

Here you can add a new programs or delete another ones. To add a new program press Add data. To delete a program, we will find it in the list and then click on Delete data.

Data of the equipmentSoftware also allows you to attach programs to workstations or employees. In addition, some fields are located at the top of this form, filling which you can get a list of inventoried software by Type of software, Supplier, Period of installation etc.

Third level

This level is characterized by complete control plus additional software inventory tools are used in the computer network, followed by Import of data into the database. And so what is the third level? Obviously, it includes the previous two plus something else.

This means that you keep records of software licenses, software inventory for workstations and employees, and use Changes of configuration plus Common Import.

Automatically the list of installed or removed programs is obtained after re–scanning IT assets on network and then we look at the configuration changes log. It shows the name of a computer on network and an event Installed program ..., Deleted program .... Scanning can be done on a schedule, for example, once a day, or a couple of times a week, as you find the best.

Now let's talk about full automation. This is our Common import. Strictly speaking, this module automatically fixes all the detected programs in the company's network to certain workplaces or employees, being guided by the computer's name. If the names match, then the program assumes that the computer is found and in fact itself makes the second level of software inventory. The difference between a human and the program is that the system will add all the software, while the people can highlight more important and do not add minor programs.

Reporting

Hi-Tech Manager allows you to get reports in Excel or Open Office on installed software each workplace or employee. As a filter, you can specify Period of installation, Type of the software or its Name, version.

Still can be printed catalog of all company’s inventoried software.

Conclusion

Finally, we have finished our description of all possible algorithms for software inventory, which are implemented in our system. I hope that you liked it, because we tried to satisfy all possible needs of our customers.

You can choose which level of inventory software of the three to use in the work. You can start with the simplest inventory of licenses, if this is not enough, at any time you can add the second or third level. We wish you every success!