Gathering Software Inventory

Software inventory gathers information about the standard and the custom software applications that are installed on your computers. Software inventory data helps you analyze different aspects of your resources.
Process for gathering software inventory
Step
Action
Description
Step 1
(Optional for Windows computers) Prepare managed computers for inventory.
Target computers must be managed and have the Inventory Plug-in installed.
The Symantec Management Agent and the Inventory Plug-in are not required on Windows computers if you use the stand-alone inventory packages for the following purposes:
  • To gather basic software application file inventory
  • To gather inventory of Windows
    Add or Remove Programs
    list
Step 2
Use the software inventory method that meets your needs.
You can use different methods to gather different types of software data:
  • Basic software application file inventory
  • Inventory of Windows
    Add or Remove Programs
    list and UNIX/Linux/Mac software packages
  • Time-critical inventory that gathers the most important software inventory data on client computers frequently during a day.
    This inventory type has the real-time inventory option that gathers software inventory on Windows client computers in real time to validate the current software state.
  • Targeted software inventory on Windows computers and software inventory using the
    filescan.rule
    file on UNIX, Linux, and Mac computers
  • Gathering and validation of software information with the Software Catalog Data Provider
Step 3
View software inventory results.
You can view the gathered software inventory data in the inventory reports, the Resource Manager, and the Symantec Management Console
Software
views.