Tracking software suites

This topic describes how to track software suites, such as Microsoft® Office. To track software suites, you must create entries in the Inventory Software Dictionary, and then create a dynamic group that contains the managed systems on which the software suite is installed.

The Inventory Software Dictionary finds a match for an entry definition only if all associated files for the entry are in the same directory. To locate product suites (such as Microsoft Office) that might not have all applications in the same directory, you can create separate dictionary entries for each application in the suite and then create a dynamic group to display all managed systems and devices that are found with the specified application files.

Complete the following steps to create separate dictionary entries and to create a dynamic group:

  1. In theIBM Director Console Tasks pane, right-click the Inventory task; then, click Edit Software Dictionary.
  2. In the Inventory Software Dictionary Editor window, in the Entry Definition pane, use the Title and Entry Type fields to identify and classify each entry that you create in the inventory-software dictionary. You also can complete the other fields as needed.
  3. In the Associated Files group box, click Add.
  4. In the Associated File Attributes window, click Enter File Information or Select File From List; then, click OK. The easiest method is to select the file from a list. When you finish selecting the file name, the corresponding attributes are displayed in the Associated Files group box.
  5. 選擇性的: Click Edit to change any of the attributes.
  6. 選擇性的: If you want to add more files to the definition, repeat steps 3 through 5.
  7. Click the Save Entry icon to save your software-dictionary entry. You have now created one entry that identifies the file (or set of files, if you specified more than one file) that corresponds to one application in a single directory.
  8. Click File > New to add another software-dictionary entry. Repeat steps 2 through 7 for each software-dictionary entry you want to create, and then click File > Close to close the Inventory Software Dictionary Editor window.
  9. To ensure detection of the installed software packages, perform an inventory collection on the managed system or device with the specific software that is installed on it.
  10. In the IBM Director Console Groups pane, right-click anywhere except on an entry and click New Dynamic.
  11. In the Available Criteria pane of the Dynamic Group Editor window, expand the Inventory tree. To display the list of software-dictionary entries from which you can create a new dynamic group, expand the Software tree, and then expand the Program Title tree.
  12. Locate and click the first software-dictionary entry that you created; then, click Add to add the entry to the Selected Criteria pane.
  13. Locate and click the second software-dictionary entry that you created; then, click Add to add it to the Selected Criteria pane.
  14. In the Choose Add Operation window, click All true (AND) to create a group that includes a managed system or device only if all of the software-dictionary entries that you selected are located on that managed system or device.
  15. Locate and add the rest of the entries that you created. For each subsequent entry that you add to the Selected Criteria pane, select the All true (AND) option when prompted.
  16. When you have finished building your group of entries, click File > Save As.
  17. In the Save As window, type the name that you want to display in the Groups pane. Click OK.
  18. Click File > Close Group Editor to close the Dynamic Group Editor window.
  19. Click the new group in the IBM Director Console Console Groups pane. The managed systems and devices that meet the search criteria for the software entries that you created are displayed in the Group Contents pane. All entries must be present on the managed system or device for the managed system or device to be displayed.
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