Discover Resources-Post SCCM Installation -Configuration Task 3

Discovery Definition:

Discovery identifies computer and user resources that can be managed by a Configuration Manager 2007 site. When a resource is discovered, Configuration Manager creates a record in the database for the resource and its associated information called DDR (Data Discovery record) .You must run Discovery before you can install clients by using client push. However, the other client installation methods do not require that you run Discovery.

Resources might include systems, users, network devices and groups.

To discover resources, you must run at least one discovery method that is suitable for the resource that you want to discover.

Use the table in this link to decide which discovery method to configure in SCCM.

Prerequisites:

• Site server computer account should have read permission on Active directory domain services if any of the AD discovery methods are being used.
• Modify permission for the Site Security object class or instance to configure this discovery method.

Types of Discovery:

There are 6 types of Discovery methods 

1. Active Directory System Discovery 2. Active Directory System Group Discovery 
3. Active Directory Security Group Discovery 
4. Active Directory User Discovery 
5. Heart Beat Discovery 
6. Network Discovery 

Configuring Discovery methods:

1.       Active Directory System Discovery: Enable this discovery to find the computers in the AD Site or OU as specified.

This discovery method finds all the new machines and creates a DDR for the discovered resources.

        Logs: adsysdis.log  

        Location: SCCM Installation Directory\Logs folder

        Enabling AD System discovery:  General Tab

·         In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System CenterConfiguration Manager / Site Database / Site Management /<site name>/ Site Settings / Discovery Methods.

·         Right click on AD system discovery>Click on Properties>Check “Enable Active Directory System Discovery” under General tab

·         Click on Yellow star button, select “Custom LDAP or GC Query” as shown and select the appropriate OU ( here I have selected Computers OU). Click OK.

·         Under “Search Options” check “Recursive” to discover the nested OU’s as well.

·         Click OK and verify whether the Distinguished name is the one that we have selected.

    Polling Schedule:

• We can schedule the discovery to be run as per custom schedules.( By default is 1 day) 
• Enable delta discovery to run every 5 minutes to discover any new resource which has been added to the AD DS Run a full discovery option- this will be unchecked once the full discovery is run

Active Directory attribute tab

This tab shows the attributes of the systems discovered and also allows us to configure more attributes.

By default, the following attributes are collected:

·         Computer name

·         Operating system

·         Object class

·         DNS Host name

·         Domain

2.       Active Directory System Group Discovery

Discovers additional information about previously discovered computers from the specified locations in Active Directory Domain Services. This information includes the OU and group membership of the computer. It does not discover information about new resources that did not previously exist in the Configuration Manager Site database.

Logs: adsysgrp.log

Location: SCCM Installation directory\logs

The configuration steps are same as shown in AD system group discovery method above except attribute tab. There is no Active directory attribute tab available for this discovery.

3.       Active Directory Security Group Discovery

It searches Active Directory Domain Services for security group information that can be used to create collections and queries. It discovers local groups, global groups, and universal security groups.

Logs: adsgdis.log

Location: SCCM Installation directory\logs

The configuration steps are same as shown in AD system group discovery method above except attribute tab. There is no Active directory attribute tab available for this discovery.

4.       Active Directory User Discovery

It searches Active Directory Domain Services for user accounts and associated attributes.

By default, the following attributes are collected:

·         User name

·         DNS host name

·         Object class

·         Active Directory domain

·         Active Directory container name

         Logs: adusrdis.log

         Location: SCCM Installation directory\logs

        The configuration steps are same as shown in AD system group discovery method above.

5.       Network Discovery

Network Discovery searches your network for IP-enabled resources by querying Microsoft DHCP servers, Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) caches in routers, and SNMP-enabled devices. Network Discovery can also search Active Directory domains and IP subnets.

Generally we don’t configure Network discovery since it generates lot of traffic, the devices discovered are unmanageable and also it is an administrative overhead.

For more information on Network discovery, check http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/bb693986.aspx

         Logs: netdisc.log

         Location: SCCM Installation directory\logs

6.       Heart Beat Discovery:

·         This discovery is different from the rest of the SCCM discovery methods.

·         It is enabled by default

·         Doesn’t discover new resources

·         Sends a heartbeat pulse to existing SCCM client agents to check the status

Logs: Inventoryagent.log

Location:  32 Bit OS: %Windir%\System32\CCM\Logs 

                     64 Bit OS: %Windir%\SysWOW64\CCM\Logs

Note:

The default schedule for Heartbeat Discovery is set to every 7 days. If you change the heartbeat discovery interval, ensure that it runs more frequently than the site maintenance task Delete Aged Discovery Data, which deletes inactive client records from the site database.

To configure the Heartbeat Discovery schedule

·         In the Configuration Manager console, navigate to System CenterConfiguration Manager / Site Database / Site Management /<site name>/ Site Settings / Discovery Methods.

·         Right-click Heartbeat Discovery and then click Properties.

·         In the Heartbeat schedule group box, specify how often clients will create and send a heartbeat DDR to the management point.Click OK

7.       Site Systems Discovery:

In addition to these six discovery methods, Configuration Manager 2007 also uses a process named NT Server Discovery (SMS_WINNT_SERVER_DISCOVERY_AGENT) that creates resource records for computers that are site systems, such as the computer that is configured with the management point site system role. This method of discovery runs daily and is not configurable.

Site systems discovery is recorded in the log file ntsvdis.log in the <InstallationPath>\LOGS folder on the site server.