File Collection in Asset Management
Contents
cla140
Contents
Asset Management lets you centrally manage system configuration files on your network. You can backup the configuration files on the managed assets and maintain various versions of the configuration files in the database. You can push back to a previous version of the file.
File Collection is available only for Windows Agents.
You can configure the name and number of configuration files backup copies like AUTOEXEC.BAT, CONFIG.SYS, WIN.INI, SYSTEM.INI, or NET.CFG. You can also define specific sets of backup files at the group level, so that you can accommodate the requirements of different network groups and users. You do not have to spend hours configuring backups on a user-by-user basis. Whenever the Asset Management Agent runs, verification is done for configuration file modification. If the configuration file is modified, the DSM Explorer is updated with the previous and current file contents.
Configuring file collection at the computer level is more efficient than at the user level due to the following reasons:
- The Agent uses the credentials of Local System Account for collecting the files. These user accounts have full access rights to all the files. If you configure file collection at the user level, the user credentials are used to collect the files. If the user does not have permissions for accessing the file, the file collection fails.
- Configuring file collection at the user level is not useful as the computer maintains the file system. The copies of the file do not exist for each user.
- If you configure file collection at the user level, you can find multiple copies of the same file for each user. The database performance is hit severely.
Be careful with the number of configuration files and the maximum revisions you want to backup because these factors have an impact on the database, and performance of the asset and the Domain Manager.
Access the File Collection Folder in the DSM Explorer
You can access the file collection folder to configure files for backup and to view the revisions of the backed-up files.
To access the File Collection folder in the DSM Explorer
- Navigate to the following paths in the DSM Explorer depending on the level at which you want to view or configure the file collection:
- Group Level
- Computer GroupDomain, Computers and Users, All Computers, Group Details.
- User Account GroupDomain, Computers and Users, All User Accounts, Group Details.
- User Created GroupDomain, Computers and Users,Group, Group Details.
If you do not want a specific asset to have this configuration, you can disable the configuration at the asset level. - Navigate to theSoftware,File Collectionfolder except at the domain level.The files that are configured for backup are displayed in the right pane. Files that are configured at the group level are automatically configured for back-up on the member assets. If you do not want the files to be collected from a specific asset, you can disable such file collection.
Configuring file collection at the user level is not useful because the file is maintained at the computer level. The copies of the file do not exist for each user.
View Files Configured for Backup
Configuration file for an asset displays the following information:
- The files that are configured for backup
- The date and time of the file last modification
- The number of revisions that are available in the database
- Maximum number of revisions, where revision 1 indicates the current version.
To view the files that are configured for backup, navigate to the File Collection folder at the group or asset level. Double-click a configuration file to view the backup revisions available.
Configure a File for Backup
To backup a file on the Agent computer, configure the file in the Domain Manager. Once the file is configured, Asset Management Agent backs up this file whenever modification is done.
File scan cannot retrieve files from directories for which the user is denied access to.
To configure a file for backup
- Navigate to theComputers and Users,All Computers,,ComputerSoftware, andFile Collectionfolder.The files that are configured for backup appear in the right pane.
- ClickConfigurein theTaskssection.TheSelect files to collectdialog appears.
- Select the files that you want to configure and clickOK.The selected files are marked for backup and are displayed in the right pane.
If the Agent is configured to File scan a network drive on a Windows agent computer, install the Agent to run under the same user account that maps the network drive.
Add New File Collection Definition
If the file that you want to back up or collect is not available in the list of files that are defined for backup, you can add a new file collection definition.
To add a new file that you want to back up
- Navigate to theControl Panel,Configuration, andFile Collectionfolder.The existing file collection definitions appear.
- ClickNewin theTaskssection.TheAdd File Collection Definitiondialog opens.
- Fill in the required information, and clickOK.The selected file is added to the list of files.
Modify the File Collection Definition
You can modify a file collection definition for changing any settings. To modify a file collection definition, right-click the configuration file and select
Properties
. The Configuration File Properties
dialog appears. Change the required settings and click OK
.View Configuration File Backup Versions and Push-back
If the files were modified from the last run of the Agent, the configuration files are collected from the asset, and a revision is recorded in the DSM Explorer. You can push-back any of the revisions to revert to the previous versions.
To view configuration file backup versions
- Navigate toFile Collectionat the asset level.The right pane displays the files that are configured for backup.
- Double-click a configuration file.The right pane displays the backup revisions available for the file. Revision number 1 indicates the current version of the file.
- Right-click a revision and selectEditand push-back.The Edit contents to push back to Agent window appears where you can modify the contents.
- ClickOK.The selected revision is pushed to the asset.
Managing Configuration File Backups
Asset Management uses the following process to manage the configuration file backups:
- When a file is initially configured for backup, the Agent collects the file contents and is saved in the working directory of Agent on the asset.
- Every time the computer or user logs into the network, the Agent verifies the changes between the last saved and current version of the file. As this verification is done locally on the asset, this process is fast.
- If there is a difference, the Agent repeats Step 1.
Define an Event Policy
Defining an event-based policy can track the changes in the configuration files. You can configure this policy, for example, to display a message to the user or send an email to an authorized person when a user tries to modify the configuration file.
To define an event policy
Method 1
- Navigate toControl Panel,Configuration, and File Collection.The right pane displays all the files that are configured for backup.
- Right-click a configuration file in the right pane and selectDefine Event Policy.ThePolicy Designerdialog appears.
- Select the file to be monitored in the File Collection section and add the actions when the file is modified and clickOK.The specified actions are taken when a user modifies the selected configuration file.
Method 2
- Navigate toPolicies,Event Based, andAsset File Collection.The right pane displays the policies in the asset file collection category.
- Right-clickAsset File Collectionand selectNew.ThePolicy Designerdialog appears.
- Select the file to be monitored in theFile Collectionsection and add the actions when the file is modified and clickOK.The specified actions are taken when a user modifies the selected configuration file.