Discovery Methods 2007
- Active
Directory System Discovery
-Discovers details about the computer
- Active
Directory System Group Discovery
- Discovers details such as organizational unit, global groups, universal
groups, and nested groups.
- Active
Directory User Discovery-Retrieves
Active Directory User Discovery
- Active
Directory Security Group Discovery-Discovers
security groups created in Active Directory.
- Heartbeat
Discovery-Refresh Configuration Manager
client computer discovery data in the site database.
- Network
Discovery-Searches the network for
resources that meet a specific profile, From router's ARP cache, SNMP
agent and DHCP Each discovery method creates data discovery records (DDRs)
for resources and sends them to the site database, even if the discovered
resource is not capable of being a SCCM 2007 client.
Discovery Methods 2012
In Configuration Manager 2012 the
discovery of users, groups and devices has been improved since Configuration
Manager 2007. In this blog I would like to point out the available options that
come with Configuration Manager 2012.
The discovery feature in
Configuration Manager 2012 enables you to identify computer and user resources
that can be managed with Configuration Manager. You are able to configure the
discovery of resources on different levels in the Configuration Manager 2012
hierarchy. Let’s see how you are able to discover your user and devices.
1.
Active Directory Forest Discovery
The Active Directory Forest
Discovery is a new discovery method in Configuration Manager 2012 that allows
the discovery of Active Directory Forest where the site servers reside and also
any trusted forest. With this discovery method you are able to automatically
create the Active Directory or IP subnet boundaries that are within the discovered
Active Directory Forests.
Active Directory Forest Discovery
can be configured on Central Administration Sites and Primary Sites.
To enable the discovery of Active
Directory Forest you need to configure this option in Administration ->
Overview -> Site Hierarchy -> Discovery Methods -> Active Directory
Forest Discovery.
Enable Active Directory Forest
Discovery
2.
Heartbeat discovery
The Heartbeat Discovery method is
enabled by default and is used to configure the heartbeat schedule. The
heartbeat discovery runs on each Configuration Manager client and is used to
create a discovery data record (DDR). This record is reported back to the
management point every x period of time. For mobile device clients, the DDR is
created by the management point that is used by the mobile device client.
The Heartbeat discovery can be
configured on every Primary Site.
To enable the Heartbeat Discovery
you need to configure this option in Administration -> Overview -> Site
Hierarchy -> Discovery Methods -> Heartbeat Discovery.
3.
Network Discovery
The Network Discovery method is used
to discover the topology of your network and the devices on that network. The
Network Discovery “service” searches your network for IP enabled resources.
This is done by querying services that run an implementation of Microsoft’s
DHCP, ARP tables in routers, SNMP enabled devices and Active Directory Domains.
Configure Network Discovery
It is a best practice only to use
this method when all other methods cannot find the devices you want to discover
and manage.
You are able to configure network
discovery on the Central Administration Site, Primary Sites and Secondary
Sites.
To enable the Network Discovery you
need to configure this option in Administration -> Overview -> Site
Hierarchy -> Discovery Methods -> Network Discovery.
4.
Active Directory User Discovery
The Active Directory User Discovery
is used to discover users in the Active Directory You are able to configure the
discovery only to look into one or more definable OUs or a complete domain,
search into child containers and discover object within Active Directory groups
like shown in the figure beneath.
Limit the scope of discovery
You are able to configure the full
discovery polling schedule to occur every period of time (minutes, hours, days,
weekly, monthly) and you are able to configure a delta discovery every X number
of minutes. Delta discovery finds resources in the Active Directory that are
new or modified since the last full discovery cycle.
Besides the default attributes, you
are able to add attributes that need to be discovered.
Add attributes to the scope of
discovered attributes
Active Directory User Discovery can
be configured on Central Administration Sites and Primary Sites.
To enable the discovery of Active
Directory Users you need to configure this option in Administration ->
Overview -> Site Hierarchy -> Discovery Methods -> Active Directory
User Discovery.
5.
Active Directory System Discovery
The Active Directory System
Discovery has the same discovery options regarding OUs, scheduling and adding
attributes that needs to be discovered. Two new and very welcome options are
that you now can define that the discovery method only must discover computers
that have logged on to a domain in a given period of time and that the
discovery method only must discover computers that have updated their computer
password in a given period of time. This way you won’t discover obsolete
computer accounts from the Active Directory.
Exclude "obsolete"
computers
Active Directory System Discovery
can be configured on Central Administration Sites and Primary Sites.
To enable the discovery of Active
Directory Systems you need to configure this option in Administration ->
Overview -> Site Hierarchy -> Discovery Methods -> Active Directory
System Discovery.
6.
Active Directory Group Discovery
The old Configuration Manager 2007
System Group and User Group discovery are merged to one discovery method, which
is called Active Directory Group Discovery. Besides merging the methods,
Configuration Manager will now also remove devices or users from collections
that are for instance removed from an Active Directory Group. You are able to
discover Groups via a definable Location (OU or domain) or via definable Groups
that are available in the Active Directory domain.
Configure group discovery
Also with the Active Directory Group
Discovery you are able to configure the “Time since last logon” and “Time
since last password update” options. You are also able to discover the
membership of distribution groups.
Exclude "obsolete"
computers and discover membership of distribution groups
Active Directory Group Discovery can
be configured on Central Administration Sites and Primary Sites.
To enable the discovery of Active
Directory Groups you need to configure this option in Administration ->
Overview -> Site Hierarchy -> Discovery Methods -> Active Directory
Group Discovery.
With all these discovery methods you
are able to gather the resources that you want to manage in your Configuration
Manager sites. Try to limit the resources that you want to discover to those
you need for Configuration Manager 2012.
