How to force a hardware and software inventory in SMS 2.0

In Microsoft Systems Management Server 2.0, you can force inventory to be taken on Microsoft Windows 95/98 and Microsoft Windows NT systems running the Systems Management Server client using the following steps:

1. In Control Panel, double-click Systems Management.
2. Click the Components tab.
3. Select Hardware Inventory Agent.
4. Click Start Component.

The following message will appear:The Hardware Inventory Agent will start and take inventory on this client.

Note Taking hardware and software inventory is processor-intensive, so the client may operate more slowly while inventory is taken.

In Systems Management Server 1.x you could force inventory to be taken by running the inventory agent with a /f switch (such as invdos /f or invwin32 /e /f). In Systems Management Server 2.0, Microsoft introduced the Systems Management (Smscfg.cpl) control panel tool to enable you to perform a number of tasks, including forcing both hardware and software inventory.

Another method to force inventory is to use the Inventory Synchronizer tool, InvSync.exe. This tool can be used to send a hardware or software inventory resynchronization request to a Systems Management Server 2.0 client. It is located on the Systems Management Server 2.0 CD-ROM in the \Support\Reskit\Bin subdirectory. More information about the tool can be found in the Tools.htm file located in the \Support\Reskit subdirectory.

The syntax for the tool is as follows:

For example: Note This tool cannot send a resynchronization request to a client that belongs to a child site. The Inventory Synchronizer tool can only be run from a Systems Management Server site server to force inventory for a client that reports directly to the site the tool is executed on.