Using Network Discovery Architecture

Network Discovery gathers information about devices on your network. The type of resource data you configure Network Discovery to gather depends on how you intend to use the information.

The main uses of Network Discovery data are to:

• Find potential Systems Management Server (SMS) clients.
• Collect resource discovery data so that SMS can perform remote client installations.
• Gather data so that Network Trace can map SMS sites and the connections between SMS primary site servers and other site systems.
• Collect resource information that you can use for collections, reports, and queries.

Like the other discovery methods available in SMS, Network Discovery gathers inventory information about devices on your network. However, Network Discovery is unique because it not only finds computers and operating systems, it also finds network devices such as printers, routers, and bridges. You can use Network Discovery to find any device on your network that has an IP address.

Success with Network Discovery is dependent on proper configuration. This chapter explains the following:

• Configuring Network Discovery
• Inside Network Discovery
• Using SMS Discovery Data in Your Organizations
• Troubleshooting

To benefit the most from the information in this chapter, you should have a thorough understanding of the information contained in Chapter 9, “Discovering Resources and Installing Clients” in the SMS 2.0 Administrator’s Guide.