Hardware and Software Inventory Flowcharts

This chapter documents the process flows for the Systems Management Server (SMS) inventory operations performed on the site server. Inventory Data Loader processes hardware inventory information as it arrives at the site server from the clients. When a child site is first attached to its parent site, Inventory Data Loader extracts all client hardware inventory information from the SMS site database, generates MIF files, and passes those MIF files to the parent site server.

Hardware and software inventory resynchronization takes place when bad hardware or software inventory data is received from a client or a child site. This chapter documents the following inventory flowcharts:

• Inventory Data Loader: Normal MIF Processing
• Software Inventory Resync
• Hardware Inventory Resync
• Inventory Data Loader: Attach Site to Parent Site

Before you use the tips and flowcharts in this chapter, you should be familiar with the information presented in these chapters of the SMS 2.0 Administrator’s Guide:

• Chapter 1, “Introducing Systems Management Server 2.0”
• Chapter 10, “Collecting Hardware and Software Inventory”

Before you use the tips and flowcharts in this chapter, you should read the flowchart introductory material in Chapter 16, “Introducing the SMS 2.0 Flowcharts.”