Asset Scan FAQs

 

FAQs related to UEM integration

ServiceDesk Plus takes advantage of more secured and powerful agents from ME Endpoint Central for scan, remote control*, automatic agent upgrade and to fetch warranty info and it doesn't require any additional license to be purchased.

* Remote control is available for free for customers who have been using SDP before version 11.3 and
available as add on for new customers.

 

UEM agent is used for asset discovery in SDP. UEM is free for 25 devices.

Irrespective of the license purchase of UEM, the agent will continue to do asset discovery in SDP.
 

For asset discovery in SDP, UEM installation is required. UEM will revert to a free edition after a 30-day trial.

As of now, you cannot install two UM agents in one machine, as it will create a conflict. From version 14000, we support integration with other UEM products like Patchmanager Plus. You can now download the PMP agent from SDP after integration. Please write to support@servicedeskplus.com for more
assistance.

Endpoint Central gets installed as a trial version (for 30 days). During this period you can explore full-blown UM features. However, at the end of this 30-day period, it automatically gets converted to a free edition and you do not have to do anything from your side. The features mentioned below will continue to work for all assets managed in SDP.

  1. Agent-based Scan for scanning Windows, Mac and Linux machines
  2. Remote control for Windows, Mac, and Linux machines •
  3. Warranty information for devices
  4. Auto upgrade of agents to newer versions
  5. Remote control is available for free for customers who have been using SDP before version 11.3 and
  6. available as add on for new customers.

Endpoint Central server is another application from ManageEngine. While upgrading SDP to later versions, a few upgrades might require Endpoint Central also to be upgraded in order to be compatible. In such cases, a message post-upgrade will be displayed on the top banner in SDP, that Endpoint Central also has to be upgraded with a compatible build number and the service pack. This upgrade has to be performed manually.
 

An asset can be scanned only once every 30 mins from the ServiceDesk Plus application. The resources will be locked for the next 30 mins. If there is a change in the client machine like software installation/uninstallation, the agent itself will automatically scan and send the data to the server every 12 mins.

Yes, you can scan the VMs and get the complete details by installing Endpoint Central agents in the respective Operating Systems (Linux and Windows agents).

For performing scan and remote control* on SDP managed assets, you do not have to purchase additional technician licenses in Endpoint Central. However, you may need it if you have Endpoint Central purchased separately and want the UM features (software install/uninstall, remote control, etc.) to be done by Endpoint Central technicians.

* Remote control is available for free for customers who have been using SDP before version 11.3 and available as an add-on for new customers.

Scan Related FAQs

1) How to perform a domain scan in ServiceDesk Plus

When you install and start ServiceDesk Plus for the first time, it detects all the domains in your network and the neighboring network of the server on which it is installed. Click Admin >> Windows Domain Scan to list all the domains. You can also enter the domain controller information, login name and password of the domain you want to scan. The login name and password should be a domain admin login name and password. ServiceDesk Plus uses DesktopCentral agents from BUILD NO 11300 for scanning Windows machines.  The agent-based scan is made mandatory from this build 11300 onwards.

Refer to the below links for more details. 

DC for agent-based scan

Windows domain scan

 

2) What are the various scanning methods supported by ServiceDesk Plus?

Please refer to this link to know about the various scanning methods:

 

3)What are the devices that can be scanned by ServiceDesk Plus?

With ServiceDesk Plus, you can scan domains and networks that are part of your enterprise. This includes Windows, Linux, MAC, Solaris, HPUX, AIX machines, VMWare, Hyper V devices, Cisco IP phones, and other SNMP-supported devices like printers, routers, switches, etc.

Note: Desktop Central Agents are mandatory for scanning Windows, Linux, and Mac machines from build 11300.

Windows domain Scan

Network Scan:

DC for Agent-based scan:

 

 

4) What are the ports used by ServiceDesk Plus for scanning devices

 

Please refer to the following link for details on the ports used:

Ports used during scan.

 

5) How to configure ServiceDesk Plus to perform automatic asset scan

 

You can schedule periodic scanning of your network, enable regular cleanup of scanned information, and set the re-scan interval for scanning workstation under Admin >> Schedule Scan Or you can also configure the scan schedule under the Assets tab.

Schedule Scan

 

6) How to scan WAN environments or What is the purpose of a distributed asset scan? 

 

Please refer to the following link for more details on scanning WAN environment and distributed asset scan. 

 

Scanning WAN environment

 

 

7) How to track machines that are not connected through VPN.

Refer to the following link to know more.

Scanning Roaming User devices.

 

8) How to scan new workstations added to a network without performing a complete domain/network scan.

You have two options to scan new workstations, without performing a complete domain/network scan.

Individual device Scan (https://help.servicedeskplus.com/configurations/discovery/workstation_device_scan.html)

You can have ServiceDesk Plus look for new workstations added to the network every specified number of days automatically. Click Admin tab -> Audit Settings -> Enable "Check for newly added workstations and specify the number of days interval in which ServiceDesk Plus should look for new workstations".

Schedule Scan

 

9)How does ServiceDesk Plus identify the uniqueness of the workstation?

Refer to the following link for more details.

Identifying uniqueness of workstation

 

FAQs on Agent-Based Scan 

 

1) How does an agent-based scan work?

 

Please refer to this page for more details.

 

2) What are the OS supported in the agent-based scan?

The following Windows OS versions are supported:

Windows 10

Windows 8.1

Windows 8

Windows 7

Windows Vista

Windows XP* (*Conditional Support)

The following Windows Server OS versions are supported:

Windows server 2019

Windows server 2016

Windows server 2012 R2

Windows server 2012

Windows server 2008 R2

Windows server 2008

Windows server 2003* (*Conditional Support)

 

The following Linux versions are supported:

Ubuntu 10.04 and later versions

RedHat Enterprise Linux 6 and later versions

CentOS 6 and later versions

Fedora  19 and later versions

Mandriva 2010  and later versions

Debian 7 and later versions

Linux Mint 13 and later versions

Open SuSe 11 and later versions

Suse Enterprise Linux 11 and later versions

Pardus 17, and 19

Oracle Linux Server 6, 7, and 8

kernel versions supported above 2.6.33

 

The following Mac versions are supported:

10.7 Lion

10.8 Mountain Lion

10.9 Mavericks

10.10 Yosemite

10.11 El Capitan

10.12 Sierra

10.13 High Sierra

10.14 Mojave

10.15 Catalina

11.0 Big Sur

 

3) From which build, the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agent will be used for agent scan?

 

Build No 11300

 

4) What are the advantages of moving to the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agents?

 

Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) Agents are from Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central), which is a complete and robust unified endpoint management tool for Windows, Linux, and macOS computers. ServiceDesk Plus asset scanning functionality benefits by leveraging the effective and powerful Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) Agent. There are specific agents for scanning Windows, Linux and macOS devices and these agents fetch complete hardware details during the scan while maintaining the uniformity of data fetched across Windows, Linux, and Mac machines.

 

5) Should the backup-restore operations be performed separately for Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central)?

 

Yes. It is recommended to take a backup of Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) and please refer to the link for more details.

 

6) Will there be any change in the license for the existing customers who deploy Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agents for scanning?   

No, there will not be any changes for the existing customers who deploy Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agents for scanning in license from build 11300.

 

7) With SDP and Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) integrated, what will happen if the number of nodes purchased in Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) is lesser than SDP?

New customers of SDP/AE from build no 11300 will have inventory and warranty features served from Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) for all SDP/AE nodes. However, for features like remote control, chat, announcement (supported in SDP only), Wake-on-LAN, system manager an add-on license has to be purchased. Once the add-on license is purchased, these features will be supported for the number of nodes purchased in the add-on. 

 

All existing SDP/AE customers with a Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) integration enabled already (before build 11300) will have inventory, warranty, and remote control features served from Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) for all SDP/AE nodes. So, if the number of nodes purchased in SDP/AE is higher than the nodes in Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central), inventory, warranty, and remote control features will be supported for all SDP/AE nodes. Other Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) features like Wake-on-LAN, system manager, announcement(in SDP only), chat, system tools, remote shutdown (which includes shut down, restart, hibernate, standby, and lock computers) would work for nodes purchased in Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central).

 

All existing SDP/AE customers without Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) integration will have inventory, warranty, and remote control features served from Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) for all SDP nodes. For features including chat, announcement (supported in SDP only), Wake-on-LAN, system manager, an add-on license has to be purchased. Once the add on license is purchased, these features will be supported for the nodes purchased in the add on license.

 

 

8) What will be the SDP technician's role in Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central)?

Technicians with asset view permission or AE RemoteControl role will be added in Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) with the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) Admin role. When such technicians are deleted in SDP, they would be deleted in Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) too.

 

9) What happens if an asset that is managed both in SDP and Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) is deleted in SDP?

Assets in Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) are managed for both SDP & SDP+Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) functionality. Therefore if an asset that is deleted in SDP does not have any Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) functionality, then it will get deleted in Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) too. The agent installed in the client machines will get uninstalled. But if the asset which is deleted in SDP does have a Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) functionality, then it will not be deleted in Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) and such assets would be added under the exclude list in SDP. 

 

10) Will the agentless scan be supported?   

 

No, the agentless scan will not be supported anymore. We strongly recommend not to use an agentless scan. However, if you still want to use the agentless scan, you can use Scan Scripts (Not recommended by us). Agentless Scan.

 

11) I'm new to ServiceDesk Plus. How do I deploy an agent for scan?

 

Based on your user type, you can follow the respective links below to learn about agent deployment.

 

Deploying DC agents for fresh ServiceDesk installations 

Deploying DC agents in SDP without prior DC integration 

Deploying DC agent in SDP with prior DC integration

 

 

12) I have Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) already running in my environment. How do I integrate ServiceDesk Plus for scanning?

Refer to this link for more details.

 

13) What are the prerequisites for Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) installation for scan?

 

Refer to this link for more details.

 

 

14) What are the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) Agent features?

 

Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) Agent Features:

Agent-based inventory of Windows, Mac, and Linux machines

Warranty information of devices

Remote control *

Chat *

Wake-on-LAN *

Announcement (supported for SDP and not supported in AE) *

System manager *

Note: Add-on license has to be purchased for features marked with (*).

 

15) What are the ports used for the scan?

Refer to this link for more details.

 

16) How to track user devices that keeps moving around and cannot be recorded in the corporate network

 

Refer to this link for more details. 

 

17) What are the other uses of agents apart from scanning?

 

Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) Agents do come with remote control functionality and add-on tools. Refer to this link for more details. 

 

18) What are the various methods to deploy the agent on Windows machines?

 

You can deploy the agent on a Windows machine using the below-mentioned methods:

Install Windows agents using startup script in ActiveDirectory

Install Windows agents through GPO light weight tool

Install Windows agents for workgroup machines.

Install Windows agents manually

Image a Windows computer with Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agent

For detailed information, refer to this link

 

19) What are the various methods to deploy the agent on Linux machines?

 

You can deploy the agent on a Linux machine using the following methods:

Install Linux agent using Linux agent installation tool

Install Linux agent manually

Image a Linux computer with Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agent

 

For detailed information, refer to this link

 

20) What are the various methods to deploy the agent on Mac machines?

You can deploy the agent on a Linux machine using the following methods:

Install Mac agents using Mac agent installation script

Install Mac agent manually

Image a Mac computer with Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agent

For detailed information, refer to this link. 

 

 

21) How can I image a Windows/Linux/Mac computer with Desktop Central Agent on it?     

Refer to the links mentioned below

How to image a Windows computer with Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agent

How to image a Linux computer with Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agent 

How to image a Mac computer with Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agent 

 

 

22) How to deploy the agent on a non-windows server

 

If ServiceDesk Plus is installed on a Non - Windows server like Linux, then Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) has to be installed manually in another Windows machine (as currently Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) supports windows OS only). This Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) installation has to be integrated with SDP under Admin >> Integrations >> Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central). Once integrated, the agent deployment can be done from Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) installation, and refer to the links below for more details.

 

Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) for agent-based scan

Deploying Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agent for fresh SDP installation 

Deploying Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agent in SDP without prior EC integration 

Deploying Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agent in SDP with prior EC integration 

 

23) How to change the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) database from Postgres to MSSQL

 

By default, the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) gets installed with a bundled PGSQL database. However, Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) also supports MSSQL. Please check here for MSSQL versions supported by Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central). Click here for detailed instructions for moving Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) to a MSSQL database.

 

24) How to upgrade the agent

 

The agent will get updated automatically by the application as soon as a new agent gets released.

 

25) How to uninstall the agent

 

Refer to the links mentioned below for more details.

 

Uninstalling Windows Agent 

Uninstalling Linux Agent

Uninstalling Mac Agent 

 

 

 

26) How to configure NAT settings 

 

The NAT settings let you specify the public IP Address to which the requests/data from the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) Agents will be sent. The requests get translated at your router to reach the Desktop Central Server.

To configure the NAT Settings, follow the steps below:

Go to Admin >> Agent Configuration.

Specify the Public IP Address, and click Save.

Note:

This step is not required if the computer where the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) Server is

installed is directly accessible via the internet.

 

27) How to update the server IP and ports in the agent if they are changed?

 

Refer to this link for more details. 

 

28) What should I do with the SDP/AE remote servers?  

 

Refer to this link for more details. 

 

29) What if the number of technicians in SDP and Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) is different?

 

Even if the number of technicians is lesser in Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) than in SDP, all the SDP technicians would be allowed to perform agent-related functionalities such as inventory, remote control, system manager, etc from within SDP.

 

 

30) Is agent-server communication secured?

Yes

 

31) Should Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) be upgraded separately for subsequent service packs?

 

While upgrading SDP/AE to later versions, few upgrades might require Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) also to be upgraded in order to be compatible. In such cases, post-upgrade a message would be displayed on the top banner in SDP/AE, that Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) also has to be upgraded with the compatible build number and the service pack link. This upgrade has to be performed manually

 

32) Should backup-restore for Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) be performed separately?

 

If Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) is downloaded and installed within SDP for inventory, remote control, and tools functionality in a Windows server, the backup and restore for Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) has to be performed separately. Please refer to this link for the steps to be followed.

 

Backup, upgrade & installation FAQ:

 

1. Should the backup-restore operations be done for Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) separately?

 

Yes. It is recommended to take a backup of Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) and please refer to this link for more details.

 

 

2. If the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) is installed only for scan purposes will the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) services be automatically started/stopped along with SDP?

Yes, the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) service will automatically start and stop whenever the SDP/AE service starts or stops. 

 

Upgrading SDP:

 

1. Should Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) be upgraded separately for subsequent service packs?

 

While upgrading SDP/AE to later versions, few upgrades might require Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) also to be upgraded in order to be compatible. In such cases, post-upgrade a message would be displayed on the top banner in SDP/AE, that Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) also has to be upgraded with the compatible build number and the service pack link. This upgrade has to be performed manually

 

2. How to upgrade the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) agent

 

The agent will get updated automatically by the application as soon as a new agent gets released.

 

Linux

 

1. Is it possible to scan devices if ServiceDesk Plus is installed on a Linux machine?

If ServiceDesk Plus is installed in a Non - Windows server like say, Linux, then Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) has to be installed manually in another Windows machine (as currently, DC supports Windows OS only). This Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) installation has to be integrated with SDP under Admin >> Integrations >> Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central). Once integrated, agent deployment can be done from Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) installation, and refer to this link below for more details.

 

Database:

1. How to change the Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) database from Postgres to MSSQL?

By default, Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) gets installed with bundled PGSQL. Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) also supports MSSQL. Please check here for MSSQL versions supported by Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central).

 

Click here for detailed instructions for moving Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) to MSSQL.

 

HTTPS and SSL Support for SDP:

 

1. Will DC be installed in HTTPS mode?

 

By default, Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) will be installed in both  HTTP and HTTPS mode. But when Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) is integrated with SDP, it uses HTTP mode. However, Endpoint Central (formerly Desktop Central) can be changed to the HTTPS mode . 

Refer to this link for more details.

 

Bandwidth, CPU, and Memory consumption during Scan

 

1. What are the expected Bandwidth, CPU, and Memory consumption during asset scan?

All the data below is predicted from a single agent machine. Disk space will be consumed up to 1GB (approximately) from the agent installed drive.

 

Agent Process

Running application name

Bandwidth consumption(approximately)

CPU consumption(approximately)

Memory (RAM) consumption (approximately)

At Agent Idle state

dcagentservice.exedcondemand.exedcagenttrayicon.exe(Running separate application for each logged-in user)(For windows andMac)[ Above 3 are ever-running processes ]

1 Kbps

0-2%

11 MB

Applying
configuration
(90 mins once)
dcconfig.exe 5 KB (Will be
varied based on
configuration.
i.e., If there is any
files uploaded in
the deployed
configuration,
Uploaded file
size will be added
in the bandwidth
consumption)
0-2% 6 - 50 MB (Will
be based on the
number of
configurations
applied at the
current refresh
policy)

Refresh policy(90 mins once -without any deployment)

dcconfig.exe

4KB

0-2%

6MB

Inventory scan(At Scheduled time in server)

dcinventory.exe

2MB

17-20%

14MB

Patch Scan (When applying patch tasks) dcpatchscan.exe 13 MB (This is
for the initial patch
scan. From the
next scan, it
will be done with
the local files
until the patch
DB sync
processed in the
server)
25-30% 60MB
Updating Power Refresh (Once in 3 hours) dcconfig.exe 1KB 0-1% 6MB

Agent Upgrade(Applying PPMand If agentversionchanges)

dcconfig.exe

AgentUpgrader.exe

20MB

2-5%

3MB