Use the Define User Inventory dialog box to create the items you want to manage as user inventory information. The user inventory items are classified into three types according to the entry method used on the client:

• Items requiring entry of a character string, such as the user name
• Items requiring a selection from a predefined list of values, such as the department
• Items for which the user can either select a value from a predefined list or enter directly as a character string

User inventory items can be linked together. You can then choose a selection item for one of those items, and apply that option to the other items when viewing information. For example, if the user inventory items include the department and the section, you can display only the sections that belong to the selected department.

For details about how to create user inventory items, see 3.3.2 Creating user inventory items.

There are two ways to distribute the created user inventory items to the clients:

• Execute a Transfer user inventory schema to client job
• Package the user inventory items and then install the package on the remote clients

If the case of executing a Transfer user inventory schema to client job, you can distribute the user inventory items with some information already entered. You can enter user inventory items that do not require entry by the clients beforehand in the managing server's database in the batch mode. That information is then incorporated into the applicable user inventory items when they are distributed to the clients.

For details about how to enter user inventory information in the managing server's database in the batch mode, see 3.3.5 Entering user inventory information from a CSV file.

A client enters user information using the Software Distribution - Update User Information dialog box. You display this dialog box by choosing the Update User Information icon from the Start menu on the client. You can also specify that this icon is to be displayed automatically at the following times:

• When the client is started after user inventory items have been distributed
• When a Get user inventory information job is executed periodically

To display the Software Distribution - Update User Information dialog box at these times, you must select the following items for the Display the Update User Information dialog box option on the Notification Dialog Box page in the client setup (in the default setting, they are selected):

• At system boot check box
• At periodic execution check box
  

  Figure 3-30 Notification Dialog Box page

  

The client's Software Distribution - Update User Information dialog box always displays the most recent user inventory information that has been acquired. To display the Software Distribution - Update User Information dialog box with no user inventory items displayed, you must re-create the user inventory items.

If you re-create user inventory items, assign names that are different from those of the existing items. If you use the same names, the associated information that was previously entered by the user will be displayed automatically.

You use either of the following jobs to collect a user inventory information:

• Get user inventory information job
• Get system information from client job

(a) Using a Get user inventory information job

If you execute a Get user inventory information job periodically at clients, the Software Distribution - Update User Information dialog box can be set to be displayed at the clients each time the job is executed.

During job creation, you can select the When an end user changes the user inventory information, apply the information to the server immediately check box in the Detailed Scheduling dialog box. With this check box selected, whenever the user inventory is changed at a client, the changes are reported to the managing server. In the Detailed Scheduling dialog box, you can also select the If no information has changed before the job execution, do not apply the information to the server check box. When this check box is selected, all user inventory information is reported to the managing server only the first time the job is executed. Thereafter, all user inventory information is reported only when the user inventory information has changed. Select this check box to reduce the load on the network.

Figure 3-31 Detailed Scheduling dialog box

Thus, you ensure that the user inventory information is always current in the managing server by executing the Get user inventory information job.

(b) Using a Get system information from client job

When you use a Get system information from client job, you collect user inventory information together with the system information.

In a system in which managing servers are in a hierarchical structure, the central manager and relay managers can collect different user inventory items.

In such a case, you create the user inventory items for the central manager separately from those for each relay manager. Once they are created, the items for both the central manager and a relay manager are distributed together to the applicable clients. In the Define User Inventory dialog box used to create user inventory items, you can instruct the relay manager to reference the items collected by the central manager. To have some items be collected by both the central manager and the relay manager, specify them as items managed on higher and local servers.

Figure 3-32 Define User Inventory dialog box

When the Get user inventory information job is executed, all information is reported from the clients; however, only those items intended for the central manager are transferred to it and incorporated into the central manager's relational database. In the central manager's System Configuration, Destination or Directory Information window, you can view only those user inventory information collected by the central manager. Only the items collected by the relay manager and the items managed on higher and local servers are incorporated into the relay manager's relational database.

The following figure shows collection of user inventory information in a system with hierarchical managing servers.

Figure 3-33 Collection of user inventory information in a system with hierarchical managing servers