Using Inventory

In this lab we will learn how to use the Inventory Application as a user with Administrator rights.

AI Powered Auto-curation seen as an Administrator

We will now look at the effect of the AI Powered Auto-curation has on software records

Basic Summary Screen

1ETRNW72



Log onto 1ETRNW72 as 1ETRN\Manager1


Open the Tachyon Portal in Chrome (if not already open)


Click Switch App and choose Inventory


Click on SLA Inventory


Once the initial curation completes, click on Basic Summary in the left menu




The Summary table now includes software records curated by AI. The first column in the table shows the total Records Collected. The next three columns represent direct catalog matches, AI assisted matches and records that remain non-normalized. You can explore these by clicking on the links in the brackets.

  • Normalized Records-Direct Catalog Matches (Distinct Products) - corresponds to software records identified using existing rules in the 1E Catalog. Exploring these will show you the normalized entries with enriched data regarding licensability, end-of-support date etc.
  • Normalized Records-AI Assisted Matches (Distinct Products) - the software records the AI automatically extracted and normalized. The AI recognises the vendor, title, version and edition and normalizes them. Every record identified by the AI is looked at by the 1E Catalog team and enriched with data regarding licensability, end-of-support date etc.
  • Non-Normalized Records (With AI Suggestions) - displays a screen to assist in manually normalizing important software.


AI Suggestions for Non-Normalized Records (With AI Suggestions)

The AI makes predictions for all source data. Predictions with a confidence score below the set threshold. These predictions might still be accurate or quite close to accurate, so the task of manually adding rules to the Catalog becomes much easier.



The predictions are displayed on the AI Suggestions screen.


Click on the (x) link in the Basic Summary screen (in the Non-Normalized Records (With AI Suggestions) column).





This displays the Unidentified Software Records screen:


This screen has the following elements:

Overview 

Shows a count of distinct software records to be identified, so you can keep track of progress.

  • AI predicted - records the AI was unable to identify, but was able to provide suggestions
  • AI predicted and partially matched - where the vendor or title was identified through previous knowledge from the 1E Catalog, these records have a default high confidence score
  • Cannot be identified - these records have insufficient information to recognize the software or make a prediction.
  • Clear All Filters - show all records

Filter

Filters by application type.

  • Show only Secondary Applications - filters to only secondary applications
  • Newly discovered  (Last 30 days) - filters to applications discovered within the last 30 days
  • New to Catalog - filters to applications that are either new vendors or titles previously unknown to the 1E Catalog
  • Exclude Secondary Apps - removes any applications considered secondary, like updates, hot fixes or language packs.

AI Prediction Confidence 
Confidence scores for predictions are divided into three equal parts below the threshold. High, Medium and Low confidence relate to the ease at which the AI engine suggestions can be manually reviewed and added as rules.





FILTER BY 
Use this to add conditional filters for various fields on the Suggestions Table,


Click on the Plus sign next to filter by and enter:
"Vendor Contains Micro" to return results based on Microsoft as a software vendor.




Suggestions Table 
Each row on this table corresponds to a distinct set of software records. There are four values and a number of actions to perform for each distinct record. The values are:

  • Install Count - the total number of records found with the same source data across the estate
  • Source Data - ARP data extracted into Title, Version, Vendor, Edition, Colloquial Version and Licensable fields
  • AI Prediction - the AI suggestion after attempting to extract Title, Version, Vendor, Edition, Colloquial Version and Licensable fields from source data, Licensability is set to a default of No on the suggestions table, this can be edited before adding
  • Confidence- abstracted to high, medium or low based on the exact numeric value for prediction confidence, these confidences values will always be lower than the threshold required to automatically normalize records.


Take Action on Unidentified Software Records

The Actions you can take on each record are:

  • Add - adds the suggestion directly to the catalog, once the rule is added, the software record in context will appear normalized from the next sync onwards
  • Edit - allows you to edit the software record before adding to the catalog
  • Exclude - you can exclude a software record, to remove it from a normalization requirement, this also reduces the count of software left to identify - these excluded records will still appear on the same screen, tagged as excluded.

You can explore these records to see what the AI has curated by clicking on the related links in the Basic Summary Report.

We have also introduced a new screen for AI suggestions for any software records that remain non-normalized. This is a replacement for the Best Match Screen which allowed you to add rules.


Edit/Add a Suggestion to the Catalog



Filter the Unidentified Software Records to show software where the vendor is Microsoft


Scroll to find the software with the title: Administrative Templates (ADMX) for Windows 10 and Windows Server Click Edit





In the displayed screen (shown right), accept the suggestions and click Add to Catalog




Note the Options have now changed from Add, Edit to Added, Edit


Exclude a Suggestion from the Catalog



Remove the previous filter on Unidentified Software Records and add a filter to find software where the Title contains Mail


Scroll to find the software with the title: hMailServer 5.4.2-B1964 Click Exclude


Note the Options have now changed from Add, Edit and Exclude to Add, Edit and Include



The Inventory screens seen as an Inventory Administrator

Now that we have seen what a Viewer can see we will see how it differs for an Administrator.

Software Inventory - Dashboard screen as an Administrator

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Log onto 1ETRNW72 as 1ETRN\Manager1


Open the Tachyon Portal in Chrome (if not already open)


Click Switch App and choose Inventory


The page should open on Software Inventory - Dashboard  if it has not navigate there


The screen has the same fields as the viewer saw, and the drop lists have the same effect, select the options to confirm if you desire


Software Inventory - Aggregate screen as an Administrator


Navigate to Software Inventory - Aggregate


The screen has the same fields as the viewer saw, and the drop lists have the same effect, select the options to confirm if you desire


The difference is the Export button is now enabled, click on this.


The Export popup opens. You can choose which columns to export in the same way you can choose columns to display in the main report panel. Choose all columns


The report is exported in a .TSV format, for example AggregatedSoftwareInventory_20200813095415.tsv, on the downloaded file click view in folder, and right click to open with notepad++


Review the data exported, choose a title and confirm that the data matches that displayed on screen (the downloaded file exports in Vendor order descending)


Once reviewed, close the file


Software Inventory - Product Usage screen as an Administrator


Navigate to Software Inventory - Product Usage


The screen has the same fields as the viewer saw, and the drop lists have the same effect, select the options to confirm if you desire


The difference is the Export button is now enabled, click on this.


The Export popup opens. You can choose which columns to export in the same way you can choose columns to display in the main report panel. Choose all columns


The report is exported in a .TSV format, for example InventoryProductUsage_20200813102621.tsv, on the downloaded file click view in folder, and right click to open with notepad++


Review the data exported, choose a title and confirm that the data matches that displayed on screen (the downloaded file exports in Vendor order descending)


Once reviewed, close the file


Hardware - Hardware Inventory screen as an Administrator


Click on Hardware - Hardware Inventory


The screen has the same fields as the viewer saw, and the drop lists have the same effect, select the options to confirm if you desire


The difference is the Export button is now enabled, click on this.


The report is exported in a .TSV format, for example HardwareInventory_20200813111828.tsv, on the downloaded file click view in folder, and right click to open with notepad++


Review the data exported, choose a title and confirm that the data matches that displayed on screen (the downloaded file exports in Vendor order descending)


Once reviewed, close the file


Hardware - Virtual Summary Screen as an Administrator


Navigate to Hardware - Virtual Summary the screen on the right is displayed


The screen has the same fields as the viewer saw, and the drop lists have the same effect, select the options to confirm if you desire, there is no difference between a user and an administrator


Hardware - Device Screen as an Administrator


Navigate to Hardware - Device the screen will be blank


Enter 1ETRNW101 in the Search device box at the top of the screen and when the machine name resolves select this, the Devices screen then populates, all the fields are as the viewer saw


Observe the Installed Software - Matched tab the Export button is now enabled, click on this.


The report is exported in a .TSV format, for example MatchedSoftware_20200813111828.tsv, on the downloaded file click view in folder, and right click to open with notepad++


Review the data exported, choose a title and confirm that the data matches that displayed on screen (the downloaded file exports in Vendor order descending)


Once reviewed, close the file


Navigate to the Installed Software - Unmatched tab


Note the Export button is enabled click on this, 


The report is exported in a .TSV format, for example UnmatchedSoftware_20200813111828.tsv, on the downloaded file click view in folder, and right click to open with notepad++


There is no data at this time we have not linked any apps


Once reviewed, close the file


The Link apps button is enabled we will look at that functionality later


Manage Associations Screen as an Administrator

CM to Product Screen


Navigate to Manage Associations - CM to Product the screen will be blank on the left under the Page title, CM to Product is underlined and on the right there are three options Associations, All records and No Associations, All records is selected, Note the number of records


Note Add/Edit Association is disabled


Select No Associations, and confirm the number of records is equal to that seen on the All records option





Select Microsoft Project 2010 via the check box to the left and then note that the Add/Edit Association button is enabled, Click this, and observe the screen to the right opens





In the Vendor field type Microsoft, when the search resolves select Microsoft Corporation


In the Title field type Project and select this when the search resolves


Choose 2010 in the version field


Search for and select Standard in the Edition field


Click Save, Click < CM to Product


Now choose the Associations tab, and confirm that Microsoft Project 2010 is now listed


Confirm that the value for All records is one more than that for No Associations


Associate another product of your choice, once you have saved, do not return to the CM to Product screen.


Select the record you just added, and click Edit


The record will now appear in the upper section of the page, amend the version number and click Save


Confirm the amendment is shown. And navigate back to < CM to Product and Associations


Confirm the new product is listed, and select it. Click Add/Edit Associations


In the bottom half of the screen, select the title and click Delete click delete on the popup window, confirm no data is now displayed


And navigate back to < CM to Product and Associations


Confirm the title is no longer listed


Product to CM Screen


Navigate to Manage Associations - Product to CM, Product to CM is underlined and on the right there are three options Associations, All records and No Associations, All records is selected, Note the number of records


Note there are three buttons all are disabled:
Add Association
Edit Association
Remove Association


Select No Associations, and confirm the number of records is equal to that seen on the All records option


Sort the vendor field Ascending, and select Adobe Systems Incorporated, and click on Add Association





The screen will display as shown on the right





In the Search for a CM Application or Package field type Adobe, and when it resolves to Adobe Reader 9 select it


In the lower half of the screen, select Adobe Systems Incorporated and click Save





The message on the right will be displayed briefly





Navigate back to < Product to CM


Then click on Associations, and confirm the newly created Association is listed


Repeat the above for another Application of your choice


Two applications now have Associations to CM Applications


Review the Associations as a Viewer

Now that there are some Associations between Product and CM and CM and Product, we will review what the Viewer user can see

1ETRNW101



Log onto 1ETRNW101 as 1ETRN\User


Open the Tachyon Portal in Chrome (if not already open)


Navigate to Manage Associations - CM to Product, and open the Associations tab


Confirm that the 3 Applications we have created associations for are listed


Select one of the three using the check box to the left and confirm that the Add/Edit Association button remains disabled





Notice that each of the names is a link, click on one and observe the information displayed, which is the detailed information from the Application an example is shown on the right. Once reviewed close the pop up





Navigate to Manage Associations - Product to CM, and open the Associations tab


Confirm that the 2 Applications we have created associations for are listed


Select one of them using the check box to the left and confirm that the Add/Edit Association button remains disabled



Amend and Delete Associations

Having created Associations, and viewed them we will now amend and delete them

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Return to 1ETRNW72 as 1ETRN\Manager1


Navigate back to Product to CM and the Associations tab


Select an entry and note the options that become enabled on the right hand side, Edit Association and Remove Association are now enabled


Click Edit Association


Amend the search to be Adobe Acrobat Reader DC


Check the radio button next to Acrobat Reader in the Selected Products area and click Save


Navigate back to < Product to CM


Then click on Associations, and confirm the amendment made is shown


Select an entry and note the options that become enabled on the right hand side, Edit Association and Remove Association are now enabled


Click Remove Association


Click delete on the pop up window after reading the message


Confirm the Association has been removed



User Summary Screen as an Administrator


Navigate to User Summary, this page shows the same data we looked at as a User 


Note the Export button is enabled click on this, 


The report is exported in a .TSV format, for example InventoryProductUsage_20200813120506.tsv, on the downloaded file click view in folder, and right click to open with notepad++


Once reviewed, close the file


You can also customize which of these fields are displayed on the page by using the Choose Columns control.



Lab Summary

In this lab we looked at the Inventory Application looking at the actions an Administrator can carry out. And associated CM Applications to Products and vice versa.

Next Page

Ex 4 - Tachyon v5.2 - Using - Using Inventory - The Device View