OCS Inventory is an open-source software tool for inventory management and software deployment. It is designed to help organizations keep track of the hardware and software assets on their network. It also helps automate software deployment. The tool can be used to scan and inventory the hardware and software on Windows, Linux, macOS computers, and mobile devices. The OCS Inventory software consists of two main components. The OCS Inventory NG Agent, which is installed on the client machines, and the OCS Inventory NG Server, which is installed on a central server. In this guide, you will learn how to install and use OCS inventory on Windows
The agent collects information about the hardware and software on the client machine and sends it to the server, where it is stored in a database. The server provides a web-based interface for administrators to view and manage inventory data. Here are other related posts: How to setup Spiceworks for Hardware inventory.  The PA Server Monitor review and product details, Using Awx to deploy, schedule and run playbooks, Cloud Asset Management: How to manage your Cloud Assets in AWS with CloudQuery.
One of the key features of OCS Inventory is its ability to automatically deploy software to client machines. Administrators can create software packages and push them out to specific computers or groups of computers based on various criteria, such as operating system or location. This can save a significant amount of time and effort compared to manually installing software on each individual machine. Another important feature of OCS Inventory is its reporting capabilities. The tool provides a wide range of predefined reports, including information on hardware and software inventory, software deployment, and network configuration. Administrators can also create custom reports to meet specific needs.
Steps on how to install and use OCS inventory on Windows
Installing OCS Inventory on a Windows machine is a straightforward process that involves several steps. In this guide, we will go over the steps required to install and set up the OCS Inventory NG Agent on a Windows computer. Here are some more related guides: How to configure Azure Monitor for VMs on Azure Stack Hub. How To Automate Infrastructure Deployments in the Cloud with Ansible and Azure Pipelines
1: Download the OCS Inventory NG Agent
The first step in installing OCS Inventory on a Windows machine is to download the OCS Inventory NG Agent. Download the agent can from the OCS Inventory website. You are required to input your name and your email, where the links for the download will be sent.
Once the download is complete, extract the files from the archive and save them to a convenient location on the computer.
Step 2: Install the OCS Inventory NG Agent
The next step is to install the OCS Inventory NG Agent on the Windows machine. To do this, double-click on the “OCS-NG-Windows-Agent-Setup.exe” file that you extracted in the previous step.
This will launch the installation wizard.
Click “Next” to begin the installation process.
Step 3: Configure the Agent
During the installation process, you will be prompted to configure the agent. Enter the address of the OCS Inventory NG Server, as well as a unique identifier for the agent.
The identifier can be any string of characters, but it must be unique for each agent on your network.
Step 4: Verify the Agent is Running
The final step is to verify that the OCS Inventory NG Agent is running correctly on the Windows machine. To do this, press (Ctrl+Shift+Esc) keys together to open Task manager and click on the Services tab.
In the Services, look for the “OCS Inventory Service”. Make sure that the service is running, and set it to “Automatic” startup.
Once the OCS Inventory NG Agent is installed and configured on the Windows machine. It will begin collecting hardware and software inventory information and sending it to the OCS Inventory NG Server. To view the OCS inventory information about your system, right-click on the OCS inventory agent icon on the Taskbar and select “Show inventory informations.“
This information can then be used to create reports and manage the software deployment on your network.
In conclusion, installing OCS Inventory on a Windows machine is a simple process that can be completed in a few steps.
Once the agent is installed and configured, it will begin collecting inventory information and sending it to the OCS Inventory NG Server, providing a powerful tool for managing hardware and software assets on your network.