The administrator specifies which software packages to include in the software inventory. All data is passed up through the SMS hierarchy to the central site where the main SMS database is kept. The installation of software using Systems Management Server starts with the collection of inventory information from machines. This hardware and software inventory information is stored in the Systems Management Server database and is used to plan and control the installation process. The system component responsible for hardware inventory collection and reporting is called the Inventory Agent.
Inventory is collected and reported by each client.
By understanding the Inventory Agent's path through the SMS architecture we can understand the whole SMS inventory process. The actual collection process starts at the client machine. This is where the Inventory Agent runs and performs its hardware and software scan. Inventory collection continues at the site server where the inventory information is collected and processed. Novell NetWare and Appletalk.