How to limit or prevent software scanning on specific devices or drives.
Description
This article is for LANDesk Administrators that have file servers or other devices where running a full software Inventory scan is utilizing resources and is not necessary. Where a LANDesk agent is used to manage the device but scanning all the software on the entire machine or certain drives is not desired.
Resolution 1
Limit the software scanning by drive or directory.
Doing this will have the following affect:
The Inventory Scanner will still gather Application Suites and OS Updates (from the uninstall key) and the associated installed packages and their usage data (from the registry). Removing items from the [Applications] section of the ldappl3.ini does not have an effect on the end result of the scan when drives are already excluded.
Making this change decreases the inventory scan time but does not completely cut out looking at apps and packages.
Excluding Drives or Directories in the LDAPPL3.INI
1) To exclude a drive or directory from inventory scan, modify the LDAPPL3.INI on the affected client.
C:\Program Files\LANDesk\LDClient\Data\LDAPPL3.INI
2) Page down a couple of times to the [Exclude Folders] section. To exclude drive C from being software scanned add the following ExcludeDir=c:\ as the first line in the section.
3) Or to exclude specific directorys add a line by the following format into the same section ExcludeDir=\LDCLIENT\SDMCACHE\.
9.6 SP1 Update: This can be done in the Managed Software List as shown below:
Modifying the local scheduler tasks and shortcuts
Because the ldappl3.ini is customized on the client, the inventory scanner switches and tasks will need to be modified so it does not download the ldappl3.ini from the core or peers.
1) From a command prompt browse to Drive:\Program Files\LANDesk\LDClient.
2) Once there run the commandlocalsch.exe /tasks |more to find the different tasks that call ldiscn32.exe. Note the handle for the tasks that ldiscn32.exe is called in.
3) Next delete those local scheduler tasks with the following command: localsch.exe /del /taskid=777 (replace 777 with the appropriate task handle(s))
4) Finally add the modified tasks without the /I= switch using the following sample command: LOCALSCH.EXE /taskid=777 /exe="c:\program files\landesk\LDCLIENT\LDIScn32.EXE" /cmd="/NTT=CoreFQDN:5007 /S=CoreFQDN /NOUI" /freq=86400
For more help with local scheduler see Localsch.exe command line parameters
5) After all of the local scheduler tasks have been modified to remove the /I= command line, the same needs to be done for any start menu shortcuts to the Inventory scanner.
Note: The client will now scan according to the changes made above, however if a new ldappl3.ini is copied down, then the changes may be lost. This can happen due to an agent install or running an inventory scan with the /I= switch.
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Resolution 2
Removing software scan all together.
The inventory scanner has a /F- switch that can be used. When this switch is used then the inventory scanner does not do any software scan. It will not pull Application Suites, OS Updates, usage, or packages associated with Application Suites.
If software scanning is not desired however information from the uninstall key is needed then use the /RSS switch after the /F-. This will return the application suites.
The implimentation does not require modification of the ldappl3.ini file.
1) Instead only modify the localscheduler tasks and shortcuts following instructions above but using a command line based on this sample: LOCALSCH.EXE /taskid=777 /exe="c:\program files\landesk\LDCLIENT\LDIScn32.EXE" /cmd="/NTT=CoreFQDN:5007 /S=CoreFQDN /F- /NOUI" /freq=86400
2) After changing the local scheduler tasks, add the /F- to the inventory scanner shortcut.
Note: The client will now scan according to the changes made, however an agent re-install would overwrite these changes.