Configuration Manager 2012 discovery identifies computer and user resources that you can manage with Configuration Manager, and it also discovers network infrastructure in your environment. Discovery creates resource records in the Configuration Manager database for each discovered object.
You can use this information to create custom queries and collections that are used to logically group resources for typical management tasks, which include the assignment of custom client settings and software deployments. Computers must be discovered before you can use client push installation to install the Configuration Manager client on devices.
Configuration Manager 2012 has six configurable methods of discovery. With the exception of Heartbeat Discovery, each discovery method can be configured to run on a single site in your hierarchy and the resulting information is shared with other sites.
When a discovery method runs, it creates a discovery data record (DDR) for each resource that it identifies. DDRs are evaluated at primary sites and when a resource represented in the DDR does not exist in the database, the DDR is transferred to central administration site where it is entered into the database to create a new unique resource record. If the resource already exists in the database, the primary site that evaluates the DDR will process the DDR and update the existing database record. After a DDR is processed, the file is deleted and is not transferred to another site for further processing. Regardless of where in the hierarchy a discovery method runs, the resulting discovery information is available at each site in the hierarchy.
To discover resources, you must run at least one discovery method. Some discovery methods do not discover new resources, but provide additional information for previously discovered resources, or update existing records in the Configuration Manager database.
You can use the following discovery methods in Configuration Manager 2012:
- Active Directory Forest Discovery
- Active Directory System Discovery
- Active Directory User Discovery
- Active Directory Group Discovery
- Heartbeat Discovery
- Network Discovery
Use the following sections to help you plan for Discovery in Configuration Manager 2012:
- About
Discovery Methods in Configuration Manager 2012
- Active
Directory Discovery Methods
- Heartbeat
Discovery
- Network
Discovery
What’s New in Configuration Manager 2012
Configuration Manager 2012 introduces the following changes for discovery:
- Each discovery data record is processed one
time only at a site and then the discovery data record is deleted
without forwarding the DDR to a parent site.
- Discovery information entered into the
database at one site is shared to each site in the hierarchy by
using Configuration Manager database replication.
- Active Directory Forest Discovery is a new
discovery method that can discover subnets and Active Directory
sites and add them as boundaries for your hierarchy.
About Discovery Methods in Configuration Manager 2012
Use the following table to help you plan for each discovery method.
| Discovery Method | Enabled by Default | Accounts that Runs Discovery | More Information |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Active Directory Forest Discovery |
No |
Active Directory Forest Discovery account, or the computer account of the site server |
|
|
Active Directory System Discovery1 |
No |
Active Directory System Discovery account, or the computer account of the site server |
|
|
Active Directory User Discovery1 |
No |
Active Directory User Discovery account, or the computer account of the site server |
|
|
Active Directory Group Discovery1 |
No |
Active Directory Group Discovery account, or the computer ccount of the site server |
|
|
Heartbeat Discovery |
Yes |
Computer account of the client |
|
|
Network Discovery |
No |
Computer account of the site server |
|
1 This discovery method supports Active Directory Delta Discovery.
All configurable discovery methods support a schedule for when discovery runs. With the exception of Heartbeat Discovery, you can configure each method to search specific locations for resources to add to the Configuration Manager database.
Heartbeat discovery is the only discovery method that is enabled by default and it should not be disabled. Heartbeat discovery is used to help to maintain the database record of Configuration Manager clients.
Active Directory Discovery Methods
Configuration Manager 2012 Active Directory discovery methods can discover Active Directory sites, subnets, users, and computers that are stored in Active Directory Domain Services. To discover information from Active Directory, Configuration Manager requires access to the Active Directory locations that you specify and will use the computer account of the site server that runs the Active Directory discovery method. Or, you can specify a Windows account to run any Active Directory discovery method.
When any of the four Active Directory discovery methods run, Configuration Manager contacts the nearest domain controller in the Active Directory forest to locate Active Directory resources. The domain and forest can be in any supported Active Directory mode, and the account that runs the discovery method must have Read access to the specified Active Directory containers. During discovery, the discovery method searches the specified locations for objects and then collects information about the object.
With the exception of Forest Discovery, all the Active Directory discovery methods support Delta Discovery.
About Active Directory Delta Discovery
Active Directory Delta Discovery is not an independent discovery method but a configuration option available for each Active Directory discovery methods except Forest Discovery. Configuration Manager 2012 can use Delta Discovery to search Active Directory for specific attributes that have changed since the last full Active Directory discovery cycle. You can configure a short interval for Delta Discovery to search for new resources because discovering only new resources does not affect the performance of the site server as much as a full discovery cycle does.
Delta Discovery can detect the following new resource types:
- Computer objects
- User objects
- Security group objects
- System group objects
DDRs for objects discovered by Delta Discovery are processed similarly to the DDRs that are created by a full discovery cycle.
Heartbeat Discovery
Heartbeat Discovery differs from other Configuration Manager 2012 discovery methods. It is enabled by default and runs on each client instead of being run by a site server. Heartbeat Discovery runs either on a scheduled configured for all clients in the hierarchy, or when manually invoked on a specific client by running the Discovery Data Collection Cycle on the Action tab of a client’s Configuration Manager program. When heartbeat discovery runs it creates a heartbeat discovery data record (DDR) that contains the client’s current information including network location, NetBIOS name and operational status details. This is a small file, about 1kb in size, which is copied to a management point and then processed by a primary site. The submission of a heartbeat DDR can maintain an active client’s record in the database, and also force discovery of an active client that might have been removed from the database, or that has been manually installed and not discovered by another discovery method.
.gif) Note |
|---|
| Heartbeat Discovery is the only discovery method that provides details about the client installation status by updating a system resource client attribute with the value Yes. To send the heartbeat discovery record, the client computer must be able to contact a management point. |
The default schedule for Heartbeat Discovery is set to every 7 days. If you change the heartbeat discovery interval, ensure that it runs more frequently than the site maintenance task Delete Aged Discovery Data, which deletes inactive client records from the site database. You can configure The Delete Aged Discovery Data task only for primary sites.
Heartbeat discovery actions are recorded on the client in the InventoryAgent.log in the %Windir%\CCM\Logs folder.