With System Center Essentials 2010 you can manage Windows-based computers as well as SNMP-enabled devices, such as routers, print servers, and computers running operating systems other than Windows. In Essentials 2010, these managed items are collectively referred to as objects.
 Note |
|---|
| In Essentials, objects are also distributed services, such as e-mail, and sub-components of an object, such as a hard disk. For the purposes of the Essentials documentation, unless stated otherwise, object is used to refer to Windows-based computers, computers running operating systems other than Windows, and network devices. |
Essentials-managed objects are agent-managed computers and network devices.
Agent-Managed Computers
An agent-managed computer is a Windows-based computer that has the Essentials monitoring agent installed. Agent-managed computers and the Essentials management server must be in the same domain or in two-way trusted domains.
There are two methods for installing the Essentials agent on Windows-based computers:
- Discover and deploy the agent from the
Essentials console. For more information, see How to Discover and
Prepare Computers and Devices for Management
- Install the agent with the
Essentials 2010 Setup program.
Network Devices
Network devices are SNMP version 1 or 2 enabled network devices and computers running operating systems other than Windows that are discovered by using the Essentials console. You then assign an Essentials management server or an agent-managed computer to provide remote (proxy) agent functionality for the objects.
While Essentials will monitor most network devices, device manufacturers can create management packs that contain rules and tasks for their specific devices. If the vendor of your devices has not yet created a management pack, you can still configure Essentials to discover hardware devices on your network within a specified range of IP addresses and at the same time determine which protocol version it is using. In addition, you can configure rules and monitors that use SNMP GET to collect data and SNMP SET to run tasks such as resetting the device.