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Hardware and Software Recognition

Recognition is the process of identifying certain properties and attributes of a hardware device or a software application by leveraging content that is supplied by Content Packs and by publisher data.

Hardware Recognition

  • Discovery Rules. A database containing information on hardware that is available for sale by a wide range of manufacturers. The Discovery Rules Engine determines the device’s operating system, application, device family, and model. Then, Discovery Rules assigns a device type to your device model.

This database is updated monthly and is included in Content Packs. For more information, see the ITOM Marketplace website.

To find more information about viewing Discovery Rules that are installed on your system, see How to View Discovery Rules in JMX.

Software Recognition

  • Software Identification Tags. Universal Discovery supports the ISO/IEC 19770-2 standard. A software identification tag is an XML file that contains identification information about a software product. The tag is installed on a discovery node together with the software product, and it uniquely identifies the software. When tags are captured by Scanners during discovery, the data can be leveraged for improved software asset management and compliance.

    The tag may be created as part of the installation process, or added later for software already installed without tags.

    Software identification tag files must have the .swidtag file extension in order to be recognized by Inventory Discovery tools. You can create installed package rules that can match the information found in the software ID tags.

    For more information, about viewing software identification tags, see Inventory Tools.

  • Software Application Index (SAI). SAI files provided with the Content Pack contain information to identify applications on a discovery node. The library also contains license relationship information that allows Universal Discovery to identify how individual software products are related to a software product suite.

    SAI files can be exported from the Administration > Package Manager, then select SAI. For more information, see How to Export a Package.

    In addition to the standard libraries, Universal Discovery includes several tools that allow you to create your own library extensions in the form of one or more User SAI files that can be applied to the automatic Application Recognition process. For more information, see the section that describes the SAI Editor in Inventory Tools. For more information about teaching applications to improve the Application Recognition process, see Application Teaching.

    The SAI contains information about applications in multiple languages for multiple platforms. SAI files are available as follows:

    Windows

    The following languages are available:

    • English
    • French
    • German
    UNIX

    SAI files are available for the following variant systems:

    • BaseUnix
    • HP-UX
    • AIX
    • Solaris
    Mac Mac OS X

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