Total Network Inventory

Total Network Inventory Review

Total Network Inventory (TNI) is a robust and efficient solution for managing IT assets across a network. Designed to simplify the often-complex process of auditing and tracking hardware and software, TNI provides a comprehensive set of tools for IT administrators.

One of TNI's most significant strengths is its agentless scanning capability. This approach eliminates the administrative overhead associated with deploying and managing agents on individual machines. By utilizing standard network protocols like WMI, SSH, and SNMP, TNI can effectively gather detailed information from a diverse range of devices and operating systems, including Windows, macOS, Linux, and FreeBSD. This flexibility makes it suitable for heterogeneous network environments.

Inventory and Auditing Capabilities

TNI excels in its core function of inventory and auditing. The level of detail captured for both hardware and software is impressive. For hardware, administrators can access information on:

• Processors
• Memory modules
• Storage devices (HDDs, SSDs)
• Motherboards
• Network adapters
• Peripheral devices
• And much more...

This detailed hardware inventory is invaluable for capacity planning, troubleshooting, and managing the lifecycle of IT assets. Knowing the exact configuration of each machine allows for informed decisions regarding upgrades, replacements, and resource allocation.

On the software front, TNI provides a comprehensive list of installed applications on each computer. This includes not only the program name and version but often includes installation dates and even license keys where accessible. This data is crucial for:

• Software license management
• Identifying unauthorized software installations
• Ensuring compliance with licensing agreements
• Tracking software usage

The ability to effectively manage software licenses can lead to significant cost savings by identifying over-licensed situations and preventing potential legal issues related to under-licensing.

Reporting and Data Management

TNI offers powerful reporting capabilities. The collected inventory data can be easily filtered, sorted, and grouped to generate custom reports. A variety of built-in reports cover common requirements, such as hardware summaries by department, lists of installed software, license compliance status, and network topology. The ability to export reports in multiple formats (HTML, XML, CSV, XLS) provides flexibility for further analysis or integration with other systems.

The centralized database stores all inventory information, providing a single source of truth for network assets. This central repository simplifies management and provides historical data for tracking changes over time.

Change Tracking

A particularly useful feature is change tracking. TNI records modifications made to the hardware and software configurations of inventoried devices. This historical data is invaluable for:

• Troubleshooting issues that may arise after configuration changes
• Monitoring system stability
• Auditing changes for security or compliance purposes

By tracking changes, administrators can quickly identify what has been modified on a machine, which can significantly reduce the time spent diagnosing problems.

User Interface and Usability

The user interface of Total Network Inventory is intuitive and well-organized. Navigating through the network tree, viewing device details, and generating reports is straightforward. The dashboard provides a quick overview of the network status and key inventory metrics. While the initial setup to configure scanning credentials and ranges requires some technical knowledge, the day-to-day operation and data access are designed for ease of use.

Overall Assessment

Total Network Inventory is a highly effective tool for IT asset management and network inventory. Its agentless approach, comprehensive data collection, robust reporting, and change tracking features make it a valuable asset for organizations looking to gain better visibility and control over their IT infrastructure. While the initial configuration might require some technical expertise, the benefits in terms of simplified management, improved compliance, and informed decision-making are significant. TNI is a solid choice for businesses of varying sizes that need a reliable solution for network inventory and software auditing.