How to Use the WinINSTALL Connector

In order to assist owners of Scalable Software WinINSTALL, Asset Vision has a connector that can be used to leverage a WinINSTALL server to aid in deployment of applications. The purpose of the connector is to give Asset Vision the ability to define and create a "Search Group" within WinINSTALL, based on the results of a list of machines returned and selected in some supported dataviews in Asset Vision. The configuration steps following will also provide an example of the basic functionality.

Add a specific connector

  1. Log in to the Asset Vision UI as an administrator
  2. Click on the Admin tab in the upper right-hand side of the UI.
  3. Click on the Data View Management sub-tab.
  4. In the Search text box on the left-hand side, type "Wininstall". There should now be a listing for the WinINSTALL Connector Config dataview.
  5. Click the WinINSTALL Connector Config dataview entry in the list.
  6. In the Structure (WinINSTALL Connector Config) main window, click Preview, located at the bottom of the window.

In the WinINSTALL Connector Config preview window, click New.

In the WinINSTALL Connector Config Overview window, enter the following information:

  1. Database Server (NETBIOS Hostname of WinINSTALL SQL server).
  2. Database Instance Name (leave blank if using the Default Instance).
  3. Database Name.
  4. Database Port (usually 1433).
  5. Choose the PAD that will control the connector.
  6. Update Throttle (Number of simultaneous database record modifications. Default of 100 is usually sufficient).
  7. Click Apply or Save.

Verify that sufficient credentials for access to the WinINSTALL server exist for the specified PAD.

  1. Navigate to Setup >> Discovery Setup >> Credentials >> Manage.
  2. Verify the existance of Windows credentials in the list that have Admin access to WinINSTALL.

Create WinINSTALL Search Group

Once the WinINSTALL Connector has been properly configured, specific Software Signature dataviews will now have a new button and contextual menu available that will allow a Search Group to be created in WinINSTALL. The following is an example of one way to configure it.

  1. Open the Discovered Signatures dataview from Registry >> Discovered Software >> Software Signatures.
  2. Filter the dataview to return a list of machines, and check the machines that are to be included in the Search Group.
  3. Click the Create WinINSTALL Search Group... button on the bottom of the dataview.
  4. In the Create WinINSTALL Search Group window, enter the Name for the Search Group and click the Create... button.
  5. Click OK in the Information dialog.

Once this is completed, a Search Group should appear under the root of the Machines >> Searches node in the WinINSTALL console. The group has defaults to a search condition where Department - equals - <Search Group name>, but the parameters may be defined to fit the specific need.

Create WinINSTALL Search Group