Asset collection methods

Asset collection can be performed with the help of GLPI Agent software that can be used in two different ways: agentless or agent-based. To correctly install and configure the GLPI Agent software, the following steps should be executed:

1. Install GLPI Agent on the desired device following the official GLPI documentation. GLPI Agent can be installed on both Linux and Windows nodes that are external to the NetEye environment. For Windows installation we recommend to use the .msi package.

   Hint

   In order to execute glpi-agent and glpi-remote commands on Windows machines, be sure to operate as administrator from the GLPI-Agent folder.

2. Find credentials for the agent: GLPI Agent has a dedicated NetEye user called neteye_glpi_agent_<tenant_name> authorized to send assets to the Master. User’s password can be found in /root/.pwd_neteye_glpi_agent_<tenant_name> and should be used for authentication when sending inventories.

   For installations with a Single Tenant the default credentials are:

   • user: neteye_glpi_agent_master

   • password can be found in /root/.pwd_neteye_glpi_agent_master.

3. Configure the user and password credentials for the agent in the config file on the system.

4. Choose the node where to send assets:

   • Master: GLPI Agent can send inventories directly to the Master. In that case, the Master hostname should be used as <neteye_addr>.

   • Satellite: In order to use a Satellite as a proxy to forward assets to the Master, the Satellite hostname should be selected as <neteye_addr>

After the first configuration parts has been executed, agent-based or agentless mode should be selected to start collecting assets.

Agent-based

The inventory can be performed on the node where the GLPI Agent software is installed with the following command:

Linux:

glpi-agent -f --logger=stderr \
-s https://<neteye_addr>/glpi/front/inventory.php \
--tasks inventory

Windows:

glpi-agent -f --logger=stderr ^
-s https://<neteye_addr>/glpi/front/inventory.php ^
--tasks inventory

Where <neteye_addr> is the address of the endpoint, as previously described. Once the inventory has been performed, the GLPI Agent will send it to the specified target hostname.

More information about the glpi-agent command can be found in glpi-agent.

Agentless

If no software can be installed on the devices from which assets are collected, agentless mode can be selected. A GLPI Agent server will perform the inventory on remote devices and subsequently send assets to the Master. Note that the software GLPI Agent should not be installed on remotes, but only on a separate node that will act as a server that performs the remote inventory.

Hint

We recommend to use agent-based asset collection method over agentless when applicable, since involving agents in the asset collection process proves to be a more secure solution.

Fig. 191 GLPI Agent performs inventories to the remote devices.

Windows remote configuration In order to establish a secure connection with a Windows remote WinRM with transport HTTPS should be correctly configured for a SSL connection. Detailed information can be found in the official Microsoft guide.

GLPI Agent, used as a server between remotes and NetEye, should be configured as it follows:

Linux server configuration

1. Specify the target server: Using agentless mode, the target server should be declared before inserting the remotes. You should specify the previously defined parameters with the command:

   glpi-agent \
   --server=https://<neteye_addr>/glpi/front/inventory.php
   

2. Extract the ID of the specified target server with the command:

   glpi-remote list targets
   

3. Add remote devices with the following command:

   For a Linux remote machine:

   glpi-remote \
   add ssh://<remote_user>:<remote_pass>@<addr>/?mode=libssh2 \
   --target <server_id>
   

   Hint

   Make sure to have the perl library Net:SSH2 installed by executing the command perl -e "use Net:SSH2. libssh2 should also be installed on the server machine.

   For Windows remotes:

   glpi-remote \
   add winrm://<remote_user>:<remote_pass>@<addr>/?mode=ssl \
   --target <server_id>
   

   • <remote_user> and <remote_pass> are the credentials that GLPI Agent should use on remotes to perform the inventory

   • <addr> is the IP address or hostname of the remote device

   • <server_id> is the ID of the previously inserted target server that can be shown with the glpi-remote list targets command.

   Warning

   NetEye Security is granted only if mode=libssh2 and mode=ssl are used for Linux and Windows remotes respectively.

   Hint

   By exchanging ssh keys, <remote_pass> is not needed when adding the remote device.

4. Execute the remote inventory task of the GLPI Agent to collect assets and send them to the Master:

   glpi-agent -f --logger=stderr --tasks remoteinventory \
   -s https://<neteye_addr>/glpi/front/inventory.php
   

Where <neteye_addr> is the address of the endpoint, as previously described in the Asset collection methods Once the inventory has been performed, the GLPI Agent will send it to the specified target hostname.

Windows server configuration

1. Specify the target server: Using agentless mode, the target server should be declared before inserting the remotes. You should specify the previously defined parameters with the command:

   glpi-agent ^
   --server=https://<neteye_addr>/glpi/front/inventory.php
   

2. Extract the ID of the specified target server with the command:

   glpi-remote list targets
   

3. Add remote devices with the following command:

   For a Linux remote machine:

   glpi-remote ^
   add ssh://<remote_user>:<remote_pass>@<addr>/?mode=libssh2 ^
   --target <server_id>
   

   Hint

   Make sure to have the perl library Net:SSH2 installed by executing the command perl -e "use Net:SSH2. libssh2 should also be installed on the server machine.

   For Windows remotes:

   glpi-remote ^
   add winrm://<remote_user>:<remote_pass>@<addr>/?mode=ssl ^
   --target <server_id>
   

   • <remote_user> and <remote_pass> are the credentials that GLPI Agent should use on remotes to perform the inventory

   • <addr> is the IP address or hostname of the remote device

   • <server_id> is the ID of the previously inserted target server that can be shown with the glpi-remote list targets command.

   Warning

   NetEye Security is granted only if mode=libssh2 and mode=ssl are used for Linux and Windows remotes respectively.

   Hint

   By exchanging ssh keys, <remote_pass> is not needed when adding the remote device.

4. Execute the remote inventory task of the GLPI Agent to collect assets and send them to the Master:

   glpi-agent -f --logger=stderr --tasks remoteinventory ^
   -s https://<neteye_addr>/glpi/front/inventory.php
   

Where <neteye_addr> is the address of the endpoint, as previously described in the Asset collection methods Once the inventory has been performed, the GLPI Agent will send it to the specified target hostname.

More information about the glpi-remote command can be found in glpi-agent.