Auditing remote sites

[Corblimey]

We regularly do free audits at client sites as part of our sales process, it's time consuming to produce the reports so I've been trialling a number of tools including yours that will help me produce these documents.

So far my preference is definiatley Lansweeper becasue of the level of detail collected and more impressively the flexibility that using sql gives me.

There is one thing I really need but I not sure if it's possible.

I want to be able to drop a scanner app on a client network without having to install anything. I then run it so that it collects data for the whole network, then copy the data file back to my machine and import it into my Lansweeper database. Finally I simply delete the the scanner app from the server so I leave it in the same state I found it.

I've tried Network Detective and they have this sort of functionality. You basically copy a folder onto a server whilst logged in as a domain admin then run the data collector and it produces a data file. When you start the data collector it runs trough a simple wizard asking for the scan config (logins, ip ranges, etc) and then continues on to performa the network scan. When it's finished you copy the folder back again. Alternatively you can it straight from a USB stick so you just plug the stick in, run the scanner and then unplug the stick once it's complete.

I've read about lsclient and lspush but as I understand it they only scan windows workstations and I'd also need push them out to the clients via a GPO.

Is it possible to do what I'd like with Lansweeper?

[Hemoco]

You need a Lansweeper installation, either remotely or locally, if you plan on scanning non-Windows machines. Non-Windows machines cannot be scanned without a Lansweeper database and service. Without a service, no scanning can take place and without a database, there's nowhere to store the data.

[Corblimey]

You can install Lansweeper on one of your own laptops, take it to the client site and then perform an audit. You can archive the database afterwards and move on to the next client. (Old databases can be restored should you need to look at them again.) One-time audits of other companies are supported by the Lansweeper Consultant license.

That's how I tested it the other day, and that works great.

Now I have a client who I can only reach via a remote support session hence wanting to drop something on their server, run it and pull it off again.

[Corblimey]

The sites I need to scan are potential clients and therefore I won't normally have permanent remote access. I may have an opportunity to connect via a remote support tool but most likely it will be a site visit where I am given supervised access to their server(s) etc. Most clients would be happy for me to run something off a stick but doing a full install of Lansweeper or using gpo / logon scripts to deploy lspush is not really acceptable.

Could you clarify which operating systems you are interested in scanning besides Windows. Also note that LsClient is not a true scanning agent. We recommend using LsPush instead of LsClient.

I won't know in advance what devices I'll be scanning so can't be specific, it may a printer, a pc running Windows or Linux or a Mac, etc

I'm after a simple and quick way method to run a full scan of the netowrk and to take the data away for processing in my Lansweeper at a later date.

[Hemoco]

Corblimey wrote:
I'm after a simple and quick way method to run a full scan of the netowrk and to take the data away for processing in my Lansweeper at a later date.

You can install Lansweeper on one of your own laptops, take it to the client site and then perform an audit. You can archive the database afterwards and move on to the next client. (Old databases can be restored should you need to look at them again.) One-time audits of other companies are supported by the Lansweeper Consultant license.

[Hemoco]

Corblimey wrote:
I want to be able to drop a scanner app on a client network without having to install anything. I then run it so that it collects data for the whole network, then copy the data file back to my machine and import it into my Lansweeper database.

- If there are TCP/IP or VPN connections between your various sites, you can set up a scanning server at each site. A scanning server is a server that has the Lansweeper service installed and that performs the actual scanning of a network. Each server can be configured separately and all servers report back to your central database. This setup requires a Lansweeper Enterprise or Support Company license.
- If there are no connections between your various sites, you will need to install Lansweeper on a laptop, take the laptop to a client and then perform an audit. For Windows computers, you can also use LsPush to collect inventories. Your LsPush scan files can then be imported into a Lansweeper database.

Corblimey wrote:
I've read about lsclient and lspush but as I understand it they only scan windows workstations

Could you clarify which operating systems you are interested in scanning besides Windows. Also note that LsClient is not a true scanning agent. We recommend using LsPush instead of LsClient.

Corblimey wrote:
I'd also need push them out to the clients via a GPO.

We recommend deploying LsPush using a logon script/GPO. Instructions can be found on page 35 of our online documentation.
You can have it update directly to a Lansweeper database or copy scan files to a specific folder.