What is IT Agent Discovery?

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IT Agent Discovery is a core part of the Lansweeper Platform that identifies and monitors endpoints such as laptops, desktops, and servers across your organization.

Unlike Network Discovery, which scans devices over the network, IT Agent Discovery installs a lightweight software component called an IT Agent directly on end-user devices to collect detailed, accurate asset data.

This approach ensures visibility even for endpoints that are remote, frequently disconnected, or off-network, allowing organizations to maintain a continuous, unified asset inventory.

Whether a laptop is travelling between offices or a server is running in an isolated network segment, Lansweeper’s IT Agent keeps you informed of its configuration, software, and usage.

What IT Agent Discovery helps you do

IT Agent Discovery gives IT teams continuous visibility into devices no matter where they are—on the corporate network, at home, or on the move. By installing a lightweight agent on each endpoint, you can collect accurate, real-time data and maintain a complete inventory of laptops, desktops, and servers, even when they’re offline. IT Agent helps you and your team answer the following questions.

• Which devices do I actually have and where are they?

  Track endpoints across offices, remote work locations, or mobile users. IT Agent remains active on every device, reporting back as soon as it connects to the internet.

• Who is using each device and how is it configured?

  Capture user details, installed software, OS versions, and hardware specs directly from the endpoint for complete context.

• Are my assets up to date and accounted for?

  Continuous, lightweight scans ensure your asset records are current, even for devices that are disconnected for long periods.

• How can I gain full visibility across hybrid and remote environments?

  Bridge the discovery gap left by network scanning by reaching endpoints that never touch the corporate LAN.

Common use cases

• Maintain visibility of remote or mobile devices that rarely connect to the corporate network.

• Build a single source of truth for all endpoints across your organization.

• Support cybersecurity and vulnerability management by continuously tracking OS and software inventory.

• Simplify compliance reporting by ensuring every managed system is scanned and documented.

• Combine with Network Discovery and Cloud Discovery for full hybrid IT coverage.

Key capabilities

• Endpoint-level discovery: Collect detailed hardware, OS, software, and user information directly from the device.

• Offline data collection: Store discovery results locally and sync automatically once the device reconnects.

• Continuous, automated scans: Keep asset data fresh without relying on scheduled network scans.

• Lightweight performance footprint: Operates silently without affecting end-user productivity.

• Cross-platform functionality: Available for Windows, Linux, and macOS devices.

• Secure outbound communication: Uses HTTPS to send data directly to your Lansweeper Site, no VPN or inbound ports required.

• Auto-updating and scalable deployment: Quietly updates itself and can be deployed to thousands of devices via GPO, Intune, or any software distribution tool.

How IT Agent Discovery works

Lansweeper’s IT Agent Discovery extends your visibility beyond network-based scanning by installing a lightweight agent directly on your endpoints. This agent continuously collects detailed information about each device, no matter where it’s located, and securely syncs it to your Lansweeper Site.

IT Agent

The IT Agent is a small, cross-platform application you install on each endpoint (Windows, Linux, or macOS). It gathers hardware, software, and user information and securely transmits it to your Lansweeper Site for analysis and inventory.

The agent:

• Runs silently in the background with a minimal footprint.

• Continuously collects data even when the device is offline.

• Queues discovery results locally and automatically syncs when reconnected.

• Works seamlessly in hybrid or remote environments—perfect for laptops, on-the-go employees, or isolated servers.

Lansweeper Site

Your Lansweeper Site acts as the central repository for all discovery data. When agents sync their data, it’s processed alongside results from Network and Cloud Discovery to create one unified asset view across your entire organization.

Within your site, you can:

• View detailed device and software information gathered by the agent.

• Manage agent deployment configurations and linking codes.

• Analyze and report on software licensing, hardware aging, or security inventory.

• Combine endpoint data with network and cloud discoveries for full IT coverage.

Secure communication

The IT Agent communicates directly with your Lansweeper Site over encrypted HTTPS connections.

• No inbound firewall rules or VPNs are required.

• Data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

• Communication is outbound-only, making deployment simple and secure.

This design allows the agent to function reliably across any location, whether behind a corporate firewall, on the road, or connected to a home network.

Deployment at a glance

Deploying IT Agent Discovery is fast and lightweight, typically completed within a few minutes.

To get started:

1. Install the IT Agent on endpoint devices.

2. Connect the agent to your Lansweeper Site using a linking code or configuration package.

3. Confirm the agent securely sends data to your site.

Next steps

For more information about installing IT Agent Discovery, see:

• Install IT Agent - Windows

• Install IT Agent - Linux

• Install IT Agent - MacOS