Editing Discovery Scripts
Discovery scripts control what data is collected during a network scan. Each script calls a discovery template transformation that defines which discovery technologies to use and what information to capture. This page explains how to view, edit, and customise discovery templates.
Prerequisites
- Configuration User or Administrator access is required to edit discovery templates
- Understanding of which discovery technologies your environment supports (WMI, SNMP, SSH, etc.)
Accessing Discovery Templates
Discovery templates are found under Admin > Transformations > Network Discovery > xAssets Discovery Templates. Click a script description to open the editor.
When running a discovery script from the Discover menu, it calls one of these templates behind the scenes. You can configure an existing discovery script to call a different template, or create new templates tailored to specific network segments.
The Discovery Template Editor
After clicking a template, the following dialog is shown:
The editor presents several technology options, each controlling a different aspect of what gets discovered:
| Option | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Use data already collected... | Should always be ticked -- the data loader requires this information |
| WMI Agentless Discovery | Selects WMI fields from the complete list of available fields. The list is stored in the data mapping recognition engine (see the Configuration Guide) |
| Remote Registry Agentless Discovery | Reads registry settings from a pre-set list on target machines. The list is stored in the data mapping recognition engine |
| SNMP query for Network Devices | Queries SNMP attributes -- primarily useful for network hardware, Linux, and Unix machines |
| PC Analyser Low Impact Agent | Launches the PCAnalyser executable on each target computer's CPU. Information is written back to the PCAnalyser share as a PCA file |
| Run a VB Script on Each Client | Runs custom scripts on target computers (e.g., for VMware discovery). Scripts write PCV files back to the PCAnalyser share |
| Agentless Unix and Linux Discovery | Uses SSH technology, configurable for the specific OS flavour on each endpoint |
| HTTP/HTTPS/XML Discovery | Queries endpoints via URL -- useful for devices like Cisco IP phones that expose data through web interfaces |
Adding Custom WMI Fields
After adding a WMI field that is not present in the default "Complete Discovery" script, additional configuration may be needed:
- If the field does not exist in the database, create a Specification field for it
- Program the field into the Network Discovery subroutine transformations that load discovered data into the database
This is straightforward for single-valued fields (like BIOS Version), but requires more effort for multi-valued fields (like Network Cards, where each asset may have several).
Saving and Compiling
After saving the XDSL Transformation with Save or OK, the XDSL executable is automatically recompiled on the application server. The next discovery run will use the updated script.
Warning: Changes to discovery templates affect all future discovery runs that use that template. If you are experimenting, create a new template rather than modifying the default one, so you can revert easily.
Tips
- The default "Complete Discovery" script covers most common scenarios. Only create custom scripts when you need specific data that the default does not collect
- Keep a record of any customisations you make -- this helps when upgrading to new versions of xAssets, as custom templates may need to be re-applied
- Test custom scripts on a small group of machines before scheduling them across the full network
Related Articles
- Scheduling Discovery Scripts — automating when scripts run
- Running Discovery — launching a discovery scan
- SNMP Discovery — configuring SNMP-based discovery for network devices
- The PCAnalyser Folder — understanding the file share where data is written