Client Management Suite

I've been having trouble with my laptop users and having inventory scans run when they come online. The scans are just to much for some old laptops to handle and when the user logs on it almost makes the laptop unusable until the scans have had time to complete.

Looking at the scan settings I see "System resource usage" which was set to LOW, I've now changed it to VERY LOW.

Under custom schedule, advanced options there are some options.

                Only perform check if

                     Computer is connected to the network.

If this is checked does that mean Altiris will not run offline inventory scans?

When it says connected to the network its meaning only scan if the agent is able to check in with the NS server right?

And lastly is there a way to delay the inventory scan when someone does log their laptop onto the network instead of having it run immediately when the pc boots up. I'd like to delay the task for a bit then run once everything has had a chance to boot up.

I'm sure I can't be the only one with issues getting their laptop users inventoried and current data. I just don't want my users to have their laptops being hit with a big scan the second they log into the network again. I'd love to hear how others are dealing with this.

Thanks

I haven't run into this with laptops as much as with older desktops.  Obviously it is easier with those since they are onsite all night (so I use different software inventory policies scheduled for 10PM).

I didn't think that altiris software inventories usually "catch up" if they miss a scheduled time, at least that is not the behavior that I have experienced.  Did you narrow it down to the specific altiris software inventory process name when users are experiencing slowness at logon?  We also use Symantec Endpoint Protection and I've found that the definition files will update if the machine has been offline for some time and that can cause a lot of delay.

What seems to be happening is that if the laptop doesn't scan at its 2am schduled time, then it runs the scan the minute someone turns on the laptop. So it hammers the laptop running the scan right away and makes it almost unusable until complete.

I've seen the process and it looks like the inventory agent, but I'll see if I can catch one and screenshot it.

You should not be running delta inventories daily.  Best practice is to run a delta inventory weekly, and a full inventory monthly.  Daily inventories provide no appreciable benefit, but decrease performance on all workstations and the Notification Server, which must process seven times as much data as is necessary.

You can create a Targeted Agent Settings policy and apply it to laptops so that there is a Blockout period after startup.  You can set the Blockout period in hh:mm, for example 00 15 for 15 minutes of blockout time after startup.  You can also define a blockout time, e.g. 11a-1:30p.  It's better to set it after startup and leave the other settings alone.

You can also tell it to run at the exact scheduled time, and if it isn't available, it will not run.

Connected to the network means connected to the server, yes.  That's because policies are stored in an .xml file locally on the clients, so it's possible for clients to execute software even if they can't reach the NS.  So a computer might download the new antivirus, leave the office, and install it as scheduled on Thursday during the maintenance window, even though they're at a hotel.

An added benefit of moving to a weekly schedule is that you can determine if it's really the inventory scan, or perhaps some other process (patching, antivirus updates, logonscripts/AD).  I'd set it mid-week rather than Monday morning, since Monday morning is going to be a big updating day for laptops anyway.

Furthermore, you could choose to exclude certain laptops from inventory and just rely on basic inventory, if it really is too taxing for the old systems.

Does this help?

Thanks for the input Mike. You answered all the questions and concerns I had. I'll be putting your recommendations in place right away.

I'm going to move my deltas to weekly and set up blackout times for the startups. I'm confident this will correct the lag my laptop users were seeing with the scans on their older laptops.

Thanks again!