The report you are likely to use most often is the simple inventory list report. The simple inventory list report enables you to selectively create reports on every aspect of your server by selecting specific criteria that must be matched.

Simple inventory list reports are usually generated quickly, so the information you need will be almost instantaneously available. You may want to run several different inventory list reports, shown in Table 13.1, depending on what information you need.

The other type of inventory report that you will use is the comprehensive inventory report. The comprehensive inventory report combines several aspects of server inventory into each report. Each report takes considerably longer to generate; however, they are more specific and inclusive. You will typically use one of the comprehensive inventory reports listed in Table 13.2 to help you with business and network planning.

The Computer Systems by Segment report can be done at a segment level to get only the systems in that segment; however, it is typically used as a comprehensive report to obtain a list of systems at the management site level.

The Computer Systems by Segment report lists the following information about each node and groups them by segment:

System name. Node name. Use descriptive names for your systems to make these reports more useful.

MAC address. Physical address.

IP address. IP address of node. Useful to match to captured packets and trend data.

IPX address. IPX address of node. Useful to match to captured packets and trend data.

Services. Network services running on the node. Manageable services for the computer system.

MIB services. MIB services running on the node. Manageable MIB services for the device.

Community string. Community string defined for SNMP services. SNMP community names associated with this computer system.

When running the NCP Servers report, ZENworks for Servers 3 queries the management site or segment (depending on from where the report was run) and returns the following information for each NetWare Server:

Server name. Use descriptive names for your servers to make these reports more useful.

MAC address. Physical address.

IP address. Useful to match to captured packets and trend data.

IPX address. Useful to match to captured packets and trend data.

Labels. Other names by which the server is known.

MIB services. Manageable MIB services for the device.

Services. Manageable services for the computer system.

Community strings. SNMP community names associated with reads and writes to the server. report, ZENworks for Servers 3 queries the management

When running the Router report, ZENworks for Servers 3 queries the management site or segment (depending on from where the report was run) and report, ZENworks for Servers 3 queries the management returns the following information for each router discovered:

IPX address. Useful to match to captured packets and trend data.

IP address. Useful to match to captured packets and trend data.

MAC address. Physical address.

Labels. Other names by which the server is known.

MIB servers. Manageable MIB services for the device.

Services. Manageable services for the computer system.

Bound segments. Segments currently bound to the router.

When running the Segment report on a management site, ZENworks for Servers 3 queries the management site and lists the number of computer systems on all segments. If this report is run at the segment level, it lists only the systems on the selected segment. The following information is shown for each computer system listed:

IPX address. Useful to match to captured packets and trend data.

IP address. Useful to match to captured packets and trend data.

Segment type. Whether the segment is IP or IPX.

The Segment Topology report provides network information about routers and bridges in a ZENworks for Servers 3 management or segment (depending on where the report is run from).

The following information is shown for each router listed in the report:

Router name. Use descriptive names for your routers to make these reports more useful.

MAC address. Physical address.

IP address. Useful to match to captured packets and trend data.

IPX address. Useful to match to captured packets and trend data.

MIB services. Manageable MIB services for the device.

Community strings. SNMP community names associated with the router.

The following information is shown for each bridge listed in the report:

Bridge name. Use descriptive names for your bridges to make these reports more useful.

Bridge type. Type of bridge device.

IP address. Useful to match to captured packets and trend data.

Number of ports. Number of ports on bridge. This is useful when planning for network growth.

Port number (attached address). Useful when troubleshooting software and network problems.

The NetWare Server profile is used to monitor and understand the basic health of your NetWare Servers. It provides graphs and data about the following types of trend parameters, listed in Table 13.3, which are used to calculate the overall health of NetWare Servers on the managed site or segment:

Cache buffers. Enables you to see the amount of free memory on the server. Low memory is one of the most common symptoms of a sick server.

Cache hits. Enables you to see memory usage to troubleshoot overaggressive applications.

CPU utilization. Enables you to see how hard the server processor is being worked. High utilization for extended periods can lead to server health problems. Watching the server's utilization can help you strategically plan for network growth in overused areas.

Volume free space. Enables you to monitor available disk space on each volume. Low disk space, especially on the SYS volume, often causes server and application problems.

ZENworks for Servers 3 uses the Microsoft Windows profile to generate reports that monitor the basic health of your Microsoft Windows servers. It provides graphs and data about the following types of trend parameters, listed in Table 13.3, which are used to calculate the overall health of Microsoft Windows servers on the managed site or segment:

Available memory. Enables you to see the amount of free memory on the Windows Server. Low memory is one of the most common symptoms of a sick server.

Cache hits. Enables you to see memory usage to troubleshoot overaggressive Windows applications.

CPU utilization. Enables you to see how hard the Windows Server processor is being worked. High utilization for extended periods can lead to server health problems. Watching the Microsoft Windows Server's utilization can help you strategically plan for network growth in overused areas.

Disk free space. Enables you to monitor available disk space on each disk. Low disk space, especially on the Windows drive, often causes Windows Server and application problems. A health report is generated for this parameter, but no trend graph.

The Ethernet network profile is used to monitor and understand the basic health of your network. It provides graphs and data about the following types of trend parameters, listed earlier in Table 13.4, which are used to calculate the overall health of your ethernet network on the managed site or segment:

Total errors. Enables you to see the number of network errors occurring on your managed site or segment. This helps you troubleshoot problem networks.

Network utilization. Enables you to see the current usage of your ethernet networks. This can help you understand which segments are being overused and help you plan for future expansion.

Total packets. Enables you to monitor the packets being sent on your managed ethernet networks. A health report is generated for this parameter, but no trend graph.

Good packets. Enables you to see the good packets that are being sent on your managed ethernet networks. Combined with the total packets, this can help you troubleshoot network problems and overuse. A health report is generated for this parameter, but no trend graph.

The token ring network profile is used to monitor and understand the basic health of your token ring network. It provides graphs and data about the following types of trend parameters, listed earlier in Table 13.4, which are used to calculate the overall health of your token ring network on the managed site or segment:

Total errors. Enables you to see the number of token ring network errors occurring on your managed site or segment. This helps you troubleshoot problems on your token ring networks.

Network utilization. Enables you to see the current usage of your token ring networks. This can help you understand which segments are being overused and help you plan for future expansion.

Lastly, the FDDI network profile is used to monitor and understand the basic health of your FDDI network. It provides graphs and data about the following types of trend parameters, listed earlier in Table 13.4, which are used to calculate the overall health of your FDDI network on the managed site or segment:

Total errors. Enables you to see the number of FDDI network errors occurring on your managed site or segment. This helps you troubleshoot problems on your FDDI networks.

Network utilization. Enables you to see the current usage of your FDDI networks. This can help you understand which segments are being overused and help you plan for future expansion.

Total packets. Enables you to monitor the total packets being sent on your managed FDDI networks. A health report is generated for this parameter, but no trend graph.

ZENworks for Servers 3 enables you to create Detailed reports for data distribution at both the distribution and subscriber levels. These reports can be used to understand distribution processes that have occurred and that are occurring on your network.

The Detailed reports contain the following statistical information about data distributions on the TED distributors and subscribers:

Stage. The current stage of the distribution, which will be either the extract or receive stage.

Status. Successful or not successful on the receiving of or extraction of the distribution.

Date/time. The date and time the distribution was received on the subscriber.

Acting process. The agent that is to extract the distribution.

Channel. The name of the channel that contained the distribution.

Error description. Description of the error associated with the distribution, traditionally at the subscriber side.

ZENworks for Servers 3 also creates Revision History reports. These reports help you understand the revisions of data distributions that have occurred on your network. For example, each time you use TED to distribute a new version of software on your network, it would have a new revision. Therefore, you can track successful and unsuccessful software distributions.

There are two Revision History reports. The first report is for normal distribution. The second report is for failed distributions. The Revision History reports contain the following statistical information about data distributions on the TED distributors:

Version. Revision number of the distribution package.

Creation date/time. The date and time that the distributor created the distribution package.

Size of distribution. The size of the distribution file that contains the compressed combination of files for the particular revision (only on regular report).

Distribution error. Description of the error that the distribution experienced (only on failure report).

The first step in using Server Inventory reports is knowing how to generate them. Follow these steps to generate and view the inventory report from within ConsoleOne:

1. Right-click the ZENworks for Servers 3 management site or managed segment.

2. Select Reporting from the drop-down menu.

3. Select the report category from the Reports window, which is shown in Figure 13.1.

Figure 13.1. Server Inventory reports list in ConsoleOne.

4. Specify any additional options you want to use as filters when generating the report. Each report will have different options available to filter the report and reduce the number of entries.

5. Click the Run Selected Report button. A report similar to the one in Figure 13.2 appears.

Figure 13.2. Server Software Inventory reports in ConsoleOne.

After you generate the report, it's displayed in a window similar to the one in Figure 13.2. You can now view the information ZENworks for Servers 3 collected. Notice that the report in Figure 13.2 is a server software listing—listed are the server name, the software title, version (if available), and the number of servers with this software installed. The left and right arrow buttons enable you to navigate from page to page in a multipage report

ZENworks for Servers 3 enables you to customize the provided reports by filtering certain parameters. This is vital in large managed sites because it enables you to reduce the number of entries returned in the report. If wildcards are allowed, the report shows filter options and states that wildcard characters are allowed, as shown earlier for the Software List report in Figure 13.1.

Table 13.5 lists several character filters you can use to narrow down your report.

After you generate the report, you may want to make a hard copy for later reference. To print the report, click the Printer button shown earlier in Figure 13.2. The printer dialog box comes up, enabling you to print the report.

You also have the option to export the report to a file. Exporting the report can be extremely useful if you want to publish the report in a presentation or on the Web, or import it into another database.

To export a report, select File → Export Report from the menu when you have the report up; then select one of the following types of files to which you want ZENworks for Servers 3 to export the report, as shown in Figure 13.3:

Text. Exports the report to a simple text file that can be imported into a word processor for a status report.

HTML. Exports the report directly to HTML format. This can be extremely useful to publish server status directly to an internal Web site automatically.

PDF. Exports the report to Adobe Acrobat format. This can be useful when preparing a presentation or publishing it on the Web.

SDF. Exports the report to a Standard Delimited Format (SDF). This is useful for importing the report into another database for tracking purposes. You must specify a common delimiter such as a comma, a space, or a tab.

Figure 13.3. ZENworks for Servers 3 report exporting options in ConsoleOne.

The first step when working with network health reports is learning how to customize one of the existing health profiles that you use to generate a health report. Customizing an existing health profile means modifying the trend parameters, discussed earlier in the chapter, to more accurately reflect the health of the monitored devices.

Follow these steps to customize one of the existing health profiles from within ConsoleOne:

1. Right-click the ZENworks for Servers 3 managed site object and select Properties from the pull-down menu.

2. Select the Health Profiles tab.

3. Select the health profile you want to customize and click the Edit button, as shown in Figure 13.6. If you do not want to edit one, but want to create a new one, click the New button (discussed in the next section).

Figure 13.6. Available health profiles in the Health Profiles tab for a managed site object in ConsoleOne.

4. From the Edit profile box, shown in Figure 13.7, you can modify the directory location to which reports generated by this profile should be published by typing a network path in the Publish Directory box.

Figure 13.7. Health trend parameters in the Edit Profile dialog box in ConsoleOne.

5. Modify the trend parameters (listed earlier in Tables 13.3 and 13.4) that are used to calculate health by either checking or unchecking the In Health Calculation box next to them. This adds or removes the parameter from a list used to calculate the health of the device or segment.

6. Modify the rank of importance of each of the selected trend parameters by specifying a value in the Weight field. You may enter any whole number in the Weight field. ZENworks for Servers 3 uses the number you specify to determine how important the parameter is in calculating the overall health of the device or segment. Larger numbers mean more weight is given to the trend parameter when calculating health of the device.

7. Modify the trend parameters you want to see rendered graphically in the health report. Data from the parameters that are selected will be calculated and graphically represented on the health report.

8. Click the OK button to save your changes.

Adding a new health profile means defining the location of the report, the type of report, the trend parameters, and the weights to parameters that are used to generate a health report of the monitored device.

Follow these steps to add a new health profile from within ConsoleOne:

1. Right-click the ZENworks for Servers 3 managed site object and select Properties from the pull-down menu.

2. Select the Health Profiles tab.

3. Select the health profile you want to customize and click the New button, as shown in Figure 13.6.

4. From the New Profile dialog box, shown in Figure 13.8, type in the name of the new profile.

Figure 13.8. Drop-down list of health profile types shown in the New Profile dialog box in ConsoleOne.

5. Select the type of device or segment to which the profile applies from the drop-down list, as shown in Figure 13.8.

6. Click the OK button. The Edit Profile dialog box appears.

7. From the Edit Profile box, shown in Figure 13.9, you can modify the directory location to which reports generated by this profile should be published by typing a network path in the Publish Directory box.

Figure 13.9. Edit Profile dialog box showing the health trend parameters and location for the new health profile in ConsoleOne.

8. Select the trend parameters, listed earlier in Tables 13.3 and 13.4, that are used to calculate health by either checking or unchecking the In Health Calculation box next to them. This adds or removes the parameter from a list used to calculate the health of the device or segment.

9. Enter the rank of importance of each of the selected trend parameters by specifying a value in the Weight field. You may enter any whole number in the Weight field. ZENworks for Servers 3 uses the number you specify to determine how important the parameter is in calculating the overall health of the device or segment. Larger numbers mean more weight is given to the trend parameter when calculating the device's health.

10. Select which of the trend parameters you want to see rendered graphically in the health report. Data from the parameters that are selected will be calculated and graphically represented on the health report.

11. Click the OK button to save your changes.

After you create and customize the health profiles for your managed network devices and segments, you need to know how to create and schedule a health report to run. You must tell ZENworks for Servers on which devices you want a health report to be run, what type of report to run, and when to run it.

Follow these steps in ConsoleOne to create and schedule a health report:

1. Right-click the ZENworks for Servers 3 managed site object or a container object in the ZENworks for Servers 3 namespace and select Properties from the drop-down menu.

2. Select the Health Reports tab, as shown in Figure 13.10.

Figure 13.10. Drop-down list of health profile types shown in the New Profile dialog box in ConsoleOne.

3. Click the New button. The Edit Report dialog box appears.

4. From the Edit Report dialog box, shown in Figure 13.11, enter the name you want to call the report.

Figure 13.11. Edit Report dialog box showing the health trend parameters and location for the new health profile in ConsoleOne.

5. Select the profile that you want ZENworks for Servers 3 to use when generating the health report by selecting one of the available types from the Profile drop-down list.

6. Set the frequency that you want to run by selecting Daily, Weekly, or Monthly from the Period drop-down list.

7. Set the time that you want the health report to be generated by entering the appropriate values in the Start Time field.

8. Click the OK button. The date and time that you entered for the report is used to generate it.

Now that you understand how to schedule health reports to run, you should also be familiar with how to force them to run. Although health reports are scheduled to run on a daily, weekly, or monthly basis at predefined times, you may also need to run them at unscheduled times.

You may, for example, want to force a report to run if you are troubleshooting a network problem, or need to know the current health of a segment of servers before upgrading them.

Follow these steps in ConsoleOne to force a health report to run:

1. Right-click the ZENworks for Servers 3 managed site object or a managed container object and select Properties from the pop-up menu.

2. Select the Health Reports tab, shown earlier in Figure 13.10.

3. Select the report on which you want to force generation.

4. Click the Now button and the report is saved to the publish directory specified in the health profile for the report.

Now that you understand how to schedule a health report or force one to run, you need to know how to actually view it. After the health report is created by ZENworks for Servers 3, it will be published automatically to a directory specified by its controlling profile.

Also located in the published directory is an HTML document, named INDEX.HTM, that is associated with the health report. The INDEX.HTM file is an HTML document that contains a Java application that provides access to all the reports that are stored in the directory.

Follow these steps to view a health report after ZENworks for Servers 3 generates it:

1. From your console workstation, browse to the directory where the health reports for the associated profile are stored.

2. Open the INDEX.HTM file located in the directory specified in the controlling profile. The left column of INDEX.HTM lists the report hierarchy based on profiles and your network topology.

3. Click the plus sign next to the health profile that is associated with the health report you want to view. The profile object expands to display a list of container objects.

4. Click the plus sign next to the container object associated with the health report you want to view. The container object should expand and display a list of report names that are associated with it.

5. Click the plus sign next to the report you want to view. The report object expands to display a list of instances of that particular report. A report that is scheduled to run daily, for example, would have one instance for each day the report was run. The date and time at which the report was run is used to generate the report's name. A report that was generated on October 11, 2000, at 5:05:00 mountain daylight time would have a name of 2000.10.11_05.05.00_MDT.

6. Click the plus sign next to the report name to display a list of individual report pages. The number of report pages depends on which profile you selected and for which managed device or segment the report was generated.

7. Click the individual report page to display the health report in the right frame, as shown in Figure 13.12. The top of the report displays statistical information about the segment or device and provides an overall calculation of health. The trend parameters specified in the report's health profile are listed with trend data. Below the statistical information are trend graphs depicting health based on the trend data selections in the health profile.

Figure 13.12. Navigating and viewing a health report in a Web browser.

8. Click the Print button at the bottom of the left frame to print the report if you need a hard copy.

This report describes the information that has occurred on the distributor and subscriber to handle the distribution. Follow these steps from the management console to create a Distribution Detail report:

1. Right-click the ZENworks for Servers 3 database object.

2. Select Reporting from the menu.

3. Select the Distribution Detail report from the available reports list.

4. Check the Latest box if you want just the latest version of the report; otherwise, specify a From and To date in the Date Range field.

5. Click the Run Selected Report button to generate the report.

This report gives detailed status information on the various subscribers that receive information from a particular distributor's perspective. Follow these steps from the management console to create a Distribution Detail report:

1. Right-click the ZENworks for Servers 3 database object.

2. Select Reporting from the menu.

3. Pick the Subscriber Detail report from the available reports list.

4. Specify the distribution object in NDS by using the Browse button.

5. Select a version number to use as a criterion for generating the report.

6. Specify a distribution stage to use as a criterion for generating the report.

7. Choose a distribution status to use as a criterion for generating the report. You could, for example, specify only completed or failed distributions.

8. Click the Run Selected Report button to generate the report.

The Subscriber Distribution Detail report describes the distribution information based on information from the subscriber involved in the distribution. This report is similar to the Distribution Detail report that you are given from the database object. Follow these steps from the management console to create a Distribution Detail report, similar to the one shown in Figure 13.13:

1. Right-click the subscriber object.

2. Select Reporting from the menu.

3. Select the Distribution Detail report from the available reports list.

4. Specify the subscriber object in NDS by using the Browse button.

5. Check the Latest box if you simply want the latest version of the report; otherwise, specify a From and To date in the Date Range field.

6. Click the Run Selected Report button to generate the report.

Figure 13.13. Subscriber distribution detail report in ConsoleOne.

This report displays a history of the various distribution package's versions. Follow these steps from the management console to create a Distribution Detail report:

1. Right-click the ZENworks for Servers 3 database object.

2. Select Reporting from the menu.

3. Pick the Revision History report from the available reports list.

4. Specify the distribution object in NDS by using the Browse button.

5. Click the Run Selected Report button to generate the report.

This report displays a list of the distributions that failed during creation of the distribution. This creation occurs on the distributor and deals with the file types. Follow these steps from the management console to create a Distribution Detail report:

1. Right-click the ZENworks for Servers 3 database object.

2. Select Reporting from the menu.

3. Select the Revision History Failure report from the available reports list.

4. Specify the distribution object in NDS by using the Browse button.

5. Click the Run Selected Report button to generate the report.