Add custom registry items to inventory scans

The inventory scanner can scan for registry keys you specify and add their values to the core database. This can be useful for customized software, asset information, or other information stored in the registry that you want to include in the core database.

The Manage Software tool lets you specify registry keys to add to inventory scanning. Results are displayed in whatever section of the inventory you specify.

Several registry items are provided with Endpoint Manager. You can view the properties for these items to see an example of how to create registry items. To view an item's properties, right-click it and select Properties.

To add a registry key for inventory scanning
  1. Click Tools > Reporting/Monitoring > Manage software list.
  2. Expand Custom Data and click Registry items.
  3. Click the New button on the toolbar.
  4. Select and enter data as described below.
  5. Click OK.

Registry scan items include the following data:

  • Root key: Select the type of registry key you want to scan.
    • HKLM = HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

      HKCC = HKEY_CURRENT_CONFIG

      HKCR = HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT

      HKU = HKEY_USERS

      HKCU = HKEY_CURRENT_USER

  • Key: The path in the registry that defines the location of the key. Items must be separated with a backslash (\), and each item between backslashes represents a level in the tree hierarchy of the registry (as viewed in the registry editor).
  • Value: The search value that the inventory scanner looks for.
  • Attribute name: The description of where the data will be displayed in the inventory tree. Items are listed in hierarchical order and must be separated with " - " (space dash space) to accurately be displayed in the inventory. The first item you type here is the name in the inventory tree that will contain the data, such as "Custom Data".

    For example, the attribute name Custom Data - MDAC - Version is displayed in a device's inventory summary as follows:

 

NOTE: After you have changed any items in the core's Manage software list, you must click the Make available to clients button to update the product definition files used by the inventory scanner. The next time devices do an inventory scan, the scanner gets the updated product definition files from the core server and applies any changes.