Chapter 3. The Zen of Agent Deployment
So far, we have set up the OCS Inventory NG central management server, but its database is lacking in content. The database without information is just as worthless as a deserted factory without employees and work to do. Agents will be serving the purpose of gathering inventory data, and then providing them to the OCS-NG management server.
In this chapter, our sole focus will be on agents. Thanks to the rather diversified operating system compatibility range, we have numerous scenarios to look into. There are also more than a few techniques to get these agents on the client machines. It is important to realize the key differences in order to make the right decision that best fits the situation.
Throughout this chapter, we will learn how to accomplish the following tasks:
- Rationalize what happens behind the scenes of agents
- Understand the differences between agent types
- Find out about the deployment modalities on various operating systems
- Decide the right agent type and deployment modality for your configuration
- Acquire step-by-step information on carrying out those deployment methods
- Comprehend the know-how of getting agents up and running not only on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X client machines, but also on mobile devices