Frequently Asked Questions

Installing the Express Client

Q: Can I install or uninstall the Express Client manually, via a batch file or script, or via a Windows group policy?+ show

A: Yes.  There may be cases where you do not want to or cannot install the Express Client to machines from the Administrative Console (for example, if you have machines that are not connected to the network).  Technical Note 2021 describes: how to install, upgrade, and uninstall the client manually; the logic and syntax required to install, upgrade, or uninstall the client via a batch file or script; and, the requirements to deploy the client via group policy.

Q. Why do I get the error "The RPC server is unavailable" when I try to install the Express Client or inventory a machine?+ show

A. Typically, you will see the "RPC Server not available" error when a firewall is enabled on a client machine or when the machine is turned off.  This is the most common client installation or inventory error.  (To troubleshoot other client installation or inventory errors, see the "Error messages in the Machine Properties dialog box" topic in the Express Software Manager Help, accessible via the Help menu in the Administrative Console.)

Troubleshooting steps:

1. To allow access through the XP SP2 firewall, follow the instructions in Technical Note 2009.

2. Verify that the account you are using to install the client or inventory a machine can access the \\{machinename}\c$\{windows}\system32 folder.  If you cannot access this folder, either the account does not have proper privileges or the machine is turned off.

   Note:  The Express Server is responsible for deploying the client or inventorying a machine.  Therefore, the computer running the Express Server must be able to access remote computers using the proper account.  When you do the test above log into the Express Server machine with the account you are using in the Administrative Console to deploy the client or inventory a machine and then test access to the system32 folder.

3. If step 2 above is successful, verify that you have Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI) access by launching \Program Files\Express Metrix\Administrative Console\WMIViewer\WMIViewer.html, and remotely connect to the targeted machine using the same account you used in step 2 above.  If that fails, verify that Windows Management Instrumentation service is enabled via Services, accessible via the Control Panel in Windows, on the targeted machine.
4. Verify that the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) service is enabled via Services, accessible via the Control Panel in Windows, on the targeted machine.

5. DCOM must be enabled on the target client machine.  You can check the following registry setting to determine whether or not DCOM is enabled:

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\OLE\EnableDCOM

   A value of Y indicates DCOM is enabled; N indicates it is disabled.  See this Microsoft Knowledgebase article for more information: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/825750.

   The instructions in this article that can assist you with DCOM issues: http://consumer.installshield.com/kb.asp?id=Q108324

6. Repair or reinstall WMI.  You can find instructions to do so here: http://windowsxp.mvps.org/repairwmi.htm

Automatic ESID Scan

Q. What is "Enable Automatic Contribution to the Express Software Identification Database"?+ show

A: This feature, when enabled, will scan computers in your environment that have software not recognized by Express Software Manager. The data about these applications will be sent via a secure HTTP connection to an Express Metrix server. The data is processed by the Express Software Identification Database (ESID) team for evaluation and possible addition of unidentified applications to the next month's ESID.

Q. How does Express Software Manager determine which computers are scanned?+ show

A: Each monthly ESID update contains an algorithm to determine which machines are best candidates to be scanned. For example, in one month the algorithm may decide to scan one percent of the computers that have unrecognized files in the \Program Files path. The next month the algorithm may decide to scan two percent of the computers with closely matched executables in all directories.

Q. What is the impact on the target machines?+ show

A: Once a machine is identified as a candidate for contributing to the ESID it will be flagged in the Express Software Manager database. When it is next time for that machine to be inventoried, if the overall criteria for number of scans has not yet been met, the machine will be scanned and the data sent to Express Metrix. A scan is simply a more extensive form of inventory but it runs at low priority and the user will not be affected.

Q. What if I don't want a particular computer to be included in the contribution process? + show

A: You can choose to exclude computers that you do not want to participate in this process. This setting is available under the Machine | Properties Advanced options tab.

Q. I am concerned about confidential data leaving our site. What type of data is sent to your servers?+ show

A: The data collected is only relevant to file executables (name, size, path), file headers, GUIDs (Global Unique Identifiers), start menu options, and MSI database information. Scans also include your customer id, statistical information about the number of closely matched and unrecognized executable files, and the name, domain, last logged in user name, and id of the machine which was scanned. All this information is used when evaluating the scan, however, nothing machine or company specific is ever included in the final ESID.

Q. What is the benefit of my participation in this process?+ show

A: The ESID is updated on a monthly basis for our maintained customers. We add hundreds, sometimes thousands of new applications a month. This data is sourced from software manufacturers, our partners, and our customers. The more people that participate in this process, the more likely the applications in your environment will be indentified.

Q. I chose not to participate when originally prompted. How do I turn this feature on?+ show

A: Open the Express Administrative Console. Click on the Tools Menu, select Options, select the Advanced tab, and check "Enable automatic contribution to the ESID."

Express Database

Q. How do I move the Express Database to a new server?+ show

A. Depending on your implementation, this can be a straightforward to moderately complex task.  Contact Express Metrix Technical Support (support@expressmetrix.com) for assistance.

Q. How do I back up the Express Database?+ show

A. To back up your Express Database, you can use an interactive tool such as Microsoft's SQL Management Studio or a command-line tool such as OSQL. For information on using OSQL, see Technical Note 2026.

Q. Can I upgrade the SQL Server hosting the Express Database from version 2005 to 2008?+ show

A. Yes, upgrading your SQL Server from version 2005 to 2008 will not impact your Express Database.

Q. How do I install the Express Database on a SQL Server cluster?+ show

A. You cannot install the Express Database on a SQL Server cluster using the default installation option.  When you launch esmsetup.exe, the Express Software Manager installation program, you can choose either the Typical/Evaluation Install or the Remote Database Option.  To install the Express Database on a machine in a SQL Server cluster, select the Remote Database Install Option.  This option allows you to copy files required to create and initialize the Express database manually (or remotely).  After installing, read \Program Files\Express Metrix\Database Tools\RemoteExpressDatabase.txt for further instructions.

Web Components (Access Point, Reporting, Purchasing)

Q. When I try to access Express Reports or Express Purchasing, why do I get "HTTP 404 - File not found" error message?+ show

A. It may be that either URL is incorrectly specified.  The default URL to access the Express Reports Console is http://<machine_name>/ESMReportsConsole/default.aspx and the default URL to access the Express Purchasing Console is http://<machine_name>/ESMPurchasing/default.aspx.  In both cases, <machine_name> is the name of the machine where Express Reports and/or Express Purchasing are installed.  These URLs can be found and updated, if necessary, in the Web Components Location section of the Express Administrative Console.

Q. What are the default URLs to access Express Reports and Express Purchasing?+ show

A. The default URL to access the Express Reports Console is http://<machine_name>/ESMReportsConsole/default.aspx and the default URL to access the Express Purchasing Console is http://<machine_name>/ESMPurchasing/default.aspx.  In both cases, <machine_name> is the name of the machine where Express Reports and/or Express Purchasing are installed.  These URLs can be found and updated, if necessary, in the Web Components Location section of the Express Administrative Console.

Q. Why does Excel display a warning when opening a spreadsheet created by Express Purchasing's "Export to Excel" feature?+ show

A. When data is exported by Express Purchasing, it is written in HTML/CSS format and saved with a .XLS extension. Excel 2007 (and above) expects the data in a .XLS file to be in Excel binary format and will display a warning when you attempt to open the file. You can safely answer "Yes" to the warning dialog and the file will open as expected.

Q. How do I configure Internet Explorer for use with the Express Reports and Purchasing Consoles?+ show

A. When running the Express Software Manager 10 Reports and Purchasing Consoles on Internet Explorer, you may experience formatting errors and other unexpected behavior if Internet Explorer is not set to use Standards document mode.

To ensure that your Internet Explorer browser is configured correctly for the Reports and Purchasing Consoles, please do the following:

1. Open Internet Explorer. If necessary, select the Alt key to bring up menus for Internet Explorer.
2. In the Tools menu, verify that "Compatibility View" is not selected.
3. In Tools>Compatibility View Settings, ensure that the Reports Console and Purchase Console websites have not been added to Compatibility View.
4. In Internet Explorer, press F12 to bring up the Developer Tools window and check the following:
   If using Internet Explorer 9
   Verify that Browser Mode is set to Internet Explorer 9, and not Internet Explorer 9 Compatibility View. Under Document Mode, verify that the Document Mode is set to Internet Explorer 9 Standards.
   If using Internet Explorer 8
   Verify that the Browser Mode is set to Internet Explorer 8, and not Internet Explorer 8 Compatibility View. Under Document mode, verify that the Document Mode is set to Internet Explorer 8 Standards.

Machine and User Discovery

Q. I notice machines and users discovered from my domain but I don't see my Active Directory structure.  How do I discover machines and users from Active Directory?+ show

A. By default, an NT Domain discovery is performed by the Express Server.  To discover from Active Directory, select Discover Machines and Users from the Tools menu in the Express Administrative Console.  Next, select the Discover from Active Directory radio button and click Discover.  Thenceforth, an Active Directory discovery will be performed once a week as a Scheduled Task (Express Discover Task) in Windows.

Q. I ran an Active Directory discovery and it discovered all the OUs, machines, and users in my Active Directory.  How do I limit the Active Directory discovery process to one or more OUs?+ show

A. To limit the Active Directory discovery process to an OU, select Discover Machines and Users from the Tools menu in the Express Administrative Console.  Next, click on the Add button and specify the LDAP string in the OU Path text box as per the example below the text box.  Repeat the process as desired.

Note that this process does not remove OU, machine, and user data collected previously via a full Active Directory discovery.  To remove such data and start anew:

1. Go to the Machines panel in the Express Administrative Console and select the 'Full list' folder.  Next, sort by the 'Last install status' and 'Inventory status' columns and select those machines that have both 'Not installed' and 'Never inventoried' values for each column, respectively.  Right-click on the selection and select Delete.  Next, right-click on the 'Deleted machines' bin, select 'Empty "Deleted machines" folder,' and click on Yes when prompted.  Finally, expand the 'Discovered' folder, right click on the Active Directory name you wish to expunge (e.g., my_AD.com), select Delete Group, and click Yes when prompted.
2. Go to the Users panel in the Express Administrative Console and select the 'Full list' folder.  Next, sort by the 'Last login' column and select those users for which value in the column is blank.  Right-click on the selection and select Delete.  Next, right-click on the 'Deleted users' bin, select 'Empty "Deleted users" folder,' and click on Yes when prompted.  Finally, expand the 'Discovered' folder, right click on the Active Directory name you wish to expunge (e.g., my_AD.com), select Delete Group, and click Yes when prompted.
3. To initiate the limited discovery you configured above, select Discover Machines and Users from the Tools menu in the Express Administrative Console.  Next, select the Discover from Active Directory radio button and click Discover.

Express Connnector

Q: What file types do I configure SCCM to collect for importing into Express Software Manager?+ show

A: If you are using the Express Connector to import SCCM data into Express Software Manager, configure SCCM to collect Full Details for inventory file types, and to collect *.exe files. Express Software Manager requires SCCM to collect both .exe file information as well as information from the registry in order to properly configure software information.

Express Software Manager Licensing

Q. Why does the information in the Licensed Features section of the Express Today panel in the Express Administrative Console indicate that I have more licenses in use than I have Express Clients installed?+ show

A. Express license use is based on the collection and accessibility of machine data via reports rather than the installation of the Express Client.  An Express license is used whenever metering or inventory information is collected from a machine, and that information is accessible via reports, whether or not the Express Client is currently installed on that machine.

When a machine is moved to the 'Deleted machines' bin, an Express license is made available for use since data associated with that machine is no longer accessible via reports.  When a machine is restored and, hence, removed from the 'Deleted machines' bin, an Express license is used since data associated with that machine would be accessible via reports.

Q. How do I add more Express Software Manager licenses?+ show

A. To add more Express Software Manager licenses, you need to purchase additional Express licenses upon which you will be provided a new Express Software Manager license key.  The new key can be applied in the Licensed Features section of the Express Today panel in the Express Administrative Console.  Contact your sales representative at 1.888.611.2288 to purchase additional Express licenses and obtain a new Express license key.

Other

Q. What is a License Unit?+ show

A. As you use Express Software Manager, you'll notice that the term "license unit" is used in places where you may expect to see the terms "application" or "suite." This is because Express Software Manager groups versions of a given application or suite (which consist of two or more related applications) into license units for information collection and reporting purposes. This grouping allows license counts to apply to a group of applications that may have differing version numbers, but are grouped under the same license agreement.

In Express Software Manager, license units, suites, and applications are defined as follows:

• License unit:  A collection of one or more versions of suites or applications used in reporting to determine which products are present on machines throughout the company in order to ensure license compliance. Typically, the applications or suites that make up a license unit differ only by version. Control and metering are also implemented at the license unit level.
• Suite:  A collection of two or more applications that are sold as a bundle (for example, Microsoft Office) in several possible configurations.
• Application:  A collection of one or more main executables and related support files. Presence of the main executable file is the primary means of identifying which license units are on which machines.

Q. I downloaded a copy of the Quickstart Guide help file but when I open it and try to view a topic, I get either "Navigation to the webpage was canceled" or "Action canceled." What do I need to do to view a topic in the the Quickstart Guide?+ show

A. To resolve this problem, choose to save the Quickstart Guide locally, right-click on the file, click Properties, click Unblock, and then click OK. (Please refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article for more information: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/902225/.) Alternatively, you can download the Quickstart Guide in PDF format.

Q. Why does Express Software Manager require Microsoft IIS, Microsoft SQL Server, and the Microsoft .NET Framework?+ show

A. Express Software Manager utilizes the latest Microsoft .NET, SQL Server, and Internet Information System (IIS) technologies for optimized scalability, performance and management:

Microsoft IIS
IIS is a web server providing high-volume, web protocol based communications functionality. Express Software Manager uses IIS and the Microsoft .NET framework to facilitate communication between Express clients and the Express Database. IIS is also used to provide access to Express Reports and Express Purchasing.

Microsoft SQL Server
Microsoft SQL Server is a database environment providing powerful data store and database programming functionality. Express Software Manager uses SQL Server to store and manage all Express data including:

• Data collected by Express clients
• Administrative and configuration data
• The Express Software Identification Database (ESID)
• Processed data displayed in Express Reports

Microsoft .NET Framework
The Microsoft .NET framework provides a modern, full-featured interface allowing applications to take full advantage of all of the functionality provided by Microsoft Windows in a network and web environment. Express Software Manager uses the .NET framework in several ways:

• Express Access Point - a .NET web service that facilitates communication between Express clients and the Express Database.
• Express Reporting - a .NET based website that provides report and filter selection and report viewing.
• Express Purchasing - a .NET based website that provides access to the Express Purchasing system.
• Express Administrative Console and Express Server - Windows .NET forms applications that provide administrative, data collection management, and event handling functionality within Express Software Manager.

Q. How do I inventory a Mac OS-based machine from a USB drive?+ show

A. Collecting inventory data from Mac OS-based machines is different than inventorying Windows-based machines. For Mac OS machines, you need to use the appropriate remote client package to collect the data, and then import that data via the Administrative Console.

Follow these steps:

1. From the Administrative Console's Machine menu, point to Remote Inventory, and then click Prepare Client. Note the location of the Mac OS remote client package that is shown in the dialog box.
2. Copy the contents of that folder to a USB drive or other portable media that you can use on Mac OS-based machines.
3. Mount the portable media on the Mac OS machine and run Inventory Mac.app from the drive. Mac OS inventory client will write its inventory data back to a folder on the portable media.
4. From the Administrative Console's Machine menu, point to Remote Inventory, and then click Import. Browse to the location of the .XML files on the portable media, and then click Import.

Q. Can I inventory Mac OS-based machines from a share?+ show

A. Yes - to inventory from a share and import the results, do the following:

Prepare the network share location

To run inventory from a share, you must first prepare the network share location:

1. Create a network share with read and, if you plan to use the same location to write the generated output files, write access by other machines. If you also run inventory from a Windows share, make sure this location is different.
2. From the Administrative Console's Machine menu, point to Remote Inventory and then click Prepare Client. This will generate an inventory configuration file in the location shown in the Prepare Remote Inventory Client dialog box. Note that this dialog box lists locations for the both Windows-based machines and Mac OS-based systems. Navigate to the appropriate location and copy all the files in that folder to the share.

Run the inventory from the share

After you've prepared the network share location, you are ready to run inventory from the share. To do so, run the Inventory Mac.app script from the machine to be inventoried.

The client will write its inventory files into a subfolder of the folder where Inventory Mac.app is located. The client creates the subfolder in the form esm_<machinename>_yyyymmdd. For example, an inventory run on December 15, 2010 would create the following subfolder: esm_JERRY160L_20101215

Process the inventory

After you've prepared the network share location and run inventory from it, you need to process the resulting .Xml files by pulling that data into the Express Database. You can do this either one machine at a time, or for an entire share containing inventories generated from multiple clients. Both procedures are described here.

Importing a single machine

You can import the inventory from a single machine directly from within the Express Administrative Console using the same method as provided for other types of remote inventories:

1. From the Administrative Console's Machine menu, point to Remote Inventory and then click Import.
2. In the Import Remote Inventory Files dialog box, navigate to the folder containing the machine’s inventory files. (Remember, this will be a folder name containing the machine name and date as described earlier.)
3. Click Import.

Importing multiple machines

To import inventory files generated by the Inventory Mac.app script, do the following:

1. Copy the ProcessEMInvFS.wsf file into the C:\Windows\System32\Wex4962 folder of a Windows machine that is running an Express Software Manager client.
2. Run the ProcessEMInvFS.wsf script from that location with the following arguments. (Note: all arguments are optional – see the argument descriptions for defaults if not specified.)
   • /visible - (optional) This script invokes the inventory client to pass the individual inventories up one at a time to the Express Access Point. If you do not use the /visible parameter, the client runs without displaying its user interface. Note: If you specify /visible, you will need to click on a Close button in the client user interface for each inventory processed.
   • /nosummary - (optional) Use if you do not want messages to display when the script completes. If you do not use the /nosummary parameter, a summary message box is displayed.
   • /delete - (optional) Use to delete each processed folder once complete. If you do not use the /delete parameter, the folder is not deleted, but is renamed by pre-pending "processed_" to the folder after processing is complete. This is done so if you rerun the script at a later date, only unprocessed folders are imported. For example, after the folder used in the sample above has been processed, its name will be: processed_esm_JERRY160L_20101215

Q. How can I schedule the SCCM import to occur automatically?+ show

A. Once you've followed the steps to configure the Express Connector and successfully imported data, you can schedule the import process via the Task Scheduler (also called simply the Scheduler), a System Tools accessory that ships with Windows. See the "Schedule the import process" topic in the Express Connector help file for more information.

Q. Can I exclude certain folders from being inventoried?+ show

A. Yes.  There are several reasons that you might want to exclude specific folders from being inventoried:

• Excluding folders may be helpful for speeding up the inventory process in sites with large numbers of folders that are unlikely to contain executable files that need monitoring by Express Software Manager.
• Excluding folders may be helpful for folders that are actively used for writing data by other applications. As an example, Microsoft SQL FILESTREAM can read and write large quantities of data to designated directories in an NTFS file system. Excluding those directories from the inventory process will both speed up the inventory process and prevent performance issues from occurring in FILESTREAM while the inventory process is occurring.

By default, Express Software Manager excludes the following folders from inventory:

• Windows temporary Internet files folder
• Windows system restore points, OS patch/uninstall/DLL cache folders
• Mac OS system library, backup, and software updates folders

To exclude additional folders from inventory, do the following:

1. From the Machine menu, select Client Options.
2. In the Inventory tab of the Client Options dialog box, click the Advanced button.
3. In the Additional Exclude Folders dialog box, click the Add button.
4. Enter a folder name fragment to specify which folders to exclude from inventory and click OK.
5. Click OK twice more to dismiss the Additional Exclude Folders and Client Options dialog boxes.

For more information on how to specify folder name fragments, use your Administrative Console's Express Software Manager help and search for the topic "Tips for entering folder name fragments."