Applies To
Express Software Manager version 4.0 with Resource Toolkit

Summary
This technical note explains how to use the User-Defined Client, a component of the Express Software Manager Resource Toolkit, to gather machine attributes without user input. Information on modifying and running the User-Defined Client files (Exuser.exe and Exuser.ini) and using the Remote Client utility is included.

Note: This technical note is intended for users of Express Software Manager version 4.0 with the Resource Toolkit. If you have Express Software Manager version 4.5, see your System Administrator Guide for directions on using the User-Defined Client and the Remote Client. For information on upgrading to Express Software Manager version 4.5, see Technical Note 1254.

Overview of the User-Defined Client
The User-Defined Client is a utility that allows you to collect a set of predefined data from your users' workstations. Attributes that may be collected include IP address, NIC address, SMS ID, user information, and DMI information such as computer manufacturer and model, computer name, and domain name.

Once the User-Defined Client is configured properly, it writes the specified information to a file called Wrqexp.ini. The Express Inventory Client then collects the data specified from Wrqexp.ini and stores it in the Express database. You can access the data by running Express Reports.

Note: The following instructions assume that you are working with workstations connected to a network. If you need to scan remote or stand-alone machines, see the Gathering Attributes on Remote Machines section at the end of this technical note.

Before You Use the User-Defined Client
Before you get started with the User-Defined Client, make sure you have installed the Express Client to the workstations on your network by running the Express Client Install program, Exinst.exe, from a network login script. For help with the installation procedure, consult your Express documentation.

Gathering Machine Information with the User-Defined Client
Once you have installed the Express Client, you are ready to configure and run the User-Defined Client to obtain machine-specific data. Follow the steps below to modify Exuser.ini, run the Express Library Update Tool, run Exuser.exe, and view data in Express Reports.

Modifying Exuser.ini
To configure the User-Defined Client, modify the user-defined attribute file, Exuser.ini, which resides in the Express Console directory. Open Exuser.ini from the clients folder in the Express Console folder (typically, C:\Program Files\WRQ\Express Console\clients\Exuser.ini). By default, the file opens in Notepad.

Modify three sections of Exuser.ini as follows.

The [Default Types] section defines edit control types. Find this section and copy the variables from the example below. You may enter up to ten different variables. Leave any fields you do not use blank.

[Default Types] 1=ipaddress 2=nicaddress 3=environment 4=environment 5=environment 6= 7= 8= 9= 10=

The [Default Strings] section determines the value of each edit control. This sample Exuser.ini file gathers the IP address, NIC address, computer name, user name, and domain for each workstation.

[Default Strings] 1=Ignored for IP address 2=Ignored for NIC address 3=computername 4=username 5=userdomain 6= 7= 8= 9= 10=

The values in the [Visibility] section determine how Exuser.ini will interact with the user. To ensure that Express will not prompt the user for input, enter "hidden" for each edit control.

[Visibility] 1=hidden 2=hidden 3=hidden 4=hidden 5=hidden 6=hidden 7=hidden 8=hidden 9=hidden 10=hidden

For more information on modifying Exuser.ini, consult the Resource Toolkit online help.

Running the Express Library Update Tool
After you have modified Exuser.ini, update any existing Express libraries by running the Express Library Update Tool (Exlibupd.exe) from the shortcut in the Resource Toolkit Start menu. This program copies the Resource Toolkit client files (including the modified User-Defined Client file) out to the clients folder of any existing library.

Running the User-Defined Client
Once you have updated your Express libraries, run the User-Defined Client program, Exuser16.exe, from a network login script to the workstations on your network.

The next time the Express Client performs a scan, it will gather machine-specific data and store it in a file called Wrqexp.ini. After the scan is complete, you can access the data with Express Reports.

Note: Run Exuser16.exe even if you have a 32-bit operating system. The User-Defined Client will recognize automatically which operating system is running.

Running Reports in Express
To view a report that includes user-defined data, look at the user-defined report found in the Inventory-General category in Express Reports.

1. In Express Console, click Reports on the Reporting menu.

2. Click Yes in the Consolidate and Update dialog box to update the database.

3. In Express Reports, open the Inventory folder and double-click General.

4. In the Available Reports list, double-click User Defined Machine Attributes. This will display the report with the information specified in Exuser.ini.

The following instructions explain the steps to follow for running the User-Defined Client on remote machines.

1. Open the Remote User configuration file (Exremusr.ini) found in the Support folder in the Resource Kit's Remote Client folder (typically C:\Program Files\WRQ\Express Console\ResKit\Remote Client\Support\Exremusr.ini).

2. Modify Exremuser.ini as explained in the Modifying Exuser.ini section of this technical note.

3. From the Support Folder, run Build.bat, which copies the Exremusr.ini file to the Disk1 folder. Build.bat also packages the Remote Client files into Invrmt.zip and creates the self-extracting executable Invrmt.exe.

Note: The Build.bat batch file requires PKZip (version 2.5) and Winzipse (version 2.1). Each program must either be in the PC's PATH or specified in an environment variable ('pkzip_path' or 'winzipse_path').

4. Install the Express Remote Client (Exrem.exe) to the remote machines. You can do this in one of two ways:

• Create a floppy disk by running the Remote Client Setup program, Invrmt.exe, and distribute it to users.

• Distribute the Remote Client Setup program, Invrmt.exe, and have the end-users install and run it from their workstation.

5. Run the Express Library Update Tool (Exlibupd.exe) from the Resource Toolkit Start menu. Select the library where the remote information will be stored.

6. Create a folder in the library called Remote.

7. Scan the workstations with the Remote Client, which stores collected data in an Express archive (.zip) file.

8. Copy the Express archive file to the Express library folder Remote.

9. Run the Remote Import utility from the Resource Toolkit Start menu to add the data from the archive file to the Express library.

10. In Express Console, select Library from the Tools menu and click Update Database.

11. View the user-defined data in Express Reports by following the directions in the Running Reports in Express section of this technical note.

Related Technical Notes

1254	Upgrading to Express Software Manager 5.0
9989	Express Software Manager 6.0 Technical Notes
9991	Express Software Manager Technical Notes (5.x or lower)