SCCM Software Inventory Management

In general, software inventory management refers to the practice of keeping a record of all software and applications used within an IT environment. It is a part of the overarching IT asset management process that enables admins to track their software by type, size, data, vendor, and other related attributes of software installations.

In a similar sense, SCCM software inventory is the process of using Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager to gather information about software and hardware inventory data on your network. Generally, SCCM is designed to monitor Windows software and programs, but it can extend into other vendors and operating systems as well. With effective SCCM software inventory, you can better understand the software, patches, and updates installed across your network. SCCM software inventory can help improve your application management efforts, potentially resulting in improved functionality and security.

SCCM software inventory works by using functions of Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager software management suite to gather application data from Windows-based computers. To do this properly, your machines must have a SCCM client agent installed. This helps the machines communicate with the SCCM server. IT admins can then configure these deployments to monitor the applications and software running on their networks. 

Once SCCM runs a software inventory cycle and has stored your software data, there are a few ways to view the resulting data. You can create queries or run query-based collections to view devices with specified files. Additionally, you can run reports that provide details about certain files on a device or use the Microsoft Resource Explorer to examine detailed information about the files that were inventoried and collected from network devices.

SCCM software inventory management makes it easier for IT admins to integrate device settings management and protection across mobile, physical, and virtual environments. With a more unified IT management infrastructure, admins can better calculate their software's value. In addition, this can help organizations keep tabs on when critical software needs to be updated or if a license needs to be extended. There are also major security benefits, as missing updates and patches can pose a risk for many organizations. A clear inventory helps admins understand and mitigate any current security risks or gaps across the network. Additionally, with better SCCM software inventory management, IT admins can centralize and simplify the administration of client systems while obtaining improved visibility into software data.

SCCM is a limited tool by itself, and as such, organizations need to utilize SolarWinds Patch Manager to extend its capabilities.

Depending on your preferences, you can integrate Patch Manager with SCCM in two configurations: either on a SCCM server, or on your host server. In either scenario, Patch Manager is designed to ensure SCCM and host server communications remain intact by having the Administrator Console communicate with the Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) servers and the SCCM console communicate with the WSUS servers through the SCCM server. Patch Manager does not modify the SCCM server, but it does integrate with the ribbon-style menus in the Configuration Manager console to extend its functionality.

This integration helps solve several limitations admins typically experience with SCCM. For example, SCCM does not offer real-time data. Inventory cycles are generally updated during scheduled intervals and will typically not run more than a few times a day. This means your IT team might not always have accurate insights into critical software data. To address this issue, admins can use the Patch Manager to run SCCM more frequently and gain more real-time visibility into application changes. This allows you to track performance issues on targeted machines with more flexibility.

With better insights into software and hardware inventory, Patch Manager can also empower users to create a third-party updates view, manage publishing servers, or import and export catalogs as needed.

In addition to serving as a SCCM software inventory management tool, SolarWinds Patch Manager is a robust suite that offers users many other solutions. Users can integrate the Patch Manager with Microsoft Windows Server Update Services (WSUS) to improve their compliance management and reporting. It also offers an extension to manage third-party patches as well.

Additionally, IT teams can use customizable reporting and dashboards, which allows you to track the status of patches and system updates during various stages of development.

Other SolarWinds Tools to Help Manage or Monitor IT Asset Inventory:

• SolarWinds Server & Application Monitor
• SolarWinds Service Desk 
• SolarWinds Web Help Desk

Related Features:

• SCCM Hardware Inventory 
• Application Patch Management
• SCCM Patch Management for Third Party Patching
• Virtual Patching for Endpoint Security
• SCCM Alternative
• Software Deployment Tool 
• Remote Patch Management