Dell Asset Manager 9.5. Getting Started Guide

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Dell™ Asset Manager 9.5

Getting Started Guide

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This guide contains proprietary information protected by copyright. The software described in this guide is furnished under a software license or nondisclosure agreement. This software may be used or copied only in accordance with the terms of the applicable agreement. No part of this guide may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying and recording for any purpose other than the purchaser’s personal use without the written permission of Dell Inc.

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Asset Manager Getting Started Guide Updated – May 2014

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Asset Manager 9.5 ₃ Getting Started Guide

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About the Dell Asset Manager manuals

The Asset Manager manuals describe the Software Asset Management (SAM) project from the preparation/implementation of Asset Manager through report generation using the collected data. The documentation for Asset Manager includes:

Installation Guide

The guide provides details on:

 Preparations

 System requirements

 Preparing the hardware/server for the Asset Manager server system

 Implementation of the Asset Manager server system

 Installation of the Asset Manager server software

 Configuring the Asset Manager server

 Collecting data from clients

Administration Guide

The guide provides details on:

 Administration of the Asset Manager server system

 Identifying software/data

 Structuring software/data

 Registering of licenses

 Metering software usage

 Agreements

 Data extracts – reports

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Preparing the implementation of

Asset Manager

This section contains the following topics:

 Asset Manager Architecture

 System requirements

Asset Manager Architecture

The Asset Manager server runs on a Microsoft IIS web server with .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack1. It can use a local or remote Microsoft SQL Server for storing all collected data.

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System requirements

Screen resolution

 1280 X 1024 for both backend and client

Backend operating system requirements

Supported server platforms

 Windows Server 2012

 Windows Server 2008 R2

 Windows Server 2003, Service Pack 1 or later

Supported SQL servers

 SQL Server 2012 (all editions)

Frontend operating system requirements

Supported Windows operating systems

 Windows Server 2012  Windows Server 2008 R2  Windows Server 2008  Windows Server 2003 R2  Windows Server 2003  Windows 8  Windows 7  Windows Vista  Windows XP

Supported MAC operating systems

 Mac OS X Mountain Lion (version 10.8)

 Mac OS X Lion (version 10.7)

 Mac OS X Snow Leopard (version 10.6)

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Agent requirements

 AMAgentService.msi (agent service) installation requires .NET Framework 2.0

 AMAgent.msi (offline agent) installation does not require .NET

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Third Party Integration with

Asset Manager

 Inventory and usage/metering data

 Virtual inventory and usage/metering data

 Software identification and categorization

 Infrastructures

 Virtual infrastructure

 Size of installation – number of client computers

 Load on client computers

 Installation recommendations

Inventory and usage/metering data

Inventory data is used to identify installed software/hardware. Inventory data includes: software strings (add/remove programs list, Windows Management Instrumentation (WMI), software file names, and hardware (WMI).

Usage/metering data is information on when the software has been used.

Inventory and usage/metering data collected directly

from deployment solutions

Microsoft

 SCCM - Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager 2012 / 2007 (any version)

 SMS - System Management Server 2003 (any version)

Symantec

 Altiris System Management (version 6.x or later)

Matrix42

 Empirum Inventory (version 14.x or later)

CapaSystems

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Inventory and usage/metering data collected with

asset manager agent/script

Microsoft

 Windows Server 2012/2008 R2/2008/2003 R2/2003/2000 (any edition)

 Windows 8/7/Vista / XP (any edition)

Apple

 Mac OS X Mountain Lion (version 10.8.x)

 Mac OS X Lion (version 10.7.x)

 Mac OS X Snow Leopard (version 10.6.x)

 Mac OS X Leopard (version 10.5.x)

Linux

 RedHat (version 5.x or later)

 Fedora (version 10.x or later)

 Ubuntu (version 10.x or later)

Sun

 Solaris (version 5.11 or later)

IBM

 AIX (version 6.1 or later)

Inventory from Oracle SQL database servers

The Asset Manager server can collect data on instance names and installed modules from Oracle SQL database servers.

 Oracle database (version 10g + 11g)

 Oracle database (version 9i, though certain usage statistics cannot be detected in this version)

NOTE:It is not possible to distinguish between Standard and StandardOne Editions.

Inventory data collected directly from other Asset

Manager servers

The Asset Manager server can collect data from other Asset Manager servers. It can also be implemented as a forest solution (one main central site server and several decentralized sub-servers).

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Virtual inventory and usage/metering data

Virtual inventory includes software and applications which are not physically installed locally, but are accessible from a remote server.

Virtual inventory data collected directly from virtual

application solutions

Citrix

 Presentation Server (version 4.0 / 4.5)

 XenApp (version 5.0 or later)

Virtual usage/metering data collected directly from

virtual application solutions

Citrix

 EdgeSight for XenApp (version 6.0)

NOTE:The Asset Manager agent for Windows can also collect usage/metering data.

Virtual inventory/usage/metering data collected

directly from virtual application solutions

MIcrosoft

 Microsoft App-V (version 5.0)

Software identification and categorization

You should identify and categorize the collected software inventory data on a weekly basis to help manage commercial software licenses.

Asset Manager software recognition database

Asset Manager server can automatically categorize software with the Asset Manager Software DNA web service, which is maintained by Asset Manager A/S.

Asset Manager Software DNA categorizes software in 15 different categories. The most important being Commercial software, which is necessary to manage software licenses.

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Infrastructures

You should collect infrastructure data on a daily basis to structure, organize, and split up the entire collected inventory data.

Infrastructure and user data collected directly from

the computer network/domain

Microsoft

 Active Directory Organizational Units through Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP).

 Active Directory user account details through LDAP (such as user names, mail address, and phone number).

Infrastructure data collected directly from files

CSV file – Comma separated file (such as Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) system containing Cost Center infrastructure).

Infrastructure data automatically created/updated

by computer patterns

Structure/organize computers by: Hostname, IP address, type of Hardware, Domain name, Asset Manager Server Site name.

Virtual infrastructure

Computers and hardware are not always physical, and virtual computers can move around on different physical servers in a virtual infrastructure environment.

Virtual infrastructure collected directly from virtual

infrastructure solutions

VMware

 ESX (version 3.5 or later)

 ESXi (version 3.5 or later)

 vCenter (version 3.5 or later)

Microsoft

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Size of installation – number of client

computers

It is important to know the size of the installation as more client computer require more disk space and will place heavier demands on the server running Asset Manager.

Regardless of the size, the Asset Manager server requires:

 Microsoft Windows Server 2008

 IIS enabled/installed

 Requires the Windows Server installation CD-ROM

 .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1

 Used by the Asset Manager system. Install through Windows Update or the Asset Manager installation.

 .NET 2.0 in the IIS

Asset Manager can use a local or remote Microsoft SQL Server for data storage. This section contains the following topics:

 Small scale – less than 500 client computers

 Mid scale – 500 to 5000 client computers

 Large Scale – more than 5000 client computers

Small scale – less than 500 client computers

Asset Manager server

 2.0 GHz AMD/Intel CPU or higher

 1 GB RAM or more (2 GB is recommended)

 500 MB free disk space for the installation of .NET and Asset Manager server

Database server for data storage

 Installed locally or through remote server

 Microsoft SQL Server Express Edition

 Microsoft SQL Server 2005 SP3 Express Edition (Located within the Asset Manager installation package or you can download it from www.microsoft.com.)

 This edition is free and has a limit of 4 GB data storage.

 Free disk space for data storage (Asset Manager database)

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Mid scale – 500 to 5000 client computers

Asset Manager server

 3.0 GHz AMD/Intel CPU or higher

 2 GB RAM or more (3 GB is recommended)

 500 MB free disk space for the installation of .NET and Asset Manager server.

Database server for data storage

 Installed locally or through a remote server

 Microsoft SQL Server Standard Edition

 Must be installed before starting the Asset Manager installation

 This edition is not free and has no limit of data storage.

 2 MB for each client computer is recommended (For example, 5000 clients = 10GB)

Large Scale – more than 5000 client computers

Asset Manager server

 3.0 GHz dual AMD/Intel CPU or higher

 4 GB RAM

 500 MB free disk space for installation of .NET and Asset Manager server.

Database server for data storage

 Should be a remote and dedicated SQL database server

 Microsoft SQL Server Standard Edition / Enterprise Edition

 Must be installed before starting the Asset Manager installation

 This edition is not for free and has no limit of data storage.

 2 MB for each client computer is recommended (For example, 10000 clients = 20GB)

Load on client computers

When the Asset Manager system is installed, you must have an agent program (AMClient.exe) running on client computers. The size of the agent is 200 KB. It collects data and transfers it to the Asset Manager system. When this agent is running, it will use approximately 7–8 MB of RAM. AMClient.exe will use 3–5% overhead when scanning the computer.

AMClient.exe will run shortly after the client computer logs on to the network with an adjustable delay before any scans are started. The list of installed software can be scanned at every log on, with the results delivered

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to Asset Manager. Hardware and file scans can be configured in the same way for delivering/updating data to the Asset Manager system (for example, every login, daily, or monthly).

Installation recommendations

Administrator/employee with necessary access rights

and knowledge

We recommend that an IT administrator be present to oversee the Asset Manager installation. Installation requires the following steps:

1 Log onto the Asset Manager server as an administrator.

If using an external MS SQL database server, log on as an administrator to the database server and create the database and users for the Asset Manager system.

The Asset Manager system can also self-create its database if the username and password are known for an SQL Authentication user inside the MS SQL server. An Active Directory user who is added to the MS SQL server with the necessary rights for creating databases can also be used.

2 Start Asset Manager automatically on the clients computers.

This can be done with the users’ login script. An IT administrator with knowledge of the company’s login scripts can apply the Asset Manager command to the login script.

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Installation and Configuration

 Installing Asset Manager server software

 Asset Manager configuration overview

 Microsoft SQL Server

 Asset Manager database

 Collecting data with the Asset Manager agent (AMClient.exe)

 Collecting data with the Asset Manager Mac agent (AMMacClient)

Installing Asset Manager server software

You must install a Win32 application (used for configuring the Asset Manager server infastructure) prior to the Asset Manager installation.

To install the Asset Manager server software

1 Log on to the server as a system administrator, unzip the Dell Asset Manager archive, and run the setup.bat file.

NOTE:When using Windows 8 or Windows Server 2012 you may need to turn on the .NET

framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0).

 Windows 8

Enter Windows Features, and enable .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) and underlying features (Windows Communication Foundation HTTP Activation and Windows Communication Foundation Non-HTTP Activation).

Enter the Add Roles and Features Wizard, and enable .Net Framework 3.5 Features and underlying features (.NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0, HTTP Activation, and Non-HTTP Activation).

2 Click Accept to install Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Report Viewer. 3 Click Next to begin the installation of the Access Manager server.

4 Select to use either the default location or choose another location for the Asset Manager server software.

5 Select whether or not other users (on this server) can access the Asset Manager Server, and click Next. 6 Click Next to confirm the installation.

7 Click Next.

8 Click OK to begin the installation.

9 When the software is successfully installed, click Close.

10 The configuration should start automatically. If it does not, select Start | All Programs | Dell | Asset

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NOTE:On Windows Server 2008 it might be necessary to right-click the Asset Manager

Configuration shortcut, and select Run as administrator.

11 Enter a valid Asset Manager license key. All purchased modules will appear once the license key has been entered.

12 Select the SQL-Server and database to use or follow this link to download a free Microsoft SQL-server Express edition: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=23650. It is recommended you choose a SQL-server installation including SQL-Server Management Studio.

13 Click Next.

14 Click the Wizard button to start begin the installation.

15 Click Apply and OK to save changes and close the Asset Manager configuration dialog box. 16 Open the Database tab to configure the database.

Asset Manager configuration overview

This section describes the available configuration options. See the Asset Manager Installation Guide for details.

 The License Key tab displays all purchased modules that are active as determined by the Asset Manager license key.

 The Database tab displays all MS SQL Server instances installed locally on the Asset Manager server. The name and version of the Asset Manager database is also displayed.

 The Citrix Service tab displays the Asset Manager Citrix Service (AM Citrix Service) information.

 The XenApp 6 tab displays the Asset Manager Citrix XenApp 6 setup page.

 The Hyper-V tab displays the Hyper-V setup page for Microsoft Windows Hyper-V solution.

 The SCCM tab displays the SCCM Client Service and its SCCM/SMS database connection.

 The Admin Website tab displays the Asset Manager Website configuration information, which is necessary to administer the Asset Manager system.

 The Client Package Handler Service tab displays the Asset Manager Client Package Handler Service, which is necessary to process the collected data in the Asset Manager system.

 The ClientRequestHandler Website tab displays the AMClientRequestHandler Website, which works together with the Asset Manager Client Package Handler Service.

 The Client tab displays the settings for the Asset Manager agent/client (AMClient.exe). For more details, see:

 Collecting Data with the Asset Manager Agent (AMClient.exe)

 Running Asset Manager Agent with a Login Script

 The Multiple Site Installations tab displays the settings for the Multiple Site Installation Service which is needed if setting up several Asset Manager servers in a forest structure.

 The Software Patterns Identification Service tab displays the settings for the Software Patterns Identification Service which are needed to communicate with the global Software Patterns Identification Database.

If the service account is running windows authentication, the account must also be running the ClientRequestHandler Website, ClientPackageHandler, and Admin Website.

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Microsoft SQL Server

Asset Manager Server can use a local or remote MS SQL Server. The following MS SQL servers versions can be used for the Asset Manager database:

 MS SQL Server 2005 (All editions)

MS SQL Server is available in different editions, Express, Standard, Enterprise, and Datacenter. All can be used for the Asset Manager Server.

Please refer to the System requirements for recommendations on which MS SQL Server edition to use, based on the number of clients and size of the installation.

If no MS SQL server is available, MS SQL Server 2005 Express Edition can be installed using this link:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=23650. It is recommended you choose a SQL-server installation including SQL-Server Management Studio.

Asset Manager database

When an MS SQL Server is installed, an Asset Manager database must be created. You need to decide how the Asset Manager Server will connect to the Asset Manager database. There are two methods: SQL Authentication or Windows Authentication. For more information see Database connection.

To initialize a database

1 Click the Database tab in the Assert Manager Configuration dialog box.

2 If an empty database has already been created on the MS SQL Server for the Asset Manager Server, click

Browse to find the required SQL server and database.

3 Click Initialize Database to prepare it for the Asset Manager server.

The empty database should be in Compatibility level 80 before initialization – contact your database administrator regarding this.

4 Click OK.

To create a database

1 Click Create New Database.

2 In the Create Database dialog box, select the local or remote SQL Server.

3 Choose between SQL Authentication and Windows Authentication. (If Windows Authentication is used, refer to Database connection. See SQL authentication and Windows integrated authentication.

4 Click OK.

NOTE:Regarding authentication, DBCREATOR or SYSADMIN rights are needed to create the

database.

Once the Asset Manager database is created, the version will become visible on the Database tab and should correspond to the Asset Manager server software.

Database connection

To create a connection between a system and a database, you can use either SQL Authentication (easy setup) or Windows Integrated Authentication (complex setup).

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 database owner (dbo) rights to the Asset Manager database (named AM by default).

 database creator rights (optional) used when upgrading the Asset Manager server. However, the upgrade database (AMReference) can be created manually.

 database delete rights (optional) used when upgrading the Asset Manager server. The existing upgrade database (AMReference) can be deleted manually.

An SQL server has a predefined user named "sa". The sa user can be used for both database connection and when upgrading the Asset Manager server. The sa user has the role of being the system administrator of the SQL server.

NOTE:This method does not comply with best practice as it reduces the security level on the SQL

server.

SQL authentication

When SQL Authentication is used as connection to a database, an SQL user (Login) is created on the SQL server. This SQL user is set up as the database owner (dbo) and has administrative rights to the database.

Windows integrated authentication

When Windows Integrated Authentication is used as a connection to a database, an Active Directory user account is created on the local network. The Active Directory user can log on to computers in the local network, and the rights of the user can be managed centrally from Active Directory.

It is more complex to set up a database connection using Windows integrated authentication. The Active Directory user must be created on/added to the SQL server and then assigned to be a database owner. If the local network is comprised of more domains, the configuration may become complex when the SQL server is on one domain and the Active Directory user is on another. This may cause problems with the validation of the user on the SQL server, resulting in an inability to establish a database connection.

Asset Manager users must have the necessary access rights to use the system. This means that they must be added to an Active Directory security group. This security group must then be created on/added to the SQL server and be granted the necessary rights almost at the same level as the database owner.

Collecting data with the Asset Manager

agent (AMClient.exe)

To populate the Asset Manager system with data, an agent is required on each client computer. The agent scans the computer for software, hardware, files, and WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation). The agent also blocks or limits the execution of unwanted applications and notifies the Asset Manager system when specific applications are executed.

Organizations with Microsoft System Management Server 2003 (SMS) or Microsoft System Center Configuration manager 2007 (SCCM) can scan the client computers and deliver data to a central database.

Organizations without SMS/SCCM systems can use the Asset Manager Agent (AMClient.exe) as a process. The AMClient is small (about 200 KB) and start-up time is short. The table below shows the functionality of the AMClient versus SMS/SCCM.

NOTE:AMClient has more functionality as it provides a direct connection between the client computer

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Table 1. Functionality of AMClient versus SMS/SCCM

Running the Asset Manager agent with a login script

The Asset Manager agent is run with a start-up command added to the users login script. The Asset Manager start-up command consists of two parts: an executable file and a website.

\\[Asset Manager Server]\AMClient\AMPreloader.exe [Asset Manager Server]/AMClientRequestHandler

where [Asset Manager Server] is the name of the server where Asset Manager is installed.

The Asset Manager start-up command may look like this (MONITORINGSERVER is the name of the server in this example):

\\MonitoringServer\AMClient\AMPreloader.exe MonitoringServer /AMClientRequestHandler

 \\MonitoringServer\AMClient is the server name and share where the client files are located. By default, it will be the location where the Asset Manager server is installed.

 AMPreloader.exe copies or upgrades the client files to the client computer and starts the AMClient.exe, which is the actual Asset Manager agent.

 MonitoringServer/AMClientRequestHandler is a website that serves as gateway between the Asset Manager server and the client computers.

The login script method has the following advantages and disadvantages:

 Advantages

 It starts automatically, and the agent (AMClient) is automatically updated.

 Disadvantages

 It cannot start offline. Without the login script, the agent will not start. However, you can use the the AMAgent.msi to install the AMClient and start up without a login script.

Functionality AMClient Mac Client _{SCCM Integration}SMS/

Software scan/identification from

Add and Remove Programs    Hardware scan from WMI    Detailed software identification

from WMI

 Data from Mac System Profiler is used.

N/A File scan – (files can be used for

software identification)    Blocked files – (prevent unwanted

application start-up)  

N/A Passive metering – (historical

usage of software)   

Active metering – (real time usage of software + limitation of concurrent usage of software)

 N/A N/A

Offline metering   

Offline launch of agent – (useful

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NOTE:The agent cannot be started from remote desktop. If the agent is started from a

remote desktop, software and hardware data will not be sent, as it will be registered as a remote access.

AMAgent.msi: Using AMClient as offline agent

AMAgent.msi is located (by default) on the Asset Manager server share called AMClient. If this file is installed on the client computers, the Asset Manager start-up command is added to the Windows Registry, and the AMClient can then start up without a login script and connection to the Asset Manager server. This is useful for mobile users using laptops not directly connected to the local network where the Asset Manager server is installed. When mobile users open a VPN connection, the AMClient will begin transmitting all the data it has collected while the mobile user was offline.

The AMClient is located In the Windows registry:

 On 32-bit installations:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrrentVersion\Run

 On 64-bit installations:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432NODE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrrentVersion\Run The AMAgent.msi method has the following advantages and disadvantages:

 Advantages

 It can start offline (useful for mobile VPN users).

 Disadvantages

 It must be installed manually and requires local administrative rights for installation. The AMClient is not updated automatically as no login script or AMPreloader is executed. The AMPreloader handles copying and updating of AMClient. The AMPreloader cannot start without connection to the Asset Manager Server.

NOTE:The agent cannot be started from remote desktop. If the agent is started from a

remote desktop, software and hardware data will not be sent, as it will be registered as a remote access.

Service Installation of the Asset Manager agent

The Asset Manager Agent service runs the AMClient at scheduled times. AMAgentService.msi is used for server installations because the normal AMClient needs a user login.

The AMAgentService.msi installation requires .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1. It runs software, hardware, and file scans but not meterings and blocked files.

The AMAgentService.msi is placed in the MSI folder on the Asset Manager server and can be copied to the server for being executed.

See the Asset Manager Administration Guide for details.

Collecting data with the Asset Manager Mac

agent (AMMacClient)

To retrieve data from Apple Mac devices, an Asset Manager Mac agent (AMMacClient) is required on each Mac device. The agent scans for software, hardware, and files. It can also block the execution of unwanted applications and notify the Asset Manager system when specific applications are executed (Metering).

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Deploying the Mac agent

The AMMacClient (AMMacClient.zip) installation file is located in ProgramFiles%\Dell\ Asset Manager\MSI or ProgramFiles(x86)\Dell\Asset Manager\MSI on the Asset Manager server.

To deploy the agent

1 The administrator must send the AMMacClient.zip file to all clients with a description of how to unzip the file.

2 The client downloads and unzips the AMMacClient.zip file.

3 Copy the AMMacClient file to the Applications folder on the Apple Mac computer. 4 Double-click the AMMacClient file to expand the AMMacClient icon.

The AMMacClient will now start automatically every time the Mac is started and the eye icon is available on the task bar. The AMMacClient process running on the Mac computer can be monitored through Applications | Utilities | Activity Monitor.

When using MAC OS X LION, the AMMacClient may not activate during the start-up process.

To activate the AMMacClient

1 Select System Preferences | Accounts.

2 Click the padlock icon and enter your credentials. 3 Click the Login Items button.

4 Click the + button.

5 In the Applications folder, find the AMMacClient and click Add. Once the AMMacClient is added, it will start automatically when the computer starts up.

AMMacClient parameters

The AMMacClient can be started with different parameters. The available parameters include:

Table 2. AMMacClient parameters Parameter Example/explanation

(Nothing) Normal case -tcp_nodelay Disable delayed ACK

-d Only for debug. A debug log file (AMClientlog-<user name>) can be found in the temp folder for the current user (CD /tmp).

An example of starting the AMMacClient in a Mac Terminal window: ./AMMacClient http://<AMSERVERNAME>/AMClientRequestHandler.

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About Dell

Dell listens to customers and delivers worldwide innovative technology, business solutions and services they trust and value. For more information, visit www.software.dell.com.

Contacting Dell

Technical Support:

Online Support

Product Questions and Sales: (800) 306-9329

Email:

[email protected]

Technical support resources

Technical support is available to customers who have purchased Dell software with a valid maintenance contract and to customers who have trial versions. To access the Support Portal, go to

http://software.dell.com/support/.

The Support Portal provides self-help tools you can use to solve problems quickly and independently, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In addition, the portal provides direct access to product support engineers through an online Service Request system.

The site enables you to:

 Create, update, and manage Service Requests (cases)

 View Knowledge Base articles

 Obtain product notifications

 Download software. For trial software, go to TrialDownloads.

 View how-to videos

 Engage in community discussions

Dell Asset Manager 9.5. Getting Started Guide