Welcome
Users are prompted to input their email to send a verification code. This is the same email used during the signup process. The email will then be verified within our database, if this fails the user will be notified. If verification is successful, press the“Continue” button to advance.
If further assistance is required, please reach out to support.
Code Input
A verification code is sent via registered email. You must input the code into the textbox manually or via the“Paste from clipboard” button, for verification. You may return to the previous page to input a different email. Once the code has been validated, you can press“Continue” to advance to inventory method selection.
Select Inventory Method
Users must select an inventory method based on needs. “Simple install” is recommended using Active Directory, Inventory Scope, and M365 credentials. “Custom install” includes all methods such as Virtual Infrastructure, Linux, and Dynamics Great Plains.
Simple Install Method
If the simple install method is selected the user must review their credentials including subnets, domain controllers, windows domains, windows credentials, and Global Administrator email validations.
Quick setup will attempt to auto-fill credentials such as Active Directory, subnets, domains, administrator email, and windows username.
Additional subnets may be added at this time. Global Domain credentials must be validated by the user. You must input a corresponding windows password to begin discovery. The custom install method may still be accessed before proceeding to the discovery process.
Once credentials have been validated, click the “GO” button to begin inventory.
Custom Install Method
If the custom install method is selected the user must review and add Active Directories for inventory scope, as well as search current directories.
Domains may be removed or added using FQDN or IP address format alongside local administrator credentials. Once Active Directory credentials have been validated the service will connect and search for associated subnets.
If Active Directory credentials fail to validate, please reach out to support.
You are prompted to review, add, or delete subnets. New subnets may be added by clicking the“Add Subnet” button using an IP address or CIDR format. You also have the option to add exclusions via IP address.
Within the “Virtual Infrastructure” screen, the user must review or add management servers via IP address, vCenters, or EXSi hosts. Management servers may be searched, edited, and deleted.
DGP servers may be added using the“Add Server” button via IP address, instance name, network port, and database name. DGP credentials can be validated by the tool on the credentials page once input. DGP servers may be searched, edited, and deleted.
Within the “Centralized Credentials” screen users are prompted to link current credentials with respective subnets. Credentials are labelled based on username, type, and validation status.
Windows, Linux, Virtual Infrastructure, M365, and DGP credentials may be added via the “Add Credential” button. You can pick the desired type from the dropdown menu. The username and password is required to successfully add each credential (Linux has the alternative option to add via private key).
If all required info has been successfully registered during previous steps, you are ready to begin inventory.
Dashboard
The overhead view of the dashboard displays the discovery progress, inventory progress, systems, and all devices discovered on the network. A Donut progress tracker displays the percentage of all systems that have been successfully inventoried.
The Discovery Progress tracker indicates the time to complete the last scan and how many scans have been completed. The process may be paused via the power button; however, the tool must be kept running to successfully discover all inventory. By default, the tool is set to scan 20 times before indicating 100% scan completion(this can be adjusted within the settings). Errors within the scanning process will be indicated once the process is complete.
You can click the“?” icon to access the Block 64 support webpage. If further assistance is required, please reach out to support directly.
You can click on the “Inventory Progress” section to view a table of the current devices discovered. The “Inventory” tab displays the device name, IP address, manufacturer, model, OS, and network status.
The “Utilization” tab displays the device info in more detail. If the first attempt fails, you can select devices to add to a queue to be inventoried again.
Click the “Scan” icon at the top right of the dashboard to reach the “On-Demand Inventory” page. This section allows you to perform a targeted inventory of a specific device via Windows/Linux credentials. You can leave text fields blank to use stored credentials, or inventory new credentials via IP address, domain, and Windows/Linux credentials. Users indicate whether they want to check ports and ping by selecting the checkboxes before starting the inventory. Results are displayed on the right once completed.
Settings
Within the “Settings” section you can adjust app performance, network scope, active directories, inventory performance, credential sets, and wipe app data.
Within the “Performance” tab you can set the number of concurrent inventories running from the dropdown menu ranging from 1 to 30.
The “Network” tab allows you to add subnets by clicking the “Add Subnet” button via IP address, as well as remove and edit current subnets. Subnets are listed with their associated exclusions.
Within the “Active Directory” tab you can add an Active Directory by clicking the “Add Active Directory” button. You can also review and search current directories. Domains may be removed or added using FQDN or IP address format alongside local administrator credentials. Credentials will be validated automatically, if successful the application will begin searching for associated subnets for each credential.
The “Inventory” tab allows you to enable and disable protocols and timeout settings. Within the “Windows” section, the timeout duration for windows connections may be determined via the dropdown menu from 15-150 seconds.
You can also enable and disable specific inventory protocols within the Windows section such as SMB/CIFS, RPC, WMI, and WinRM. To enable WinRMyou must create a GPO on your domain controller (click here to read how to enable WinRM). Disabling these features will negatively effect the success rate of the inventory, so we recommended users enable as many as possible.
Within the “Linux” section you can set timeout settings via the dropdown menu from 15-150 seconds, as well as enable/disable SSH inventory protocol.
Within the “VMware” section you can set timeout settings via the dropdown menu from 15-150 seconds. You can add management servers by clicking the “Add Management Server” button via IP address and platform.
Within the “Resource Consumption” section you can toggle whether the application will monitor both resource and network utilization on all inventoried devices. It is recommended this be left on to provide additional device data.
Within the “Dynamics Great Plains” section you can view, search, and add servers by clicking the “Add Server” button via IP address, instance name, network port, and database name.
Within the “Credentials” tab you can maintain or add credentials by clicking the “Add Credential” button. Credentials are labelled based on username, type, and validation status. Hovering over the error icon indicates the reason for failed validation.
Windows, Linux, Virtual Infrastructure, M365, and DGP credentials can be added via the“Add Credential” button. You can pick the desired type from the dropdown menu. The username and password are required to successfully add each credential (Linux has the alternative option to add via private key). Once added, credentials may be searched, edited, and deleted.
The “Advanced” tab lets you wipe all application data by inputting “DELETE” into the text field. This process removes all data the application has collected, returning you to the welcome screen.