When we speak about IT asset management, ensuring the efficient tracking and management of your organization’s hardware and software assets is paramount. The GLPI Agent, an essential component of the GLPI Inventory ecosystem, is your ally in achieving this. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll explore the GLPI Agent, its importance, and a valuable toolbox plugin that allows administrators to manage tasks locally without the need to create them on the GLPI server.
This is especially valuable for complex networks where installing agents on every computer may not be feasible or when security and compliance reasons restrict server connections.
Understanding the GLPI Agent
The GLPI Agent is a powerful tool developed to simplify the challenges associated with IT asset management. It facilitates the collection and transmission of vital data from connected devices to the central GLPI Server. This continuous flow of data empowers organizations to:
- Maintain Real-Time Inventory: With the GLPI Agent, you can keep an up-to-date inventory of your hardware and software assets. This real-time snapshot is crucial for making informed decisions.
- Reduce Downtime: By having a clear view of your IT assets, you can minimize downtime by addressing issues proactively and efficiently.
- Optimize Resource Allocation: Resource allocation becomes more efficient when you know exactly what you have. This leads to cost savings and improved productivity.
- Enhance Security Protocols: Security is a top concern in the IT world. With the GLPI Agent, you can better protect your assets by staying informed about their status.
- Compliance and Licensing: For organizations that need to comply with licensing and security requirements, the GLPI Agent is a valuable asset for maintaining compliance.
Introducing the GLPI Toolbox Plugin
One of the standout features of the GLPI Agent is its toolbox plugin. This plugin allows administrators to manage tasks locally, directly from their computers, without the need to create tasks on the GLPI server. This feature is particularly valuable in scenarios where:
- Installing agents on every computer is not practical.
- Security measures or compliance regulations prevent direct server connections.
Since the version 1.6 some new and important features were added to the Toolbox plugin like:
- A dedicated page to schedule tasks — you can also setup the tasks to run on a daily basis or in blob times ( e.g.: every hour, or every three hours)
- A dedicated list of inventoried devices — when using the Agent Folder as the target of the tasks
- New layout of icons and buttons
- A wider range of credentials and IP ranges administration for Remote Inventory and ESX Inventory support.
To help you get started with the GLPI Toolbox Plugin, we’ve created a video tutorial. In this video, you’ll learn step-by-step how to set up the toolbox plugin for local task management and also how to create a scheduled task. This visual guide will make the process easy to understand and implement, ensuring that you can efficiently manage your tasks without unnecessary server interactions.
Useful links
- GLPI Agent releases – https://github.com/glpi-project/glpi-agent/releases
- GLPI Agent documentation – https://glpi-agent.readthedocs.io/en/latest/
- GLPI Agent Toolbox documentation – https://glpi-agent.readthedocs.io/en/latest/plugins/toolbox-plugin.htm
Video content
00:00 – Introduction to GLPI Agent Toolbox Plugin
02:15 – Installing the GLPI Agent on Windows
03:57 – How to activate the Toolbox plugin
07:27 – How to enable menus inside the GlPI Agent toolbox plugin
07:53 – How to create inventory tasks using the toolbox plugin on GLPI Agent
11:24 – How to import the inventory files to my GLPI Server
14:04 – How to convert an unmanaged device into a computer in GLPI