NetIQ Documentation: Novell® PlateSpin® Recon 3.7.4 User Guide - Discovering and Inventorying Data Center Resources

3.2 Discovering and Inventorying Data Center Resources

PlateSpin Recon gets information about data center assets in two stages.

Discover: Discovering machines in the network retrieves information such as hostnames, IP addresses, MAC addresses, and port information.
Inventory: Inventorying the previously discovered machines retrieves deeper data for each server, such as operating system, installed applications, services, processor speed, memory, network, and disk resources.

After machines are inventoried, they can be monitored and included in all report types, regardless of which method is used for inventory.

PlateSpin identifies a machine through unique attributes such as the IP address. If you change the IP address of the machine after inventorying a machine, you must reinventory the machine.

For information about ports used by PlateSpin Recon to inventory servers, see Knowledge Base article Q7920571.

3.2.1 Inventory and Discovery Methods

A common way to use discovery and inventory is to discover a large number of servers on the network. These servers appear under the Discovered node in the Data Center Explorer. Next, select the discovered servers and inventory them. Finally, select which inventoried servers you want to monitor. It is also possible to discover, inventory, and start monitoring servers in a single step.

You can add servers to the Data Center Explorer by using the Inventory button .

There are seven inventory methods available. Each inventory method is unique and has different requirements.

Table 3-2 Inventory Methods

Discover and Inventory	Discover and Optionally Inventory
Machines Virtual Center From a CSV File	Windows Domain IP Range Subnet SNMP

Discover and Inventory

Discover and Optionally Inventory

Machines icon Machines

Virtual Center icon Virtual Center

From a CSV File icon From a CSV File

Windows Domain icon Windows Domain

IP Range icon IP Range

Subnet icon Subnet

SNMP icon SNMP

Machines

To discover and inventory physical and virtual servers:

Click the Inventory button > Machines or click the Tools menu > Inventory > Machines.

The Inventory Machines dialog box is displayed.
In Hostname or IP of the machine(s) to inventory, specify the hostname or the IP address of the machines you want to inventory.

You can specify multiple hostnames or IP addresses separated with a comma; however, they need to all use the same credentials.
Specify credentials for the machines you add in Step 2. For more information on how to specify a new credential, see Section 3.2.2, Inventory Credentials.

This enables the Inventory button.
(Optional) Start monitoring the servers when they are inventoried and/or add them to existing groups. For more information, see Section 3.2.3, Inventory Options.
Configure the schedule when you want to perform the inventory.
- To immediately start the inventory, do one of the following:
  - Click Now in the Inventory drop-down list.
  - Click Schedule in the Inventory drop-down list, then click Now > OK.
- To perform inventory at a later time, set up a schedule:
  1. In the Inventory drop-down list, click Schedule.
    
    The Scheduling Options dialog box is displayed.
  2. Select one of the following schedules
    
    Later
    
    Recurrence
  3. Fill in the fields.
    
    For details about the fields, click the appropriate schedule listed above.
Click Inventory.

Virtual Center

Inventorying a Virtual Center involves collecting information about all the servers and virtual machines in the Virtual Center. This is much more efficient than discovering and inventorying all the servers and virtual machines individually.

To discover and inventory Virtual Center servers:

Click the Inventory button > Virtual Center or click the Tools menu > Inventory > Virtual Center.

The Inventory Virtual Center dialog box is displayed.
Specify the hostname or the IP address of the Virtual Center you want to inventory.
Specify credentials for the machines that you added in Step 2. For more information on how to specify a new credential, see Section 3.2.2, Inventory Credentials.

This enables the Inventory button.
(Optional) Start monitoring the servers when they are inventoried and/or add them to existing groups. For more information, see Section 3.2.3, Inventory Options.
Configure the schedule when you want to perform the inventory.
- To immediately start the inventory, do one of the following:
  - Click Now in the Inventory drop-down list.
  - Click Schedule in the Inventory drop-down list, then click Now > OK.
- To perform inventory at a later time, set up a schedule:
  1. In the Inventory drop-down list, click Schedule.
    
    The Scheduling Options dialog box is displayed.
  2. Select one of the following schedules
    
    Later
    
    Recurrence
  3. Fill in the fields.
    
    For details about the fields, click the appropriate schedule listed above.
Click Inventory.

Virtual Center contents appear in the Data Center Explorer the same way they are organized in the Virtual Center, with all nodes, clusters, resource pools, and virtual machine nodes. The machines do not appear under All in the Data Center Explorer until they are inventoried.

When using per core licensing, you must first inventory a Virtual Center before inventorying ESX Servers that belong to it, or the virtual machines on those ESX Servers. For more information, see Per Core in the Novell PlateSpin Recon 3.7.4 Getting Started Guide.

From a CSV File

Inventorying machines from a CSV file allows you to add servers whose information resides in a comma-separated value file. Use the following format to list the machines in the file:

Address, [Username], [Password], [Description], [Inventory Type]

Table 3-3 CSV File Requirements

Field	Required	Description
Address	Yes	IP address or hostname of the machine.
Username	Optional	Username for the credential. If this is left blank, the default credentials are used.
Password	Optional	Password for the credential. This is required only when creating a credential.
Description	Optional	Description for the credential. If the entry for a machine in the CSV file contains username and password, the credential description must be unique.
Inventory type	Optional	Can be any of the following values. Values must match case and spacing as shown below: UNIX VirtualCenter VMwareESX3 VMwareESX4 VMwareESX5 NetWare CitrixXenServer Windows If the value is unspecified, Windows and UNIX are the defaults and these are determined by the formats of the credentials that you specify in the CSV file: [user],[password] is for UNIX For example, 10.0.0.0,root,password,description [domain\user],[password] is for Windows For example, 10.0.0.0,localhost\administrator,password,description1 This field is also expected to be at the end of the CSV file.

To discover and inventory machines from a CSV file:

Click the Inventory button > From CSV File or click the Tools menu > Inventory > From CSV File.

The Inventory from CSV dialog box is displayed.
Type the path (or use the adjacent browse button) to locate a CSV file containing servers to inventory.
(Conditional) If the CSV file does not contain the credentials for all the machines, specify the credentials for the machines in the Default Inventory Parameter panel.

NOTE:The Default Inventory Parameters area is disabled if the CSV file contains credentials for all its machines.

For more information on how to specify a new credential, see Section 3.2.2, Inventory Credentials.

This enables the Inventory button.
(Optional) Start monitoring the machine when they are inventoried and/or add them to existing groups. For more information, see Section 3.2.3, Inventory Options.
Configure the schedule when you want to perform the inventory.
- To immediately start the inventory, do one of the following:
  - Click Now in the Inventory drop-down list.
  - Click Schedule in the Inventory drop-down list, then click Now > OK.
- To perform inventory at a later time, set up a schedule:
  1. In the Inventory drop-down list, click Schedule.
    
    The Scheduling Options dialog box is displayed.
  2. Select one of the following schedules
    
    Later
    
    Recurrence
  3. Fill in the fields.
    
    For details about the fields, click the appropriate schedule listed above.
Click Inventory.

Windows Domain

Inventorying machines by using the Windows Domain option allows you to add all the servers discovered in the specified Windows Domain.

To discover and optionally inventory servers in a specified Windows Domain:

Click the Inventory button > Windows Domain or click the Tools menu > Inventory > Windows Domain.

The Domain Discovery and Inventory dialog box is displayed.
Type a Windows Domain name.
In the Machines to Discover drop-down list, select which machines to discover. The available options are All Machines, Servers, or Workstations (NT4 Workstation, Windows XP).
(Conditional) If you want to discover a specific part of a domain, configure the Organizational Unit (OU) filter. For more information, see Domain Discovery:.
Click the Options button to configure discovery options. For more information, see Section 3.2.4, Discovery Options.

If you want to discover machines only, continue with Step 6. If you want to discover and inventory machines, skip to Step 7.
(Conditional) If you want to only discover machines without inventorying machine details:
1. Deselect the Inventory option.
  
  The Inventory option is selected by default.
2. Click Discover.
(Conditional) If you want to discover and inventory machines, additionally configure the following settings:
1. Specify credentials for the machines you added in Step 3.
  
  For more information on how to specify a new credential, see Section 3.2.2, Inventory Credentials.
  
  This enables the Inventory button.
2. (Optional) Start monitoring the machines when they are inventoried and/or add them to existing groups. For more information, see Section 3.2.3, Inventory Options.
3. Configure the schedule when you want to perform the inventory.
  - To immediately start the inventory, do one of the following:
    
    Click Now in the Inventory drop-down list.
    
    Click Schedule in the Inventory drop-down list, then click Now > OK.
  - To perform inventory at a later time, set up a schedule:
    
    In the Inventory drop-down list, click Schedule.
    
    The Scheduling Options dialog box is displayed.
    
    Select one of the following schedules
    
    Later
    
    Recurrence
    
    Fill in the fields.
    
    For details about the fields, click the appropriate schedule listed above.
4. Click Inventory.

IP Range

To discover and optionally inventory servers within a specified IP address range:

Click the Inventory button > IP Range or click the Tools menu > Inventory > IP Range.

The IP Range Discovery and Inventory dialog box is displayed.
Configure the following settings in the Discovery pane:
1. Specify the IP address range of the servers to discover.
2. Click the Options button to configure discovery options. For more information, see Section 3.2.4, Discovery Options.
  
  If you want to discover machines only, continue with Step 3. If you want to discover and inventory machines, skip to Step 4.
(Conditional) If you want to only discover machines without inventorying machine details:
1. Deselect the Inventory option.
  
  The Inventory option is selected by default.
2. Click Discover.
  
  The numbers that are displayed in the Discover button indicate how many individual IP addresses are contained within the range you entered
(Conditional) If you want to discover and inventory machines, additionally configure the following settings:
1. Specify credentials for the machines you added in Step 2.
  
  For more information on how to specify a new credential, see Section 3.2.2, Inventory Credentials.
  
  This enables the Inventory button.
2. (Optional) Start monitoring the machines when they are inventoried and/or add them to existing groups. For more information, see Section 3.2.3, Inventory Options.
3. Configure the schedule when you want to perform the inventory.
  - To immediately start the inventory, do one of the following:
    
    Click Now in the Inventory drop-down list.
    
    Click Schedule in the Inventory drop-down list, then click Now > OK.
  - To perform inventory at a later time, set up a schedule:
    
    In the Inventory drop-down list, click Schedule.
    
    The Scheduling Options dialog box is displayed.
    
    Select one of the following schedules
    
    Later
    
    Recurrence
    
    Fill in the fields.
    
    For details about the fields, click the appropriate schedule listed above.
4. Click Inventory.
  
  The numbers that are displayed on the Inventory button indicate how many individual IP addresses are contained within the range you entered.

Subnet

To discover and optionally inventory servers in a specified subnet:

Click the Inventory button > Subnet or click the Tools menu > Inventory > Subnet.

The Subnet Discovery and Inventory dialog box is displayed.
Configure the following settings in the Discovery pane:
1. Specify the network address and the mask bits of the subnet to be discovered.
2. Click the Options button to configure discovery options. For more information, see Section 3.2.4, Discovery Options.
  
  If you want to discover machines only, continue with Step 3. If you want to discover and inventory machines, skip to Step 4.
(Conditional) If you want to only discover machines without inventorying machine details:
1. Deselect the Inventory option.
  
  The Inventory option is selected by default.
2. Click Discover.
  
  The numbers that are displayed in the Discover button indicate how many individual IP addresses are contained in the subnet you specified.
(Conditional) If you want to discover and inventory machines, additionally configure the following settings in the Inventory pane:
1. Specify credentials for the machines you added in Step 2.
  
  For more information on how to specify a new credential, see Section 3.2.2, Inventory Credentials.
  
  This enables the Inventory button.
2. (Optional) Start monitoring the machines when they are inventoried and/or add them to existing groups. For more information, see Section 3.2.3, Inventory Options.
3. Configure the schedule when you want to perform the inventory.
  - To immediately start the inventory, do one of the following:
    
    Click Now in the Inventory drop-down list.
    
    Click Schedule in the Inventory drop-down list, then click Now > OK.
  - To perform inventory at a later time, set up a schedule:
    
    In the Inventory drop-down list, click Schedule.
    
    The Scheduling Options dialog box is displayed.
    
    Select one of the following schedules
    
    Later
    
    Recurrence
    
    Fill in the fields.
    
    For details about the fields, click the appropriate schedule listed above.
4. Click Inventory.
  
  The numbers that are displayed on the Inventory button indicate how many individual IP addresses are contained in the subnet you specified.

SNMP

To discover and optionally inventory machines by using Simple Network Management Protocol:

Click the Inventory button > SNMP or click the Tools menu > Inventory > SNMP.

The SNMP Discovery and Inventory dialog box is displayed.
Configure the following settings in the Discovery pane:
1. Specify the hostname.
2. Specify the SNMP community name. By default, it is public.
3. In Maximum number of Hops, specify how many hops to make beyond the server from which the discovery is launched. Select whether to include Public Subnets.
4. Click the Options button to configure discovery options. For more information, see Section 3.2.4, Discovery Options.
  
  If you want to discover machines only, continue with Step 3. If you want to discover and inventory machines, skip to Step 4.
(Conditional) If you want to only discover machines without inventorying machine details:
1. Deselect the Inventory option.
  
  The Inventory option is selected by default.
2. Click Discover.
(Conditional) If you want to discover and inventory machines, additionally configure the following settings in the Inventory pane:
1. Specify credentials for the machines you added in Step 2.
  
  For more information on how to specify a new credential, see Section 3.2.2, Inventory Credentials.
  
  This enables the Inventory button.
2. (Optional) Start monitoring the machines when they are inventoried and/or add them to existing groups. For more information, see Section 3.2.3, Inventory Options.
3. Configure the schedule when you want to perform the inventory.
  - To immediately start the inventory, do one of the following:
    
    Click Now in the Inventory drop-down list.
    
    Click Schedule in the Inventory drop-down list, then click Now > OK.
  - To perform inventory at a later time, set up a schedule:
    
    In the Inventory drop-down list, click Schedule.
    
    The Scheduling Options dialog box is displayed.
    
    Select one of the following schedules
    
    Later
    
    Recurrence
    
    Fill in the fields.
    
    For details about the fields, click the appropriate schedule listed above.
4. Click Inventory.

3.2.2 Inventory Credentials

To inventory discovered machines, select the Inventory check box in the Discovery and Inventory dialog boxes and then provide login credentials for Windows, UNIX, Virtual Center, VMware ESX, Novell NetWare, or Citrix XenServer machines, depending on the type of machines in use.

For every machine in the list or range, PlateSpin Recon tries each type of credential provided until it finds one that matches. If the credentials are not valid, the machine is not inventoried.

Specifying Credentials for Windows or VMware ESX 3/4/5

Do the following in the Discovery and Inventory dialog box:

In the Inventory panel, click the Windows or VMWare ESX 3/4/5 tab depending on the type of machines in use.
In the Credentials for Inventory drop‑down list, select credentials.

To add a new credential, click <New Credential>, and configure the Create Stored Credentials dialog box. For detailed information about adding credentials, see Section 4.2, Credentials Manager.

Specifying Credentials for UNIX or Citrix XenServer

Do the following in the Discovery and Inventory dialog box:

In the Inventory panel, click the UNIX or Citrix XenServer tab depending on the type of machines in use.
In the Credentials for Inventory drop‑down list, select credentials.

To add a new credential, click <New Credential>, and configure the Create Stored Credentials dialog box. For detailed information about adding credentials, see Section 4.2, Credentials Manager.
Select the Use Sudo check box to use super user privileges for connections.

PlateSpin Recon allows inventorying of Linux (RHEL, SLES, Ubuntu, CentOs, SLES with Xen) and Citrix XenServer machines by using sudo user credentials. However, inventorying of the AIX and Solaris machines by using sudo user credentials is not supported. PlateSpin Recon users can inventory machines by using sudo user credentials only if certain prerequisites are met. For more information on the prerequisites, see Section B.9, Sudo Configuration to Inventory and Monitor Linux Machines.

Local policies can sometimes prevent you from establishing an SSH session as a root user. A user with sudo privileges can get around this restriction by establishing an SSH session as a non-root user and then using sudo to temporarily “switch” to root user privileges.To do this, create the credentials using that user’s username and password. PlateSpin Recon uses the sudo command to perform any operations that require root privileges.

Specifying Credentials for Virtual Center

Do the following in the Discovery and Inventory dialog box:

In the Inventory panel, click the Virtual Center tab.
In the Credentials for Inventory drop‑down list, select credentials.

To add a new credential, click <New Credential>, and configure the Create Stored Credentials dialog box. For detailed information about adding credentials, see Section 4.2, Credentials Manager.

For inventorying a Virtual Center, credentials must have a minimum Browse datastore privilege for the Virtual Center.

On the machine that has Virtual Center installed, Virtual Center automatically includes any user that has Administrator privileges.

Specifying Credentials for Novell NetWare

Do the following:

In Novell eDirectory on the NetWare server you want to inventory, create a user with the same login credentials as the PlateSpin Recon server administrator.
Associate the local security policies to the PlateSpin Recon server administrator:
1. On the PlateSpin Recon server, click the desktop Start menu > Settings > Control Panel.
2. Double click Administrative Tools > Local Security Policy.
  
  The Local Security Settings window is displayed.
3. Click Local Policies, then double-click User Rights Assignment.
4. Associate the administrator with following policies:
  - Act as part of the operating system
  - Create a token object
  - Log on as a batch job
  - Log on as a service
  - Replace a process level token
Ensure that the recommended Novell Client is installed on the PlateSpin Recon server.

For more information on the recommended Novell Clients, see Supported Novell NetWare Platforms.
Through the Novell Client, log in to the PlateSpin Recon server as the administrator user created in Step 1.
Launch the PlateSpin Recon Client.
In the Inventory drop-down list (located at the top left corner), click Machines.

The Inventory Machines dialog box is displayed.
Click the Novell NetWare tab.
In the Credentials for Inventory drop-down list, select <New Credential>.

The Create Stored Machines dialog box is displayed.
Specify the login credentials of the NetWare administrator, and select Novell NetWare Inventory as the validation type.

Ensure that you specify the username in the Username.Context format.

Ensure that the administrator has permission to write to the Novell SYS: volume. Also, ensure that TCP port 524 is open on the firewall. For more information, see Section 1.3, Supported Platforms.
In the Launch Inventory Process as User drop-down list, select <New Credential>.

The Create Stored Machines dialog box is displayed.
Fill in the fields:

Username: Specify the administrator username created in Step 1. You must specify the username either in the hostname\username or the domain\username format. If you choose to specify the username in the hostname\username format, ensure that the hostname is the local hostname.

Password: Specify the password of the administrator.

Validation Type: Select Netware LSA.

Hostname or IP of machine to validate against: Specify it as localhost.
Click Save.

3.2.3 Inventory Options

If you want to start monitoring immediately after inventory or if you want to copy machines to a user-defined group, you must configure the Post-Inventory options. The options are available only if you selected the Inventory check box in the Discovery and Inventory dialog boxes.

To configure the Post-Inventory options:

Click the Options button in the Inventory area.

The Post-Inventory Options dialog box is displayed.
Select Start monitoring machines immediately to begin monitoring each machine discovered when the inventory is complete.

To start monitoring later, do not select the option.
Select Copy to group, then select a target Group from those displayed in the list box to copy all the inventoried machines to that group.
Click OK.

3.2.4 Discovery Options

You can configure additional discovery options when you choose to discover and inventory in any of the following Inventory methods:

Windows Domain
IP Range
Subnet
SNMP

To configure discovery options:

In the Discovery pane, click the Options button.

The Discovery Options dialog box is displayed.
Configure the Ping Attempts and Ping Timeout options as desired.
In the Port subset type drop-down list, select one of the following subset types:
- Most Common: Includes ports for common Windows network services.
- All Standard: Includes ports below 1025 used by standard protocols.
- Custom: Includes customized ports that you specify.
  
  To assign individual scan protocols to specific ports:
  1. In the Port Number column, click Add and type the port number.
  2. In the Protocol column, select the protocol type (TCP or UDP) from the drop-down cell.
  3. Press Enter.
  4. (Optional) If you want to add a new port number, repeat Step 1 through Step 3.
To find MAC addresses of machines in the same ethernet segment as the PlateSpin Recon Server, select Discover MAC addresses. The option is selected by default.
To include the computer names in the discovery poll, select Discover computer names. The option is selected by default
To discover computers even if they are currently offline, select Add offline computers.
Click OK.

3.2.5 Viewing Inventory Data and Monitoring Servers

On completion of an inventory operation, you can view inventory data on servers that are listed in the Data Center Explorer tree. To view dynamic data, servers must be monitored for a period of time.

IMPORTANT:When you monitor Windows Server 2003, the memory utilization on the monitored server might increase because the memory usage of the Svchost.exe process increases when other users remotely collect performance data about the monitored server. This is a known issue of Windows Server 2003. To troubleshoot the issue, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base article ID 969701.

Viewing Properties

Properties can assist with viewing static data for inventoried servers. To view inventory information, right-click a server and click Properties.

Figure 3-1 Sample View of the Properties Dialog Box

The tabs available in the Properties dialog box change based on the type of server being viewed.

Refreshing the Inventory

To refresh server inventory information in the Data Center Explorer, right-click a server or multiple servers and click Refresh Inventory on the menu.

Inventory Refresh jobs are scheduled and run in the Job Explorer.

Collecting Dynamic Data by Monitoring Servers

To monitor a single server, right-click the inventoried server, then click Start Monitoring.

To monitor multiple servers, select them or their parent group, filter, or site, then click Start Monitoring.

A job is created in the Job Explorer. For more details, see Section 2.6, Job Explorer.
After data is collected, click the server to view the corresponding chart in the Chart Viewer. With at least five minutes of data collected, the Chart Viewer can display workloads and utilization data.

Although PlateSpin Recon might not be currently monitoring a server, it is still possible to view charts and reports showing the previously collected server data.

You can monitor multiple servers by selecting them individually or by using groups, filters, or sites.

To stop monitoring, right-click the monitored server and select Stop Monitoring. In the confirmation dialog box, click Yes to confirm or No to exit the dialog box and continue monitoring.

Viewing Dynamic Data

You can view workloads and utilization data in a chart after collecting at least five minutes worth of data. Analysis Reports require a minimum of one hour’s worth of data. If there is insufficient data, the report is displayed without dynamic data. You can view collected data in a chart by selecting a monitored server.

For more information, see Section 5.1, Chart Viewer and Section 5.2, Report Explorer.

Viewing Logs

Log files reflect the status of data collection for monitored servers.

To inspect a log, right-click a server, click Logs, then click View Logs.

Acknowledging Logs

If there are some errors associated with a server, an error icon is displayed on that server. If the errors are acceptable, you can acknowledge logs to remove the error icon from the display of the machine.

To acknowledge a log, right-click a server, click Logs, then click Acknowledge Logs.

Custom Fields

Custom fields are available for entering server information that cannot be inventoried by PlateSpin Recon. These non-inventory fields can assist with identifying candidates for planning and consolidation. The information is stored in the visible table name.

You can specify the custom fields in one of the following ways:

Manually Specifying the Custom Fields

To specify custom fields for multiple servers:

Select a server or multiple servers in the Data Center Explorer.
Right-click the selection and click Properties for a single server, or click Set Custom fields for multiple servers.

The Properties dialog box is displayed.
Click the Custom Fields tab.
Select a field to view its definition and parameters.
Type or select information in any of the fields, including those already filled with data.
Click OK.

If necessary, click Reset Reference Values to return all fields to their default values.

The database is updated for the selected servers. Report templates can filter for particular custom fields.

IMPORTANT:The new value that you specify is automatically changed to the default value when you import a snapshot containing a selected server having a server template that already exists in Recon. You must manually reset the values after you have imported the server snapshot.

Importing the Custom Fields

PlateSpin Recon allows you to import the custom fields for all the servers in the local site.

In the Data Center Explorer, click File > Import Machine Properties.

The Import Machine Properties dialog box is displayed.
Type the path (or use the adjacent browse button) to locate a CSV file containing custom fields.

Follow these guidelines as you work with the CSV file:
- The first line must contain the label of the custom fields separated by a delimiter such as a comma (,).
- The first custom field label on the first line must be Machine. You can list the remaining custom fields in any order.
- Use the following custom field labels only:
  - Rack Units
  - Normalized Speed
  - Company
  - Department
  - Location City
  - Location State
  - Location Country
  - Function
  - Rack
  - Billing Code
  - Usage
  - Lease Expires
  - Warranty Expires
- The custom field label names are case sensitive.
- The values for the custom fields must be specified subsequent to the first line, and must be corresponding to the custom fields.
- Each line must contain the custom fields for a machine.
- The value for the Machine custom field can be IP address or the machine name. The specified machine name must be unique.
- The values on each line must be separated by a delimiter such as a comma (,).
A sample CSV file is as follows:
```
Machine,Rack Units,Company,Lease Expires,Warranty Expires
1.x.x.x,130,Novell,11/25/2009,1/1/2010 
```
Specify the delimiter used in the CSV file. By default, it is a comma (,).
(Conditional) If you want to replace the existing custom fields with the values contained in the CSV file, select the Overwrite Existing Properties option. By default, the option is selected.
Type or select information in any of the fields, including those already filled with data.
Click Import.

Monitoring By Using Sudo User Credentials

PlateSpin Recon allows monitoring of Linux (RHEL, SLES, Ubuntu, CentOs, SLES with Xen) and Citrix XenServer machines by using sudo user credentials. However, monitoring of the AIX and Solaris machines by using sudo user credentials is not supported. PlateSpin Recon users can monitor the machines by using sudo user credentials only if they have the permission to run the commands on the target machine. For more information on how to grant permission to perform monitoring by using sudo user credentials, see Section B.9, Sudo Configuration to Inventory and Monitor Linux Machines.