Discover Computers and Devices

In this task, you use the Computer and Device Management Wizard in System Center Essentials to discover the computers and devices that are joined to the domain. Management agents are then automatically installed on the computers and devices. These agents allow you to use the Administration Console to monitor and manage your network.

Important

During Windows EBS installation, the Management Server, Security Server, and Messaging Server are automatically configured to be managed by System Center Essentials. If your domain contains only the servers for Windows EBS, you do not need to run the Computer and Device Management Wizard at this time. You can run the wizard whenever you join additional computers and devices to your domain, or you can set up System Center Essentials for automated discovery on a daily schedule.

Before you search for computers and devices that are joined to the domain, you must complete the following tasks:

• Migrate DNS
• Configure Management Tools

Note

After you configure System Center Essentials, wait at least 90 minutes before you search for computers and devices.

To discover computers and devices

1. In the Configuration and Migration Tasks checklist, click Discover computers and devices, and then click Start Discovery Wizard. The Computer and Device Management Wizard appears.

2. On the Introduction page, click Next.

3. On the Auto or Advanced? page, click Automatic computer discovery, and then click Next.

4. On the Administrator Account page, click Use selected Management Server Action Account, and then click Discover. The wizard begins to discover the computers and devices on your network.

   Note

   If the wizard does not discover computers and devices, an error message appears. You can return to a previous page to change a setting or cancel the wizard.

5. On the Select Objects to Manage page, in Select the devices you want to manage, review the computers and devices that were discovered. Click Select All, and in the Management Mode list, click Agent. Then click Next.

6. On the Summary page, review the information about the computers and devices, and then click Finish to install agents on the computers and devices. During this process, agents are scheduled for installation. After the agents are successfully installed, you can review the computers and devices on the Computers and Devices page of the Administration Console.

   Note

   After you add a computer to the domain and run the Computer and Device Management Wizard, it can take 90-120 minutes for the Group Policy settings to be applied to the computer. Until this occurs, you cannot see detailed information about the computer on the Managed Computers and Devices page. You can accelerate this process by typing gpupdate /force at a command prompt on the computer that requires discovery.

   Note

   If System Center Essentials is set up to automatically discover a new computer in the domain, the discovery process typically takes longer. Detailed information about the computer may not appear on the Managed Computers and Devices page for up to 24 hours.