There are many programs in the wild that will read a computer’s hardware and software configuration. Some work quite well in providing a myriad of information, other not quite so well. There is only one that does this function and integrates into the WHS console: Client Info. Not only will it provide the configuration of the host machine (your WHS), but it has the capability to provide configuration data on the WHS’s client computers.
Installing the base add-in is as simple as any other add-in. Copy this msi installer to your D:SoftwareAdd-ins folder, open the WHS Setting Window in the console and install the software from the Add-ins tab, as shown below.
Once it has installed, reopen the console and click on the Client Info tab. You should find an entry for your server.
When you expand your WHS entry, you will be able see quite a nice amount of HW/SW information for your machine, as shown below.
When you click on the Refresh button, Client Info will add an entry for each client computer in the WHS database. 2 items to note here are thus:
- Client Info, for some reason, duplicates the WHS entry. Rather annoying.
- You will notice that there is no data displayed for any of the client machines.
The following picture illustrates this.
In order to be able to see information about the client machines, you need to install a service on each of them. The location and associated files are shown below.
When you execute the InstallService.bat file, you will be asked to provide the user name and password for that particular machine, as illustrated below.
I went through the install process on my Vista x64 machine. The result was… nothing. I contacted the author, Eric Maurer. He indicated that it may be due to the x64 OS. Oh well, no connection meant no data to display for that client machine.
I do have 2 XP machines in the house that I tried this on. Unfortunately, they belong to my kids. WHS likes passwords, they don’t. I really did not want to upset their routines, so I left well enough alone. If these machines were set-up correctly, I have no doubt that I could get the service to install and get the information displayed.
So, in the end, the question is: does this add-in fall into the “works quite well” or “not quite so well” category? The answer can be Yes or No, depending upon a particulars users experience. If you do no mind installing the service on the client machines, and have no x64 OS, then perhaps. It would nice to not have to install the client service, but I can fully understand the need to do so.
It would also be quite beneficial to have a detailed set of installation instructions/help file to guide the user in their efforts to get this add-in working on client machines.
The one feature that is missing which would make it a much more useful add-in is the ability to export the data to a text file. That would be great for filling (copy/paste) in the info on user’s sigs in forums (for those who like to do so), and for having a nice list of system components if one needs to contact a component manufacturer for troubleshooting/service.
Author: Eric Maurer
Version Reviewed: 2.0.0.1
Release: 08Feb2008
Pingback: The Home Server Show 27 - The Year in Review
Pingback: The Home Server Show 27 - The Year in Review | Datasafe Eurosafe