Scanning Linux / Apple Max OS X assets

Technology

The computers based on Linux and Apple Mac OS X operating systems are scanned with the agent. Agent is an executable that is being uploaded via SSH and SCP/SFTP protocols to the remote computer and gathers the information on its hardware and software using the operating system utilities. 

SSH protocol allows exchanging data between two hosts using a secure channel. Currently there are two protocol versions – SSH-1 and SSH-2. TNI 2 uses SSH-2 protocol for scanning. Most of modern UNIX systems allow using this protocol.

SCP and SFTP protocols are used for transferring files through a secure channel between two hosts. They are the components of most of modern SSH servers. TNI 2 supports both these protocols.

Remote scanning via SSH protocol

How it works:

1. TNI 2 connects to the remote computer via SSH protocol.
2. The temporary folder is created in the home folder of the scanning user. The agent then is uploaded there using SFTP or SCP protocol.
3. Scanning agent runs and creates a file with gathered information when finished.
4. File with the computer information is being transferred via SFTP or SCP protocol back to TNI 2 and added to the open storage.
5. The temporary folder with the agent and created file are being deleted.

Before start scanning one should make sure that:

• the remote computer runs SSH-2 server (on the TCP port 22) that supports SFTP or SCP, and firewall allows accessing it;
• scanning user is allowed to access SSH-server (AllowUsers option). If the scanning user is root, PermitRootLogin option should be set to yes;
• scanning user has administrative privileges (for Linux — to be in sudoers list if not root).

Operating system should provide the agent with a number of utilities so it can gather the full information on computer. The exact list of them depends on the configuration of the operating system. If some needed utility is not installed on the scanned computer, the message will be displayed in the appropriate category of the Details view.

Furthermore, the operating system should have standard C++ library (libstdc++.so.6).

General list of the utilities needed to gather the full information on Linux-based computer: arch, cd-info, df, dmidecode, dpkg-query / emerge / pacman / pkgtool / rpm, get-edid, hdparm, head, ifconfig, iptables, iptables-save, ls, lspci, lsusb, ps, pvdisplay, pvscan, route, rpm, swapon, uname.