Storage

Storage concept

The TNI Storage is a folder on a hard drive selected by the user.

Each asset is represented by an .inv file.

The folder structure inside the Storage replicates the structure of the groups created by a user in the Network tree. Any direct changes to the Storage contents are automatically detected by the program.

This means that you can create, delete, and rename groups, as well as move or delete asset files, either using TNI’s tools or any file manager. The Storage design also makes it possible to back up and share data with other TNI users.

For the program to function correctly, do not delete, move or rename auxiliary hidden files in the Storage root folder. This may lead to data loss or corruption.

Do not rename asset files (*.inv). See here to learn how to change displayed names.

Storage contents

Contents of auxiliary files

  1. Asset access logins (encrypted);
  2. User information (manually created and domain users);
  3. Software accounting data;
  4. Storage properties (storage name, company name, logo, inventory numbers template);
  5. Network map data;
  6. The last saved scan tasks (saved before exiting the program).

Contents of an asset file (*.inv)

  1. Asset network identifiers (network name, IP address, MAC address);
  2. Properties (alias, type, description, inventory number, etc.);
  3. Asset configuration snapshots, collected as a result of scanning (see Collected information);
  4. An alias of the login assigned to the asset;
  5. The ID of the user assigned to the asset;
  6. The asset’s local user information;
  7. Special field values.

Asset files can be moved between storages. However, other Storage data will not be moved. For instance, the remote access login will be lost, but it can be restored manually.

Storage management

A copy of TNI is not linked to any particular Storage. This means that you can switch between storages when the program is running.

You can manage Storages from the Storage menu:

  • Create: select an empty folder on a computer and create an empty Storage there;
  • Open: select a folder containing a previously created Storage to work with;
  • Recent: contains a list of recently opened Storages, allowing you to quickly switch between them;
  • Backup: creates a .zip backup and restores from a backup (backups can be performed automatically on a schedule);
  • Reload: reloads the Storage data;
  • Close: closes the Storage.

You can choose which Storage should be opened at startup by running tni.exe with one of the following parameters (specify the path to your Storage):

/storage:"\\server\TNI Storage"
-storage="C:\Users\User1\Documents\TNI Storage"

To quickly locate the folder containing the current storage or a file representing one of the assets, you can use the Show in Explorer option in the context menu of the Network tree.

You can change the number of Storages displayed in the Recent list. To do this, open the config.ini file that can be found in the settings folder, then change the parameter max-storage-history-depth in the Storage section. By default, the program displays 10 recent storages.

The program automatically checks the Storage path and detects if the Storage is missing or if its location or name has changed. In this case, the Clear invalid paths option appears in the Recent list, which allows you to remove missing Storages.

When you close the current storage and restart the program, a storage selection screen will appear. Here, you can delete missing Storages or open a recently used Storage.

You can access a single-user Storage from multiple computers by placing it in a shared folder. Please note that in this case simultaneous access can cause outdated or inconsistent data to be displayed (when changes made by one user have not yet been reflected in the program of another), data corruption, and program crashes.

We recommend avoiding simultaneous access to a shared single-user Storage. If simultaneous access is required, add and configure a Multi-user storage.

Data import

Learn about importing possibilities in the Data import section.

Compatibility with TSD Storage

Please note that even though the TNI Storage has the same format as the TSD Network storage, we recommend using them independently. Opening a TNI Storage in TSD and vice versa can lead to unexpected errors.

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