Storage properties

The properties of the current Storage can be edited by switching to the Edit mode and selecting the Storage properties page in the Sidebar, or through the context menu of the root node.To save the changes that were made on this page, you can do the following:
  1. Click Apply changes at the top of the page (you can also discard unsaved changes by clicking Undo); These buttons will only show up if any changes were made.
  2. Leave the page (for example, by switching to a different mode).

Basic properties

A Storage name is its current title displayed in the Network tree, storage summary report, and other places.

A Company name and a Company logo can be displayed in the header of a printable report.

To add a logo:

  1. Prepare an image (JPEG, BMP, PNG, or GIF);
    It’s advisable to have a logo of reasonably good quality and with a white background.
  2. Click Add and select the prepared file;
  3. Crop unnecessary parts of the image in the editor that appears;
  4. Click OK.

The maximum image size of the logo is 1000×1000 pixels. To avoid incorrect display, it is recommended to load an image compressed to the specified values.

To replace or remove the added logo, use the buttons on the right of the logo image.

Changes to the logo are applied instantly and have no effect on the Apply changes and Undo buttons.

Inventory number generator

TNI can generate inventory numbers for the network assets automatically.

The inventory number template may contain arbitrary text and the following macros:

  • # : unique counter. This number will be unique among inventory numbers built with this template only;
  • #* : globally unique counter (unique for the Storage);

To add leading zeroes, put several # symbols in a row.
For example, if a template “#“ generates “3”, then “###“ generates “003”.

  • %TYPE% : a short declaration of the device type (WIN, MAC, LINUX etc);
  • %HOSTNAME% : asset’s network name;
  • %IP% : asset’s IP address;
  • %IP.Х% : values of a particular octet in the IP address (X is a number between 1 and 4).

You can quickly add macros from the macros menu (the button to the right of the template string).

Generate for all generates new inventory numbers using the specified template for all assets in the Storage.

Automatically generate numbers for new assets: if this box is checked, the inventory numbers will be generated for all assets added to the Storage.

Reset counters: after resetting, the numbers generated and assigned using # and #* templates will start from 1 again.

You can assign arbitrary inventory numbers to assets without using templates or the generator by manually specifying their numbers on the Network node properties screen.

Snapshot storage settings

Settings governing the snapshot storing policy and criteria for distinguishing assets in the current Network storage.They allow to:
  • Limit the number of stored snapshots: old snapshots will be deleted when the new ones are created;
  • Specify the maximum number of snapshots: if the specified number is exceeded, older “extra” snapshots will be automatically deleted;
  • Specify maximum snapshot age: all snapshots older than the specified number of days will be automatically deleted;
  • Make the oldest snapshot exempt from automatic deletion.
The option Apply to all new storages allows you to save and apply new snapshot settings for storages that will be created in the future.The newest snapshot will never be automatically deleted.

Device distinction settings

These options allow you to customize the criteria by which network assets will be distinguished and merged. There are several different methods and principles that TNI can use to distinguish assets:
  • Asset distinction profile. This option affects the number of rules taken into account during asset distinction. You can choose one of the following profiles:
    • Exact match: only the main rules are taken into account. Lowest probability of incorrectly merged devices, but duplicates may be created. It is recommended to use this profile in domain networks;
    • Optimal profile: the most balanced and versatile profile. It’s suitable for networks of any type;
    • Minimum duplicates: both the main and additional distinction rules are taken into account. It is recommended to use this profile if you encounter errors during the scan or if the devices have minimum of information for distinction. In rare cases, this profile can cause erroneous merging of assets if they lack the fields required for distinction.
  • Asset comparison profile. This setting affects the logic of the device comparison mechanism. If necessary, the program can interrupt the comparison of two devices as soon as it finds the first difference in the key fields of their latest snapshots (ComputerSID, network name or IP address).
    • Flexible: more criteria are used when comparing assets. Higher probability of merging.
    • Strict: if the main fields are different, the devices will not be merged.
  • Each asset has a unique static IP.
    • Yes: devices with the same IP addresses will be merged. It’s recommended to use this option if the devices on the network have only static IP addresses;
    • No: IP addresses of devices will not be taken into account in the distinction process. Recommended if you have dynamic addressing on your network;
    • Not necessarily: IP addresses will be used as one of the criteria in the distinction process. Recommended for mixed static IP and DHCP addressing schemes.
  • Each asset has a unique name.
    • Yes: devices with matching network names will be merged. Using this option is recommended in networks where all devices have unique network names;
    • No: network names will not be taken into account in the distinction process. Recommended for networks that have devices with the identical network name;
    • Not necessarily: network names will be used as one of the criteria in the distinction process.
  • Each asset has a unique MAC address.
    • Most likely: MAC addresses will be used as one of the criteria in the distinction process.
    • No: MAC addresses will not be taken into account in the distinction process. Recommended for networks that have devices with the identical MAC address. This setting allows you to avoid incorrect merging of assets after moving a physical network adapter from one device to another.
  • Use of system clones. A distinction rule that takes the “ComputerSID” field into account. This field is unique to Windows devices unless they have been cloned.
    • Allowed: ComputerSID will not be taken into account in the distinction process. Recommended for networks that have cloned systems;
    • Not allowed: devices with matching ComputerSIDs will be merged.
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