Mobile device inventory, monitoring, and reporting.Virtualization – Server- and desktop-level hosts.
Software – Security, antivirus, backup, ERP, productivity suites.Networking – Firewalls, routers, switches, and wireless.Optionally, administrators may choose to complete a profile and take part in the extensive community offerings or download and use other free Spiceworks software, such as the Network Monitor and the Cloud Help Desk software.Īlthough the application gathers operating system and hardware inventory, Spiceworks also collects and stores information that includes, but is not limited to, the following:
To download the Spiceworks inventory suite and to participate in the Spiceworks community, including user forums, administrators must sign up for an account. For Linux/Unix systems, the account must have a shell login, and Windows accounts must be allowed to log on locally.įor SNMP discovery, the administrator needs to enter the SNMP community name into the Spiceworks application. The inventory system uses a supplied account to log in to each system (see the "Inventory Operating Systems" box) so it can scan hardware and software assets. These administrators might include system administrators, help desk admins, help desk techs, and desktop techs who monitor systems, receive alerts, and participate in management and maintenance activities.Īdmins who want to maintain a higher level of security for the inventory system can set up a non-privileged service account on server and desktop operating systems. The recommended number is not for maintenance, but for all administrators who will log in and use the Spiceworks system. The number of administrators required to maintain an inventory system differs from company to company and even from department to department for multitier companies. The Exchange Server supported versions include 2003, 2007, and 2010.
If you must, install antivirus software, antimalware software, and a local firewall.įor email alerting, you need to have an SMTP relay or an Exchange Server available. Windows 2003 Server is past end-of-life, so although it's not a great idea to install anything on it, you can do so at your own risk.
From 30 to 200 devices, the above requirements are adequate, but for more than 200, you'll need to add additional RAM and use a newer generation CPU, such as an Intel i5 or higher.Īlthough you can install Spiceworks Inventory on Windows 2003 Server, you have to upgrade Internet Explorer to version 10 or use Chrome. It is possible to run Spiceworks on a virtual machine (VM) but is not recommended beyond 30 network devices. The hardware and software requirements are recommended to provide sufficient performance for handling multiple simultaneous users and for scanning, storing, and monitoring your network systems.
A service or user account name and password for all systems.A mail relay server to handle email alerts (optional).Windows 7 or 8.1 Windows 2008 Server/R2 or Windows 2012 Server/R2.An Internet connection on the Spiceworks Inventory server.Recommendations and prerequisites for up to 200 devices include: Using the Spiceworks' Inventory executable and web application, you can discover any IP-enabled devices on your network, including computers, IP phones, network equipment via SNMP, and printers. The spiceworks.exe application is a single, small (66MB) Windows executable file that installs and scans your network devices within minutes of download. The Spiceworks team built the Spiceworks Inventory suite using open source software that includes SQLite, Ruby, and Apache. The founders realized that hardware, software, and licensing inventory was, and still is, a major administrative pain. Fortunately, Spiceworks, the community-driven, Austin-based company, provides a solution free of charge. For smaller companies, affordable inventory solutions remain elusive. System inventory escapes even the most adept system administrator once the device numbers enter double digit territory. Network device inventory is one of those common pain points that affects every system administrator who has ever tried to script or invent a custom solution.