Option for periodically capturing full inventory with Run Assessment Scan

Products

• IT Management Suite
• Patch Management Solution

Issue/Introduction

With Patch Management 8.7.3 release and earlier, the Patch Assessment Scan can only be configured to strictly send Delta or Full assessment inventory:

Most people always keep the "Send inventory results only if changed" option enabled in the policy. This enables only Delta Patch Assessment data to be sent.

After extensive internal review, it has been determined that periodically running Full assessment inventory as part of the scan can improve CMDB data integrity.

Environment

ITMS 8.8

Resolution

With our ITMS 8.8 Release, a new change has been added to allow sending Full Inventory when Windows Assessment Scan runs . 

We added a new Core Setting called 'PatchAssessmentSendFullEveryNDays' with a default value of "60".




This core setting changes the default NS event (NSE) mode with Patch assessment data to Full mode at least once every N days (0 - switch off this setting, 1- send in full mode every time, 2-100 N day range)

Based on this 'PatchAssessmentSendFullEveryNDays' setting, Patch Management plugin will randomly change 'Usual mode' ( Differential) into 'Full mode' for Assessment NSE in the specified date range. Guaranteed to be sent an event on 'Full mode' at least once within N days (possibly more than once, but not less).

Note: randomization is using to prevent send many events from various agents at one time. This allow decrease load on the SMP server.

For troubleshooting/Technical purposes:

You should see this new entry in the client policy for the "Default Software Update Plug-in Policy" section:

 

In agents logs this randomization will be visible as verbose messages like:

• IsRunAssessmentInFullMode:
  Usual event [last full assessment scan was: 2025-03-31 07:18:01, expected next full assessment scan:2025-04-02 00:00:00, date period: max 14 day(s)
• GetNextExpectedAssessmentInFullMode:
  last full assessment scan: now, expected next full assessment scan: 2025-04-02 00:00:00, date period: max 14 day(s)
  
  Examples:
  

  Clients set next Full Assessment scan using default random date according to max days (60)
  "4/2/2025 12:38:10 AM","GetNextExpectedAssessmentInFullMode: last full assessment scan: now, expected next full assessment scan:2025-05-17 00:00:00, date period:max 60 day(s)]","SoftwareUpdateAgent","PatchMgmtAgents.dll","5868","Verbose"

  "4/2/2025 12:00:00 AM","IsRunAssessmentInFullMode: Usual event [last full assessment scan was: 2025-04-02 03:24:52, expected next full assessment scan:{*}2025-04-21{*} 00:00:00, date period: {*}max 60 day(s)]{*}","SoftwareUpdateAgent","PatchMgmtAgents.dll","11508","Verbose"

  If new coresetting PatchAssessmentSendFullEveryNDays is set to:
  Value "1" = then Full assessment scan verbose messages will be shown in Agent logs:
  "4/2/2025 12:57:08 AM","IsRunAssessmentInFullMode: Full event (always)","SoftwareUpdateAgent","PatchMgmtAgents.dll","13108","Verbose"
  "4/2/2025 12:57:36 AM","GetNextExpectedAssessmentInFullMode: next scan (always)","SoftwareUpdateAgent","PatchMgmtAgents.dll","13108","Verbose"

  Value "0" = then Full assessment scan verbose messages will be shown in Agent logs:
  "4/2/2025 1:01:58 AM","IsRunAssessmentInFullMode: Usual event (switch off)","SoftwareUpdateAgent","PatchMgmtAgents.dll","8072","Verbose"

  
  
  
  Date of last send of full event will be stored in registry setting 'Last full'

Example:
[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Altiris\Altiris Agent\Patch Management\Patch Assessment]
"Last full"="2025-03-31 17:44:04 +3:00"
"Expected full"="2025-04-03 17:44:04 +3:00"

Additional Information

Updating Core Settings in ITMS 8.5 and later (KB 189700)