Autonomous Discovery Modules

Introduction

The autonomous discovery modules are standalone executable files (.exe) that operate independently of the Docusnap interface. Unlike interactive inventory via wizards, where Docusnap remotely connects to target systems, the autonomous modules are executed directly on the target system or an authorized system.

During execution, the module collects the relevant system information and saves it in a result file (.dsi or .xml). This file is then imported into Docusnap to make the data available in the database.

This approach is particularly suitable for environments with heightened security requirements, as no highly privileged credentials need to be stored in Docusnap. The modules can be executed manually, via logon scripts, or through the Windows Task Scheduler.

An overview of the different inventory methods in Docusnap can be found in the chapter Inventory Methods.

Available Modules

The discovery modules are located in the Tools folder of the Docusnap program directory as well as on systems with Docusnap Discovery Service installed.

Older modules such as DocusnapScript.exe, Discovery-ADDS-Legacy.exe, Discovery-DHCP-Legacy.exe, and Discovery-DNS-Legacy.exe are no longer being developed but remain available for existing implementations.

Standard Parameters

All autonomous discovery modules support a uniform set of parameters:

Usage: Discovery-[Module].exe [OPTIONS]

Options:

  -h
      Displays the help message.
      Example: Discovery-Windows.exe -h

  -o <Path>
      Defines the target directory for the result file.
      If -o is not specified, the module's directory will be used.
      Example: Discovery-Windows.exe -o C:\Temp

  -n <Filename>
      Defines the name of the output file.
      Example: Discovery-DNS.exe -n my-export.dsi

  -a <Number>
      Determines the number of archived results (default: 4).
      Example: Discovery-ADDS.exe -a 10

  -l <Loglevel>
      Sets the logging level.
      Possible values: Debug, Information, Warning, Error (default), Critical, None
      Example: Discovery-DHCP.exe -l debug

  -w <Path>
      Sets the location for temporary files.
      Example: Discovery-DNS.exe -w C:\Temp\DiscoveryRun

  -w (Windows module only)
      Activates silent mode (suppresses message boxes).
      Example: Discovery-Windows.exe -w

Module-specific parameters are described in the respective system chapters.

Result Files

The autonomous execution generates a file according to the following naming scheme:

[ModuleName]_[Hostname]_[GUID].dsi

Example: Discovery-Windows_SRV01_a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890.dsi

The modules Discovery-Windows.exe and Discovery-Windows-Legacy.exe create a .xml file instead.

Importing Result Files

Result files are imported via:

• File Import – for individual companies/domains
• Multi-Company Import – for simultaneous import of multiple companies

Both import methods can be executed manually or on a scheduled basis. Details can be found in the chapters File Import and Multi-Company Import.