4.1 Configuring the Collection Data Form

When you configure the Collection Data Form, you are selecting what information you want to gather from the workstation user. The Collection Data Form is not configured by default. It must be configured before it can be deployed.

You can define the Collection Data Form at three levels:

NOTE:If you are configuring the Collection Data Form settings on a device, you need to click Override Settings before you can change the system settings.

After it is configured and deployed, the Collection Data Form appears on the foreground or topmost windows on the desktop of a managed device and prompts the workstation user to respond to a list of predefined questions. If you want to launch the Collection Data Form in the background, you must create the HKLM\SOFTWARE\Novell\ZCM\INV_CDF registry key. You can manually create the key or use a Windows bundle to create it. For detailed information on Creating Windows Bundles, see Creating Windows Bundles.

For more information, see the following topics:

4.1.1 Configuring the Collection Data Form for the Management Zone

  1. In ZENworks Control Center, click Configuration.

  2. In the Management Zone Settings panel, click Inventory.

  3. In the Category list, click Collection Data Form.

  4. Specify any explanatory text for the workstation user in the Introductory Text field.

  5. (Optional) If you want the Collection Data Form to be available to the workstation user to run at anytime, select Show in ZENworks Icon Menu.

    This allows the workstation user to open the form by using the ZENworks Icon, and edit it as desired.

  6. (Optional) Select Show Cancel button on form if you want to allow the workstation user to opt out of the process.

  7. (Optional) Select Invisible mode for autofill only to populate the form with the autofill data. The form is hidden from the workstation user.

  8. Select the data you want to gather, and configure how the workstation user can respond:

    Label: Displays the name of the data you’re collecting, such as First Name.

    Data Type: Specifies the data type: character, integer, decimal, or date.

    Display: Displays the specified field on the Collection Data Form that is sent to the workstation user.

    Editable: Enables the user to enter or edit a response in the specified field rather than being forced to accept the default value.

    Required: Makes the response required. If a field is required, workstation users cannot submit the form until they enter the required data.

    Autofill: Shows whether Autofill is on or off. Click No (or Yes, as appropriate) to open the Autofill dialog box, where you can specify a registry key or environment variable to populate the Collection Data Form field with the data that the registry key or variable points to, such as HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\Eventlog\ComputerName for this registry key, or WinDir for this environment variable.

    Default: Specify any value you want to use as a default value.

    Choice List: If there is more than one possible response, click Edit and specify the available responses. You can also choose to allow the workstation user to create entries by selecting Allow user created entries.

    Edit Mask: Allows you to restrict how a user enters a response by selecting a format from the list in the Edit Mask field. The choices are phone, time, and currency.

    Instructions: Add any instructions for the workstation user.

  9. Click Apply or OK, or click Reset to revert to previous settings.

NOTE:You can also create custom fields, called administrator-defined fields, to gather additional data. For more information, see Section 7.0, Using Administrator-Defined Fields.

4.1.2 Configuring the Collection Data Form for Devices in a Folder

  1. In ZENworks Control Center, click Devices.

  2. In the Devices panel, click Details next to the folder whose devices you want to configure.

  3. Click the Settings tab.

  4. In the Settings panel, click Inventory.

  5. In the Category panel, click Collection Data Form.

  6. Click Override settings.

    This overrides the Management Zone settings for these devices.

  7. In the Introductory Text field, specify information to configure the Collection Data Form.

    For configuring the Collection Data Form, perform steps from Step 4 through Step 9 listed in Section 4.1.1, Configuring the Collection Data Form for the Management Zone.

NOTE:You can also create custom fields, called administrator-defined fields, to gather additional data. For more information, see Section 7.0, Using Administrator-Defined Fields.

4.1.3 Configuring the Collection Data Form for a Device

  1. In ZENworks Control Center, click Devices.

  2. Click the Managed tab.

  3. Click the folder that contains the device you want to configure.

  4. Click the device.

  5. Click the Settings tab.

  6. In the Settings panel, click Inventory.

  7. In the Catalog panel, click Collection Data Form.

  8. Click Override settings.

    This overrides the Management Zone and folder settings for this device.

  9. In the Introductory Text field, specify information to configure the Collection Data Form.

    For configuring the Collection Data Form, perform steps from Step 4 through Step 9 listed in Section 4.1.1, Configuring the Collection Data Form for the Management Zone.

NOTE:You can also create custom fields, called administrator-defined fields, to gather additional data. For more information, see Section 7.0, Using Administrator-Defined Fields.