B.0 Troubleshooting Asset Inventory

The following sections provide solutions to the problems you might encounter with ZENworks Asset Inventory:

ZENCollector fails to run with an error

Explanation: As part of the portable collector, the ZENcollector fails to run on windows devices because of Microsoft restrictions enablement, and the following error is displayed:

Could not load file or assembly <file_name> or one of its dependencies. Operation is not supported.

Action: Perform the following steps and then rerun the collector:

  1. Right-click on the single file and select Properties, go to the Security section at the bottom of the window,

  2. Clear the Unblock checkbox and then click OK or Apply.

    In PowerShell, run this command "dir -Path . -Recurse | Unblock-File".

The usage information collection was failing

Explanation: If inventory discovers a program via ARP, the umxlator uses the following registry key to get the InstallLocation:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall

If that is not populated, usage for arp-discovered only applications (not SWID or local software product) will not be tracked.

Unable to install the portable collector on Windows devices

Source: The source of the message.
Explanation: When you download the Portable Collector using the Create Portable Client option and then you try to install it on Windows devices, the Portable Collector fails to install.
Action: After downloading and copying the Portable Collector on the target device perform the following steps:

  1. Right-click the downloaded Portable Client (.zip) file.

  2. In the General tab, in the Security section, click Unblock or select the Unblock checkbox.

  3. Click Apply.

When you run an inventory scan on a Windows 10 device, an exception is logged in the log file

Source: ZENworks
Explanation: When you run the full inventory scan on a Windows 10 device, during the software collection, the following exception is logged in the ZMD messages log:

The specified path, file name, or both are too long. The fully qualified file name must be less than 260 characters, and the directory name must be less than 248 characters.

Action: In the Windows 10 Local Group Policy Editor, enable the Enable win32 long paths option.

To Enable win32 long paths on a managed device:

  1. Click Start Menu and type gpedit.msc in the search field.

  2. Open the Local Group Policy Editor window.

  3. Go to Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > System > Filesystem

  4. On the right panel, open Enable win32 long paths.

  5. In the Enable win32 long paths window, select Enabled and then click OK.

  6. Restart the device.

To Enable win32 long paths on all managed devices in the zone:

In ZCC, create a Windows Group Policy to enable the win32longpaths and assign it to all the managed devices in the zone.

For more information, see Windows Group Policy section in the ZENworks Configuration Policies Reference.

Portable Inventory Collector might crash on some versions of Windows

Source: ZENworks, ZENworks Portable Inventory Collector
Possible Cause: Due to Windows security restrictions, the ZENworks Portable Inventory Collector might crash.
Action: Before running ZENcollector.exe, ensure that you unblock the following files:

  • ZenCollector.exe

  • ZenCollectorHWCollectionFramework.dll

  • ZenCollectorMainFramework.dll

  • ZenCollectorSWCollectionFramework.dll

  • ZenCollectorUtility.dll

NOTE:The files are available in the folder where you extract the portable.zip file.

To unblock the files:

  1. Right-click the file, select Properties.

  2. In the Properties window, click the Unblock button, and then click OK.

The ZENworks Agent on NetWare is unable to send inventory to the ZENworks Server or obtain settings from the ZENworks Server

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory.
Possible Cause 1: The IP address of the ZENworks server is incorrect.
Action 1: Configure the correct IP address:

  1. In the sys:\ZENworks\zaa\uiaconfig.xml file, specify the correct IP address in the following line:

    <server>ipaddress:80</server>

    Replace ipaddress with the address of the server.

  2. (Optional) To immediately post the scan, restart the zenaa module.

Possible Cause 2: The network connection or the ZENworks Server is down.
Action 2: Ensure that the ZENworks Server is up and running.
Possible Cause 3: The Primary Server has been configured to run on a port other than 80.
Action 3: Configure the correct port number:

  1. In the sys:\ZENworks\zaa\uiaconfig.xmlfile, specify the correct port number in the following line:

    <server>ipaddress:80</server>

    where ipaddress is the address of the server.

  2. (Optional) To immediately post the scan, restart the zenaa module.

LDAP import tasks remain in a pending state if they run simultaneously

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory.
Explanation: If an LDAP import task has not finished and you simultaneously run a new task, the new task is not started and remains in a pending state.
Possible Cause 1: Multiple tasks are running simultaneously.
Action 1: Before running a new task, ensure that all the existing tasks are in a finished state.
Possible Cause 2: Multiple tasks have been configured to run on the same schedule.
Action 2: Ensure that you do not set the same schedule for multiple tasks.

An inventory-only managed device is unable to post scans

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory.
Possible Cause: The uiaconfig.xml file might be corrupted.
Action: Do the following:

  1. In the uiaconfig.xml file, add or change the IP address in the following line:

    Server="a.b.c.d"

    Replace a.b.c.d with the address of the server.

    On Linux, uiaconfig.xml is located in opt/novell/zenworks/umia.

  2. (Optional) To immediately post the scan, restart the zenumia service.

Inventory data of a managed device is not displayed for the Linux Primary Server

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory.
Explanation: The inventory data of managed devices is not displayed for the Linux Primary Server in ZENworks Control Center.
Action: Install the inventory-only agent on the Linux Primary Server. The Linux Primary Server is listed as an unmanaged device in ZCC (Device > Inventoried).

For information on how to install the inventoronly agent, see ZENworks Discovery, Deployment, and Retirement Reference.

How do I enable debug logging?

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory.
Action: To enable the logs, see TID 3418069 in the Micro Focus Support Knowledgebase.

Unable to import the inventory data gathered with the Portable Collector in ZENworks Control Center

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory.
Possible Cause: In the inventory scan file, special characters such as &, #, or 1 are appended with the <DateInstalled> tag. For example:

<DateInstalled>&#1;</DateInstalled>

Action: Do the following:

  1. In the .xml file from which you want to import the inventory data, remove all the special characters such as &, #, or 1 that were appended with the <DateInstalled> tag and ensure that the tag contains the following information only:

    <DateInstalled></DateInstalled>

  2. Import the inventory data again.

    For more information on how to import the data, see Section 3.6.4, Importing Data Gathered with the Portable Collector.

Inventory data of a device reregistered from one Management Zone to another is not displayed

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory.
Explanation: If a device is reregistered from one Management Zone to another, the inventory data is not displayed for the device in ZENworks Control Center.
Action: Initiate an inventory scan twice on the device.

For more information on how to initiate an inventory scan, see Scanning the Device in the ZENworks Agent.

Event-based and On Refresh schedules fail for the inventory scan and collection data form

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory.
Explanation: If an administrator configures an event-based or On Refresh schedule for an inventory scan and collection data form, the inventory agent fails to invoke the inventory scan and collection data form.
Action: Configure only a Recurring schedule for the inventory scan and collection data form.

Inventory reports list duplicate components during an inventory scan in ZENworks Control Center

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory.
Action: To troubleshoot the issue, see TID 7003350 in the Micro Focus Support Knowledgebase.

Unable to inventory the BIOS details for Windows 7 64-bit devices that have SMBIOS 2.0 or earlier installed

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory.
Explanation: If you want to inventory the BIOS details for Windows 7 64-bit devices, you must have SMBIOS 2.1 or later installed on these devices.
Action: None.

KB Merge failure might occur when Primary Servers are on different operating systems

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory.
Explanation: If there are multiple types of operating systems in an environment and if one Primary Sever is on Windows and another Primary Server is on Linux, KB Merge might not finish in some cases. You see the following error message in ZENworks Control Center: 
An error occurred during the KB Merge. If this problem persists, please contact Technical Support.
Action: If the first Primary Server is on Windows and the second Primary Server is on Linux, modify the path names for the second Primary Server:

  1. On the Linux Primary Server, go to /var/opt/novell/zenworks/tmp/kb/pre.

  2. The file names currently have the path as part of the file name. Rename the following files by removing the C:\Program Files (x86)\Novell\ZENworks\conf\pru\ path:

    Change file name from

    Change file name to

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Novell\ZENworks\conf\pru\ship.kb

    ship.kb

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Novell\ZENworks\conf\pru\pruver.tkb

    pruver.tkb

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Novell\ZENworks\conf\pru\iv.kb

    iv.kb

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Novell\ZENworks\conf\pru\LC_TallyProduct.txt

    LC_TallyProduct.txt

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Novell\ZENworks\conf\pru\LC_TallyProductMap.txt

    LC_TallyProductMap.txt

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Novell\ZENworks\conf\pru\LC_TallyProductSuite.txt

    LC_TallyProductSuite.txt

    C:\Program Files (x86)\Novell\ZENworks\conf\pru\LC_TallyProductSuiteMap.txt

    LC_TallyProductSuiteMap.txt

  3. To trigger the KB Merge process in ZENworks Control Center, select Configuration > Asset Inventory > Local Software Products.

  4. Select the products, click Action, then select Update knowledgebase with Local Product Changes to apply the changes.

Action: If the first Primary Server is on Linux and the second Primary Server is on Windows, modify the path names for the second Primary Server:

  1. On the Windows Primary Server, go to %ZENWORKS_HOME%\temp\kb\pre.

  2. The file names currently have the path as part of the file name. Rename the following files by removing the /etc/opt/novell/zenworks/pru/ path:

    Change file name from

    Change file name to

    /etc/opt/novell/zenworks/pru/ship.kb

    ship.kb

    /etc/opt/novell/zenworks/pru/pruver.tkb

    pruver.tkb

    /etc/opt/novell/zenworks/pru/iv.kb

    iv.kb

    /etc/opt/novell/zenworks/pru/LC_TallyProduct.txt

    LC_TallyProduct.txt

    /etc/opt/novell/zenworks/pru/LC_TallyProductMap.txt

    LC_TallyProductMap.txt

    /etc/opt/novell/zenworks/pru/LC_TallyProductSuite.txt

    LC_TallyProductSuite.txt

    /etc/opt/novell/zenworks/pru/LC_TallyProductSuiteMap.txt

    LC_TallyProductSuiteMap.txt

  3. To trigger the KB Merge process in ZENworks Control Center, select Configuration > Asset Inventory > Local Software Products.

  4. Select the products, click Action, then select Update knowledgebase with Local Product Changes to apply the changes.

Optional fields are not visible in the LDAP Fields list in ZENworks Control Center

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory.
Explanation: Optional fields defined in the LDAP directory are not visible in the LDAP Fields list in the LDAP Import Task Mappings panel of ZENworks Control Center.
Possible Cause: The optional fields defined in the LDAP directory are not present in the dirimport.xml file, which is on the ZENworks Server.
Action: Update the dirimport.xml file with the optional fields. For example, if the optional field is costCenter, perform the following steps:

  1. Locate the dirimport.xml file:

    On Linux: /etc/opt/microfocus/zenworks/loader/

    On Windows: <zenserver_home>\conf\loader\dirimport.xml

  2. Update the optional field in the following lines in the dirimport.xml file:

    <Module> <Class>com.novell.zenworks.loader.modules.Inventory Import Module</Class>
 <Parameters>
    <Parameter Name="sleep-interval">30000</Parameter>
    <Parameter Name="include-field">costCenter</Parameter>
 </Parameters>
</Module>

On some Windows devices, the Usage Module Helper(zcmumhelper.exe.) crashes randomly

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory
Explanation: On some Windows devices, ZCMUMHelper.exe which collects the web usage, network usage and other details of the logged in users might crash with a pop-up message.
Action: Rebooting the device might fix the problem.

From Windows 7 onwards, you might not be able to monitor the usage of Web applications on 64-bit devices

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory
Explanation: On 64 -bit devices from Windows 7 onwards, you might not be able to collect or monitor the usage of the Web-based applications or pages.
Action: There is no workaround.

Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8 Workstation class device is listed as a Server class device in ZENworks Control Center

Source: ZENworks; Asset Inventory
Explanation: After installing the Inventory Only Agent (IOA) on an RHEL 8 workstation and registering the device to ZENworks by running the zac ioa cfg <serverip> command, when you log into ZCC, the device is wrongly listed in the Servers folder, instead of the Workstations folder of Inventoried Devices.
Possible Cause: The syspurpose.json file includes information related to whether the RHEL device is of Server class or Workstation class. However, when the subscription manager role is not enabled on the RHEL device, this information is not populated in the syspurpose.json file. Hence, the workstation is listed in the Servers folder instead of the Workstations folder of Inventoried Devices in ZCC.
Action: Enable the Subscription Manager role on the RHEL device and run the zac ioa cfg <serverip> command again.

While running the portable collector, an error message Could not load file or assembly 'file:///<\portable\modules\ZenCollectorMainFramework.DLL or one of its dependencies. Operation is not supported. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80131515) is displayed

Explanation: When you run ZENcollector.exe, the executable fails and the error message Could not load file or assembly 'file:///<\portable\modules\ZenCollectorMainFramework.DLL or one of its dependencies. Operation is not supported. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x80131515) is displayed.
Possible Cause: Due to security reasons, ZENcollector.exe and other dependent DLLs are blocked by default.
Action: Right-click on the downloaded portable.zip file, edit the properties of the file, select the Unblock option. Unzip the file, and then run ZENcollector.exe again.

A custom report displays no data when a device folder is renamed

Explanation: When running a Custom Report, the report fails to fetch data if the device folder is renamed in ZENworks Control Center > Devices.
Action: In the Custom Report Definition screen, select the folder that you renamed from the Value field and click Save. The custom report will be generated with valid data.