Tracing Remote Inventory Files (Linux Server)
If you need to diagnose a problem with Remote Inventory or you just want to trace the route that Remote Inventory files take, then this article will explain. When Certero performs Remote Inventory on a computer the following steps occur.
A Certero Endpoint Server connects to the remote computer. (This is usually on TCP port 22).
An inventory script is copied to the remote computer.
The inventory script is executed on the remote computer and inventory data files are generated.
One or more inventory data files are received by the Endpoint Server. (Endpoint Server\UploadDir folder). The files are sent via HTTP (TCP port 80) or HTTPS (TCP port 443).
A separate service on the Endpoint Server will process the inventory data files.
The processed inventory data is written to .BCP files and compressed into a .ZIP file.
The .ZIP is passed to the Certero Application Server (Application Server\UploadDir folder). Again, the files are sent via HTTP (TCP port 80) or HTTPS (TCP port 443).
The Certero Application Server will open the .ZIP file and attempt to write the inventory data .BCP files to tables in a Temp Certero SQL database.
SQL stored procedures copy the inventory data from the Temp database to tables in the live Certero Data SQL database.
At this point the inventory data can be seen within the Certero website under Computer Systems.
An error can occur at any of the above steps. Using the relevant log files, it is possible to trace the remote inventory process for a specific computer and therefore to find when and where a problem has occurred.
For this example, we will use a Linux computer called dev-ovirt45.certero.local. Within Certero, we can see this computer under Client Management - Computers.
N.B. New Linux computers that have not yet been inventoried will appear under Client Management - ICMP devices.
Starting on the Endpoint Server we look in the Remote Inventory log file (called RemoteInventory_YYYYMMDD.log in the Endpoint Servers\Logs folder). Searching up from the bottom of the log file we see this line:
2025-12-24 08:40:41.652 - INFORMATION: [58911] Connecting to 10.1.201.90 as root
The number in the [] is thread number, in this case 58911. Searching downloads for this thread number we can see:
2025-12-24 08:40:43.301 - INFORMATION: [58911] target operating system is [Linux]
2025-12-24 08:40:43.301 - INFORMATION: [58911] Linux version 5.14.0-319.el9.x86_64 (mockbuild@x86-05.stream.rdu2.redhat.com) (gcc (GCC) 11.3.1 20221121 (Red Hat 11.3.1-4), GNU ld version 2.35.2-39.el9) #1 SMP PREEMPT_DYNAMIC Thu May 25 19:53:58 UTC 2023
2025-12-24 08:40:43.301 - INFORMATION: [58911] User root is a member of these groups [root]
2025-12-24 08:40:43.301 - INFORMATION: [58911] Copying remote inventory file to /tmp
2025-12-24 08:40:43.312 - INFORMATION: [58911] Granting execute permissions
2025-12-24 08:40:43.471 - INFORMATION: [58911] Performing remote inventory [/bin/bash "/tmp/csinvcli.sh" -a -m 6659]
2025-12-24 08:41:53.315 - INFORMATION: [58911] Remote inventory completed, retrieving data files
2025-12-24 08:41:54.424 - INFORMATION: [58911] Data file [csinvcli.tgz] received as [1218272250.tgz]
2025-12-24 08:41:54.425 - INFORMATION: [58911] Removing temporary files
2025-12-24 08:41:54.515 - INFORMATION: [58911] Thread exit
Steps 1. to 4. can be seen to have occurred and we have the name of the received inventory data file 1218272250.tgz.
Next, we look at the Collection Service log file (called CollectionService_YYYYMMDD.log in the same Endpoint Servers\Logs folder). Searching for the filename 1218272250.tgz we see:
2025-12-24 08:42:38.522 - INFORMATION: Parsing client data file [1218272250.tgz]
2025-12-24 08:42:38.572 - DEBUG: Generated Core data file [1218316468.zip]
2025-12-24 08:42:38.603 - DEBUG: Generated Inventory data file [1218316500.zip]
2025-12-24 08:42:38.634 - DEBUG: Generated Oracle data file [1218316531.zip]
2025-12-24 08:42:38.650 - DEBUG: Generated Java data file [1218316546.zip]
This 1218272250.tgz file generates core, inventory, oracle and java data files. Each of these files is processed.
2025-12-24 08:42:39.520 - INFORMATION: Processing file [1218316468.zip]
2025-12-24 08:42:39.534 - DEBUG: Started executing 'ProcessFile' method in module 0
2025-12-24 08:42:39.534 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316468\Core.ComputerSystemInventory.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.536 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316468\Core.ComputerSystemProcessorInfo.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.538 - INFORMATION: Processing file [1218316500.zip]
2025-12-24 08:42:39.589 - DEBUG: Started executing 'ProcessFile' method in module 1
2025-12-24 08:42:39.590 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemBios.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.590 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemCDROMDrive.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.590 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemDisk.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.591 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemDiskPartition.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.591 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemDiskVolume.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.591 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemGroup.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.592 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemLast.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.592 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemListeningProcess.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.592 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemNetworkInterface.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.593 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemPackage.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.598 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemPCIDevice.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.599 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemPhysicalMemory.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.600 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemPhysicalMemoryArray.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.600 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemProcess.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.602 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemServer.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.603 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemSwap.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.603 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemSystemInfo.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.604 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316500\Inventory.LinuxSystemUser.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.609 - INFORMATION: Processing file [1218316531.zip]
2025-12-24 08:42:39.623 - DEBUG: Started executing 'ProcessFile' method in module 10
2025-12-24 08:42:39.623 - DEBUG: Checking for .ora files
2025-12-24 08:42:39.623 - DEBUG: Found 0 files to process
2025-12-24 08:42:39.623 - DEBUG: Checking for inventory files
2025-12-24 08:42:39.624 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316531\Oracle.ComputerSystemOracleProduct.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.624 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316531\OracleLms.ORCL_CPU_Q.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.624 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316531\OracleLms.ORCL_FMW.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.626 - INFORMATION: Processing file [1218316546.zip]
2025-12-24 08:42:39.636 - DEBUG: Started executing 'ProcessFile' method in module 12
2025-12-24 08:42:39.636 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316546\Files.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.640 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316546\Java.ComputerSystemJava.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.641 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316546\Java.ComputerSystemJavaVersion.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.641 - DEBUG: Processing D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\cc6f9e8a-db78-44d7-9853-e83103d450f5\Endpoint Server\UploadDir\Temp\1218316546\OracleLms.ORCL_CPU_Q.txt
2025-12-24 08:42:39.643 - INFORMATION: Processing BCP files
2025-12-24 08:42:39.643 - INFORMATION: Adding data files to "C5C4DA6951EC4507861193F63164447A.zip"
Steps 5. to 7. have occurred, Inventory data is processed into .BCP file and a new C5C4DA6951EC4507861193F63164447A.zip file is created.
Now onto the Certero Application server. This may or may not be the same computer as the Endpoint Server. We look at the Data Controller Service log file (called DataControllerService_YYYYMMDD.log in the same Application Server\Logs folder). Searching for the filename C5C4DA6951EC4507861193F63164447A.zip we see:
2025-12-24 08:43:38.237 - INFORMATION: Processing data files
2025-12-24 08:43:38.251 - INFORMATION: Extracting data from file: "D:\Certero\Provisioning Services\InstanceRoot\<TenantID>\Application Server\UploadDir\C5C4DA6951EC4507861193F63164447A.zip"
2025-12-24 08:43:38.256 - DEBUG: Zip file opened
2025-12-24 08:43:38.262 - DEBUG: Processing file: "Autodesk.WindowsSystemAutodeskComponent.bcp"
2025-12-24 08:43:38.268 - DEBUG: Performing bulk copy into table: "Autodesk.WindowsSystemAutodeskComponent"
2025-12-24 08:43:38.284 - DEBUG: Processing file: "Core.ComputerSystemEndpointServer.bcp"
2025-12-24 08:43:38.288 - DEBUG: Performing bulk copy into table: "Core.ComputerSystemEndpointServer"
2025-12-24 08:43:38.299 - DEBUG: Processing file: "Core.ComputerSystemInventory.bcp"
2025-12-24 08:43:38.304 - DEBUG: Performing bulk copy into table: "Core.ComputerSystemInventory"
2025-12-24 08:43:38.319 - DEBUG: Processing file: "Core.ComputerSystemModule.bcp"
2025-12-24 08:43:38.323 - DEBUG: Performing bulk copy into table: "Core.ComputerSystemModule"
2025-12-24 08:43:38.335 - DEBUG: Processing file: "Core.ComputerSystemProcessorInfo.bcp"
…
2025-12-24 08:43:40.210 - INFORMATION: Shrinking transaction log in C_Tmp
2025-12-24 08:43:40.263 - INFORMATION: Executing BCP stored procedures
2025-12-24 08:43:40.263 - DEBUG: Executing Core.BCPRemoveDuplicateData
2025-12-24 08:43:40.293 - DEBUG: Executing Core.BCPMoveComputerSystemModuleData
2025-12-24 08:43:40.301 - DEBUG: Executing Core.BCPMoveComputerSystemInventoryData
…
Steps 8. to 10. have now occurred. Within Certreo, looking in Computer Systems - All Systems or Computer Systems - Linux we can see:
Selecting shows the full Remote inventory for this computer.
The frequency by which Remote Inventory occurs is controlled by the Global Settings - Frequencies.
E.G.
