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#29118 - 2002-09-17 05:18 AM Determining OS type...remotely
MikeB MikeB Fresh Scripter Registered: 2002-09-17 Posts: 6	Hi all! I have read through many of the message threads posted here, however I still have yet to find a comprehensive answer to my particular problem (albeit rudimentary as it may seem to some of you experts). I am looking for a method (via Kix 4.x) to get the same functionality of the @Producttype macro on remote machines. I have admin scripts that I would like to run that require the OS type to perform branch functions. I run the full gauntlet of clients from W2K Adv Server to Win98, and need to get as granular as possible when determing the OS on remote machines (even differentiating between W2K Server and W2K Advanced server). Please keep in mind that I need this info ported into the logic of the script to determine the brach to follow. Any advice would be most appreciated! Mike B.
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#29119 - 2002-09-17 05:26 AM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
Kdyer Kdyer KiX Supporter Registered: 2001-01-03 Posts: 6241 Loc: Tigard, OR	MikeB, Welcome to the board! Rather than detecting what OS it is remotely, why not have the client do it with a login script? At the time he/she logs in, you could write this information to a database, log file, etc. The other issue I can see with detection remotely, is that you have to insure that all systems are turned on. HTH, Kent _________________________ Utilize these resources: UDFs (Full List) KiXtart FAQ & How to's
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#29120 - 2002-09-17 05:33 AM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
MikeB MikeB Fresh Scripter Registered: 2002-09-17 Posts: 6	My aplogies if I was not too clear on what I was looking to do. The scripts I am developing are not intended to be used as logon scripts, yet admin scripts that I will run against a list of NetBIOS names (mostly server class machines that are in a 24x7 environment that rarely have anybody logging onto them). My appreciation for your quick responses and valuable advice remain immeasurable... Mike B.
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#29121 - 2002-09-17 02:36 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
Radimus Radimus Moderator Registered: 2000-01-06 Posts: 5187 Loc: Tampa, FL	you can use WMIQuery() UDF to do it, but the client machine needs WMI installed. XP, 2k, NTsp4+ have it built in (including servers) 95, 98 need to have it installed ME might have it built in pending that: $os=wmiquery("Caption","Win32_OperatingSystem",$remotecomputer) _________________________ How to ask questions the smart way <-----------> Before you ask
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#29122 - 2002-09-17 02:37 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
Waltz Waltz Seasoned Scripter Registered: 2002-08-01 Posts: 485 Loc: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada	Try this snippet on WMI enabled machines... code: $osname=WMIQuery("Caption","Win32_OperatingSystem","$machine") $osversion=WMIQuery("Version","Win32_OperatingSystem","$machine")+" "+WMIQuery("CSDVersion","Win32_OperatingSystem","$machine") _________________________ We all live in a Yellow Subroutine...
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#29123 - 2002-09-17 04:39 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
Sealeopard Sealeopard KiX Master Registered: 2001-04-25 Posts: 11165 Loc: Boston, MA, USA	Alternatively, you can read remote registry keys to determine the operating system and producttype. For example code: $os=readvalue('\\server\hkey_local_machine\software\microsoft\windows nt\currentversion','ProductName') will read the product name revistry value on server SERVER. [ 17. September 2002, 16:40: Message edited by: sealeopard ] _________________________ There are two types of vessels, submarines and targets.
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#29124 - 2002-09-17 07:12 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
MikeB MikeB Fresh Scripter Registered: 2002-09-17 Posts: 6	Thank you all for your help with this, but I have a couple comments after trying a couple of your suggestions... 1) Using the registry keys referenced by sealeopard only seems to be valid on W2K/XP machines. 2) I believe the same is true for the WMI queries. You would think that this age old issue that is so common in many admin scripts would have an easy answer. I would not think it too difficult to allow KIX macros to be ran on remote machines with minimal code revisions. Mike B
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#29125 - 2002-09-17 07:16 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
Radimus Radimus Moderator Registered: 2000-01-06 Posts: 5187 Loc: Tampa, FL	that is because wintendos are unmanageable the only thing win95 gives you is a start button, everything else, you will have to work for. _________________________ How to ask questions the smart way <-----------> Before you ask
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#29126 - 2002-09-17 07:21 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
MikeB MikeB Fresh Scripter Registered: 2002-09-17 Posts: 6	Althouh I tend to agree that there has been a lack of follow through in design of the varios MS platforms that make it rather difficult to manage, that still does not change the fact that the majority of the Fortune 500 companies and the world in general have lied in bed with the devil and system engineers and application developers alike have to pay the price. Any other creative suggestions to the problem at hand? Many thanks, Mike B.
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#29127 - 2002-09-17 07:25 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
Radimus Radimus Moderator Registered: 2000-01-06 Posts: 5187 Loc: Tampa, FL	test for failures... if you get WMIQuery() that will tell you winnt,2k,and xp... even if you don't feel like installing it on your 95/98 machines if it fails and C$ exists, then you have an old NT box everything else is wintendo _________________________ How to ask questions the smart way <-----------> Before you ask
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#29128 - 2002-09-17 07:25 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
Sealeopard Sealeopard KiX Master Registered: 2001-04-25 Posts: 11165 Loc: Boston, MA, USA	Windows 9x registrys are available remotely by installingthe Remote Registry service. Also, WMI can be installed on Windows 9x and NT in order to magage them remotely. Why not automatically create a list of computers and their operating systems during login, for example as a .INI file. This file can then be referenced for your other scripts. _________________________ There are two types of vessels, submarines and targets.
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#29129 - 2002-09-17 11:00 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
NTDOC NTDOC Administrator Registered: 2000-07-28 Posts: 11628 Loc: CA	Mike, Try taking a look at the utils on this website. I would think you might be able to do what you're wanting to do using one or more of these utils. freeware utilities
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#29130 - 2002-09-18 12:10 AM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
kholm kholm Korg Regular Registered: 2000-06-19 Posts: 714 Loc: Randers, Denmark	Doc, Your Freeware utilities link seems very promissing, i have only tested ShortCut v.1.0, it seems to be able to do the same job as MakeScut from ScriptLogic, AND more, it can extract the properties of an existing shortcut and change properties on existing shortcuts. Only drawback i have found: It only works on .lnk files, NOT .url Also it is small, only 40 kb The: Last Updated: 10/02/2000 and support for XP seams contradictive, but it dos work on XP, also the comment part.
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#29131 - 2002-09-18 12:49 AM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
MikeB MikeB Fresh Scripter Registered: 2002-09-17 Posts: 6	Thanks for the help... Although many suggestions were rather elegant in their approach, and I have implmented a combination of ideas to accomplish what I was looking to do, I still would like to see the next version of KIX port the simple producttype macro (and others like it) into a distributed environement where a centralized admin station can run various scripts across a multitude of machines while using these scripts. WMI is great, but deploying the agents to non WMI compatible machines is bit of overhead when you have in excess of 5000 nodes. Thank you, Mike B
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#29132 - 2002-09-18 02:28 AM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
Les Les KiX Master Registered: 2001-06-11 Posts: 12734 Loc: fortfrances.on.ca	MikeB, I think you expect too much from KiX. How do expect KiX to get the information remotely from Wntendos? It would require an agent just like WMI. Second, how can a macro accept parameters? By its nature, a macro works without parameters. You need to face reality, that Wintendo is mostly unmanaged. The sooner you realize that and move to Win2k the better. _________________________ Give a man a fish and he will be back for more. Slap him with a fish and he will go away forever.
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#29133 - 2002-09-18 04:45 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
Waltz Waltz Seasoned Scripter Registered: 2002-08-01 Posts: 485 Loc: Waterloo, Ontario, Canada	I don't recall anyone ever saying that this was going to be simple and easy... (And if it was, the hardware folks would have taken care of it!) _________________________ We all live in a Yellow Subroutine...
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#29134 - 2002-09-18 06:09 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
MikeB MikeB Fresh Scripter Registered: 2002-09-17 Posts: 6	I think if there is anything that should come of all of this, is the fact that although rather kludgy in operation, there 'is' the capability to do what we need done ins some way or another. Perhaps I am not using KIX for what it was originally desinged (primarily a logon script engine), but realistically incorperating the ability for the SAME functionality on a remote machine that you can get by running a script locally should not take a miracle. Accessing COM modules, registry hooks, etc whether it be local or remote is a simple matter of modifying an entrypoint rather than an entire re-design of the code. Great stuff all! Mike B
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#29135 - 2002-09-18 06:50 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
Sealeopard Sealeopard KiX Master Registered: 2001-04-25 Posts: 11165 Loc: Boston, MA, USA	It is also a matter of authentication. However, if you deploy WMI to all computers, then you gain a lot of remote management capability through KiXtart. _________________________ There are two types of vessels, submarines and targets.
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#29136 - 2002-09-18 07:47 PM Re: Determining OS type...remotely
Les Les KiX Master Registered: 2001-06-11 Posts: 12734 Loc: fortfrances.on.ca	I agree with Jens that WMI is the way to go. I would not hold much hope of new KiX functionality for an OS that is at (some may say past) end-of-life. The limitations of Wintendo were recognized a long time ago and the sooner one can get rid of them the better. I see a lot of posts trying deal with the shortcomings. There have been a lot of studies that have shown that the purchase price of a new computer is is just a small percentage of the overall cost of ownership. _________________________ Give a man a fish and he will be back for more. Slap him with a fish and he will go away forever.
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