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Usage Tracking Setting Enabled in mgssetup.ini But It Was Still Disabled After The Agent Was Installed

Hi all ...

I seem to have a mystery on my hands.

I used a third party deployment method to deploy the Inventory Agent.  It was set up as a package in SCCM and available to install through Software Center, and it was also pushed out to all Windows devices through SCCM.

In the mgssetup.ini file that is supplied with the SCCM package, the usage tracking setting is enabled.  The relevant value in the file:

 

; If set, usage agent is disabled
USAGEAGENT_DISABLE = False

 

The mgssetup.ini file also has a command to immediately create and upload inventory.

After the agent was installed through Software Center, I was able to see that inventory was created and uploaded.

However, when I checked the registry, usage tracking was disabled:

Usage agent registry value of  "Disabled" = trueUsage agent registry value of "Disabled" = true

When I looked at the installation log, I see usage tracking being disabled:

Registry value “HKLM\SOFTWARE\ManageSoft Corp\ManageSoft\Usage Agent\CurrentVersion\Disabled” set to “true”

The full section of the installation log appears below:

 

------------------------------------------------------------
[3/8/2023 12:10:56 PM (G, 6)] {4800} Installing “Device Configuration[Common](1,0,0,0)”
[3/8/2023 12:10:56 PM (G, 0)] {4800} The package "Device Configuration" will be installed
[3/8/2023 12:10:56 PM (U, 0)] {4800} This package is a FlexNet Manager Platform implementation archive
[3/8/2023 12:10:56 PM (N, 0)] {4800} Downloading “https://beacon.com/ManageSoftDL/ClientConfiguration/Device Configuration 913833C9390A0E9F39B4D1BA06416CA6/Device%20Configuration.ndc” to “C:\Program Files (x86)\ManageSoft\Launcher\PkgCache\ClientSettings\Common\pkg00001\tmp.ndc”
[3/8/2023 12:10:57 PM (N, 0)] {4800} Retrieved 4105 bytes starting from offset 0
[3/8/2023 12:10:57 PM (N, 0)] {4800} Download OK for “https://beacon.com/ManageSoftDL/ClientConfiguration/Device Configuration 913833C9390A0E9F39B4D1BA06416CA6/Device%20Configuration.ndc”
[3/8/2023 12:10:57 PM (G, 0)] {4800} Application “Device Configuration” NOT FOUND in the cache
[3/8/2023 12:10:59 PM (P, 2)] {4800} Registry value “HKLM\SOFTWARE\ManageSoft Corp\ManageSoft\Usage Agent\CurrentVersion\Disabled” set to “true”
[3/8/2023 12:10:59 PM (P, 2)] {4800} Registry value “HKLM\SOFTWARE\ManageSoft Corp\ManageSoft\Tracker\CurrentVersion\IncludeDirectory” set to “\”
[3/8/2023 12:10:59 PM (P, 2)] {4800} Registry value “HKLM\SOFTWARE\ManageSoft Corp\ManageSoft\Tracker\CurrentVersion\ExcludeDirectory” set to “C:\Windows”
[3/8/2023 12:10:59 PM (P, 2)] {4800} Registry value “HKLM\SOFTWARE\ManageSoft Corp\ManageSoft\Tracker\CurrentVersion\EmbedFileContentDirectory” set to “\”
[3/8/2023 12:10:59 PM (P, 2)] {4800} Registry value “HKLM\SOFTWARE\ManageSoft Corp\ManageSoft\Tracker\CurrentVersion\ExcludeEmbedFileContentDirectory” set to “C:\Windows”
[3/8/2023 12:10:59 PM (G, 5)] {4800} Deleted file “C:\Program Files (x86)\ManageSoft\Launcher\Cache\Common\Device Configuration\contents.ndc”
[3/8/2023 12:10:59 PM (G, 5)] {4800} Moved file “C:\Program Files (x86)\ManageSoft\Launcher\Cache\Common\Device Configuration\stage\stg00000.ndc” to “C:\Program Files (x86)\ManageSoft\Launcher\Cache\Common\Device Configuration\contents.ndc”
[3/8/2023 12:10:59 PM (G, 6)] {4800} Installation package source is “https://AWE-FNBS-C1-01.cis1.cisr.uscis.dhs.gov/ManageSoftDL/”
[3/8/2023 12:10:59 PM (G, 6)] {4800} Install OK “Device Configuration[Common](1,0,0,0)”
[3/8/2023 12:10:59 PM (G, 0)] {4800} Finished policy processing of package "ClientSettings/Device Configuration 913833C9390A0E9F39B4D1BA06416CA6/Device Configuration"
[3/8/2023 12:10:59 PM (G, 0)] {4800}
------------------------------------------------------------

 

Was there something else I was supposed to do to enable this at installation time but failed to do?  The automatic launch of inventory collection and upload worked fine so I know the mgssetup.ini file is being read.

The agent version deployed was 2021R1.

Have you seen this before?

--Mark

(2) Solutions
tjohnson1
By Technical Writer
Technical Writer

This means that the device is part of an inventory target that has the usage option set to not allowed: https://docs.flexera.com/FlexNetManagerSuite2021R1/EN/WebHelp/index.html#tasks/Disco-Create_target.html

View solution in original post

After you update the targets a new beacon policy will be created and the beacons should pick this up in about 20 minutes. The agents check in with the beacon every 12 hours and when they check in they will receive the new policy that indicates usage should be enabled and then the registry key value will be updated.

View solution in original post

(4) Replies
tjohnson1
By Technical Writer
Technical Writer

This means that the device is part of an inventory target that has the usage option set to not allowed: https://docs.flexera.com/FlexNetManagerSuite2021R1/EN/WebHelp/index.html#tasks/Disco-Create_target.html

Interesting ... I didn't think to check previously set up targets (most of which were not set up by me).  Thanks for the pointer.

--Mark

OK I finished going through my targets and did see several that had usage tracking turned off, as opposed to the "not specified" option.  I enabled usage tracking in these targets.  These targets are also not being used in any discovery rule at the moment (and I believe they don't have to).  About how long does it take for agents to receive this change?  I assume the path of this change is something like Flexera UI -> Inventory Beacons -> Agent wakes up to get updated policy from a beacon -> Change made to registry, right?

--Mark

After you update the targets a new beacon policy will be created and the beacons should pick this up in about 20 minutes. The agents check in with the beacon every 12 hours and when they check in they will receive the new policy that indicates usage should be enabled and then the registry key value will be updated.