Installation guide

A delta collection includes only the differences between the data on the target machine and the data stored
in the VCM database. If you need a full collection, you can specify that VCM collect all data again. A full
collection can take a significant amount of time depending on the number of VCM managed Windows
machines from which you are collecting.
When you perform a full collection from your entire environment, run the collection during nonworking
hours so that users do not notice any performance impact on managed machines. After the initial
collection is finished, subsequent delta collections will most likely not impact performance.
Prerequisites
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Collect the Accounts and Groups data types from the primary domain controller (PDC) in each domain
to increase the performance of initial collections that require a SID lookup.
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To collect data from Windows XP SP2 or Vista machines that use DCOM communication, you must
enable ICMP pings in the firewall settings or disable ICMP pings in VCM.
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Verify that DCOM is enabled on the managed machine. Run dcomcnfg and select Enable Distributed
COM on this computer.
Procedure
1. On the VCM toolbar, click Collect.
2. On the Collection Type page, select and click OK.
3. On the Machines page, select the Windows machines from which to collect data and click Next.
To move all visible Windows machines to the selection window, 500 at a time, use the double arrow.
4. On the Data Types page, configure the collection and click Next.
a. Expand Windows and select the data types.
At a minimum, you must collect Machines data. If you are managing data using compliance,
change, or running reports, you must collect the data types that are included in the other actions or
that you want to view in the appropriate data grids.
b. Select Use default filters.
5. On the Important page, resolve any conflicts and click Finish.
6. Click Administration and select Job Manager > History > Instant Collections > Past 24 Hours to
determine if the collection finished.
The amount of time the collection requires is determined by the number of machines and network
connectivity.
What to do next
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Verify that the jobs finished running. Click Administration and select Job Manager > History > Other
Jobs > Past 24 Hours.
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Review the collection results. See "Windows Collection Results" on page 94.
Windows Collection Results
Continuous Windows machine management is based on the latest data that you collect from target
machines. You can view data and run actions, such as reports or compliance, based on the collected data.
Windows data appears in VCM and is available for several management actions, including Console
dashboards and reports, Compliance views, and VCMPatching. The displayed data is only as current as
the last time you collected the data.
vCenter Configuration Manager Administration Guide
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VMware, Inc.