The Master Catalog’s Advanced Import Feature allows you to import a large number of servers provided:

1. You create a properly formatted text file;

2. You name the file “COMPUTERS.TXT” and place it into the correct folder; and

3. You locate and run the Advanced Import Feature.

So What Format Does The File Need To Have?

The format should be:

Domain Name + Tab + Computer Name + Tab + OS Description + Tab + Version + Tab + OS Code

What Does The Final File Look Like When Done Properly?

Glad you asked. Shown below is the answer.

Example

ARGENT   SVR-1   Windows 2008 Server   7.1   C

ARGENT   SVR-2   Windows 2003 Server   5.1   C

The above example assumes the following:

Domain Name:	ARGENT
Servers Being Imported:	SVR-1, SVR-2
OS Description:	Windows 200x
Version:	7.1, 5.1 (This value will vary depending on your Service Pack level)
OS Code:	(Windows Servers are represented by the OS Code “C”)

Note: Although it cannot be seen from the above formatting, there is a Tab character in between each of the above values

A tab must be used to delimit the fields, not spaces.

Each field MUST be filled in — however the “OS Description” and “Version” are purely for informational purposes — while the inputs for these two fields are arbitrary, these fields should NOT be blank — if needed, put “N/A” as the value for these fields.

What About Linux/Unix Machines And IP Devices?

From Argent XT version 1101-A onwards, COMPUTERS.TXT can be used to import more than just Windows servers

Here are the OS codes for the other node types:

OS Code	Description
TCP/IP	TCP/IP Device
AIX	AIX
HP-UX	HP-UX
LINUX	Linux
SCO	SCO
SUNOS	Solaris
C	Windows Server

So Where Do I Place The File I Have Created?

After creating the above file, first ensure that it has been named to Computers.txt. After confirming the file name place it into the folder path shown below:

..\ARGENT\ArgentManagementConsole

So How Do I Access The Advanced Import Feature?

Simple – Use the Argent Console GUI and locate the Master Catalog feature (screen N6B) and right click within that window. The following dialog box will appear:

After selecting the option, the screen will refresh and the new servers should appear as shown below:

So How Do I Create The Necessary List Of Host Names I Want To Import?

The answer to the above varies by customer. Usually the best way is to export your list of computer names to an Excel spreadsheet. Then insert the necessary columns in the proper order (Domain name, Computer Name, O/S and Application) using Excel.

When done, simply highlight the appropriate rows and columns and paste it into a file called Computers.txt. You can then further manipulate the Computers.txt file to add in the trailing Tab character (as needed) and your file will be ready for import.

Note: The Advanced Import Feature will do the following:

1. Updates the XT_Master_Catalog_Machine table in your Argent SQL database with the contents of your Computers.txt file

2. It will also update your Network.xml file.

Ensure you have a full SQL backup and that you have keep a copy or have created an Export of the Network.XML file before using this feature.

If the values in the Computers.txt file are incorrect and you use the Advanced Import Feature, you will either have to:

1. Correct the improper entries using the Argent Console GUI;

2. Use appropriate SQL syntax; or

3. Restore your database and your original Network.XML file.