Software inventories always full/inventoried files don't appear in query/report

Question

I have the Software Inventory configured to look for a specific file but some devices that have this file are not showing up in a query and a report for devices with that file.

One device had the file copied to it and in the correct location on 20 Jan. The device had a software inventory run on it the following day and I see it listed in the InventoryAgent.log as the inventory ran on the 21st. The report is shown in that log as having been successfully sent to the MP.

But when I run a query for the existence of that file, the device does not appear in the results. I looked and found that software inventories are taking about 12 hours, likely because they're all full:

CInvState::VerifyInventoryVersionNumber: Mismatch found for '{00000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000002}': 5.0 vs. 0.0
Inventory: Version number mismatch; will do a Full report.

So A) why would a file that the InventoryAgent.log shows as having successfully been inventoried not appear in a query? And B) why are all of the SW inventories full instead of delta? I have changed the following registry setting to 3200000 (hex) thinking it might be a mif file size issue:

HKLM\Software\Microsoft\SMS\COMPONENTS\SMS_SOFTWARE_INVENTORY_PROCESSOR

Skip

Answer 1

Do you see any error on CcmMessaging.log, is the payload was successful

Answer 2

Do the long on the mp show that the sw inv was received? Does the site server show that the inventory was added to the db?

Answer 3

Hi, @Skip B

Thank you for posting in Microsoft Q&A forum.

You may follow this article to troubleshoot software inventory issue:
https://sccmnotes.wordpress.com/2018/03/21/tracking-software-inventory-flow-in-configuration-manager/
(Please note: Information posted in the given link is hosted by a third party. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy and effectiveness of information.)

---

If the answer is the right solution, please click "Accept Answer" and kindly upvote it. If you have extra questions about this answer, please click "Comment".
Note: Please follow the steps in our documentation to enable e-mail notifications if you want to receive the related email notification for this thread.

Answer 4

Blockquote

I looked and found that software inventories are taking about 12 hours

fyi, length of time it takes locally on the client has nothing to do with whether it is a full or a delta; it takes that long because it takes that long. How long it takes depends upon how many rules you have setup, speed of the disks, whether or not you have left the default for inventory throttling (most people do, because it's very much a hidden thing, that isn't easy to modify). https://tcsmug.org/blogs/sherry-kissinger/287-cm12disableinventorythrottling

In general, if a CM Admin-in-the-field is asked, invariably we all say "don't use file inventory, at all, ever". Because of these exact issues that plague us all.

If you "must" find "a way" to see if a file exists, depending of course upon your needs, the project, etc. etc. SOMETIMES (not always) you can do this; https://tcsmug.org/blogs/sherry-kissinger/374-using-configuration-items-instead-of-software-inventory

If you "have to" do file inventory, also known badly as "software inventory", some things you CAN do to help:

1. Review ALL of the rules you have. and I mean ALL of them. on several clients, look at inventoryagent.log when file inventory ran recently--check to see which specific rules took "the longest" to run. Do you ABSOLUTELY really need those rules anymore? can you change them in ANY way to make it better? like instead of looking for .BLA in c:*., you KNOW that *.BLA will only ever be in c:\users. or it will only ever be in c:\Program Files (x86). Yes. this will take weeks if not months to review and make it better. I didn't say it was going to be easy.
2. consider that disablethrottling. It won't necessarily make it "faster" per se, but makes it take no breaks between rules, so that HARDWARE inventory--which is the real gold, doesn't get too stuck behind icky blechy File Inventory.
3. Once you've finished #1... Make a permanent record, that everyone on your team knows where it is, to keep track of the rules created, and WHY, and WHO asked for them. It happened all the time to me when someone would say "we NEED to know *.BLA!!!" and then 6 months later when I ask "do you still need *.BLA?", the reply most of the time was "that? oh, that... yeah we didn't need that anymore after the 2nd week, sorry I forgot to tell you..."

Answer 5

All - thank you very much for your responses. Windows upgrades and Logjam remediation took over my life so I must apologize for not having replied yet.

I was told that things looked better (by the people who run reports daily) after I tweaked the acceptable mif size setting.

I have done some cleanup and will look into checking if the inventories are being imported into the DB. Thanks, Garth.

Things are better but I will definitely be following up on your suggestions and links.

Thanks again,
Skip