KACE Product Support

Here's the latest "Breadcrumbs" video if anyone is needing it:

K1000 KKE's: https://support.software.dell.com/k1000-systems-management-appliance/kb?k=KKE
On a personal note; I've also asked for this capacity in the past. While it's rare that a customer would want/need it, when they do it's very useful.

You could accomplish this by using custom inventory rules to look for text files on the computer, then have smart labels based on those custom inventory rules.

In the K1000 training (bootkamp not jumpstart) they show a method where you label a newly imaged machine based on the breadcrumb left behind by the K2000. Anyone have that handy? It is a custom inventory rule. I'm not sure how having a machine label itself is. If you are on the machine could you not launch the UI and label it? Otherwise if it's based on some known criteria on the machine then a smart label could be made. You could even just label machines based on being new with a smart label.

if you do want an enhancement then please visit the uservoice forums. This is a great way for grass roots requests.

This can also be achieved by using LDAP label. If you create a search filter based on AD group membership, then you can get your computer to add itself to active directory group at build time.Then when the machine checks in for the first time, this will resolve to KBOX label.
Let me know if you need assistance in getting this setup. Good luck!
PS. i think this thread will help http://www.appdeploy.com/messageboards/printable.asp?m=70224
Cheers
Lakmal

If I should do this then I would do it by making a batch/vb script that create a file locally on the PC, then make a Smart label to check for the file as Steelc wrote

Yeah, problem with LDAP labels and a custom inventory item, is it's a lot of work to setup Breadcrumbs, the custom inventory item, etc.

Just simply want to have the client add itself to existing static labels.

One good reason I've thought of, is pre-image, I collect the existing computer name (and looking to get the KUID too now) or and prompt if it's ok or to set a new one, the IT Tech supplies this info, then leaves, the PC images (from K2000), boots, logs in, locks the workstation, joins the domain, installs initial software and reboots, ready for user use.

I would like it to add itself to labels, so that KBOX deploys the software, then it's a central installation source and label consistency is maintained.

That way, pre-image I can collect various information, such as computer name, required apps, the KUID, and the process can be left running, at the end it's like any other PC.

I do like Smart Labels and LDAP labels, in the right context/use, we use static labels to assign and deploy software, not based on the computer's location in AD (LDAP), or by having to write a text file to the computer (how weird does that sound?).

I've added the idea as suggested to the ideas website.

AJStevens, do you simply want the machine to add itself to a label if it is new?
select ID from MACHINE
WHERE CREATED > DATE_SUB(NOW(), INTERVAL 7 DAYS)

That is the simple label for a machine that has been created in the last 7 days. Note, however, that if the machine goes MIA then it would still have a label.

Note: That video cblake mentions starts the pres'n at the 14 min mark. A K2000 technique is around the 19min mark using a reg key that is put in by the k2 tasks. Then there is a question at the 25 min mark. I believe the info below answers both AJStevens and that question. Note: I stole it from the bootkamp and made it more complete with the SQL

For those that have a K2 -- if you want to use this method then you would have the following:

• A CI that tracks the K2 deployment date
• A smart label already setup that tracks it for all machines
  

About the CI:

• Name the CI "Image Date".
  
• Here is the rule ShellCommandTextReturn(findstr /B "deployment_time" C:\ProgramData\Dell\KACE\k2000_deployment_info.conf)

About the smart label:

• Create a smart label with whatever name you want (Home->Label-Smart Label->Create new Machine
  
• Use this SQL (example for "imaged in the last 7 days") select MACHINE.ID from MACHINE JOIN MACHINE_SOFTWARE_JT MS ON MS.MACHINE_ID=MACHINE.ID
JOIN SOFTWARE S ON S.ID=MS.SOFTWARE_ID
JOIN MACHINE_CUSTOM_INVENTORY CI ON CI.SOFTWARE_ID=S.ID
WHERE
S.DISPLAY_NAME='Image Date' -- this is the CI name
and SUBSTRING(STR_FIELD_VALUE,17,10)> DATE_SUB(CURDATE(),
INTERVAL 7 DAY) -- change day here

[:)] There is always more than one way to skin a cat :)
The way we have our deployment designed is as follows.
All software installation is via managed installs - These manage installs are attached to LDAP labels which are linked to AD Groups
These AD groups are populated by Computer accounts that should have the corresponding software.
Since we don't have the ability to write to KBOX internal databases, we have used AD as the middle man.
therefore, when we need to build a computer via KBOX 2000, we create the computer account and pre-populate the computer account with ALL relevant software AD groups. Build process will join the computer to domain with previously created computer name and install KBOX client. At which point, all AD group memberships get resolved to corresponding MI labels. We have been using this method for years now and it has been tweaked along the way. I hope i make sense in my rant, but if anyone wants to know more details, feel free to ask. AJStevens :- hope you have a few potential solutions to your question now :) Have a great day.

Cheers
Lakmal

GillSpy, great, except you know how I feel about Smart Labels, I guess this is similiar to what I said before about Smart Labels.

Smart Labels, great idea, but hate that you can't also manually assign machines to them, they have to be static labels to assign them. Or maybe a third label type, Hybrid, or better yet just more ways to assign static labels.

Ldliy1, a very good idea, and if I was the designer of AD at this organisation I would probably do it that way, however I haven't and it's a rather complex structure, to add in a load of groups for software deployment... I can't see that going down well here, plus we're going to be moving to KBOX to use it's helpdesk function, so those who don't currently use KBOX to assign labels to install software currently, certainly will when that's live.

Yes... would be nice to have write control to the KBOX internal database, of course you could do some real damage then. Would be happy with an authenticate client function to make changes, mostly just labels, but could be more.

I just thought of a way you could accomplish this. The note about not having write access to the database made me think of it. In a way, we do have the ability to write to the database: via service desk rules.

This would obviously require a lot of setup, but you could theoretically:
Create a service desk for automated tasks
Have rules in that service desk that will manipulate labels based on tickets
Use scripts on the local computer that generate emails to helpdesk

So, let's say you create a service desk with an email address of labels@kbox. You could send an email something like this:

To: labels@kbox
Subject: Label change for [thiscomputer]
Body:
@target_computer=[thiscomputer]
@label=thatlabel

This would generate a ticket with the values placed in your custom fields named target_computer and label. A rule would perform the appropriate SQL to add the label to the target_computer, and possibly close the ticket. This also has the advantage of creating a bit of an audit trail for when this happens. You could have the script setup to accept a command line variable to input the label, so that you could run something like "addlabel.vbs Office2010" and it would use the current computer name.

That could actually be kind of slick.

Interesting steelc, however I've looked at the queues that are being setup in our Service desk (I've not been involved, and the original "KBOX Guy" suddenly seems to have resurfaced), and I can't see where to enter the ticket rule that will allow label/SQL modification.

The rest of it I do like though, although if this was to happen at the start of a machine's lifecycle, would need to ensure it's checked in with the K1000 and inventoried first.

You wouldn't be able to create this rule with the wizard as it would require some custom SQL to modify the machine to label join table.

You're correct that this would only work for machines that are already in the inventory.