You use the Active Roles Collector to prepare data for reporting. The data is stored in the database you specify. Then, in order to make the data available to the report server, you need to configure the data source on the report server to connect to the database that holds the data. This topic provides instructions on how to prepare report data. For instructions on how to configure the data source for the Active Roles Report Pack, see Configuring the data source later in this chapter.
To collect data from the network, start the Collector wizard (see Starting the Active Roles Collector wizard), and complete the wizard pages as follows.
- On the Select Task page, select the Collect data from the network option.
- On the Configure Connection page, specify the database in which you want to store the collected data; the computer running the Administration Service; and the credentials to log on to that computer:
- To initially specify a database, or choose a different database, click the button next to the Database box, and then use the dialog box that appears to specify the required database type, database, and authentication option for connection to database server.
- In Active Roles Service, specify the full name of the computer running the Administration Service from which you want to collect information.
- Under Log on as, click one of these options:
- On the Data Collection Tasks page, specify the sources of data you want to collect. Select or clear these check boxes as appropriate:
- Active Directory to collect information about users, groups, computers, organizational units, and domains from Active Directory.
- Policy Compliance Information to collect information on whether Active Directory data is in compliance with the policies defined by Active Roles. If you select this check box, the Active Directory check box is selected as well.
- Active Roles event log to collect information from the Active Roles event log on the computers running the Administration Service.
- On the Data to Collect page, specify the categories of Active Roles data you want to collect. Select or clear these check boxes as appropriate:
- Access Templates to collect information about Access Templates defined in your Active Roles environment.
- Policy Objects to collect information about Policy Objects defined in your Active Roles environment.
- Managed Units to collect information about Managed Units defined in your Active Roles environment.
- On the Select Domains or OUs page, specify the domains or containers from which you want to collect information:
- Click Add to select a domain or OU to add to the list on the page.
- Click Remove to delete a selected domain or OU from the list.
When selecting a domain or OU, you have the option to force the wizard to collect information about all child objects of the selected domain or OU: Select the Use subtree search check box in the dialog box that appears when you click Add. If you clear the Use subtree search check box, the wizard only collects information about the immediate child objects of the selected domain or OU.
- On the Select Operation Mode page, specify whether to start the task execution immediately or schedule the task to run at a convenient time:
- To start the collection process right now, click Now, and then click Next.
- To schedule the task, select On a schedule, and then click Next.
- If you selected the On a schedule option, then, on the Schedule page, specify the task schedule and logon account:
- In the User account under which the task will run area, supply the user name and password of the user account under which you want the task to run.
The user account under which the task will run must have the “Log on as a batch job” right. Use Group Policy security settings to assign that right to the user account. Members of the Administrators or Backup Operators group have the “Log on as a batch job” right by default.
You can use the Task Scheduler console to examine the Collector task that you have scheduled. Task Scheduler allows you to view or change the task’s properties such as task’s name, description, security options, triggers, conditions, and settings. The task’s history can also be viewed along with the properties. Task Scheduler tracks the task’s history by events that are raised when the task is started, run, finished executing, and at other times as needed to track the task’s history. Errors related to the task are also tracked in the task’s history.
To view the task’s properties and history by using Task Scheduler
- If Task Scheduler is not open, start Task Scheduler.
You can start Task Scheduler by entering Taskschd.msc at a command prompt.
- In the console tree, select Task Scheduler Library | Active Roles | Collector.
- In the console window, double-click the name of the task.
The name of the task in the Task Scheduler console has the following format:
Active Roles Collector ( <task name> ) where <task name> stands for the name you specified in the Collector wizard; for example, Active Roles Collector (New Task).
- In the dialog box that appears, click a tab to view or change the task’s properties located on that tab.
- Click the History tab to view the task’s history.
The History tab lists the events specific to the task you selected. Click an event in the list to view the description of the event.