Managing computers
This page follows a computer from the moment it joins Overseer through day-to-day management - finding it, reading what Overseer knows about it, acting on it alone or in a batch, and grouping it with tags.
What managing a computer means
A computer is managed once the Overseer agent is installed on it and it belongs to a tenant, which is the record for one of your clients. From then on Overseer can read the computer, compare it with what your deployments declare, and act to close the gap.
Managing computers is mostly about keeping that list honest. Every computer should belong to the right client, carry the right tags and be retired when it leaves service. Targeting, schedules and reports all rely on it.
How computers join
Computers reach Overseer in three ways.
- Through an integration. When your remote management tool is connected, Overseer imports the computers it reports and maps each one to the matching tenant.
- By installing the agent yourself. Use Install agent to get an installer and run it on the computer. The computer then appears as a new computer, ready to be onboarded.
- During Windows setup. For a new or rebuilt computer, a provisioning package applied during Windows setup connects the computer to Overseer on its own.
Enrolment tokens
An installer carries an enrolment token. The computer contacts Overseer, registers and starts reporting.
Treat a token like a credential. It is the thing that lets an unknown computer become one you manage. A token stays valid until it is revoked, so revoke any token that has served its purpose or has gone somewhere it should not. Creating a token and revoking one are separate capabilities.
Finding computers
The Computers screen lists every managed computer. Narrow the list with filters:
- whether the computer is online or offline
- the client it belongs to
- its operating system
- its tags
What Overseer knows about a computer
Open a computer to see what Overseer holds on it. Its page shows the client, the primary user, tags, operating system and patch status, and has these tabs: Overview, Software, Patching, Sessions, Actions, Drives, Networking, Antivirus, Processes, Agents, Terminal and Onboarding.
Inventory is collected by scripts that run on their own schedules. The latest results are kept on the computer's record.
Acting on computers
One computer
Open the computer and use its actions. You can run maintenance, edit the computer's details and read its maintenance history.
Run maintenance pressed by a person starts immediately, whether or not a maintenance window is open. Maintenance windows govern scheduled work only.
Several computers
- 1Select the computers in the list.
- 2Press Batch actions.
- 3Choose the action.
Batch actions cover running maintenance, moving computers to a different tenant, adding or removing tags, and removing computers.
Retiring a computer
A computer that leaves service is retired. Retiring is its own capability, so you decide which roles may do it. A retired computer can be restored.
Tags
A tag is a label on a computer. Tags do two jobs. They filter the Computers list, and they act as targets, so a deployment or a schedule can apply to every computer that carries the tag.
To tag computers, select them, press Batch actions and add or remove tags. To see everything with a tag, filter the list by it.
Keeping the list in good order
- Name computers consistently. Agree a naming convention and apply it everywhere.
- Schedule maintenance for every computer. A computer with no schedule is only as current as the last time someone remembered it.
- Review what is out of date. Look over software and hardware at regular intervals. The reports under Reporting show this across all your clients.