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Control Center
Rather than typing in computer names one-by-one using Add Computers, you can "discover" ALL computers in the network's Active Directory. You must be on a domain network with Active Directory Service (ADS) enabled. You can create an instant list from the Active Directory, use the Active Directory to select computers for your list, and/or use the Active Directory to select computers for ANY computer list.
To create a quick list from the Active Directory:
This simple method creates a list from ALL computers in the Active Directory.
Right-click Manage Computers > All Tasks > Active Directory Computer List. A Select Network Configuration File box opens.
Select an existing .xml file or type a new File Name to create a new .xml list of computers.
Click Save. The Active Directory computers are written as a list in the proper format to the .xml file. If you selected an existing file, the contents of the existing file are overwritten.
A messages asks if you would like to reload this configuration file now. Click Yes to load the new computer list, or click No to keep the current list. The Active Directory .xml file you created will still be available for loading.
To edit a list using the Active Directory:
You can use Active Directory to choose computers for your list. Do this using the Network Configuration Edit box.
Click Edit
on the Network Properties panel, or
right-click Control Center
> All Tasks > Edit Computer List.
The Network Configuration Edit box opens.
Click <<Advanced to open the full dialog box.
To start with an existing computer list, click Load (or Import) in the upper portion of the dialog box. Select the file you want to use and click Open.
To start a NEW list, do NOT open a file in the upper portion.
In the lower portion of the box, click the Discover button. A message asks if you would like to use ADS to get a list of computers on your network.
Click Yes. If you want to Discover the Network Computers (not recommended) click No.
Wait for the Active Directory list to appear in the lower "Available Computers: Discover" portion of the Network Configuration Edit box.
Select computers from the lower portion and click Add to move them to the upper "Current Computer Configuration" list. You can use Shift and Ctrl to multiple select.
Click Save
to save the computers as the currently loaded list.
Click Save As to give the list
a different name.
If you have written over an existing file selected to load on startup, you are prompted to reload the list now. If you have created a new list, you can select this list to populate the Manage Computers view on startup. See Selecting a Computer List to Load.
To update the computer list from the Active Directory:
Normally, the Control Center uses its own service to get information from "detected" computers in the computer list. You can direct the Control Center to get efficient updates from the ADSI (Active Directory Services Interface) Database.
Right-click Control Center > Properties and select the Network tab.
On the Network Properties panel under Background Updating, select Auto Update Computer List Using ADSI Database. This directs the Control Center to update status for computers in the list from the ADSI Database.
Select Synchronize Computer List to ADSI Database. This directs the Control Center to keep your computer list "in synch" with the Active Directory. If computers are added to or removed from the ADSI Database, they will also be added to or removed from your computer list. Effectively, this option ADDS ALL COMPUTERS in the Active Directory missing from your computer list, and REMOVES computers in your list that aren't in the Active Directory.
Click Apply and OK.
Use Action > Refresh from the Control Center menu to update the list now. Otherwise, updates will occur at the Background Update Interval frequency setting or on start up.
