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IncludeNetworkDrives

FlexNet Manager Suite ()

Command line | Registry

IncludeNetworkDrives allows for the inclusion of mounted network drives in inventory. There are differences across platforms:

  • On Microsoft Windows, drives are included (True) or excluded (False) as a whole.
  • On UNIX-like platforms, network file systems are mounted as directories in the same way that all devices are mounted. When Recurse is True, inventory collection starts at each folder listed in IncludeDirectory and drills down through all child folders. If this process encounters a directory that is a mounted network drive, and IncludeNetworkDrives is not specified or False, the process goes no further down this path. However, if IncludeNetworkDrives=True, recursion continues. Note that this preference controls the recursion process, and does not prevent inventory scanning of a directory specified in IncludeDirectory, even if that is a mounted network drive.

Tip: Use this setting with great care. Scanning mounted network drives can cause a massive increase in the amount of inventory collected, depending on the other settings used in the same execution.

Keep in mind the potential interaction between the following preferences:

  • IncludeDirectory
  • IncludeNetworkDrives
  • IncludeFileSystemType and ExcludeFileSystemType (on UNIX-like systems only).

Of these, IncludeDirectory has lowest priority, and priority increases down the list. This means that, on UNIX-like systems, IncludeFileSystemType (the highest priority) can be an exception to the general rule that "exclude overrides include". The following table illustrates cases where the other settings may over-ride the IncludeDirectory preference, where that specifies a network drive. The first three cases fit the general rule, but the fourth is a special case:

...FileSystemTypeIncludeNetworkDrivesIncludeDirectoryResult
Not specified \(including Microsoft Windows\)`False` \(this setting operates like an "exclude"\)A network share \(or subdirectory thereof\) on any file system type.No inventory returned.
Not specified \(including Microsoft Windows\)`True`A network share \(or subdirectory thereof\) on any file system type.Software inventory from the specified directory.
`ExcludeFileSystemType=XXX`Either `True` or `False` \(here, a `True` setting is over-ridden by the exclude\)A network share \(or subdirectory thereof\) on file system type `XXX` \(here, the setting is over-ridden by the exclude\).No inventory returned.
`IncludeFileSystemType=XXX`Either `True` or `False` \(here, a `False` setting is over-ridden, because the file system type has higher precedence\)A network share \(or subdirectory thereof\) on file system type `XXX`.Software inventory from the specified directory.
Tip: IncludeDirectory is not the only preference that causes folders to be scanned. See also EmbedFileContentDirectory.

Values​

| **Values / range** | Boolean \(`True` or `False`\). | | **Default value** | No registry default value. If no value is specified in the registry or command line, the default behavior is `False`. | | **Example value** | ``` True ``` |

Command line​

| **Tool** | Inventory component \(`ndtrack`\) | | **Example** | ``` -o IncludeNetworkDrives=True ``` |

Registry​

| **Installed by** | Manual configuration. | | **Computer preference** | `[Registry]\ManageSoft\Tracker\CurrentVersion` |

2025 R1.1

Parent topic:Preferences