Active detection of operating system and host data

Active detection is a network discovery capability that

  • adds host information collected by active sources to network maps,

  • discovers operating systems and applications on hosts using tools like Nmap Scanner, and

  • allows active addition of host input data to network maps.

Host input data is categorized into:

  • User input data—Data added through the system user interface, permitting modification of the host's operating system or application identity.

  • Host import input data—Data imported using a command line utility.

Identity retention and priority behavior

The system retains one identity for each active source. For example, when you run an Nmap scan instance, previous results are updated with the new scan data. However, replacing scan results with data from a client whose results are imported through the command line, the system retains both the identities. The system then uses the priorities set in the network discovery policy to determine which active identity to use as the current identity.

User input supersedes other identities, regardless of the source. For example, if UserA sets the operating system through the host profile, and then UserB changes that definition through the host profile, the definition set by UserB is retained. User input overrides all other active sources and is used as the current identity if it exists.