I would suggest for a start having a play with running MSInfo32 with 
various parameters esp. /report <file>.

The program should be installed as part of a normal WinXP install under
C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\MSInfo\msinfo32.exe

Chances are you can manipulate this to get information about whether or not 
the peripherial is attached.

Note that to run it you have to run it via the 'start' command (with /wait 
parameter)

For more info start with:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q308549/
http://www.jsifaq.com/SUBF/Tip2500/rh2597.htm


I have also used the DevCon.exe utility (see 
http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;EN-US;Q311272 for details 
and a download link) to check for the existence of various peripherals (in 
my case to bring up a warning if someone logs out while leaving a USB Drive 
physically connected).  It is essentially a commandline alternative to 
device manager and therefore very powerful.

Just for completeness there is a Dell Client Configuration Utility that 
I've used as part of my remote assest inventory gathering utility that can 
be downloaded from 
http://support.dell.com/support/downloads/download.aspx?c=us&l=en&s=gen&releaseid=R73202&formatcnt=1&fileid=95397

This allows you to compile (on a 2K/XP machine with .Net) executable files 
that work on most Dell computers to give you information about various Bios 
settings (and also can automate changes) - including the serial 
number.  Note after these compiled programs are run they delete themselves 
leaving only their reports behind. Probably not what you need but you never 
know :-)

Using these tools you should be able to create a batch file / program that 
runs these tests on the executor itself and then decides what to do based 
on the results.

At 10:01 a.m. 9/06/2006, Schuette, Brian (T) (STP) wrote:
>I'd like to use Alchemi to distribute a task of sequential jobs (exe 
>files) I run frequently.  Half of my jobs require computers that have a 
>special peripherial attached and half have no special requirements.  Does 
>Alchemi provide the means to signify this in the task definition and on 
>the executors?  If not, would it be possible to program this myself when 
>creating my own scheduler?
>
>Thanks for the help!
>Brian Schuette
>
>
>_______________________________________________
>alchemi-users mailing list
>[email protected]
>https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alchemi-users

-------------------------
Reece Arnott
Learning Environments Specialist
School of Business
University of Otago
Dunedin
New Zealand

[EMAIL PROTECTED]
-------------------------



_______________________________________________
alchemi-users mailing list
[email protected]
https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/alchemi-users

Reply via email to