Freshservice comes with a ready-to-use Discovery Probe that makes it easy for you to scan your network for hardware assets and add them to your helpdesk.


The Probe is a Windows application that can be installed on any workstation or laptop in your network. Once installed, it will be able to scan through all kinds of computers (including those running on Mac OS X or Linux), network routers, switches, and other devices. As long as you have the Probe running on the same network, you will be able to go through asset discovery without any problems. Besides scanning for devices, you can use the Probe to import users from your Active Directory and also schedule periodic scans.


The following solution articles will help you get started on using the Probe:

  1. Downloading and Installing Freshservice Discovery Probe
  2. Configuring the Discovery Probe - First time using the configuration wizard

  3. Managing scanned assets and error messages - Day to Day functioning of the probe

  4. Troubleshooting error messages in Discovery probe


What information does the Probe fetch?

Laptops and desktops

For laptop and desktop machines, Probe fetches the following details:

  • Name
  • Asset Type
  • Product (finds products based on the model name of the machine. If not found, the Probe creates one and associates it)
  • Manufacturer
  • Serial Number
  • Last Audit Date
  • OS/OS Version/OS Service Pack
  • Memory
  • Disk Space
  • CPU Speed
  • CPU Core Count
  • Mac Address
  • Location (needs to be manually set for the Probe entry in the account)
  • Components: Processor, Memory, Logical Drive, and Network Adapter
  • Software installed on the device
  • Used By (If the Probe is used to import the user information)
  • Last Login by

Software Applications

Softwares that are installed on each of the scanned computers are also added to Freshservice. All the applications discovered through the Probe are automatically listed in the Software Section. Software  details include:
  • Software Name
  • Version
  • Installed Machine
  • Installation Path
  • Installation Date (for Windows only)

User Information

For the Users that are imported, the Probe fetches details, such as:
  • First and Last Name
  • Email (if no valid Email ID is found, the user will be created as a deleted requester)
  • Department (finds or creates)
  • Reporting Manager
  • Address
  • Job title
  • Phone Number

How does the Probe fetch all of the above information?

The Probe uses WMI Queries to fetch data from Windows machines. By using SSH, the Probe executes shell commands and fetches information from Linux and Mac machines. 

SNMP protocol is used to fetch Object Identifiers (OID) from network devices, such as Printers, Routers, Firewall, and Switches. Then, the OID can be used to fetch information for the device.