Documentation › Getting started
First steps
This walk-through takes you from a fresh install to a populated inventory in about 15 minutes.
Finding your way: the top menu has a section for each area: Dashboard, Assets (with the network map and changes), Software, Security (vulnerabilities and compliance), Users, Reports, Deployment and Scanning. At the top right, Help desk (with a headset; for technicians) opens the tickets, the book icon the knowledge base, and the ⚙ icon the configuration (administrators). Point at a section to see its pages and jump straight to one; click the section name to open its main page. On smaller screens, sections that don't fit move into More. Inside a section, the left panel lists the same pages plus filters and actions.
Search everything: press Ctrl+K (⌘K on a Mac), or click Ctrl K in the search box (the ⌕ icon on smaller screens), and type. It finds pages, assets, reports, knowledge base articles, tickets and common commands such as New deployment or Run a script; use the arrow keys and Enter to open one, Esc to close. It only lists what your role can open.
1. Create the administrator account#
Open https://<server>:8443. On the first visit you're asked to create an administrator (minimum 8 characters for the password). More logins can be added later under Configuration › Logins & roles.
2. Check the server URL#
If you opened the console as localhost or 127.0.0.1, other computers can't use that address for agents and deployments. Either browse to the server by its network name or IP, or set Configuration › General settings › Server URL (e.g. https://census.corp.local:8443).
3. Add a scan target#
Go to Scanning › Scan targets and add your network, e.g.
192.168.1.0/24
10.0.5.10-10.0.5.200
!192.168.1.1
Pick a schedule (Daily is a good start) and click Scan now. Within a minute every responding device appears under Assets with its type, manufacturer (from the MAC address), open ports and web interface title. See Network scanning.
4. Add credentials for deep inventory#
Discovery tells you what is on the network. For hardware, software, users and security details, Steward IT Census needs to log in:
| Devices | Credential | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | WinRM: a domain admin or local admin account | WinRM must be enabled (Group Policy or Enable-PSRemoting) |
| Linux / macOS / Unix | SSH: password or private key | Use root or an account with passwordless sudo for serial numbers |
| Switches, printers, firewalls, UPS, NAS | SNMP: v1/v2c community or v3 user | Read-only access is enough |
Add them under Scanning › Credentials and run the scan again. See Credentials.
5. Deploy the Census agent where scanning can't reach#
Laptops that leave the office, machines on other subnets or behind firewalls, or computers where you can't enable WinRM: install the Census agent. The quickest way is Census agents › Install › USB / network share installer (.zip): unzip it on a thumb drive or file share and run install-census-agent.cmd as administrator.
6. Connect Active Directory (optional)#
Scanning › Active Directory & Entra ID: add an LDAP credential (any domain user) and your domain controller. Users, groups and computers are synced, OUs appear on assets, and computers listed in AD can be scanned automatically. See Active Directory.
7. Make it yours#
- Dashboard › Customize: add the widgets and reports you care about. See Dashboard.
- Software: mark titles Authorized / Unauthorized / Tolerated. See Software.
- Configuration › Authorized admins: list who is allowed to be an administrator. See Users & administrators.
- Configuration › Alerts & scheduled reports: get emailed about new devices, unauthorized software and more. See Alerts & email.
8. License#
The free edition covers 50 assets with every feature (the help desk includes 1 technician and certificate renewal 1 server; more with add-ons). For more, buy a perpetual license and paste the key under Configuration › License. See Licensing.