# Sensors

## What are Sensors

Endpoint Central offers robust inventory management by collecting a wide range of device data, including hardware details, software information, certificates, and more. However, you may occasionally need to monitor specific device attributes to gain deeper insights into your environment.

Sensors are integrated as a resource in Workflows, enabling you to automate the process of fetching and utilizing required device attributes efficiently. This integration simplifies monitoring and ensures that critical data is always at your fingertips.

![Endpoint Central DEX overview](https://www.manageengine.com/sites/meweb/images/desktop-central/images/ec-dex-promo-img.png)

## Creating Sensors

To create a new sensor:

1. Click on DEX, and then select **Sensors** from the left navigation menu.
2. Click the **Add Sensor** button.

   ![Sensor summary view](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/dex-sensors.png)

3. Enter a descriptive Name and description for your sensor.

   ![Defining Sensor Name and Description](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/dex-add-sensors.png)

4. Click Add fields to define data that you want to collect from device.
   a. Enter Display name for field, which will be visible in Endpoint Central console.
   b. Enter Field name that is used in powershell script.
   c. Specify whether the data contains Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
   d. Select the appropriate data type.
   e. Add a brief Description of the field.

   ![Add variables in sensor creation](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/dex-add-fields.png)

5. In the Script Editor, implement the business logic to retrieve properties from Endpoints and assign them to the predefined variables from the cases above.

   ![Script Writer view for defined fields in sensor](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/dex-configure-fields.png)

6. Specify the arguments to be passed to the script when executed.
7. Specify the number of sensor runs to retain. This ensures that only the configured number of runs are stored, helping to optimize performance and manage storage efficiently.

   For example, to retrieve the percentage of free disk space on a drive, you can use the following PowerShell command:

   ![Example script for sensor creation](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/sensor-script.png)

## Use of Sensors

- **Custom Intelligence:** Monitor any system state that matters to your organisation and gain better visibility.
- **Data-Driven Automation:** Deploy and retrieve custom data and use sensor outputs as dynamic triggers within workflows.
- **Flexible Reporting:** Track and export custom data through dashboards and reports.
- **Scalable Management:** Deploy and manage sensors across device groups with centralised control.
- **Custom Report Filtering:** Use sensor data as report fields or filters to create more targeted and actionable custom reports.

### Deploying Sensors for Data Collection

After creating the sensors, they must be deployed to retrieve custom data from the computers. Follow the steps below:

- Navigate to DEX > Deployments from the left-hand pane. The Deployments tab displays a list of all active, scheduled, and completed deployments.
- Click Create Deployment to create new sensor deployment.
- Enter Deployment Details - Deployment Name and Description (if Applicable).
- Select Sensor as Resource Type and choose required sensors for deployment.
- Choose one or more Custom Groups to define the scope.
- Choose Deployment Type (Immediate or Schedule) based on need. Fill schedule frequency, trigger time, etc. if schedule is chosen.
- Click Deploy to trigger deployment.

### Using Sensors in Workflows

Sensors can be integrated as stages in Workflows to retrieve specific device properties. The sensor's output can then be used in the Switch stage to make data-driven decisions within workflow automation. For detailed steps on configuring sensors in workflows, refer to this [document](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/endpoint-analytics/workflow.html).

## Permissions Required for Using Sensors

To grant user permissions for managing Sensors, follow these steps:

1. Select **Admin** from the top menu bar.
2. Under User Administration, click **Role**.
3. Click on **Add Role** to create a new role or Modify existing role by clicking **Modify** from the action menu.
4. In the Endpoint Central section, scroll down to the Sensors section and enable the appropriate permissions for the role.
   - Read: Allows view-only access.
   - Write or Full Control: Allows add, modify and delete Sensors.
5. ![Required roles and permissions for Sensor Read, Create and Modification](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/help/images/dex-sensors-role.png)

If you have any requirement for sensor's scripts, you can submit a request to our support team via [this URL](https://www.manageengine.com/products/desktop-central/product-roadmap-add-details.html?id=244).