# Using the AWS CLI to configure inventory data collection
The following procedures walk you through the process of configuring AWS Systems Manager Inventory to collect metadata from your managed nodes. When you configure inventory collection, you start by creating a Systems Manager State Manager association. Systems Manager collects the inventory data when the association is run. If you don't create the association first, and attempt to invoke the `aws:softwareInventory` plugin by using, for example, Systems Manager Run Command, the system returns the following error:
`The aws:softwareInventory plugin can only be invoked via ssm-associate`.
**Note**
A node can have only one inventory association configured at a time. If you configure a node with two or more inventory associations, the association doesn't run and no inventory data is collected.
## Quickly configure all of your managed nodes for Inventory (CLI)
You can quickly configure all managed nodes in your AWS account and in the current Region to collect inventory data. This is called creating a global inventory association. To create a global inventory association by using the AWS CLI, use the wildcard option for the `instanceIds` value, as shown in the following procedure.
**To configure inventory for all managed nodes in your AWS account and in the current Region (CLI)**
1. Install and configure the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI), if you haven't already.
For information, see [Installing or updating the latest version of the AWS CLI](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/getting-started-install.html).
1. Run the following command.
------
#### [ Linux & macOS ]
```
aws ssm create-association \
--name AWS-GatherSoftwareInventory \
--targets Key=InstanceIds,Values=* \
--schedule-expression "rate(1 day)" \
--parameters applications=Enabled,awsComponents=Enabled,customInventory=Enabled,instanceDetailedInformation=Enabled,networkConfig=Enabled,services=Enabled,windowsRoles=Enabled,windowsUpdates=Enabled
```
------
#### [ Windows ]
```
aws ssm create-association ^
--name AWS-GatherSoftwareInventory ^
--targets Key=InstanceIds,Values=* ^
--schedule-expression "rate(1 day)" ^
--parameters applications=Enabled,awsComponents=Enabled,customInventory=Enabled,instanceDetailedInformation=Enabled,networkConfig=Enabled,services=Enabled,windowsRoles=Enabled,windowsUpdates=Enabled
```
------
**Note**
This command doesn't allow Inventory to collect metadata for the Windows Registry or files. To inventory these datatypes, use the next procedure.
## Manually configuring Inventory on your managed nodes (CLI)
Use the following procedure to manually configure AWS Systems Manager Inventory on your managed nodes by using node IDs or tags.
**To manually configure your managed nodes for inventory (CLI)**
1. Install and configure the AWS Command Line Interface (AWS CLI), if you haven't already.
For information, see [Installing or updating the latest version of the AWS CLI](https://docs.aws.amazon.com/cli/latest/userguide/getting-started-install.html).
1. Run the following command to create a State Manager association that runs Systems Manager Inventory on the node. Replace each {{example resource placeholder}} with your own information. This command configures the service to run every six hours and to collect network configuration, Windows Update, and application metadata from a node.
------
#### [ Linux & macOS ]
```
aws ssm create-association \
--name "AWS-GatherSoftwareInventory" \
--targets "Key=instanceids,Values={{an_instance_ID}}" \
--schedule-expression "rate(240 minutes)" \
--output-location "{ \"S3Location\": { \"OutputS3Region\": \"{{region_ID, for example us-east-2}}\", \"OutputS3BucketName\": \"amzn-s3-demo-bucket\", \"OutputS3KeyPrefix\": \"Test\" } }" \
--parameters "networkConfig=Enabled,windowsUpdates=Enabled,applications=Enabled"
```
------
#### [ Windows ]
```
aws ssm create-association ^
--name "AWS-GatherSoftwareInventory" ^
--targets "Key=instanceids,Values={{an_instance_ID}}" ^
--schedule-expression "rate(240 minutes)" ^
--output-location "{ \"S3Location\": { \"OutputS3Region\": \"{{region_ID, for example us-east-2}}\", \"OutputS3BucketName\": \"amzn-s3-demo-bucket\", \"OutputS3KeyPrefix\": \"Test\" } }" ^
--parameters "networkConfig=Enabled,windowsUpdates=Enabled,applications=Enabled"
```
------
The system responds with information like the following.
```
{
"AssociationDescription": {
"ScheduleExpression": "rate(240 minutes)",
"OutputLocation": {
"S3Location": {
"OutputS3KeyPrefix": "Test",
"OutputS3BucketName": "Test bucket",
"OutputS3Region": "us-east-2"
}
},
"Name": "{{The name you specified}}",
"Parameters": {
"applications": [
"Enabled"
],
"networkConfig": [
"Enabled"
],
"windowsUpdates": [
"Enabled"
]
},
"Overview": {
"Status": "Pending",
"DetailedStatus": "Creating"
},
"AssociationId": "1a2b3c4d5e6f7g-1a2b3c-1a2b3c-1a2b3c-1a2b3c4d5e6f7g",
"DocumentVersion": "$DEFAULT",
"LastUpdateAssociationDate": 1480544990.06,
"Date": 1480544990.06,
"Targets": [
{
"Values": [
"i-02573cafcfEXAMPLE"
],
"Key": "InstanceIds"
}
]
}
}
```
You can target large groups of nodes by using the `Targets` parameter with EC2 tags. See the following example.
------
#### [ Linux & macOS ]
```
aws ssm create-association \
--name "AWS-GatherSoftwareInventory" \
--targets "Key=tag:Environment,Values=Production" \
--schedule-expression "rate(240 minutes)" \
--output-location "{ \"S3Location\": { \"OutputS3Region\": \"us-east-2\", \"OutputS3BucketName\": \"amzn-s3-demo-bucket\", \"OutputS3KeyPrefix\": \"Test\" } }" \
--parameters "networkConfig=Enabled,windowsUpdates=Enabled,applications=Enabled"
```
------
#### [ Windows ]
```
aws ssm create-association ^
--name "AWS-GatherSoftwareInventory" ^
--targets "Key=tag:Environment,Values=Production" ^
--schedule-expression "rate(240 minutes)" ^
--output-location "{ \"S3Location\": { \"OutputS3Region\": \"us-east-2\", \"OutputS3BucketName\": \"amzn-s3-demo-bucket\", \"OutputS3KeyPrefix\": \"Test\" } }" ^
--parameters "networkConfig=Enabled,windowsUpdates=Enabled,applications=Enabled"
```
------
You can also inventory files and Windows Registry keys on a Windows Server node by using the `files` and `windowsRegistry` inventory types with expressions. For more information about these inventory types, see [Working with file and Windows registry inventory](inventory-file-and-registry.md).
------
#### [ Linux & macOS ]
```
aws ssm create-association \
--name "AWS-GatherSoftwareInventory" \
--targets "Key=instanceids,Values=i-0704358e3a3da9eb1" \
--schedule-expression "rate(240 minutes)" \
--parameters '{"files":["[{\"Path\": \"C:\\Program Files\", \"Pattern\": [\"*.exe\"], \"Recursive\": true}]"], "windowsRegistry": ["[{\"Path\":\"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Amazon\", \"Recursive\":true}]"]}' \
--profile dev-pdx
```
------
#### [ Windows ]
```
aws ssm create-association ^
--name "AWS-GatherSoftwareInventory" ^
--targets "Key=instanceids,Values=i-0704358e3a3da9eb1" ^
--schedule-expression "rate(240 minutes)" ^
--parameters '{"files":["[{\"Path\": \"C:\\Program Files\", \"Pattern\": [\"*.exe\"], \"Recursive\": true}]"], "windowsRegistry": ["[{\"Path\":\"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Amazon\", \"Recursive\":true}]"]}' ^
--profile dev-pdx
```
------
1. Run the following command to view the association status.
```
aws ssm describe-instance-associations-status --instance-id {{an_instance_ID}}
```
The system responds with information like the following.
```
{
"InstanceAssociationStatusInfos": [
{
"Status": "Pending",
"DetailedStatus": "Associated",
"Name": "reInvent2016PolicyDocumentTest",
"InstanceId": "i-1a2b3c4d5e6f7g",
"AssociationId": "1a2b3c4d5e6f7g-1a2b3c-1a2b3c-1a2b3c-1a2b3c4d5e6f7g",
"DocumentVersion": "1"
}
]
}
```