HCL BigFix Data Extraction Guide (for SIM Template)

HCL BigFix collects detailed endpoint data via its client agents and centralized server components.
The relevant software inventory information can be retrieved from the following sources:

• BigFix Inventory / Software Inventory Site – Stores detected software names, versions, and vendors.

• BigFix Web Reports – Provides query and export capabilities for inventory data.

• BigFix REST API – Enables direct, scriptable access to device and application data for automated exports.

Prerequisites

For Console (Web Reports) Method

• Access to the BigFix Web Reports Console with permission to view Computer Properties and Installed Applications.

• Recent inventory scans must be completed and reported by all endpoints.

• Ensure the Software Inventory or BigFix Inventory content site is activated and subscribed.

For REST API Method

• Access to the BigFix REST API with read permissions.

• API credentials (username and password) with sufficient rights to query computer and software data.

• A working environment with PowerShell, curl, or Postman.

• (Optional) Access to the BigFix Inventory database if direct SQL queries are preferred for bulk extraction.

You can extract software inventory using either of the following approaches:

Option 1: BigFix Web Reports (UI Export)

This is the simplest method for administrators who prefer a graphical interface.

1. Log in to the BigFix Web Reports Console.

2. Go to Reports → Create Report → Retrieved Properties.

3. Under Computers, select:

   • Computer Name

   • Installed Applications – Windows / macOS / Linux

   • Application Version

   • Application Publisher (if available)

4. Click Run Report to generate results.

5. Once the report loads, click Export → CSV.

6. Save the file as BigFix_SIM_Export.csv.

Tip: You can also use the prebuilt “Software Installations” report under BigFix Inventory to generate the same dataset.

Option 2: HCL BigFix REST API (Recommended for Automation)

For automated or large-scale environments, the BigFix REST API provides a more efficient method.

Step 1: Define and Run a Relevance Query

Use the following Relevance Query to retrieve the required data:

(
  name of it,
  (if (operating system of it as lowercase contains "win") then concatenation "; " of values of results from (bes property "Installed Applications - Windows") of it else
   if (operating system of it as lowercase contains "mac") then concatenation "; " of values of results from (bes property "Installed Application Details - Mac") of it else
   if (operating system of it as lowercase contains "linux") then concatenation "; " of values of results from (bes property "Installed Applications - Linux") of it else "N/A"),
  (if (operating system of it as lowercase contains "win") then concatenation "; " of values of results from (bes property "Installed Application Versions - Windows") of it else ""),
  (if (operating system of it as lowercase contains "win") then concatenation "; " of values of results from (bes property "Installed Application Publishers - Windows") of it else "")
)
of bes computers whose (exists operating system of it)

Step 2: Execute Query via PowerShell

# HCL BigFix SIM Template Export Script
# Requires valid REST API credentials

$BigFixServer = "https://your-bigfix-server:52311"
$Username = "api_user"
$Password = "api_password"
$ExportPath = "C:\Exports\HCL_BigFix_SIM_Export.csv"

# Encode credentials
$EncodedAuth = [Convert]::ToBase64String([Text.Encoding]::ASCII.GetBytes("$Username`:$Password"))
$Headers = @{ "Authorization" = "Basic $EncodedAuth" }

# Build relevance query
$Relevance = @"
(
  name of computer of it,
  name of it,
  version of it,
  vendor of it
)
of applications of (bes computers whose (exists operating system of it))
"@

# Submit query request
$Body = "<BES><Relevance>$Relevance</Relevance></BES>"
$Response = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri "$BigFixServer/api/query" -Method Post -Headers $Headers -Body $Body -ContentType "application/xml"

# Parse results
$ExportData = @()
foreach ($Result in $Response.Query.Result.Answer) {
    $Values = $Result -split ","
    $ExportData += [PSCustomObject]@{
        "Device Name"        = $Values[0].Trim()
        "Software Name"      = $Values[1].Trim()
        "Software Version"   = $Values[2].Trim()
        "Software Publisher" = $Values[3].Trim()
    }
}

# Export to CSV
$ExportData | Export-Csv -Path $ExportPath -NoTypeInformation -Encoding UTF8
Write-Host "Export complete: $ExportPath"

This script connects to your BigFix environment, runs the Relevance query, and exports the results to a properly formatted CSV file ready for import.

Option 3: BigFix Inventory Database Query (Advanced)

If your organization uses BigFix Inventory with a SQL backend, you can query the database directly.

Example SQL Query

-- HCL BigFix SIM Template Export Query
SELECT
    c.computer_name AS [Device Name],
    s.software_name AS [Software Name],
    s.software_version AS [Software Version],
    s.software_publisher AS [Software Publisher]
FROM
    software_installations s
JOIN
    computers c ON s.computer_id = c.computer_id
ORDER BY
    c.computer_name, s.software_name;

Steps:

1. Open SQL Server Management Studio.

2. Connect to your BigFix Inventory database.

3. Run the above query.

4. Save results as CSV via Save Results As → CSV File.

Exporting to CSV

• Web Reports Method:
  Use the built-in Export → CSV option.

• REST API or SQL Method:
  The PowerShell script or SQL query produces a CSV file automatically.

Ensure the exported file contains the following headers:

Preparing for SIM Import

1. Open the Licenseware SIM Template.

2. Paste or import the exported CSV data.

Remove any blank or extraneous rows before saving.

👉 Learn more here

Troubleshooting

Example Output

Device Name,Software Name,Software Version,Software Publisher
DESKTOP-001,Google Chrome,129.0.6668.90,Google LLC
LAPTOP-007,Microsoft Teams,1.7.00.12345,Microsoft Corporation
SERVER-05,Oracle Java SE Runtime Environment,8.0.411,Oracle Corporation
DESKTOP-004,Adobe Acrobat DC,24.002.20933,Adobe Inc.