You can tune inventory performance by ...
* Running delta inventory:
Delta inventory reports only the data that has changed since the last full inventory scan.
Running delta inventory reduces the network load and increases the performance.
However, the data in the Configuration Management Database can get outdated and then a delta is not adequate anymore. For example, if the full inventory gets purged and deltas continue to come in, only the deltas remain in the database. That is why it is also recommended to run the full inventory on a recurring basis.
* Using unique policies and schedules for different kinds of inventory.
For example, you can run different types of inventory on the following schedule:
-Full hardware inventory every four months, every first Monday
-Delta hardware inventory every two months, every second Monday
-Full software inventory every month, every first Tuesday
-Delta software inventory every week, every Wednesday
-File scan every six months, every second Friday
To learn more about inventory performance tuning, please follow the link: http://www.symantec.com/docs/HOWTO50114