2.11.2 Managing hardware asset information
In the Hardware Assets view of the Assets module, you can register and manage hardware asset information.
When devices are set to be managed, information collected from those devices is displayed in the Device Inventory view of the Device module. Information about those devices is also registered automatically as new hardware asset information in the Hardware Asset view of the Assets module. The following figure shows the flow when hardware asset information is registered.
![[Figure]](GRAPHICS/ZU080006.GIF)
For hardware asset information that was automatically registered, Asset Status becomes Unconfirmed, and only the information items collected from devices are registered. Therefore, information items that are not automatically collected from devices, such as Asset #, Asset Status (for example, In Use or In Stock), and user information, must be registered in hardware asset information later.
- Tip
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When device inventory is updated, the information items (collected from devices) in hardware asset information is also updated.
If hardware assets have already been managed on a management ledger, you can import the information to JP1/IT Desktop Management 2. If no management ledger has been used, maintain the automatically registered hardware asset information.
If you want to manage hardware asset information about devices other than the managed devices, newly register hardware asset information for those devices.
Note that you need to maintain hardware asset information depending on the operation.
You can manage hardware asset information by associating it with other types of hardware information, or by setting the corresponding contract information.
Related Topics:
- Organization of this subsection
(1) Associating devices and hardware assets
In hardware asset management, device information and hardware asset information are associated with each other. If a device is set to be managed, hardware asset information is automatically registered and associated with the device information. However, if a device is not set to be managed, or if hardware asset information only is registered, the device information and hardware asset information might not be associated.
The following table describes the details about association of devices and hardware assets corresponding to each trigger.
|
Trigger |
Description |
|---|---|
|
An agent-installed device connects to the management server. |
Device information of the target device is registered, and hardware asset information is automatically registered at the same time. The hardware asset information is associated with the device information. |
|
A device is discovered during device search (when the settings are configured so that a discovered computer is automatically set as a managed device). |
Device information of the target device is registered, and hardware asset information is automatically registered at the same time. The hardware asset information is associated with the device information. Note that if Device Type is other than PC, device information and hardware asset information are not registered because the device is not automatically set as a managed device. Therefore, association of device information and hardware asset information is not performed. |
|
A device is discovered during device search (when the settings are configured so that a discovered computer is not automatically set as a managed device). |
Device information and hardware asset information are not registered. |
|
Hardware assets are imported using a CSV file. |
Hardware asset information is registered, but device information is not registered. Therefore, association of device information and hardware information is not performed. However, if device information and hardware asset information have already been associated, the imported hardware asset information remains associated with device information. |
|
A USB device is registered. |
Hardware asset information is registered for a device for which Device Type is USB Device, but device information is not registered. Therefore, association of device information and hardware information is not performed. |
|
A hardware asset is manually added in the Assets module. |
Hardware asset information is registered, but device information is not registered. Therefore, association of device information and hardware asset information is not performed. However, if device information and hardware asset information have already been associated, the imported hardware asset information remains associated with device information. |
When a device and a hardware asset have been associated, the association might be released if the status of device information or hardware asset information is changed or information is deleted.
The following table describes how association changes for each trigger when a device and a hardware asset have been associated.
|
Trigger |
Description |
|---|---|
|
Asset Status of a hardware asset is changed to Disposed. |
Device Inventory in hardware asset information is deleted, and association is released. Also, the target device is deleted from the device list in the Device module. Note that if an agent has been installed on the target device, the device will become a managed device again when the next device search is performed. In this case, if Asset Status is set to Disposed in hardware asset information, the same hardware asset information will be registered doubly. Therefore, when you set Asset Status to Disposed, we recommend that you disconnect the target device from the network or uninstall the agent. If Asset Status is set to other than Disposed in hardware asset information, the association will be registered again. |
|
A target device is deleted in the Managed Nodes view of the Settings module. |
Device Inventory in hardware asset information is deleted, and association is released. Also, the target device is deleted from the device list in the Device module. The behavior when an agent-installed device becomes a managed device again is the same as the behavior when Asset Status is set to Disposed in hardware asset information. |
|
A target device is set to Ignored in the Managed Nodes view of the Settings module. |
The target device is deleted from the device list in the Device module. Device Inventory in hardware asset information is not deleted. Note that when an agent has been installed on the target device, if you manually set the device to be managed again, the target device is registered again in the device list. |
|
A hardware asset is deleted. |
Hardware assets can be deleted only when Asset Status is Unconfirmed or Disposed. The following are behaviors of the device when a hardware asset is deleted:
|
(2) Identifying related devices and hardware assets
When a device is set to be a managed device, hardware asset information is automatically registered and associated with device information. If hardware asset information corresponding to the managed device has already been registered, related registered device information is identified. If device information and hardware asset information that are related with each other are identified, they will be associated.
For identification of related device information and hardware asset information, one of the items in the following table is used.
|
Priority |
Item compared during identification |
|---|---|
|
1 |
IMEI#1 |
|
2 |
Serial ##2 |
|
3 |
Host Name |
|
4 |
MAC Address |
|
5 |
Contract phone number#1 |
|
6 |
IP Address |
#1: Used when managing a smart device by linking with an MDM system.
#2: Serial number of BIOS information
During identification, the values of the higher priority items are compared first. If the values for an item with a higher priority have not been acquired or are invalid, the values for the item with the next higher priority are compared.
If the values for an item match, a relationship between device information and hardware asset information is identified, and device information related to the hardware asset information is added. If the values for the items do not match, new hardware asset information is registered.
- Important note
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When only device information has been registered, even if corresponding hardware asset information is registered later, the relationship between device information and hardware asset information is not identified. In that case, manually associate them.
(3) Collecting information entered by users
If agents have been installed on managed computers, you can display the End User Form view on users' computers, and have hardware asset information automatically updated by information entered by users.
By collecting information entered by users, the system administrator can reduce the time and effort for maintaining hardware asset information. For example, if users enter the latest information regularly, even after a large number of people move to different departments, the system administrator can understand user information without any need for special activities to gain the information.
The following fields can be entered by users:
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Department
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Location
-
User Name
-
Account
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E-mail
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Phone
-
Custom fields that are optionally added
To collect user information, you need to set (in advance) asset fields to be entered by users in the Asset Field Definitions view (under Assets) of the Settings module. To display the End User Form view, the display of the user input window must be specified in the User notification settings view for the agent configuration.
In the Asset Field Definitions (under Assets) of the Settings module, the system administrator can also specify the time to allow users to start entering information. The End User Form view can be displayed after the settings of multiple fields have changed. So, this view is useful for updating information in accordance with personnel changes at the beginning of a fiscal year.
- Important note
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If the agent whose version is 10-01 or earlier is installed on users' computers, even if the entry start date and time is specified, the End User Form view appears each time a field setting changes. To specify the entry start date and time, install an agent whose version is 10-10 or later on the users' computers.
The End User Form view can be displayed on a regular basis on users' computers that are managed online. To do so, specify the display of the user input window in the User notification settings view for the agent configuration. At this time, do not specify the entry start date and time in the Asset Field Definitions view of the Settings module. If you specify the entry start date and time, the End User Form view will not be displayed on a regular basis. For offline-managed computers, the End User Form view can be displayed when the getinv.vbs command is executed to collect device information.
Before the specified entry start time is reached, selecting Windows Start, All Programs, JP1_IT Desktop Management 2 - Agent, and then End User Form on the user's computer only causes a message to appear. At this time, user information cannot be entered. The End User Form view is not displayed on offline-managed computers when the getinv.vbs command is executed.
(4) Managing the asset status
In hardware asset information, you can set the asset status, which indicates whether the asset is in use, in stock, or in other statuses. By setting the asset status, you will be able to check the usage status of assets, as well as check a list of owned assets. You can also check disposed assets, as well as owned assets.
There are following asset statuses:
- Unconfirmed
-
Asset information has been registered, but it is not managed as an asset. This asset status is set for the hardware asset information automatically registered when a device is set to be managed. If there is an asset whose status is Unconfirmed, check the actual hardware and set the asset information including the asset status.
- In Stock
-
The asset is not used.
- In Use
-
The asset is in use.
- Disposed
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The asset has been disposed of.
The administrator can add custom asset statuses other than above (no more than 100 items excluding the default asset statuses).
The following figure shows the transition of asset statuses.
![[Figure]](GRAPHICS/ZU080016.GIF)
To check the usage status, change the asset status according to actual operations. Change the status of assets for which management is no longer needed, to Disposed. Note that you can also change Disposed back to In Use, In Stock, or a custom asset status.
Managing the planned asset status
You can set asset statuses that are planned to change in the future. By setting planned asset statuses, you can check the planned tasks for asset management.
For example, for an asset with In Stock status, if you set the planned asset status to Disposed and set a date for that plan, you can check the date planned for disposal of the asset.
The specifiable types of the planned asset status are the same as for asset status.
Note that planned asset status is not automatically changed when the planned date expires. The administrator must manually change the asset status around the planned date after making sure that the status of the actual hardware asset has changed. If you change the asset status to the one set for the planned asset status, the values set for the planned asset status and the planned date are cleared.
- Tip
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If you register a planned asset status, the relevant asset can be checked on a summary report.
(5) Updating the tracked date
You can update Tracked Date for hardware asset information and software license information. By updating Tracked Date, you can check whether all assets have been tracked.
- Updating the tracked date manually:
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Select information about an asset for which Tracked Date is to be updated, and then update Tracked Date. We recommend that you use this method to individually track a small number of assets around you.
- Updating the tracked dates in a batch based on a CSV file:
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Use a CSV file containing Asset # or License # information to update Tracked Date in a batch. Tracked Date for the individual assets will become the same. We recommend that you use this method to track assets by using a bar code reader. Output a list of Asset # or License # read by a bar code reader to a CSV file.
- Setting automatic update of the tracked date:
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You can set the tracked date in hardware asset information to be automatically updated. JP1/IT Desktop Management 2 checks the existence of devices by monitoring network connection of devices, users' input on devices, and notification of device information acquired from computers managed offline. If the devices are confirmed to exist, the tracked date is automatically updated. We recommend that you use this method to reduce the time and effort of tracking assets.
- Important note
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Even if Update Tracked Date (on receiving End User Form) is selected in the Update Tracked Date (Automatically) dialog box, the tracked date in hardware asset information is updated automatically if Update Device Details is selected from the Action menu. This menu appears in the Device List view (under Device Inventory) of the Device module.
- Tip
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You can also import hardware asset information and software license information, and then update Tracked Date in a batch. In this case, you can set different dates for Tracked Date for individual assets.
(6) Managing hardware asset information associated with other information
You can manage information about a hardware asset by associating it with other hardware assets, or you can set the contract information corresponding to a hardware asset.
By associating information about a hardware asset with other hardware assets, you can manage a computer, display, and peripheral devices as a set.
By setting the contract corresponding to a hardware asset, you will be able to check the contract that was made for a computer. Also, you will be able to use a report to check the operational costs necessary for a hardware asset.
![[Figure]](GRAPHICS/ZU080007.GIF)