12.5.2 Selecting tasks to be executed

This subsection describes the types of tasks that can be selected in Activity Designer and the details of each task.

To define an activity, select the processing to be executed in the Item window from Enable tasks, and then add it to Use tasks.

The table below lists the tasks that can be selected in Activity Designer.

No.	Task that can be selected in Activity Designer	No.	Task that can be selected in Activity Designer
1	*Loop start, *Loop end	2	Add new device
3	Update device information	4	Add new software
5	Add license key	6	Assign license key
7	Auto assign license key	8	Release license key
9	Transfer license	10	Transfer license key
11	Add network information	12	Delete network information
13	Add new contract	14	Add new volume license
15	Update contract	16	Update volume license
17	Assign asset to contract	18	Assign asset to volume license
19	Release asset from contract	20	Release asset from volume license
21	Add new user	22	Update user information
23	Delete user information	24	Add new problem
25	Update problem	26	JP1 event notification

The following describes each executable task:

1. *Loop start and *Loop end

   Use these tasks to specify the range of a processing repetition.

   You can incorporate a set of *Loop start and *Loop end within another set of *Loop start and *Loop end. There is no limitation on the number of these tasks.

   When you select a loop, you must set the target of the loop's processing. The following looping targets can be specified:

   • Number of objects selected on window

   • Number of lines of uploaded file

   • Number of table rows

   For details about how to set the loop target, see 12.5.4(2) Setting the details of loop processing.

2. Add new device

   Use this task to register a new device. The two methods are to register a single device as is into the asset management database by registering the value specified for the item in the Item window, and to register multiple devices by obtaining the common part from the value specified in the Item window and the variable part that depends on the device from a CSV file.

   By combining this task with a network-related task, you can achieve a job such as device installation.

   When you set assigned items for this task, note the following:

   • For User ID and User name, and User ID of administrator and administrator, if both ID and name are set, the ID takes precedence over the name for assignment of the corresponding user.

   • If ID has not been set, the name is used as the key value to assign the applicable user.

   • If ID is used to assign information, the specified name is ignored.

   • If only the name is set in the assigned item without setting the ID, user information is searched by the name. If the matching name is found, the corresponding ID is registered. If the matching name is not found, this name is registered as is as the user name. If there are multiple matching names, an error results.

   • If there is no information that corresponds to the ID, an error results.

   • An error occurs if a value cannot be acquired for any of the following Managed items: Asset information.Status, Asset information.Usage management, and ITDM2 Agent installed status.

3. Update device information

   Use this task to change device information.

   As with adding a new device, there are two methods, updating a single device and updating multiple devices.

   When you set assigned items for this task, note the following:

   • Asset No. specified for Target asset no. is used as the key value to assign the information to be updated.

   • For User ID and User name, and User ID of administrator and administrator, if both ID and name are set, the ID takes precedence over the name for assignment of the corresponding user.

   • If ID has not been set, the name is used as the key value to assign the applicable user.

   • If ID is used to assign information, the specified name is ignored.

   • If only the name is set in the assigned item without setting the ID, user information is searched by the name. If the matching name is found, the corresponding ID is registered. If the matching name is not found, this name is registered as is as the user name. If there are multiple matching names, an error results.

   • If there is no information that corresponds to the ID, an error results.

4. Add new software

   Use this task to register new software. This task registers software and license information.

   By combining this task with a license-related task, you can achieve a job such as software installation.

   The Software name specified in the Item is registered in the software list, if it has not been registered yet. Similarly, a specified License name is registered in the license information, if it has not been registered yet.

   An error occurs if a value cannot be acquired for any of the following Managed items: Asset information.Status, Software list.Software name, and Software list.Software type.

5. Add license key

   Use this task to register a license key for software. This task adds a license key to the registered software.

   To identify the target software, the Asset No. of the software and information about the owner group are required.

6. Assign license key

   Use this task to specify a license key and request use of the license. This task assigns a license for registered software to a device or user based on the specified key.

   To identify the target software, the Asset No. of the software and information about the owner group are required.

   When you set assigned items for this task, note the following:

   • If the license category is Install license, the applicable device is assigned by Asset No. . If the license category is User license, the applicable user is assigned by User name.

   • If multiple license keys with the specified value (license key, product ID, or serial No.) have been registered, one of the license keys is assigned. If license keys with the specified value have been registered but none of them is available, an error results.

7. Auto assign license key

   Use this task to request the use of a license without specifying a license key. This task automatically selects an available key from the registered software licenses and assigns it to the device or user.

   By combining with the Add license key task, you can achieve on-demand license addition and assignment.

   To identify the target software, the Asset No. of the software and information about the owner group are required.

   To assign license keys automatically, you must register license keys to the applicable software assets beforehand.

8. Release license key

   Use this task to release a license in use. This task releases the assignment of registered software licenses.

   To identify the target software, the Asset No. of the software and information about the owner group are required.

   To release a specific license, you must specify License key, Product ID, or Serial No.. If multiple license keys for the same software asset have been assigned to the same device or user, all applicable license keys will be released.

9. Transfer license

   Use this task when licenses are divided or groups have been changed for reasons such as reorganization. To transfer licenses to another group, this task copies the software information and distributes the numbers of licenses.

   When you select this task, note the following:

   • An error results if the same Asset No. is registered more than once at the source.

   • If the same software information whose status is Active is found at the target group, the software information is integrated. If multiple sets have been registered, the software information is integrated with one of them.

   • If the target has the same Asset No. but its software status is not Active, the software is registered as a new asset.

   • The task cannot transfer license keys to multiple groups at the same time. To transfer license keys to multiple groups, you must issue a request for each group.

   • When freeware software is transferred, the source software is not deleted.

   • Licenses cannot be transferred if the number of licenses is unlimited at the source or the software is freeware, and the number of destination licenses has been specified. Also, licenses cannot be transferred if the number of licenses is unlimited at the source (not freeware), and the number of destination licenses is omitted.

10. Transfer license key

    Use this task to transfer license keys for reasons such as reorganization. This task cannot transfer license keys to multiple groups at the same time. To transfer license keys to multiple groups, you must issue a request for each group.

    Define license key transfer in the same activity as for the license transfer. An error results if the target does not have the software with the same Asset No. as the source.

    To identify the target software, the Asset No. of the software and information about the owner group are required.

11. Add network information

    Use this task to assign network information to a device (node name, computer name, IP address). The two methods of IP address allocation are automatic allocation and specified allocation.

    When an IP address is specified to register network information, the task uses this IP address even if it is already in use by another device according to the inventory information (this means that there will be two devices with the same IP address).

    When you set assigned items for this task, note the following:

    • When you use automatic allocation, set the IP group name. If you also set the IP address, the task uses the specified IP address for allocation instead of performing automatic allocation.

    • To update network information, specify the applicable IP address. You can change the IP address by specifying the new IP address after updating.

    • Set Target asset ID if you wish to use the ID of an asset that has already been registered, such as a device registered by the previous task.

12. Delete network information

    Use this task to delete network information assigned to a device (node name, computer name, IP address). This task uses the specified Asset ID (or Asset No.) and IP address to find the applicable network information and then deletes it. If multiple IP addresses have been assigned to the specified device, the task deletes all of them.

    When you set assigned items for this task, note the following:

    • Set Target asset ID if you wish to use the ID of an asset that has already been registered, such as a device registered by a previous task.

13. Add new contract

    Use this task to register new contracts, such as lease, rental, and maintenance contracts.

    An error occurs if a value cannot be acquired for any of the following Managed items: Contract information.Category, Contract information.Contract No., Contract information.Subject, Contract information.Contract date, Contract information.Contract start date, Contract information.Contract end date, Contract information.Contracted company, and Contract information.Status.

14. Add new volume license

    Use this task to register new volume contracts.

    An error occurs if a value cannot be acquired for any of the following Managed items: Volume Contract Information.Contract No. and Volume Contract Information.Status.

15. Update contract

    Use this task to update contract information, such as when contracts are renewed.

    When an Item is used to register a contract, Contract No. is the only information that can identify the contract. Therefore, if you update contracts using Items, you must manage information in such a manner that Contract No. is unique.

16. Update volume license

    Use this task to update volume contract information, such as when contracts are renewed.

    When an Item is used to register a contract, Contract No. is the only information that can identify the contract. Therefore, if you update contracts using Items, you must manage information in such a manner that Contract No. is unique.

17. Assign asset to contract

    Use this task combined with the Release asset from contract task to change the allocation of devices and software that require contracts, such as when new contracts are registered or existing contracts are renewed.

    This task can assign only those contracts whose status is Under contract.

    An error results if there is more than one applicable contract and the applicable asset has already been assigned to another contract of the same type.

18. Assign asset to volume license

    Use this task combined with the Release asset from volume license task to change the allocation of software that requires a volume contract, such as when new contracts are registered or existing contracts are renewed.

    This task can assign only those contracts whose status is Under contract.

    An error results if there is more than one applicable contract and the applicable software asset has already been assigned to another contract.

19. Release asset from contract

    Use this task to release the allocation of devices or software that require a contract, such as when existing contracts are renewed.

    If the applicable device can be identified, such as when a previous task has changed its device status, specify Asset information.Asset ID to inherit Asset ID from the previous task.

20. Release asset from volume license

    Use this task to release the allocation of software that requires a volume contract, such as when existing contracts are renewed.

    If the applicable device can be identified, such as when a previous task has changed its device status, specify Asset information.Asset ID to inherit Asset ID from the previous task.

21. Add new user

    Use this task to register new users, such as when new personnel have been added. This task registers user information and assigns a user role to each user. It does not set a password. Use the registered User ID to log in to Asset Console without entering a password and then use a window operation to set a password.

    An error occurs if a value cannot be acquired for any of the following Managed items: User Information.User ID and User Information.User name.

22. Update user information

    Use this task to change user information, such as name, telephone number, or email address, and to change the role of a user for reasons such as reorganization.

    This task uses User ID or User name to find the target user. If User ID is not specified, the task searches asset information using User name as the key value. If more than one user with the same first and last names is registered, an error results.

23. Delete user information

    Use this task when registered user information is no longer needed for reasons such as reorganization.

    This task uses User ID or User name to find the target user. If User ID is not specified, the task searches information using User name as the key value. If more than one user with the same first and last names is registered, an error results.

24. Add new problem

    When Items are used to manage problems, use this task to register problems that have occurred in the asset management system.

    An error occurs if a value cannot be acquired for any of the following Managed items: Maintenance.Managed No., Maintenance.Status, and Maintenance.Overview of problem.

25. Update problem

    When Items are used to manage problems, use this task to add and update information until a problem is resolved, and to send the problem to the person in charge.

    Specify Asset information.Asset ID to inherit Asset ID of a device for which information has been updated, such as when the previous task has changed the device information for error handling purposes.

26. JP1 event notification

    Use this task to notify other linked products about Item transition by issuing an Item transition event. By defining this task for all Item-related activities, you can monitor the Item status. When you use the automatic action of JP1/IM to execute the desired command, other linked products can execute processing using the Item transition as a trigger.

    An Item transition event is issued when an Item transitions normally (when an activity that contains the task is processed normally). If an Item that has transitioned normally is returned, rejected, or deleted, an Item status change event or Item deletion event is automatically issued.

    For details about the JP1 events that are issued in conjunction with Item transition, see 19.2 Details of JP1 events issued from Asset Console.

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