General Tab

IT Asset Management (Cloud)

The General tab enables you to enter, or edit if applicable, the following information about an asset (see the glossary entry for asset).

The following controls are available in the General section of this tab (listed here alphabetically):

Asset tag

Enter an asset tag. An asset tag is any company-specific identification code that can be used to label the asset.

Asset type

The kind of tangible asset that this record identifies.

You can switch between types of inventory device asset, or you can switch types of other "non-device" assets; but you cannot switch from one of the non-device asset types to an inventory device type (or vice versa).

Tip: To choose from all available asset types, create a new asset (Hardware Assets > Create an Asset. The process allows you to choose from the four types of inventory device and all other (non-device) asset types:

• Laptop
• Mobile Device
• Server
• Workstation
• Cell phone
• Chair
• Data Storage
• Desk
• Mainframe
• Monitor
• Network Appliance
• Printer
• Router
• Switch
• Telephone.

Tip: After creation of the asset, you can update the asset type from one inventory device type to another, or from one non-device type to another; but you can no longer switch from device types to non-device types, or vice versa.

Category

Categories represent how assets are classified within your enterprise. For example, if you would like to group assets for different purposes (such as production, warm-start backup, and the like), you could define a category called Asset Types and sub-categories for each type of asset. You could then assign each asset to one of these categories.

Tip: You can create categories through Enterprise > Categories.

Use the search facility to open the hierarchical tree of existing categories. You may need to expand headings to see sub-categories. Select any one from the tree (using the check box on the left), and click Add category.

Linked inventory

The software or hardware inventory record that belongs to this asset. An asset is linked to the appropriate inventory record when:

• The linking of assets is controlled from a business adapter.
• The asset is created first, and the inventory is collected thereafter. The existing asset is linked to the appropriate incoming inventory record based on matching serial numbers. Note, however, that if there are duplicate serial numbers, either on existing unattached asset records or in the incoming stream of inventory devices, the duplicates cannot be resolved, and in this case the linking of asset with inventory device cannot happen automatically. You will need to intervene manually to resolve the duplicate serial numbers.
• The asset record is created manually from an existing inventory record from the Inventory Without Assets page.
  Note: If the inventory record is created before the asset record, IT Asset Management will recommend a link based on the matching serial number, but the linking needs to be done manually.

Use the search fly-down to identify the inventory record to associate with this asset. For details, see To Use a Fly-Down.

Manufacturer

Enter the name of the manufacturer of this asset. (This is free text and does not require that your entry matches any vendor records.)

Master asset

You can link an asset to another asset in a parent/sub-asset relationship. For example, suppose you leased a computer, monitor, and keyboard as a package. Your enterprise may require that each of these has an asset tag attached; but you may want to keep them related to each other. In IT Asset Management, you might use the computer as the parent asset (with leasing details recorded there), and make the monitor and keyboard sub-assets of the computer to keep them related.

To make this asset a sub-asset, simply use the search fly-down to identify its parent asset. For details, seeTo Use a Fly-Down.

Tip: As an alternative, you can use the Sub-assets tab in the properties of the parent asset to find and link to all sub-assets at once.

Model

Enter the manufacturer’s model name or number for this type of device.

Tip: If you create your asset record by starting with device inventory, the model number identified in inventory is automatically included here.

Name

The name of a computing asset. When computer assets are linked to inventory, the inventory device name is assigned to this field.

Important: If your computing asset is linked to an inventory device, do not use a business adapter to update the asset name, as this will be overwritten by the inventory device name again. Similarly, do not update the asset name manually, but make any changes through the inventory source.

For manually-created records, enter a name or description to help identify this asset. This can include the appearance or specification of the device.

Tip: If you intend to link this asset record to an appropriate inventory device record, this field is automatically completed to match the name reported in inventory for that device.

Part number

Enter the part number that the manufacturer uses to identify this type of device. (Part number is not generally returned in inventory.)

Serial number

Enter the serial number of this asset. Numbers, letters, and punctuation are acceptable.

Tip: If you create the asset record from the inventory device, the manufacturer's serial number from inventory (where it exists) is automatically copied here.

Status

The current disposition of the asset. Values include those supplied as standard, together with any custom status values you may have created within your enterprise.

Select the current status of the asset. The following options are provided by default:

• Disposed — The asset is no longer held by the enterprise, as it has been sold, given away, thrown out, or destroyed. Selecting this option displays the End of life section of the General tab. When you select a status of Disposed, any linked inventory device record automatically has its status changed:
  • If the inventory device is linked to an IBM PVU license for which it is contributing to historical consumption in the current reporting period, its status is set to Archived (for more information, see Archived Inventory)
  • Otherwise its status is set to Ignored; and any applications installed on an ignored inventory device are not included in license compliance calculations.
• In storage — The asset has been delivered but has not been installed. Applications installed on an asset in storage are not included in license compliance calculations: that is, if you have already linked this asset to an inventory device record, and you save the asset with this status, the Applications and Licenses tabs in the linked inventory device properties now show No results. If the inventory device was previously showing linked licenses and installed applications from inventory, it is quite possible that this status value for the asset is inappropriate. If you switch the Status back to Installed, and wait for the next inventory import and license reconciliation, the applications and licenses data for the inventory device are restored thereafter.
• Installed — The asset is in active use (standard operating condition).
• Other — Any other status used by your organization to classify an asset. This value does not affect any automated processing.
• Purchased — The asset has been purchased but not delivered.
  Tip: Normally, these assets (not yet delivered) cannot be inventoried, and so do not normally have linked inventory devices that show application installations. However, be aware that if you manually link an inventory device record or make license allocations to a linked inventory device, the records are counted in license compliance calculations.
• Retired — The asset has been retired from use, but remains within the enterprise. Selecting this option displays the End of life section of the General tab. When you select a status of Retired, any linked inventory device record automatically has its status changed to Ignored or Archived, exactly as described above for an asset entering into the Disposed status.

The following controls are available in the Last inventory section of this tab (listed here alphabetically):

By

When applicable to inventory data collected electronically and displayed in the Electronic field, the By field identifies the operator or system that performed the latest inventory, and is not editable. For computer assets, it indicates the inventory tool that was the source of the data.

When applicable to an inventory date displayed in the Physical field, type in the name of the person or team who performed the latest inventory into the By field.

Electronic

This field identifies the date when details about the asset were last updated during an electronic inventory process. For computer-type assets, this is the latest date that the inventory data was uploaded during the inventory import.

The Electronic field is non-editable.

Information

Enter any additional information about an asset.

Installed on

Enter the date (use choose the calendar icon to pick the date) on which the asset was first placed in service. This is distinct from the acquisition date.

Physical

This field indicates the date an asset was most recently counted during a physical inventory. Type in a date, or click the calendar icon to select it.

If you selected Disposed or Retired from the Status drop-down list in the General section, this displays the End of life area where you can also specify details about the end of life of your asset.

Disposal date

Enter the date (or click the calendar icon at the end of the field to choose the date) on which you disposed of the asset so that it is no longer within your enterprise.

Recipient

If an asset is retired because it was sold or donated, you can record here the person or entity that received it.

Enter the asset recipient's details.

Resale price

If your enterprise sold this asset to a third party as a method of disposing of it, you can record the sale price here.

Enter the price for which the asset was on-sold. For help with setting currency and choosing exchange rates, start at Currency Settings.

Retirement date

When the asset is retired from use, enter the date of retirement, or click the calendar icon at the right end of the field for a date picker.

Retirement reason

Select an option from the drop-down list to indicate why the asset was retired. Options include:

• Lost
• Stolen
• Disposed
• Sold
• Donated
• Broken.

Written off value

Enter the final value written off for the asset. For help in choosing currencies and exchange rates, start with Currency Settings

Note: For information about retiring an asset and setting up written-off values, see Setting Up Change Management Rules for Assets.