Asset Management Suite User Guide -...
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Asset Management Suite User Guide Version 7.0
Transcript of Asset Management Suite User Guide -...
Asset Management SuiteUser Guide
Version 7.0
Asset Management Suite User GuideThe software described in this book is furnished under a license agreement andmay be usedonly in accordance with the terms of the agreement.
Documentation version: 7.0
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Technical Support . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Chapter 1 Introducing Asset Management Suite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
About Asset Management Suite ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9About configuration item management ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10About software license management ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11About contract management ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11About procurement ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Terminology for Asset Management Suite ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Chapter 2 Installing Asset Management Suite . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Installing Asset Management Suite ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Licensing Asset Management Suite ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Chapter 3 Migrating data from Notification Server 6.x . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
About migrating data from Notification Server ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Migrating software license items from Notification Server ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Chapter 4 Using configuration items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19
About configuration items .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Viewing and creating configuration items .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Merging two configuration items .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Chapter 5 Using organizational configuration items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
About organizational configuration items .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Importing configuration item data from other systems .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Chapter 6 Using financial configuration items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
About financial configuration items .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27Using accounting codes ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Using cost items .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28Using cost types ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Using currency items .... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Contents
Using depreciation schedules ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Chapter 7 Using the currency convertor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Using the currency convertor ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Chapter 8 Configuring asset management settings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
About settings ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Configuring settings for accounting periods ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Configuring base currency settings ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Configuring contract global settings ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Configuring license usage settings ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37Configuring settings for migrating legacy software licenses ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37
Chapter 9 Using configuration items for assets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
About asset configuration item types ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Creating configuration items for assets ... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Contents8
Introducing AssetManagement Suite
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ About Asset Management Suite
■ About configuration item management
■ About software license management
■ About contract management
■ About procurement
■ Terminology for Asset Management Suite
About Asset Management SuiteAssetManagementSuiteprovides amanagement console, a database environment,and a suite of solutions that let you track assets and asset-related information.The suite includes Asset Management Solution, Barcode Solution, and CMDBSolution. It specializes in tracking IT-related assets, such as computers andsoftware. You can also use it to track other types of assets, such as furniture andcompany cars.
In association with assets, you can record and track many types of documentsand documented details. For example, you can track lease schedules, NDAs(nondisclosure agreements), SLAs (Service Level Agreements), and warrantyinformation. Contracts and contract details can be associated with assets so youcan easily view the contractual information that is related to specific assets. Youcan even configure the software so that it notifies you of the upcoming actionsthat might be specified in a contract.
1Chapter
You can use the management console to view the value of an asset or a group ofassets. You can use it to view an asset's assigned department, cost center, andowner. You can use it to improve your ability to allocate software and hardwarecosts to specific owners and departments. You can also use it to keep track ofsoftware license details so that you avoid paying for the licenses that you mightnot need.
AssetManagement Suite provides predefined templates andquick-start processesto help you set up and manage different the asset management processes. AssetManagement Suite is divided into the following components:
■ Configuration items
■ Software licensing
■ Contract management
■ Procurement
Fromacquisition to disposal, AssetManagement Suite helps you accurately valueyour assets, track ownership, andmaintain associations with related documents.Additionally, it aligns with IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) standards and helpsyou complywith federal laws, such as the Sarbanes-OxleyAct, COBIT, andHIPAA.
About configuration item managementAsset Management Suite helps you track assets and other resources. For eachasset that you want to track, you create a corresponding configuration item inthe system. When you create the configuration item, you specify the details ofthe asset. For example, you can specify the manufacturer, warranty information,and cost of the asset. Templates are provided to help you create items for assets,such as phones, computers, monitors, printers, and furniture.
In addition to manually creating configuration items, you can use a discoveryprogram to detect network-connected devices in your environment. When thedevice is discovered, an item is automatically created for it in the system. You canalso create configuration items by importing asset-related details from otherdatabase environments.
In addition to creating items for each asset, you create configuration items forthe details that you want to associate with the assets. You then specify theassociations between the asset items and other items in your environment. Forexample, a computer can be associated with its related purchase order, location,and user. Reports and filters help you determine the status of assets in yourenvironment.
Introducing Asset Management SuiteAbout configuration item management
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The home page for managing assets and configuration items can be accessed intheSymantecManagementConsole. ClickHome>ServiceandAssetManagement> Manage Configuration Items.
About software license managementAsset Management Suite helps you track software licenses and applications. Youcreate configuration items for software licensing elements in your environment.You then associate these license-related items with other information in yoursystem. Templates are provided to help you create several types of softwarelicense-related items, such as software products, software licenses, and softwarepurchases.
You can manually create configurations items for software licensing elements.You can also use a discovery program to identify and create configuration itemsfor the software running in your environment. You then specify the associationsbetween the software products, software licenses, and other related items. Reportsand filters help you determine your compliance level and requirements.
The home page for managing software licenses can be accessed in the SymantecManagement Console. Click Home > Service and Asset Management > SoftwareLicensing.
About contract managementAsset Management Suite helps you track contracts. You create configurationsitem for the contract-related details that you want to track in your environment.You then associate the contract-related items with other items in your system.For example, you can create a contract item that specifies the contract detailsthat are associated with a new computer purchase. The contract item specifiesthedetails of the agreement and includes attached source documents. The contractitem can then be associated with the computer. This association lets you trackthe document-related details that are associated with assets and other items inyour environment. Templates are provided to help you specify different types ofdocuments, such as contract, lease schedule, NDA, and warranty.
The home page for managing documents and contracts can be accessed in theSymantec Management Console. Click Home > Service and Asset Management> Contracts.
11Introducing Asset Management SuiteAbout software license management
About procurementAssetManagement Suite helps youmanage your procurement process. You createconfiguration items forprocurement-relateddocuments, suchaspurchase request,purchase order, and invoice. You associate these itemswith other items and trackthem through your system. For example, a purchase request can be used togenerate a purchase order. When the purchase order is filled, the received itemscan be associated with the purchase order item.
Templates are provided to help you create andmanage procurement-related itemtypes, such as stockroom, catalog, purchase request, purchase order, and invoice.Creating and using these item types lets you track assets and resources from theinitial procurement process to the eventual disposal. You can run reports and usefilters to determine the status of items in your procurement process.
The home page for managing the procurement process can be accessed in theSymantec Management Console. Click Home > Service and Asset Management> Procurement.
Terminology for Asset Management SuiteTo better understand Asset Management Suite, you should understand thefollowing terminology.
■ Base configuration item type: The configuration item type on which otherconfiguration item types are based. For example, youmight use the Computerbase configuration item type to create a configuration item type named PCand a configuration item type named Mac. When a configuration item type iscreated, it inherits all of the data classes of its base configuration item type.If data classes are added to the base configuration item type, the same dataclasses are added to all configuration item types that are based on it.
■ Configuration item: The individual entries that represent specific items,resources, and other details that exist in your assetmanagement environment.For example, a user named Jon, a location named California, a computer assetnamed GX620, and a depreciation schedule named Straight Line are allconfiguration items.
■ Configuration item type: A type of configuration item. For example, Locationis a configuration item type that can be comprised of configuration items, suchas New York, California, and Utah.When you create a configuration item, youselect the configuration item type you want to use as a template.
■ Data class: Data classes represent the categories of data that youwant to recordabout a configuration item. For example, the Computer configuration item
Introducing Asset Management SuiteAbout procurement
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type contains a data class named Manufacturer. Data classes are comprisedof data class attributes.
■ Dataclassattribute: Specific attributeswithin adata class that further describesthe data class. For example, the Computer resource type contains theManufacturer data class that contains theManufacturerName andModel dataclass attributes.
■ Data class attribute parameter: A parameter that is associatedwith a data classattribute. For example, the name to be entered into the Manufacturer Namedata class attribute might have a parameter of less than 256 characters.
13Introducing Asset Management SuiteTerminology for Asset Management Suite
Introducing Asset Management SuiteTerminology for Asset Management Suite
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Installing AssetManagement Suite
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ Installing Asset Management Suite
■ Licensing Asset Management Suite
Installing Asset Management SuiteBefore installing Asset Management Suite, be sure that your server environmentmeets the requirements for Symantec Management Platform.
Symantec Installation Manager is a program that guides you through installingSymantec products. It can be downloaded from the
To install Asset Management Suite
1 Run Symantec Installation Manager.
2 From the Install New Products page, check the checkbox to install AssetManagement Suite.
3 Click Next, and then follow the on-screen instructions to complete theinstallation.
Licensing Asset Management SuiteEach solution inAssetManagement Suite includes a trial license. You can registerand obtain extended trial licenses through our Web site at www.symantec.com.You can also purchase full product licenses. For more information on obtaininglicenses, see the Symantec Management Platform Getting Started Guide.
2Chapter
Installing Asset Management SuiteLicensing Asset Management Suite
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Migrating data fromNotification Server 6.x
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ About migrating data from Notification Server
■ Migrating software license items from Notification Server
About migrating data from Notification ServerYou can migrate data from Notification Server 6.x environments to be used inyourSymantecManagementPlatform7.0environment. Several differentmigrationoptions are available, such as on-box upgrade, off-box upgrade, and import. Usethe option that best meets your needs.
See instructions for migrating data in the Symantec Management PlatformInstallation Guide.
Migrating software license items from NotificationServer
After completing the task ofmigrating data from aNotification 6.x environment,youmust perform additional tasks tomigrate software license items to SymantecManagement Platform 7.0. Software license items that still need to be migratedare called legacy software licenses.
3Chapter
To migrate legacy software licenses
1 Complete the steps to migrate data from Notification Server 6.x.
See instructions in the Symantec Management Platform Installation Guide.
2 Make sure that your Migrate Legacy Software Licenses settings are correct.
See “Configuring settings formigrating legacy software licenses ” on page 37.
3 Make sure that the Software Catalog is populated and current. You can usemanual entry, run the Software Discovery task or run an inventory policy.
4 In the Symantec Management Console, click Home > Service and AssetManagement > Software Licensing.
A list of software license items appears in the LicensingReports part. Softwarelicense items that still need to be migrated do not appear in the list.
5 In the right pane, in the Legacy Licenses Requiring Migration part, clickLegacy License Count.
The Legacy License Count indicates the number of software license itemsthat still need to be migrated.
The migration wizard appears.
6 Follow the on-screen instructions in the migration wizard for each softwarelicense item that needs to be migrated.
After a software license item is migrated, it appears in the Software Licenselist. TheLegacyLicenseCount indicates the number of software license itemsthat still need to be migrated.
Migrating data from Notification Server 6.xMigrating software license items from Notification Server
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Using configuration items
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ About configuration items
■ Viewing and creating configuration items
■ Merging two configuration items
About configuration itemsAsset Management Suite stores information in its database. All the asset-relatedinformation that you want to track must be entered into the database. AssetManagement Suite provides a user interface that helps you easily enterinformation.
You enter information into the database as a configuration item, also called aresource entry. Configuration items represent an object or any detail that youwant your system to track. Although you can enter any type of information aboutany item type, Asset Management provides predefined configuration item types.
A configuration item is an entry that represents a specific resource or detail inyour environment. These items can be assets, locations, invoices, schedules, users,contracts, and so on.
The following items are examples of configuration items:
■ A user named Jon
■ A location named California
■ A computer named GX260
■ A depreciation schedule named Straight Line
■ An invoice named Invoic0002
4Chapter
You can associate a configuration item with other configuration items. Forexample, you can associate a user named Jon with a location named Californiaand a computer namedGX260. Creating these associations between configurationitems lets you track items and manage information in your asset managementenvironment.
You create configuration items by using a configuration item type. Configurationitem types are the templates that define what data is created and stored about aspecific configuration item. For example, the configuration item type namedLocation can contain configuration items named New York, California, and Utah.Each of these location-related configuration items contains the same attributeinformation, such as address, city, and state.
Predefined configuration item types are organized into the following categories:
■ Contract types: Generic contract, lease schedule, master lease, NDA, servicelevel agreement, warranty
■ Financial types: Accounting code, cost structure, cost type, currency,depreciation schedule
■ Organizational types: Company, cost center, department, location, user
■ Communication equipment: Cell phone, desk phone
■ Computer and peripherals: Computer, monitor, network printer, peripheral,scanner, virtual machine
■ Datacenter types: Computer type, power, rack, services, UPS
■ Generic asset types: Asset, network resource
■ Other assets: Furniture and fixtures, office equipment, site, subnet
■ Software licensing types: Softwareproduct,master license agreement, softwarelicense, software purchase, virtual license agreement
Note: Werecommend that youuse thepredefined configuration itemtypesbecausethey correspond with predefined reports. But if none meet your needs, you cancreate your own types.
Viewing and creating configuration itemsConfiguration items represent the resources and information that you want totrack in your asset management environment.
You can access configuration items using several different procedures.
Using configuration itemsViewing and creating configuration items
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■ In the Symantec Management Console, click Home > Service and AssetManagement and the desired submenu item. In the left pane, select the typeof configuration item you require.
■ In the SymantecManagement Console, clickManage and the desired submenuitem, such as Computers, Software, or Users.
■ In the SymantecManagement Console, click Settings >All Settings. In the leftpane, navigate to the desired folder. For example, Service and AssetManagement > Asset Management Solution.
From the pages that display configuration items, you can create, edit, and deleteconfiguration items.
The following actions describe how to work with configuration items:
■ Right-clicking a configuration item type gives you a contextmenu option thatlets you create a new configuration item.
■ Double-clicking a configuration item lets you view and edit the attributes ofa configuration item.
■ Right-clicking a configuration item displays a context menu with severaloptions for tasks, such as modifying the item attributes, adding associations,or changing its status.
■ For the configuration items that are presented in a table, an Add option issometimes located at the top of the page. It lets you create a new configurationitem.
■ Clicking Refresh is often required to display a newly-created configurationitem.
Merging two configuration itemsYou can merge two configuration items into a single configuration item. Forexample, if an inventory discovery program creates a new item for a computerthat you already set up manually, you can combine the two items into one. Theconfiguration items must be of the same type.
To merge two configuration items
1 Ctrl-click two configuration items of the same type.
2 Right-click one of the selected items, and then click Merge Resources fromthe context menu.
3 Follow the on-screen instructions.
■ In Primary Resource, check the checkbox next to the name you want touse as the item name.
21Using configuration itemsMerging two configuration items
■ In theKeep columns, check the checkboxnext to thedata class informationthat you want to keep.
An asterisk (*) indicates the most recently updated data.
4 Save the changes.
The items are merged into a single item.
Using configuration itemsMerging two configuration items
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Using organizationalconfiguration items
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ About organizational configuration items
■ Importing configuration item data from other systems
About organizational configuration itemsOrganizational configuration item types help you organize assets and resourceitems into logical groups, associations, and relationships. For example, theLocationorganizational type might include items, such as Utah, California, New York,North American, South America, and so on. Assets and other resources can beassociated with one or more of these organizational items.
Organizational items can have hierarchical and associative relationships withother organizational items. For example, the California location might have ahierarchical relationship with the North America location, while the Mexico Citylocation has a hierarchical relationship with South America.
An item can be associated with several organizational items. For example, acomputer canbe associatedwith auser, a department, and a location. Additionally,a department can be associatedwith a specific cost center. Specifying these logicalgroups and associations helps you keep track of where an asset is located, whohas it, and which department or cost center has responsibility for it.
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Note: Before entering any data, you should consider your organizational needsand the relationships that resources have with each other. You should plan andset up organizational types correctly at the beginning. You should addorganizational-type instances first, so thatwhen you create entries for assets andother resource items, they can be associatedwith already-existing organizationalinformation.
Organizational types of configuration items include the following:
■ Company
■ Cost center
■ Department
■ Location
■ User
To use organizational-related configuration items
1 In the Symantec Management Console, click Home > Service and AssetManagement > Manage Configuration Items.
2 In the left pane, expand the Organizational Types folder.
■ In the left pane, right-click an item type to create a new item from thecontext menu.
■ In the left pane, click the item type to display items in the right pane.Next, double-click the item in the right pane to view or edit its attributes.
Importing configuration itemdata fromother systemsInstead of manually entering data, you can import resource data from other datarepositories.
You can use the following tools to import data fromNotification Server database.
■ Data Connector Solution. This solution lets you transfer data from variouscommon mechanisms, such as OLE, ODBC, .CSV files, .XML files, and LDAP.
■ Connector Packs. This works with Data Connector Solution to import datafromenterprisemanagement applications, such asHPOpenView andRemedyAction Request System.
■ Data import components. These components of Notification Server let youimport data from sources such as Microsoft Active Directory.
Using organizational configuration itemsImporting configuration item data from other systems
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For more information on importing resource data, see Symantec ManagementPlatform: Data Connector User Guide athttp://www.altiris.com/Support/Documentation.aspx.
25Using organizational configuration itemsImporting configuration item data from other systems
Using organizational configuration itemsImporting configuration item data from other systems
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Using financialconfiguration items
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ About financial configuration items
■ Using accounting codes
■ Using cost items
■ Using cost types
■ Using currency items
■ Using depreciation schedules
About financial configuration itemsAsset Management Suite provides several types of configuration items to helpyou manage finance-related details in your environment.
Configuration item types related to finance information include the following:
■ Accounting Code. An accounting code that contains an ID number and adescription. Each code can be associated with the cost item of an asset andother resource items, such as computers and purchase orders.
■ Cost Item. An expense that relates to or adds value to a resource.
■ Cost Type. A type of cost that can be associated with a resource. F
■ Currency. Currency values and rates to be used with the currency convertor.
■ Depreciation Schedule. Rates and dates to be associated with depreciatingassets and other resource items.
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To use finance-related configuration items
1 In the Symantec Management Console, click Home > Service and AssetManagement > Manage Configuration Items.
2 In the left pane, expand the Financial Types folder.
■ In the left pane, right-click an item type to create a new item from thecontext menu.
■ In the left pane, click the item type to display items in the right pane.Next, double-click the item in the right pane to view or edit its attributes.
Using accounting codesAccounting code items are comprised of an ID number and a description thatcorresponds with a budgetary division, such as a department or division.Accounting code items can be associated with cost items to help you allocateexpenses to resources, such as computers and purchase orders.
Using cost itemsA cost item is an expenditure that relates to or adds to the value of an asset. Forexample, you can add the cost of an extra disk drive to the value of a computer.The additional value is added as a cost item.
Cost items are comprised of the following information:
■ Type
■ Accounting code
■ Date
■ Amount
■ Status
■ Description
■ Purchase order
To add, edit, and remove cost items
1 Select an asset.
2 View the attributes of the selected asset.
3 In the list of the asset attributes, go to the section named Cost Items.
4 Perform the desired action:
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Note: The action executes immediately and overwrites existing information.In most cases, you receive no confirmation, cancellation, or undo options.
■ To add a cost item, click Add, and then complete the on-screeninstructions.
■ To edit a cost item, click the input field of the value you want to edit, andthen select or enter the required information.
■ To remove a cost item, click the row of the cost item to remove, and thenclick Remove.
To add cost items to assets by using the context menu
1 Right-click an asset to view its context menu.
2 From the context menu, click Asset Functions > Add Cost Item.
3 Follow the on-screen instructions to complete the task.
To add cost items to assets by using scheduled or recurring tasks
1 In the Symantec Management Console, click Manage > Jobs and Tasks.
2 In the left pane tree view, go to the folder where you want to save the task.
Right-click the folder to display the contextmenu, and then clickNew>Task.
3 In the left pane tree view of the Create New Task window, expand ServiceandAssetManagement>AssetManagement, and then clickAddCostItems.
4 In the right content pane, click SelectaResource to select one ormore assets.
5 In theCostItems section, clickAdd to select the cost type and add a cost itementry.
6 In the Cost Items section, click on each field to enter cost item information..
Click OK to save your changes.
The Add Cost Items task page appears.
7 In the Task Status section, click New Schedule.
8 On the New Schedule page, choose one of the following:
■ Now - runs the task immediately
■ Schedule - runs the task later
9 Edit other details as required.
10 Click Schedule to save your changes.
If you chose Now, the task runs immediately.
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Using cost typesA cost type item is used to specify a type of expense. For example, you candesignate cost types as an external purchase, external support, internal support,or contract. Cost type items lets you logically group expenses. Cost type attributesaffect depreciation values, group allocation, and other reporting areas.
Using currency itemsBy default, the software defines no currency types or currency rates. It providesa single, non-defined base currency for all monetary entries. This non-definedbase currency can be whatever you decide. However, we recommend that youdefine your currency so that you can use the currency convertor.
To use currency types and rates
1 In the SymantecManagement Console, on theHomemenu, clickServiceandAsset Management.
2 In the left pane under CI Management, expand the Financial Types folder,and then click Currency.
The list of currencies appears in the right content pane.
3 To add a type of currency, in the left pane, right-click Currency, click CreateCurrency.
Follow the on-screen instructions to enter the currency name, details, andrate.
4 To edit a type of currency, in the right content pane, right-click a currency,click Edit.
Follow the on-screen instructions to edit the currency details and rate.
We recommend that you set the rate of the base currency to 1.00. You thenset other currencies to their respective exchange rates as they compare tothe base currency.
5 To delete a type of currency, in the right content pane, right-click a currency,and then click Delete.
See “Using the currency convertor” on page 33.
Using depreciation schedulesYou create depreciation schedule items that correspond to your depreciationexpense strategies. When you create a depreciation schedule item, you enter
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attributes, such as description, depreciation type, and rate. These items andattributes are used to generate reports associated with assets and depreciation.
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Using the currencyconvertor
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ Using the currency convertor
Using the currency convertorThe currency convertor is available for some fields where you are required toinput amonetary value. The convertor helps you convert a currency amount intothe base currency for entry into the field.
Using the currency convertor
1 Select a field that requires or contains a monetary value, such as Amount.
2 With the field selected, click Currency. (Currency is often located in theheading of the table. If you cannot see Currency or it appears inactive, itmight not be available for the selected field.)
3 In the currency converter, in Amount, enter the amount of the originalcurrency to convert.
4 From the Currency drop-down list, select the type of currency you enteredin Amount.
5 Click anywhere on the screen.
Basecurrency displays the value of the original currency in terms of the basecurrency.
6 Click OK to input the base currency amount into the selected field, or clickCancel to return to the selected field.
See “Using currency items” on page 30.
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Configuring assetmanagement settings
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ About settings
■ Configuring settings for accounting periods
■ Configuring base currency settings
■ Configuring contract global settings
■ Configuring license usage settings
■ Configuring settings for migrating legacy software licenses
About settingsAsset Management lets you specify settings to be used in your system.
Settings include the following:
■ Accounting Periods. A yearly range of dates.
■ Base Currency. The type and rate of currency to use in the currency convertor.
■ Contract Global Settings. Settings that apply to all contract item types.
■ License Usage. Information about solution licenses.
■ Migrate LegacySoftware Licenses. Settings to beusedwhenmigrating softwarelicenses from the Notification Server 6.x environment to the SymantecManagement Platform 7.x environment.
8Chapter
Configuring settings for accounting periodsAn accounting period represents a yearly range of dates that corresponds to a setof financial records or reports. For example, an accounting period for a tax yearmight start on June 1 and be divided quarterly into three-month ranges.
The following accounting periods are provided:
■ My Book
■ My Tax
■ My Custom
The accounting period settings you define appear in the Purpose Type and inthePeriod parameters of several reports, such as Depreciation By Assigned CostCenter. In these reports, thePurposeTypeparameter lets you select an accountingperiod. Then, you can then select a range of dates from the Period parameter.
To configure accounting periods
1 In the Symantec Management Console, click Settings > All Settings.
2 In the left navigationpane, expandSettings>ServiceandAssetManagement> Asset Management Solution.
3 Click Accounting Periods.
4 In the right content pane, determine the accounting period you want tomodify, and thenuse the on-screen controls to change the settings as required.
Configuring base currency settingsTo choose a base currency
1 In the Symantec Management Console, on the Settings menu, click AllSettings.
2 In the left pane under Settings, expand the Service and Asset Managementfolder, and then expand the Asset Management Solution folder.
3 Click Base Currency.
4 In the content window, choose the currency you want to use as the basecurrency.
Warning: You cannot change the base currency after it has been saved.
5 Save your changes.
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Configuring contract global settingsContract global settings apply to all contract management tasks and features.
■ Master License Summary Options: Enabling the parallel execution optionmight improve performance if the computer running SQL Server has morethan one physical processor. Parallel execution of license queries is faster thansequential execution.
■ Software LicenseOptions: Enter the number of days that applicationmeteringand inventory information remains current. If this information is not updatedafter the designated number of days, this information is considered outdated.
To configure global contract settings
1 In the Symantec Management Console, click Settings > All Settings.
2 In the left pane tree view, expand Settings>ServiceandAssetManagement> Asset Management Solution, and then click Contract Global Settings.
3 In the right content window, follow the on-screen instructions to configurethe settings.
4 Save your changes.
Configuring license usage settingsDetails about your solution licenses can be viewed but not changed.Use SymantecInstallation Manager to add or install solution licenses.
Configuring settings for migrating legacy softwarelicenses
Previous versions of AssetManagement include several configuration item typesthat are not available in this version. ("Configuration item types" were called"resource types" in previous versions.) For this reason, you should review theuser-defined data classes for each configuration item before migrating.
For example, you should review the following software license configuration itemtypes and data classes before migrating:
■ Win32 License
■ UNIX License
■ OS License
■ Mac License
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To configure Migrate Legacy Software Licenses settings
1 In the Symantec Management Console, click Settings > All Settings.
2 In the left pane tree view, expand Settings>ServiceandAssetManagement> Asset Management Solution, and then click Migrate Legacy SoftwareLicenses.
3 In the right content window, follow the on-screen instructions to configurethe settings.
4 Save your changes.
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Using configuration itemsfor assets
This chapter includes the following topics:
■ About asset configuration item types
■ Creating configuration items for assets
About asset configuration item typesAssets are defined as anyproperty or object of value that your companyor businessowns. To track an asset, you create a configuration item to represent it in thesystem. Asset Management Suite provides predefined configuration item typesfor many types of assets. We recommend that you use only the predefined types,but you can create new item types, if required.
The following is a list of predefined asset item types grouped into their respectivecategories.
■ Communication equipment. Cell phone, desk phone
■ Computers andperipherals. Computer,monitor, networkprinter, peripherals,scanners, virtual machines
■ Datacenter types. Racks, UPS systems
■ Generic asset types. Generic assets, network resources
■ Other assets. Furniture and fixtures, office equipment
Note: These categories contain some configuration item types that do not qualifyas assets, such as Power, Services, Site, and so on.
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Each configuration itemuses the The base configuration item type consists of thefollowing data classes
Creating configuration items for assetsGathering and entering information about assets in your organization is one ofthe first steps to successfully managing your assets. You create a configurationitem for each asset that youwant to track. You canmanually create configurationitems or they can be automatically created. You must manually createconfiguration items for non-networked assets, such as office equipment, racks,and monitors.
For networked devices, you can use inventorymanagement tools to automate thetask of creating a configuration item. For example, you can gather inventory dataabout computers on your network, and then have each computer automaticallycreated as a configuration item.
To manually create configuration items for assets
1 In the Symantec Management Console, click Home > Service and AssetManagement > Manage Configuration Items.
2 In the left pane, expand the folder for the type of configuration item that youwant to create. For example, to create a Computer item, expand theComputers and Peripherals folder.
3 Right-click the appropriate configuration item type, and then click the Createoption from the context menu. For example, right-click Computer, and thenclick Create Computer.
The Edit configuration item page appears.
4 Follow the on-screen instructions to enter information associated with theitem.
5 Save the changes.
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To automatically create configuration items for networked devices
1 Run an inventorymanagement program to identify devices on your network.For example, in the SymantecManagement Console, clickActions>Discover> Import Microsoft Active Directory. Follow the on-screen instructions toimport the information.
Each identified device is set up as a configuration item in the system.
2 View the configuration items by clicking Home > Service and AssetManagement > Manage Configuration Items, and then clicking the correctfolder and item type.
A list of configuration items displays in the right pane.
3 In the right pane, follow the on-screen instructions to edit, delete, or mergeconfiguration items as required.
4 Save the changes.
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