Asset Management Guide
Effective asset management is crucial for IT operations. ITSM-NG provides comprehensive tools to track, manage, and maintain all your IT assets throughout their lifecycle.Understanding Assets
ITSM-NG manages various types of assets:- Computers: Desktops, laptops, and servers
- Network Equipment: Switches, routers, access points
- Peripherals: Monitors, printers, phones
- Software: Applications and licenses
- Components: Internal hardware (RAM, CPUs, hard drives)
Managing Computers
Adding a New Computer
Enter Basic Information
Fill in the General tab:
- Name: Computer hostname or identifier
- Status: Operational state (In use, In stock, etc.)
- Location: Physical location
- Type: Desktop, Laptop, Server, etc.
- Manufacturer: Computer brand
- Model: Specific model number
Add Identification Details
- Serial number: Manufacturer’s serial number
- Inventory number: Internal tracking number
- UUID: Universally unique identifier
Assign Users and Groups
- User: Person using the computer
- Group: Department or team
- Technician in charge: IT staff responsible
- Group in charge: IT team responsible
For auto-discovered computers, most fields are populated automatically via inventory tools.
Computer Tabs Overview
Operating Systems
Track installed operating systems:- Operating System: Windows, Linux, macOS, etc.
- Version: Specific version number
- Architecture: 32-bit or 64-bit
- Service Pack: Update level
- License: OS license information
Components
Manage internal hardware components:- Processors: CPU model and count
- Memory: RAM modules and capacity
- Storage: Hard drives and SSDs
- Graphics Cards: GPU information
- Network Cards: Network adapters
- Sound Cards: Audio hardware
Volumes
Track disk partitions and storage:- Partition: Name and mount point
- Total Size: Disk capacity
- Free Space: Available storage
- File System: NTFS, ext4, APFS, etc.
Software
View all installed applications:- Software name: Application title
- Version: Installed version
- Installation date: When installed
- License: Associated license if applicable
Connecting Items to Computers
Link peripherals and components:Connected items can be either dedicated (one-to-one) or shared (one-to-many).
Network Configuration
Managing Network Ports
Each computer can have multiple network interfaces:Add a Port
- Port type: Ethernet, WiFi, etc.
- Port name: Interface name (eth0, wlan0)
- MAC address: Hardware address
- IP address: Assigned IP
- Network: Associated network segment
Financial Management
Information Management (Infocom)
Track financial details for each asset:- Supplier: Vendor who provided the asset
- Order number: Purchase order reference
- Purchase date: When acquired
- Delivery date: When received
- Purchase value: Original cost
- Warranty: Duration and expiration
- Invoice number: Billing reference
Tracking Asset Value
ITSM-NG automatically calculates:- Net book value: Current depreciated value
- TCO (Total Cost of Ownership): Purchase + maintenance + ticket costs
- Monthly TCO: Average monthly cost
Contracts and Agreements
Linking Contracts to Assets
Associate maintenance and support contracts:Documents and Knowledge
Attaching Documentation
Store manuals, certificates, and guides with assets:- Navigate to the Documents tab
- Click Add a document
- Upload file or link existing document
- Set document category and visibility
Linking Knowledge Base Articles
Associate helpful articles with assets:- Items tab in KB articles
- Link troubleshooting guides
- Create asset-specific procedures
Bulk Operations
Mass Updates
Update multiple assets simultaneously:Choose Action
Click Actions dropdown and select:
- Update: Modify field values
- Add item: Connect to another item
- Move: Change location or entity
- Delete: Remove from inventory
Auto-Update Features
ITSM-NG can propagate changes from computers to connected items: When enabled, changing a computer’s:- Location → Updates connected peripherals’ location
- User → Updates connected items’ user
- Group → Updates connected items’ group
- Status → Updates connected items’ status
- Contact → Updates connected items’ contact
Reservations
Allow users to reserve available assets:Create Reservation
- Select Start and End dates
- Choose User making the reservation
- Add optional Comments
Asset Lifecycle Management
Asset States
Track assets through their lifecycle:- In stock: Available but not deployed
- In use: Actively deployed
- Under maintenance: Being repaired
- Retired: End of life
- Lost/Stolen: Missing assets
Decommissioning Assets
Deleted items go to trash first and can be restored before permanent deletion.
Virtual Machines
Track virtualization information:- Virtualization type: VMware, Hyper-V, etc.
- Host system: Physical server
- Guest systems: VMs running on this host
- Resource allocation: CPU, RAM assigned
Anti-virus Information
Monitor anti-virus status:- Software: Anti-virus product
- Version: Current version
- Signature date: Last virus definition update
- Expiration: License expiration
Best Practices
Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
|---|---|
O | Open computers list |
Troubleshooting
Asset not appearing in searches- Check entity assignment and your entity access
- Verify the asset is not deleted (check trash)
- Ensure visibility permissions are correct
- Verify both items are in compatible entities
- Check that the item isn’t already connected elsewhere
- Ensure you have update rights on both items
- Verify inventory agent is running on the computer
- Check network connectivity to ITSM-NG server
- Review inventory rules and import configurations