Understanding Asset Management

This topic discusses:

  • Asset management functionality.

  • Asset related actions.

  • Link definition setup.

Note: Asset management is relevant only to PeopleSoft HelpDesk; PeopleSoft Support and HelpDesk for Human Resources do not incorporate asset management functionality into their applications.

Asset management provides organizations with the ability to gather information about the hardware and software that is used over their network. The system can also detect the location of personal computers on the network.

Asset management offers these benefits:

  • Provides foundation data for effective troubleshooting.

  • Facilitates planning for upgrades.

  • Helps control the total cost of ownership.

  • Helps to accurately determine how much has been invested on a client system.

  • Increases company control and security.

Note: PeopleSoft Helpdesk does not currently provide any mechanisms to detect hardware and software assets from within the PeopleSoft CRM applications. You must integrate with a third-party application for asset discovery or remote control of technology assets.

After you set up an integration with a third-party asset management system, agents can perform these functions from the Case page or Case toolbar in PeopleSoft HelpDesk:

  • Asset Administrator

    Execute web administrator actions.

  • Asset Summary

    Run an ad hoc asset discovery process to verify configuration details of a specific asset.

  • Remote Control

    Execute a remote control process so a help desk agent can remotely take control of an employee’s desktop to resolve a problem.

  • Software Delivery

    Perform software delivery related actions

The PeopleSoft system delivers four link definitions that appear on the Case page in the Related Action drop-down list box:

  • Asset Administrator

  • Asset Summary

  • Remote Control

  • Software Delivery

Portal Crefs (content references) are set up on the Content Ref Administration page in PeopleSoft PeopleTools (select PeopleTools > Portal > Structure and Content > Hidden Crefs. Then click Asset Administrator, Asset Summary, Remote Control, or Software Delivery.

Link definitions are set up in PeopleSoft CRM on the Link Definition page (select Set Up CRM > Product Related > Call Center > Link Definition). Click the RELA (related actions) category.

On the Link Definition page, the Field Name in the Search Keys grid is set to cfResourceIdentifier.

Additionally, the PeopleSoft system selected the Solvable check boxes for all four link definitions. However, the Self-Service check boxes are not selected for any of the link definitions. The term Serial Number is associated with three link definitions (Asset Summary, Asset Administrator, and Remote Control).

At runtime, the system resolves the Serial Number term and adds it to the URL string. For example, the Asset Summary related action generates this URL: http://209.17.27.128/<path to third party asset system>&cfResourceIdentifier=2UB234345

Note: You may need to update the Portal CREF information to point to the correct URL based on your environment.

See the product documentation for PeopleTools: Portal Technology.