Setting Up IT Asset Management Application Settings

This chapter provides an overview of IT Asset Management application settings and discusses how to:

Set up rule attributes.
Set up user-defined fields.
Set up business rules.
Set up inventory age.

Understanding IT Asset Management Application Settings

IT Asset Management Application Settings establish the basis for reconciling assets stored in your database with assets discovered by the third-party software. You set up rule attributes to represent the characteristics of a record field name within the PeopleSoft database and use the attributes to specify the criteria for defining business rules. In addition, three user-defined fields enable you to reconcile additional attributes from the third-party system. Business rules enable you to establish instructions and definitions for reconciling IT assets stored within your database and the IT assets discovered in the third-party database. Inventory age enables you to define the period to check if the IT asset is being engaged.

Setting Up Rule Attributes

To define rules attributes, use the Rule Attributes component (IT_RULE_ATTR)

This section provides an overview of rule attributes and discusses how to set up rule attributes.

Understanding Rule Attributes

Rule Attributes are used in creating business rules. Business rules within IT Asset Management are the fundamental tests that determine whether assets need attention, either in the system or in the field. Rule attributes define the detailed data of the tests. Rule attributes associate a business rule with a specified field within a specified record in the PeopleSoft database. Business rules must employ at least one rule attribute and may employ more than one.

For example, when setting up an attribute of serial_ID (data that is stored in the Asset repository), you select Asset from the Record field, then you select the Field Name of Serial_ID. The rule attribute of serial_ID then represents a detail -- a single field within the database, the asset's serial number. The business rule may then evaluate the data in that field for every asset where the business rule is invoked. How the business rule evaluates the data is discussed in the business rule section of this chapter.

See Setting Up Business Rules.

Attributes must be selected from these records only:

ASSET
ASSET_CUSTODIAN
ASSET_LOCATION
IT_HRDWR_CACHE – 3rd Party IT Asset Repository

Warning! Record names are restricted to the list provided with PeopleSoft software. Any additions or changes to the delivered tables are considered a customization and must be tested thoroughly before deploying into the production environment.

Terms such as today's date are not defined as rule attributes or rule values. Use metasql constructs for commonly used terms.

Common Metasql Constructs

Terms such as today's date are not defined as rule attributes. Use metasql constructs for commonly used terms.

Page Used to Set Up Rule Attributes

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Rule Attributes	IT_RULE_ATTR	Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, IT Asset Management, Rule Attributes	Define rule attributes to be used when establishing business rules.

Setting Up Rule Attributes

Access the Rule Attributes page.

Attribute ID

Enter the unique system identifier for the ID.

Description

Enter the description for the attribute being defined.

Note. This description appears as an attribute and not the attribute ID.

Record

Select a record from the list. The list of records available for defining rule attributes are: ASSET, ASSET_CUSTODIAN, ASSET_LOCATION, and IT_HRDWR_CACHE.

Field Name

Select a field from the list. Values vary depending on the record that you selected.

Note. The Record field and Field Name field have a parent–child relationship. The field names vary depending on record selection.

System Maintained

Display-only field. IT asset management provides the SOFTWARE. rule attribute when the System Maintained check box is selected.

Setting Up User-Defined Fields

To define user defined fields, use the User-Defined Fields component (IT_UDFIELDS).

This section provides an overview and discusses how to set up user-defined fields.

Understanding User-Defined Fields

IT Asset Management provides three user-defined fields that enable you to reconcile additional attributes from the third-party system that are not delivered with PeopleSoft software. These fields, upon activation, appear on the General Information page. They appear on the manage exceptions list once they are active and have an attribute and rule associated with them. These fields also appear on the Asset and IT_HRDWR_CACHE (table loaded from third party).

To Change User-Defined Fields

You may decide to stop tracking one attribute and start tracking another. To change user-defined attributes:

Inactivate the field in IT Asset Management.
Manually replace all the values in IT_HRDWR_CACHE and PS_ASSET tables to ' '.

You should use a sql tool to do this.
Customize the third-party application to send the new attribute instead of the old attribute.

This replaces the data in IT_HRDWR_CACHE. Refer to the third-party documentation for details.
Run the integration between PeopleSoft software and third-party system. Run Asset Compare.

Page Used to Set Up User-Defined Fields

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
User-Defined Fields	IT_UDFIELDS	Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, IT Asset Management, User-Defined Fields	Define user-defined fields to reconcile IT assets.

Setting Up User-Defined Fields

Access the User Defined Fields page.

Field Name

Displays a list of all delivered user-defined fields.

Status

Select Active or Inactive.

Type

Specify the type of data for the field. Values are Character or Numeric.

Short Name and Long Name

Enter the short and long name for the user defined fields. The names appear as a label name and the fields are required.

Note. If you do not enter a short name, the system supplies the system name for this field.

Setting Up Business Rules

To define business rules, use the Business Rules component (IT_RULE_DEFN).

This section provides an overview of business rules and discusses how to:

Define business rules.
Define business rule subtypes
Add comments to business rules

Understanding Business Rules

Business rules enable you to establish instructions and definitions for reconciling IT assets stored within your database and the IT assets discovered in the third-party database. You set up the attributes and operators to reconcile IT assets and invoke processes to occur when a comparison of these IT assets fails.

You define business rules within a certain framework provided by the system. This framework is restricted to certain predefined attributes and operators. The attributes provide a simple way of representing record names and field names. For example, Repository Custodian is an attribute. Behind the scenes, this translates to the ASSET_CUSTODIAN.CUSTODIAN table and field name combination. The system also provides the capability to enter free-form SQL where clauses.

Once you've defined your business rules, the reconciliation process evaluates the IT assets in the third-party database and the IT asset management database. If an exception occurs, an action is defined to handle the exception.

For example, if you establish a business rule criteria of Dept ID:ARM <> Dept ID:Disco and Business Unit:ARM= US001 and the action of Update ARM, Email Custodian, and route to the Role of Finance Dept, the system suggests the actions for IT assets in the ARM business unit US001, The actions include notifying the custodian with an email, explaining the difference, updating the ARM directly, and routing it to the Finance department to transfer the asset.

The rule only suggests the actions and does not execute them during the comparison process.

Note. If no action is selected for a business rule, an error occurs.

Warning! Any additions or changes to business rules are considered a customization and must be tested thoroughly before deploying into the production environment.

System-Delivered Business Rules

PeopleSoft software provides standard business rules as system data. If the rule is system maintained, you cannot change the Reconcile Attribute or the first rule in the rule set. The System Maintained checkbox is unavailable. You can add, delete, or change actions in the action set.

Note. Only the value Software is system maintained.

The Software business rule works in a different way from the other rules. The software rule can only be activated or deactivated in the business rules component. The sql is not viewable and the logic is based on attributes defined in the software definition. All software rules are defined in Software Attributes.

If you choose not to use the business rule, change the status to Inactive.

PeopleSoft software provides these predefined business rules:

Rule ID	Rule Description	Action Set
Business Unit	The business unit for the serial ID of a discovered asset does not match the business unit in the asset repository.	Route to Finance
Dept ID	The custodian department ID for a discovered asset does not match the department ID in the asset repository.	Update custodian department ID. Route to Finance.
Empl ID	The custodian employee ID for a discovered asset does not match the employee ID in the asset repository.	Update custodian in ARM. Email custodian. Email primary user.
Location	The location for a discovered asset does not match the location in the asset repository.	Update Asset Repository.
MFG ID	The manufacturer's ID for a discovered asset does not match the manufacturer's ID in the asset repository.	Update Asset Repository.
Model	The model number for a discovered asset does not match the model number in the asset repository.	Update Asset Repository.
Serial ID-ARM	An asset appearing in the asset repository does not appear in the discovered assets.	Update serial ID in ARM. Retire asset. Move to inventory.
Serial ID-Disco	A discovered asset does not appear in the asset repository.	Add asset. Route to Finance.
Software	Unauthorized software	Email custodian. Email custodian manager Email primary user.

Pages Used to Set Up Business Rules

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Business Rules – Definition	IT_RULE_DEFN	Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, IT Asset Management, Business Rules, Definition	Define business rules for IT asset reconciliation.
Business Rules – Subtype	IT_RULE_STYPE	Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, IT Asset Management, Business Rules, Subtype	Define the asset subtypes that map to the business rule.
Business Rules – Comments	IT_RULE_COMMENTS	Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related, IT Asset Management, Business Rules, Comments	Enter the reason or explanation for defining the business rule.

Defining Business Rules

Access the Business Rules - Definition page.

Note. Business rules and the comparison process only apply to IT hardware assets. This criteria is not included in every Business Rule, rather it is hard coded in the processing.

Rule ID	Enter the unique rule name or ID for this business rule.
Status	Set the status to Active or Inactive. Inactive rules are not processed by the reconciliation process. However, the Status field could be leveraged as a tool in a phased implementation approach. For instance, you could deploy Serial ID, model, and manufacturer matching in the first phase, and deploy other rules to target specific issues/problems.
Reconcile Attribute	Select the primary attribute for reconciliation from the list of valid values or one of the user-defined fields. Remember that the user-defined attributes must be defined first and the user defined fields must be activated prior to defining the user defined attribute.
	Click the View SQL button to view the SQL criteria created from the rule set.
Rule Sequence	The order in which the rules are compared.
System Maintained	Display only field. IT Asset Management provides rules that are fundamental to the business process. For example, the rule for software is defined as a system maintained rule. If the rule is system maintained, you cannot change the Reconcile Attribute or the rule set. However, you can configure actions and update the description of the rule.

Define Rule Set

Seq	Displays the system-assigned number that denotes the sequence in which that row of data was entered into the grid.
Attr1 Type	Select the value to define your rule set. Values are: Attribute: Select to define the attributes for the rule set. You populate the corresponding fields with specific values, which define the criteria for reconciliation of the IT assets. SQL: Select to create custom criteria for the rule set. Note. If you select SQL the corresponding fields in the row are not available.
Attribute1	Select to define the rule set conditions. Attributes are user-friendly terms used in lieu of record names and field names.
Operator	Use in conjunction with Attributes to create your criteria. Valid values are: =, <>, >, >=, <, <=, Like, and Not Like.
Attr2 Type	Select the attribute type from the list. Values are: Attribute: Select to populate the corresponding Attribute2 field with additional criteria. Value: Select to populate the corresponding Value field with additional criteria.
Attribute2	Select the value to define the rule set conditions. Attributes are user-friendly terms used in lieu of record names and field names. Note. This field is dynamic and is available only if you selected Attribute from the Attr2 Type list.
Value	Enter a value to define the reconciliation rule set. The system reconciles by the value defined.
	Click the SQL button to enter the custom reconciliation criteria. Note. The icon only appears if you select SQL from Attr1 Type field. Warning! You must test the SQL statement before moving the rule to production.

Note. Special considerations for date evaluations: When using an attribute field that references a date or datetime field, that attribute can only be compared to another date, or datetime attribute. A value cannot be inserted for a date in the Value column. In order to use specific dates, use the SQL attribute.

Define Rule Action

Business rule sets establish the attributes and operators to reconcile IT assets; action sets suggest the processes to occur when a comparison of these IT assets fails. If an IT asset is discovered based on the rule set, you establish a set of options for that rule set. Action sets can include notifying the asset manager that an IT asset needs to be updated with the correct custodian, adding the discovered asset to the asset repository, or sending an email asking the custodian to verify if the discovered IT asset is being used by someone else.

Option	Select one of the following values: Update ARM: Updates the asset repository. Add Asset: Adds the asset to the ARM. Retire Asset: Retires the asset if it is a non-financial asset. Move to Inventory: Moves the asset to inventory. This asset is now available for reuse. Email Custodian: Sends an email to the custodian. You can select the message in the message catalog that you wish to send. Email Manager: Sends an email to the manager. You can select the message in the message catalog that you wish to send. Email Primary User: Sends an email to the individual who is using the IT asset. You can select the message in the message catalog that you wish to send. Email Primary User Manager: Sends an email to the manager of the individual who is using the IT asset. You can select the message in the message catalog that you wish to send. Email Group Owner: Applies only to software. Emails the group owner of the authorization list of the software title. Route to Role: Select to route to a particular role. For example, to transfer an asset, select Route to Role for a transferable attribute. The discovered IT asset information is routed to the finance department to complete the transfer.
Role Name	Select the role to receive the notification. When there is a financial impact on a transaction for a discovered IT asset such as: add asset, retire asset or move to inventory, the route to role becomes an option. This option routes the discovered IT asset information to the appropriate department for processing. Note. This field is dynamic and is only available when you choose Route to Role in the Options field.
Msg Set and Msg #	Select the message set and number that you wish to send when you select an email option. Note. The Message Set and Message Number are validated against the message catalog when the page is saved.
Description	Enter the description for the option. The description displays on the Confirm Actions page of the Manage Exceptions List.

Defining Business Rule Subtypes

Access the Business Rules - Subtype page.

All Subtypes

Select to search for IT assets in all subtype categories. All Subtypes is the default setting for all business rules.

Note. If selected, the Subtype List grid will be hidden. Clear the All Subtypes check box to define individual subtypes you wish to discover.

Subtype List

IT Subtype

Select the subtype for the business rule defined. The asset's subtype is the only attribute that is actively changed by the comparison process. Even though there is no rule to control the attribute, the attribute will be automatically updated whenever the subtype differs between the ARM and the third-party inventory database.

Adding Comments to Business Rules

Access the Business Rules - Comments page.

Enter comments you wish to capture for this business rule.

Setting Up Inventory Age

To set up inventory age, use the Inventory Age component (IT_TSPAN_DEFN).

This section provides an overview of inventory age and discusses how to:

Define inventory age.
Define subtypes for inventory age

Understanding Inventory Age

Inventory age enables you to define the period to check if the IT asset is being engaged. The third-party inventory system obtains periodic reports from computers connected to the host network. The period is likely to be one week, but may be a day or month or another time interval for which the data is obtained. Not all computers are connected to the network and some computers–like laptops– may only be connected on occasion, thus may not be reported in a timely manner.

Therefore, when the third-party system sends data, it includes the period in which the data was obtained. Administrators assign alerts when inventory data gets too old. Old inventory data may indicate a missing computer because that computer failed to report for the period specified. This function enables you to audit on reporting failures and prompt investigations.

You can define more than one inventory age for an asset, however you can only associate one inventory age to a user.

Note. Only one inventory age per asset can be active at one time.

Pages Used to Set Up Inventory Age

Page Name	Object Name	Navigation	Usage
Inventory Age	IT_TSPAN_DEFN_01	Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related , IT Asset Management, Inventory Age	Define inventory age.
Sub Types	IT_TSPAN_DEFN_02	Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related , IT Asset Management, Sub Types	Define subtypes for the inventory age. Note. The system sends an error message if you have the same subtype defined in two or more inventory ages.

Page Name

Object Name

Navigation

Usage

Inventory Age

IT_TSPAN_DEFN_01

Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related , IT Asset Management, Inventory Age

Define inventory age.

Sub Types

IT_TSPAN_DEFN_02

Set Up Financials/Supply Chain, Product Related , IT Asset Management, Sub Types

Define subtypes for the inventory age.

Note. The system sends an error message if you have the same subtype defined in two or more inventory ages.

Defining Inventory Age

Access the Inventory Age page.

Inventory Age Seq (Inventory Age Sequence)

Displays the order of the Inventory Age criteria. The system uses a sequence number to make them unique.

Duration

Enter a numeric value to define the associated period.

You must enter duration in ascending order, such as 3 weeks, 6 weeks and 9 weeks.
This applies to all inventory age, not duration specifically. Check the error table for additional assets that may be reporting but are not showing up because of mapping errors.

Period

Select from the list of values. Values are: Days, Months, Weeks, and Years.

Defining Inventory Age Subtypes

Access the Inventory Age - SubTypes page.

Subtype

Enter the subtype for the duration and period defined. Subtypes enable you to define specific IT asset types you wish to be reported. If you leave the subtype blank, then all subtypes will be reported.

If you select a subtype for a shorter duration, it is automatically included in the longer durations. If you have created a subtype with a shorter duration and you try and create the same subtype with a longer duration, you will get an error message.

Attribute ID	Enter the unique system identifier for the ID.
Description	Enter the description for the attribute being defined. Note. This description appears as an attribute and not the attribute ID.
Record	Select a record from the list. The list of records available for defining rule attributes are: ASSET, ASSET_CUSTODIAN, ASSET_LOCATION, and IT_HRDWR_CACHE.
Field Name	Select a field from the list. Values vary depending on the record that you selected. Note. The Record field and Field Name field have a parent–child relationship. The field names vary depending on record selection.
System Maintained	Display-only field. IT asset management provides the SOFTWARE. rule attribute when the System Maintained check box is selected.

Field Name	Displays a list of all delivered user-defined fields.
Status	Select Active or Inactive.
Type	Specify the type of data for the field. Values are Character or Numeric.
Short Name and Long Name	Enter the short and long name for the user defined fields. The names appear as a label name and the fields are required. Note. If you do not enter a short name, the system supplies the system name for this field.