Ask the Expert: Live Chat | Assets and Models and CIs, Oh My!

[ServiceNow]

Original Air Date: Thursday, July 9, 2015 | 10:00 AM (PDT) | 1:00PM (EDT)

Do you struggle with the difference between Assets and Configuration Items? And why do we need Model records? Isn't that just another thing to maintain? Get a better understanding of these items, how they are different, and how they work together in this session with Ben Sweetser.

Ben Sweetser is a ServiceNow "old timer" with experience on the full platform with focus on Asset and Configuration Management and Automation, such as Orchestration and Discovery.

[klf1123]

Our Organization tracks applications unto themselves, their lifecycles, who supports them and whether they are standard (made their own lifecycle status) etc, etc. So they decided to put in your example "SQL Server" in the application table as a CI. Then when individuals call in for requests, incidents or problems they attach the application from the Application table same as a hardware CI. But then we have the asset on the license side and it is not connected to their application CI to reference operational data and asset data together. So we were considering adding the software license model to the CI Application record to link the two sides together. Does this make sense?

[lekskr]

I'm looking to understand how to customized the Asset-CI Field mapping and how the change the current Ci Status to Pending Install when Asset Substate is set to Pending Install and state is In Use.  Please advise.

Thank you,

Rattana

[Ankit18]

I have a host import process to load the hardware hosts into the ServiceNow cmdb_ci_server. Whenever a new asset is created it automatically syncs the cmdb_ci and alm_asset table. I need to understand the different of different state/status stored in the ServiceNow while importing the asset and which field should be used to get the current state of the asset?

cmdb_ci.install_status

alm_asset.install_status

cmdb_ci_server.install_status

cmdb_ci_server.hardware_status

[Damhoej]

In my opinion you should approach your question from a real world procedure, then it should make sense.

You want to buy a new "gadget" so you find out which you want to aquire.

Then you make a purchase order and order the gadget (servicenow has a good procurement feature for asset). The status can be seen on the PO. You create the model and model category

When your gadget arrives at your company it is received and registered (a hardware asset is created from the PO and the gadget). The gadget is then put on a shelf in a stockroom (hardware status is "in stock")

The gadget is delivered to a technician in order to get ready for use. the hardware status is changed to "In stock" and substatus is changed to "pending install" When the technician is done he places the gadget on the "ready to deliver" shelf and changes substatus to "Pending Install".

When you receive the gadget and starts using it, you sign for the gadget and the hardware status is changed to "In use".

The Hardware Asset also has a Configuration Item in order to track the use of the gadget.
The CI is created right after the asset (dictated by the model category), and the CI status is "In Stock" or "Pending Install"

When you get the gadget and hardware status is changes to "in use" the CI status changes to "Installed" (installed means that the gadget is now in production).

So the hardware status dictates the CI status and not the other way around.