Best practices for naming configuration items in hardware assets

[booher04]

We are somewhat new to the asset management modules in ServiceNow and I'm just wondering what a best practice would be for naming(Name field on cmdb_ci_computer) the configuration item that displays on the Hardware Asset form.   I have setup the Display name to pull the Model data but I was wondering what most people use as the "Name" for their configuration items.   On our configuration item form we have:   Manufacturer and Model ID that we use, but Name is blank right now(which is what hardware assets seem to pull the "configuration item" field from).   Would a best practice be to use the Manufacturer and Model ID for that configuration item field?

[Morten Steenbac]

bsweetser - what about the scenario where a CI (in this case a client PC) gets decommissioned and later re-deployed as new CI record.

I our case it would get a new hostname.

Would you then update the asset tag to the new host name on the related Asset record?

We are considering running assets tags and ci names in 2 separate naming conventions, so that the asset keeps the same asset tag throughout its lifecycle, but leaves room for the related CI to change name along the way.

Any advice in that direction?

[Community Alums]

Hi Morten,

I realize it is not explicitly stated in the discussion above because the scenario was basing the hostname on the asset tag, not the other way around, but an asset tag should never change once it is assigned. As a unique identifier for the asset, it is very problematic to have it change throughout the lifecycle.

Ben

[Morten Steenbac]

Hi Ben - I agree.

Consider this scenario, and which assets and ci's are created or updated during the process.

1. I client PC is procured, put on stock. An asset is created and assigned an asset tag: WRK123456

2. The PC gets software deployed by f.ex. SCCM and receives the hostname WRK123456 (identical to the asset tag) and is handed out to user X.

3. User X leaves the company and hands in his PC. The asset goes to stock.

4. User Y starts and the company and receives the PC with asset tag WRK123456, which has been re-deployed through SCCM.

Is a new CI record created with a new hostname, or do we change state to 'in use' on the original CI record and change the hostname? (and then asset tag and hostname get's out of sync)

How would you see the CI history from the asset record? It would be nice to see the decommision/redeployment history.

[Morten Steenbac]

bsweetser - I have created an independant discussion for this one: Identical asset tag and CI hostname scenario

[Community Alums]

Thanks. I responded there.