How do you structure Asset when each instance of a laptop can have variable hardware (different RAM, processor, etc.)?

[garrett_griffin]

How do you structure Asset when each instance of a laptop can have variable hardware (different RAM, processor, etc.)?

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I have a client that is a fairly small company and allows their employees some flexibility within a particular laptop model.

How should this be structured? Do all instances of a hardware model need the exact same specs?

[Community Alums · Accepted solution]

Garrett,

There are different ways you can handle this from the Model perspective:

• Just do a single model record to represent the model of the device
• Create individual model records to represent the different default configurations from the vendor

I typically recommend the latter, as that gives you more flexibility with regards to identification. For example, a manufacturer could put out a recall on laptops with an i5 processor but not the ones with an i7 processor. Or maybe a notice is put out on devices with a solid state drive but not those with a magnetic drive. Having separate models for the different default configurations can help isolate the appropriate systems.

Model records themselves, however, do not have fields for processor and RAM because these items can be changed in many systems. This type of information is maintained at the CI record because it represents the operational configuration of the item. Just like the OS and software installations can change on the device, so can some of the hardware characteristics. This is one of the great things about having Assets and CIs in the same system and linked. You track the configuration information in the CI and it does not need to affect the Asset record. If you track RAM or other components as consumables or assets, you can still tie them back to the asset record as part of an upgrade or change to that configuration, though.

I hope this helps get you going.

Ben

[garrett_griffin]

Thanks Ben! This is excellent information. I very much appreciate you taking the time to steer me in the right direction.

[A Westervelt]

To expand on the 2nd bullet point for Ben, we have something similar with our Lenovo laptops. ServiceNow Discovery pulls the manufacturer's model number that we have to attribute to the model family. With some management, I have been able to map the manufacturer, model name, and the model number fields to be able to identify each variation.

[rjstefani]

Hi Andrew,

We had worked with Ben and Doc from ServiceNow and we were unable to discover the manufacturer model number/SKU via discovery for our HP machines. Could you possibly shed some light on how you were able to capture the SKU?

Thanks,