June 2007 — Asset management
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Taking Inventory
The district was already using BigFix for patch management and didn’t have the funding to buy a separate asset management system. Thomas Sims, M-DCPS’ director of network services, says, “BigFix wrote an add-on for us, allowing us to track asset information in the same database, including details like CPU, amount of RAM, and what software has been installed. We can register systems on the network, and then track them.”
Databases and Spreadsheets
“We do not use any off-the-shelf software for asset management,” says Robert Farrell, director of technology at Livingston Manor CSD. “I built a Microsoft Access database that controls our IT inventory. The database took me roughly a couple of hours to build.” Currently, Farrell says, the district is “tracking computers, laptops, monitors, servers, printers. We do not track software, license renewals, etc. I do that in a spreadsheet, but I will consider eventually adding it to the database.” Farrell also plans to add a repairs tracking section, “so we can tell which devices have been giving us the most problems.” And he wants to add toner tracking. “This is all fairly easy to set up if you have intermediate experience with Access.”
Dike-New Hartford Community School District in Iowa keeps most of its asset information on Microsoft Excel spreadsheets, according to Jeremiah Lehr, technology coordinator. “We have about 800 students, so we’re small enough to get by with this sort of solution.”
When does a spreadsheet stop being enough? They’re not automated, “so you spend time keeping it up to date,” says Dave Johnson, Altiris’ market segment manager for service and asset management. “Or an audit may be a compelling event.”
“Look at an integrated solution,” says Lafayette’s Little. “It’s too difficult, especially with a small number of people, to maintain multiple administrative consoles and interfaces. And make sure that the inventory information is in a readable format, and easy to understand.... For example, you want it to say ‘Microsoft Word,’ not just file names.”
Depending on how accurate your current software purchases are, asset management software may not trim your software costs. But it will ensure you know what you have, and where, which will help with repair dispatch, upgrade/replacement decisions...and knowing that your software usage is compliant with the licenses you’ve paid for.
Daniel P. Dern is a freelance technology and business writer.
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