Computers (SP) ApplicationComputers (SP) ApplicationYou use the Computers (SP) application to view information about hardware and software installed on computers deployed throughout your enterprise. Data displayed in this application is deployed asset data.
The system maintains information technology (IT) asset data in two different modules, the Assets module and the Deployed Assets module.
Assets Module - Asset records for purchased or leased IT assets are maintained in the Assets (SP) application. You create these records in the Assets (SP) application. An IT asset is an asset that has a class structure identifier that belongs to the top-level IT classification used in your enterprise.
Deployed Assets Module - In addition to asset information in the Assets (SP) applications, the Deployed Assets module applications maintain data collected directly from assets actually installed in your enterprise. To gather this data, discovery tools (such as IBM Tivoli Configuration Manager or Microsoft SMS) scan computers, network devices, and network printers deployed in your enterprise and record information about the hardware and software installed on those assets. An integration tool, such as Integration Composer, imports the collected data into the database. You view this data in the Deployed Assets module applications.
Note: In this online help, the term IT asset refers to information technology assets maintained in the Assets (SP) application. The term deployed asset refers to asset data maintained in the Deployed Assets module applications.
The Computers (SP) application displays data about computers deployed in your enterprise. It includes tabs with specific information about the computer itself as well as the computer's software, storage devices, processors, media adapters (such as sound and video cards), communication devices (such as modems and network adapters), network settings for TCP/IP and IPX, image devices (such as printers and scanners), displays, and users. You can use this application to view information about deployed computers, but you cannot use it to create computer records. Computer records displayed in the Computers (SP) application are read-only; you cannot edit them. You can use this application to delete computer records from the database, but you cannot delete a component, such as a processor, from a computer record.
The customer authorization settings in the Security Groups (SP) application restrict access to information in the Computers (SP) application. The customer authorization settings ensure that, in systems with multiple customers, users can only view computers belonging to the customers that they can access. For example, if Provider ABC manages IT assets for several customers, a service desk agent who works for Provider ABC can see the computers belonging to all of the customers, but an employee of one of the customers can only view the computers that that customer owns.
Data displayed in this application varies depending on the discovery tool used to collect the data. Some data fields in the Computers (SP) application might be empty. An empty field indicates that the discovery tool did not collect the data or that administrators did not map the data for import into the database. Data displayed in some fields in the Computers (SP) application is affected by parameters your administrator defines in administrative applications. Administrative applications affect how the system displays manufacturer, media adapter, operating system, processor, and software names as well as software suites and usage frequency data for software applications.
Service Providers can discover deployed assets in multiple customer networks. In IBM Tivoli Integration Composer, the customer can be set to a common value for all deployed assets discovered in one session. Setting a value for the customer can to help filter the deployed asset records during reconciliation.
There is no validation on the Customer field. If you set an invalid customer during a discovery session, you might not be able to see the discovered asset records in the deployed assets applications because security limits access to these records based on the value in the Customer field.
You use the Computers (SP) application to perform the following actions:
View data collected by a discovery tool about computers deployed in your enterprise.
Delete computer records.
The Computers (SP) application contains the following tabs:
List: to search for computer records.
Computer: to view and delete computer records from the database.
Processors: to view central processor (CPU) information for the selected computer.
Storage: to view disk and logical drive information for the selected computer.
Software: to view software applications, software suites, operating systems, and file information for the selected computer.
Network: to view network information (TCP/IP and IPX settings) for the selected computer.
Communication: to view information about modems and network adapters on the selected computer.
Media Adapters: to view information about media adapters (sound and video cards) on the selected computer.
Displays: to view computer monitor information for the selected computer.
Image Devices: to view information about image devices (raster, paper-oriented peripheral devices such as printers and scanners) connected to the selected computer.
Users: to view information about users of the selected computer.