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Preparing for Discovery

xAssets IT Asset Management User Guide
Discovering a Network

Preparing for Discovery

Before running network discovery, you need to tell xAssets which parts of your network to scan and how to map IP addresses to physical locations. This preparation ensures that discovered assets are automatically assigned to the correct location in your asset register.

Overview

Preparation involves two main steps:

  1. Enter or import location records -- create the locations that assets will be assigned to
  2. Attach IP ranges to locations -- map IP address ranges to those locations so discovery knows where each device belongs

Prerequisites

  • The xAssets Collection Server must be installed and the Discovery Service must be running
  • You need Configuration User or Administrator access to manage locations and IP ranges
  • If you plan to use Active Directory integration, run that first so locations and departments are pre-populated (see Active Directory Integration)

Step 1: Enter or Import Location Records

  1. From the Standard Menu, choose Discover > Prepare > Manage IP Ranges and Locations, which opens the Data Mapping -- IP Range to Location Mapping form
  2. Click the Locations... button to open the locations editor

TODO Screenshot: ClickMenu "Discovery Dashboard" | PrintScreen "itam-discovering-a-network-preparing-for-discovery"

  1. Click New to create a new location record
  2. Enter the location name and any additional details (address, building, floor, etc.)

TODO Screenshot: ClickMenu "Discovery Dashboard" | PrintScreen "itam-discovering-a-network-preparing-for-discovery-2"

  1. Click OK to save the location

Tip: If you have many locations to set up, use the Import... button to download a sample spreadsheet template. Fill it in with your location data and import it to create locations in bulk rather than entering them one at a time.

Step 2: Attach IP Ranges to Locations

  1. Return to the Data Mapping screen (or navigate to Discover > Discovery Dashboard > Preparation)
  2. Click New... to create a new IP range mapping

TODO Screenshot: ClickMenu "Discovery Dashboard" | PrintScreen "itam-discovering-a-network-preparing-for-discovery-3"

  1. Enter the IP range using wildcard notation (e.g., 192.168.1.* for the entire 192.168.1.0/24 subnet)
  2. Select the corresponding location from the drop-down list

TODO Screenshot: ClickMenu "Discovery Dashboard" | PrintScreen "itam-discovering-a-network-preparing-for-discovery-4"

  1. Optionally, select a Credential Pack under the Collection Server field if this IP range requires specific credentials. If left at the default, discovery uses the account configured for the xAssets Discovery Service
  2. Click OK to save the mapping

Tip: The Import... button on this screen also supports bulk import of IP range mappings from a spreadsheet, allowing you to create both locations and IP ranges at once.

TODO Screenshot: ClickMenu "Discovery Dashboard" | PrintScreen "itam-discovering-a-network-preparing-for-discovery-5"

What Happens Next

Once locations and IP ranges are configured:

  • You can run discovery by location, which scans all IP ranges associated with the selected locations
  • Discovered assets are automatically assigned to the correct location based on their IP address
  • If no IP range mapping matches, the asset is still discovered but assigned to the default (or no) location

Common Mistakes

Mistake Consequence Fix
Overlapping IP ranges assigned to different locations Assets may be assigned to the wrong location Review your IP range mappings and remove overlaps
IP range too broad (e.g., 10.*.*.*) Discovery takes much longer and may scan unintended subnets Use specific ranges like 10.15.13.*
No Credential Pack and wrong service account Discovery cannot authenticate to target machines Create and assign a Credential Pack, or ensure the Discovery Service runs under an account with admin access to target machines