xAssets for SCCM - IT Asset Management

Overview

xAssets for SCCM is a simple adaptation of our IT Asset Management solution to provide an out of the box reporting solution for SCCM customers.

The application facilitates integration and federation to other IT systems including Active Directory, Help Desks and other discovery tools, enabling a holistic view of the IT infrastructure in one easy to use browser based application.

Components of xAssets Network Discovery needed to discover Non-Domain Windows Nodes, ESX, Linux, Unix and MAC, Network Equipment, IP Phones and Printers, are included in the product so the SCCM Domain based Windows Endpoint Inventory can easily be extended to cover all IP based IT Assets. Customers can also manually enter or import assets from other sources, either as a one time import or as a scheduled job.

Software Asset Management is included and an optional Service Management application supporting advanced help desk and service management is also included in this solution.

Screenshots

Portfolio dashboard can be set to the home page, showing drilldownable summary charts and inventory. All charts, menus, links and scripts are configured to customer requirements.$Drilldownable charts give easy visual access to asset data, trends, distributions and changes. Charts, queries and reports are all different representations of the same thing - "queries", so requirements are met through the configuration layer by build queries specific to each customer's needs$Bar charts and pie charts are supported in all queries$List of recognized primary software titles on a discovered computer including date installed, date discovered and date uninstalled$Asset history records every change to every asset by user and date$Images and any kind of document can be attached to assets, incidents and most other data entities in the database$Windows servers, auto run programs, patches, software keys and many other values are collected by discovery and by SCCM integration$Queries can be configured to run in a context, which leads to specific functionality relevant to that query and the surrounding workflow$Asset editing forms can be specific to category and user group and can be configured to requirements$IMACS reporting is fully supported - Installations, Moves, Adds and Changes (IMACS) reports on all changes to asset infrastructure between defined dates. These reports (and any other report in the system) can also be issued through email alerts as email text content or as email attachments$IP addresses, subnets and blocks can be mapped to locations and technology specific credential packs allowing discovery without specifying per-device credentials which is difficult to maintain$Inter asset relationships are auto discovered and represented in the system. Relationships supported include PC-monitor, Computer-software license, VM host to guest, Sql Host to Sql Instance, Containment, Backup, Dependencies, etc and additional relationship types can be added and discovered$Software reports and the associated calculation engine are configured to each customers needs and include license allocation, downgrade rights, and licensing schemes including Microsoft Software Assurance are covered.

Image 1 of 13 - Portfolio dashboard can be set to the home page, showing drilldownable summary charts and inventory. All charts, menus, links and scripts are configured to customer requirements.

Key Functions

• Out of the box SCCM and AD integration
• Asset register includes all lifecycle processes
• Integrate to any IT systems
• Software includes License Compliance
• Hardware data from many data sources
• Network equipment, IP Phones, ESX, Linux, Unix and MAC can be discovered and classified
• Contract Management includes software contracts, providers, leases and warranties

Any function from any other xAssets solution can also be included, see the list of functions for more information.

Asset Lifecycle Processes

xAssets for SCCM provides the same capabilities as our discovery toolset to include coverage of the entire asset lifecycle from Procurement through Service, RMA and Reuse, and through to Disposal.

Benefits

• Browser Based interface allows LAN/WAN access without installation
• Hosted or Local installation
• Zero Impact Low Bandwidth Discovery. Or integrate to existing discovery tools
• Easily consolidate ITAM lifecycle business processes into a single application
• Feed data from multiple discovery tools and sources into a single CMDB
• Software Asset Management and Software License Compliance
• Hardware Inventory
• Contract and Lease Management
• Receive email notifications based on any condition or change
• Remote collection servers allow data collection from disparate networks and remote systems
• Save resources by using End User Portals

Data Flows

xAssets for SCCM sits at the center of your IT operations as a centralized data repository (CMDB) of Asset and Service information. Every group in IT has access to the system via a web browser to get up-to-date asset information. xAssets will typically collect information or federate information from some or all of the following to provide a complete and up-to-date IT asset repository:

Some implementations only integrate to a few of the sources shown, and none of the data feeds are mandatory. Integration with xAssets is easy to configure even when non-standard requirements or new integrations are required, so even when many integrations are possible, the implementation project might still only be a few days to complete.

Configuration

xAssets for SCCM is based on the xAssets Enterprise Framework, which is the most configurable and scalable Asset Management solutions available. Menu items, queries, profiles, integrations, data movements, triggers, business rules, reports, forms and processes can be configured from within the user interface. This flexibility makes the software ideal for large enterprises with complex requirements, whilst also providing the flexibility for SMEs to adjust the system to meet their exact requirements.

Evaluation Criteria and Competitive Analysis for SMEs

SMEs choose xAssets for SCCM for the following reasons:

• No Agents Installed on Discovered Desktops, Laptops or Servers
• Browser Based Client means no Installation on End User PCs
• Comprehensive Software Asset Management and Software Licensing features
• Software Asset Management Standard ISO-19770 can be achieved
• AD Integration and SCCM Integration are built in
• Hardware Inventory includes devices, monitors, VM Host Relationship and Services
• Security Specialists can use the software to determine correct configuration
• Services running on both Servers and Desktops
• Accessible Pricing

Evaluation Criteria and Competitive Analysis for Large Enterprises

In addition to the points above, Large Enterprises and Public Sector choose xAssets for SCCM for the following reasons:

• Scalability to support over 100,000 Windows Devices and 1,000,000 other assets
• Configuration features enables the software to adapt to each users specific needs
• Self Service portals can be configured to allow end user access
• User groups can be restricted to just the data and functionality they need to see for their role
• Intensive Support ensures maximum ROI and benefits
• Configuration can continue when the solution is in production
• Powerful Integration toolset allows easy integration to any system
• Strategic placement of Collection Servers enables discovery of disparate networks
• Collection Servers can also be placed to collect data from databases on other networks
• Data federation allows data from other systems to be hotlinked into xAssets queries
• Architecture allows easy setup of Disaster Recovery and Failover provisions

Configuration Options

To learn more about the functions and features available to IT Asset Management, Cloud Asset Management, Fixed Asset Management, Network Discovery and Enterprise Asset Management customers, Click Here

Click here to learn more about xAssets Network Discovery >

Click here to learn more about xAssets Service Management >