ALTIRIS CMDB Solution 6.5 Product Guide

Transcription

1 ALTIRIS CMDB Solution 6.5 Product Guide

2 Notice Altiris CMDB Solution Altiris, Inc. All rights reserved. Document Date: July 19, 2007 Information in this document: (i) is provided for informational purposes only with respect to products of Altiris or its subsidiaries ( Products ), (ii) represents Altiris' views as of the date of publication of this document, (iii) is subject to change without notice (for the latest documentation, visit our Web site at and (iv) should not be construed as any commitment by Altiris. Except as provided in Altiris' license agreement governing its Products, ALTIRIS ASSUMES NO LIABILITY WHATSOEVER AND DISCLAIMS ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES RELATING TO THE USE OF ANY PRODUCTS, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION, WARRANTIES OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, MERCHANTABILITY, OR INFRINGEMENT OF ANY THIRD-PARTY INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY RIGHTS. Altiris assumes no responsibility for any errors or omissions contained in this document, and Altiris specifically disclaims any and all liabilities and/or obligations for any claims, suits or damages arising in connection with the use of, reliance upon, or dissemination of this document, and/or the information contained herein. Altiris may have patents or pending patent applications, trademarks, copyrights, or other intellectual property rights that relate to the Products referenced herein. The furnishing of this document and other materials and information does not provide any license, express or implied, by estoppel or otherwise, to any foregoing intellectual property rights. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the express written consent of Altiris, Inc. Customers are solely responsible for assessing the suitability of the Products for use in particular applications or environments. Products are not intended for use in medical, life saving, life sustaining, critical control or safety systems, or in nuclear facility applications. *All other names or marks may be claimed as trademarks of their respective companies. CMDB Solution 6.5 2

3 Chapter 1: Introducing Altiris CMDB Solution Recommended Altiris Solutions for Integration with CMDB Solution CMDB Solution Features and Tasks Terminology Chapter 2: Installation CMDB Solution Requirements Installing CMDB Solution CMDB Solution Licensing Chapter 3: Types Predefined and User-Defined Types Base Types Data Classes CMDB Data Classes General Data Classes Creating and Configuring a Data Class Adding Data Class Attributes to a Data Class Data Class Attribute Parameters Data Input Masks Association Types Type Relationships Creating a Association Type Working with Types Editing a Type Creating a Type Exporting and Importing Type Definitions Setting Default Values for Type Fields Type Interface Items Edit Type Page List s Page Association Type Page Data Class Page Data Class Summary Page Chapter 4: s Categories Asset Types Category Asset Types Category Fields Asset Life Cycle Retiring vs. Disposing of an Asset Computer Type Renaming Retired and Disposed Computers Contract Types Category Service Types Category Datacenter Types Category Bulk Editing Merging s Creating and Editing Collections from Lists Association Diagram List Page Creating User-defined Item Tasks Reports CMDB Solution 6.5 1

4 Chapter 5: Configuration and Use CMDB Global Settings Ownership Allowing Assets to Have Multiple Users Transfer Ownership of an Asset Percentage Ownership of s Clean Up Ownership Relationships Assigning Computer Ownership to the Primary User Setting Default Values for Type Fields Cleaning Up Computer Data Disabling the Computer Purge Feature Synchronizing Hierarchy Collections Assigning Asset Location Based on Changing Display Names Changing the Order of the Display Page Tabs Synchronizing Inventory Solution Computer Data Viewing a Change History Merging Duplicate Computer or User s Automatically Merging Duplicate s Configuring CMDB Rules Chapter 6: Security Role-based Security Predefined Security Roles Viewing and Configuring Role-based Security Role Creation Considerations Scope-based Security Setting Permissions for Types and Data Classes Security Scoping for Reports Associated Security Reporting Report on Owned s Chapter 7: CMDB Scenarios Creating a CMDB Rule for Retired Assets Dell Computer Manufacturer Normalization Example Missing Barcode Remediation Example Creating an Service CMDB Solution 6.5 2

5 Chapter 1 Introducing Altiris CMDB Solution Altiris CMDB (Configuration Management Database) Solution lets you model configuration items and the relationships between them in a single, central database, to facilitate identification of all components and relationships, and to instigate any required changes. Recommended Altiris Solutions for Integration with CMDB Solution The following Altiris solutions work tightly with CMDB Solution: Altiris Asset Management Solution 6.5 includes a number of ready-made predefined resource types. Examples: Computer, Department, Cost Center, and so on. This solution helps organizations maximize existing IT investments by eliminating unnecessary software and hardware costs, managing contracts and entitlements, and aligning service resources with IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) standards. Asset Management Solution also supports the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, COBIT, and HIPAA. Altiris Inventory Solution 6.1 (or later). If you want to add computer inventory data to your resource management system, you will need Altiris Inventory Solution for Windows, Altiris Inventory Solution for Mac, and Altiris Inventory Solution for UNIX as applicable to your environment. Inventory Solution is also required to take full advantage of the software licensing features of Contract Management. Altiris Application Metering Solution 6.0 (or later). If this solution is used, you can collect additional computer asset and software licensing data. Altiris Connector Solution 6.5. Connector Solution lets you transfer data between numerous external data sources and the Notification Database. Any number of resources and items can be imported or exported. Altiris Barcode Solution 6.6 (or later). Barcode Solution populates the database with information on managed resources from a handheld barcode scanner. CMDB Solution Features and Tasks 1. Organize your resources. s are organized using resource types. You can use predefined resource types or create your own resource types. Whenever possible, use predefined resource types because they leverage other resource types, provide summary data on the resources entered with them, include associated reports, and include functionality not available in custom resource types. If none of the predefined resource types meet your needs, you can create a new resource type. Before creating the resource type, you will probably need to create CMDB Solution 6.5 3

6 data classes. For more information, see Creating and Configuring a Data Class (page 10) and Creating a Type (page 17). 2. Add initial data to the Notification Database. As you set up a resource management system, there is certain data that makes sense to enter before other data, such as organizational data, since most other resources rely on the availability of this data. Also, as you initially set up your system, some of the data you will want to add is available from other sources, in which case, you will want to import the data. 3. Clean up and configure data management with ready-made configuration items. See Configuration and Use (page 41). 4. Create customized item actions and CMDB Rules to manage and manipulate data. You can create CMDB rules where you target a group of assets based on their type and properties, and then make changes to them. 5. Configure security. If multiple users will be working with resources (entering data, editing data, running reports, and so forth), you will want to configure security. CMDB Solution includes predefined security roles which you can modify, or you can create your own roles. You can also configure access to resource types and data classes. 6. Configure default resource type values. 7. When you manually enter data for asset types, certain fields will have the same value for many assets of a particular asset type. You can populate these fields with a default value. Example: Many users in a particular location will have the same phone number prefix. You can save time by having the prefix already entered into the appropriate field. See Type Interface Items (page 19). Terminology To better understand CMDB Solution, it is important that you understand the terminology. The following are terms with which you should be familiar as you use these solutions: base resource type: The resource type on which another resource type is based. A resource type inherits all of the data classes of its base resource type. If data classes are added to the base resource type, the same data classes are added to all resource types that are based on it. data class: The building block of a resource type; data classes represent the data you want to record about resources. Data classes are made up of one or more data class attributes. data class attribute: A component of a data class, which is represented as a column of a table (in a multi-row data class) or field. data class attribute parameter: Parameters of a data class attribute, which specify the characteristics of the attribute such as name, description, and maximum length of the attribute. item task: An action that can be performed on a resource. Examples: Setting the owner, setting the cost center, retiring the asset, and cloning. resource: Items with which Notification Server works and stores data, such as assets, contracts, and users. CMDB Solution 6.5 4

7 resource association type: A template for creating a child-to-parent relationship between two resource types. This association lets you link a child to one or more parent resources for more convenient access to associated data. resource type: A template for entering resource data into the Notification Database. CMDB Solution 6.5 5

8 Chapter 2 Installation CMDB Solution Requirements Before you install CMDB Solution on the Notification Server, you must do the following: Install Notification Server 6.0 Hot Fix 4 (or later). For information on installation, see Altiris Notification Server 6.0 SP3 Help. If you are using Internet Explorer 7, you must set Tools > Internet Options > Security to medium, add the Altiris Console to Trusted Sites, and set Automatic prompting for downloads (in the Custom Level Security Settings dialog) to Enable. Several other Altiris solutions are designed to integrate with CMDB Solution. They are not required but greatly enhance functionality. They can be installed before or after CMDB solution is installed. See Recommended Altiris Solutions for Integration with CMDB Solution (page 3). Installing CMDB Solution Before installing CMDB, be sure you have met the requirements for the solution (see CMDB Solution Requirements on page 6). For Beta install instructions see the CMDB Solution 6.5 Beta release notes. To install CMDB Solution 2. In the left pane, select Upgrade/Install Additional Software. 3. In the content pane, select Solutions. 4. Select Altiris CMDB Solution. 5. Follow the installation wizard instructions. CMDB Solution Licensing CMDB Solution includes a 7-day trial license. You can register and obtain 30-day evaluation licenses through our Web site at or purchase full product licenses. For more information on registering your solution, see the Altiris Getting Started Guide. CMDB licenses are counted based on the number of concurrent users. To check license usage 1. In the Altiris Console, select the Configuration tab. CMDB Solution 6.5 6

9 2. Select Configuration > Solutions Settings > CMDB Solution > License Usage. 3. This page lists the number of licenses available and the number currently in use. CMDB Solution 6.5 7

10 Chapter 3 Types types are the templates for entering resource data into the Notification Database. types consist of the following components: Base resource types. This is the foundation on which a resource type is built. A resource type inherits the data classes of the base resource type. All resource types, except Asset and Contract, are based on another resource type. See Base Types (page 8). Data classes. These are the building blocks of a resource type. Each data class defines attributes that are used for storing data by a resource type. See Data Classes (page 9). association types. These create associations between resources and allow related data to be linked together. See Association Types (page 14). creation and editing tasks are performed by a person with administrator rights. Predefined and User-Defined Types We advise using predefined resource types whenever possible. They contain relevant associations, fields, and reports for a particular type of resource. You can also add custom fields to predefined resource types. Most importantly, they include features and reports not available in user-defined resource types. Commonly used resource types have been predefined, but they might be known by a name than you are unaccustomed to. Example: In your organization you have a Mail Stop. There is no predefined Mail Stop resource type; however, the predefined Location resource type is the Mail Stop equivalent and provides the needed functionality. You can change the name of any resource type throughout the solution using the Display As rule. See Changing Display Names (page 47). Base Types A base resource type is the resource type on which another resource type is based. A resource type inherits all of the data types of the base resource type. Any resource type can serve as a base resource type. If it changes, the resource type that uses it as a base resource will also change. Specifying a base resource type is an effective way to create and manage resource types. Example: Create a general invoice type that includes the attributes used in all invoices. Then you can customize specific invoices for the companies with which you work regularly that require unique attributes specific to that company. Simply add additional data classes for the unique attributes. CMDB Solution 6.5 8

11 There is nothing special you need to do to a resource to allow it to be a base resource type. Simply specify a resource type as the base resource type for another resource type as you create it (for more information, see Creating a Type on page 17). For predefined asset types, the base resource type is the Asset resource type, or they are based on a resource type that is based on this resource type. For contract types, most of the predefined resource types are based on the Contract resource type or a resource type that is based on the Contract resource type. Basing asset and contract types on these two resource types takes advantage of built-in features, such as asset aggregation, reporting, accounting data, and so on. Data Classes Data classes are the building blocks of a resource type; they specify the type of data you want to record about resources. Data classes are defined by data class attributes that appear as fields when entering data. Parameters specify the characteristics of attributes. See Data Class Attribute Parameters (page 11). To use a data class, you create the data class (see Creating and Configuring a Data Class on page 10) and then add it to the resource types (see Creating a Type on page 17 or Editing a Type on page 16) in which you want to use it. CMDB Solution includes predefined data classes you can use, or you can create your own. The predefined data classes simplify the process of creating resource types and provide many of the elements needed by resource types. Predefined data classes cannot be modified or deleted. User-defined data classes can be edited or deleted. CMDB Data Classes These classes are accessed in the Altiris Console by clicking the Configuration tab and selecting Settings > Data Classes CMDB Data Class Asset Events folder Datacenter Classes Contract Details Contract Rates Description Contains data classes for tracking, asset merges, concurrent licensing, and upgrades of receiving items. Contains data classes for all Datacenter resource types. Details pertaining to a contract such as which computers it applies to, if the contract is renewable, the contact for the contract, and so forth. Rates for the contract. Cost Center Ownership See Percentage Ownership of s (page 43). Currency Details Currency Rate Identity Internal Reference Currency code. Currency rates. Barcode details. Internal reference details for a contract or license. CMDB Solution 6.5 9

12 CMDB Data Class Manufacturer Ownership Details Phone Details Serial Number Service Details Service Level Agreement Details Standard Contract Information Software Purchase Cost Center Ownership Description Manufacturer and Model name fields. Owner and ownership percentage. Phone number. Serial number. Date of initial service and the desired period between services. Support parameters. Standard contract information. Start date, end date, and so forth. Ownership details for cost centers. General Data Classes These classes are accessed throughout the Altiris Console by clicking the Configuration tab and selecting Settings > Data Classes. Data Class Associated Documents Audit Comment Cost Center Details Employee ID Location Details Description Associated Documents. History of inventories run on a computer. Comment. Cost center codes and descriptions. Employee ID for user resource type. Location address. Creating and Configuring a Data Class To create and configure a data class 1. In the Altiris Console, select the Configuration tab. 2. In the left pane, select Configuration > Settings > Data Classes > User Defined. 3. Right-click User Defined and select New > Editable Data Class. 4. In the content pane, enter values for the fields. For a description of the fields, see Data Class Page (page 21). 5. Add data class attributes to the data class. See Adding Data Class Attributes to a Data Class (page 11). 6. Click Create. CMDB Solution

13 Adding Data Class Attributes to a Data Class Data class attributes define the data stored by data classes. s After you add a data class attribute to a data class, you can edit certain aspects of the attribute, such as the description and if it is hidden, but you cannot delete it from the data class. A data class attribute cannot be added to a predefined data class. To add data class attributes to a data class 2. In the left pane, select Configuration > Settings > Data Classes > User Defined > data class. 3. Click Add New Attribute. 4. Specify parameters for the newly created data class attribute. See Data Class Attribute Parameters (page 11). 5. To add additional data class attributes, repeat the previous two steps. 6. Click Apply. Data Class Attribute Parameters Data class attribute parameters specify the characteristics of a data class attribute. For each data class attribute, you must specify values for each of the parameters. See Data Classes (page 9). Data Class Attribute Parameters Name Description Description Name of the data class attribute. Description of the data class attribute. CMDB Solution

14 Data Class Attribute Parameters Type Description The data type of the data class attribute. The options are: String. A value containing a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. Integer. An integer value. Decimal. A real number. Boolean. A value that is either True or False. Date. A date and time value. Currency. A currency value. Foreign Key. A resource from a particular resource type. When this is selected, a Type field lets you select the resource type. The user will be able to select a resource of that resource type. We recommend that this be used only with multi-row data types. To associate a value of a particular resource type with a resource, use a resource association type. See Creating a Association Type (page 16). Item Foreign Key. A value of a particular item type. When this is selected, an Item Type field lets you select the item type. The user will be able to select an item value of that item type. This can be used to associate any item with a resource, such as a report or collection related to the resource. Static List. A static list of values. When this is selected, an associated edit button opens a dialog that lets you create a list of possible values. Static lists are helpful when there are only a few possible values for a field and the possible values are not based on any other values. SQL Query List. A dynamically generated list of values that is based on a SQL query of the Notification Database. When this is selected, an associated edit button opens a dialog for entering the query. The SQL query entered should return a single column only. This creates a list of possible values for the field based on other data values. URL. A URL value. Maximum Length The maximum data length for the data class attribute. In the case of a string data type, this value affects the size of the resulting field on the tab. If the value is: Less than or equal to 100, the field is a single row long. Greater than 100 and less than or equal to 1000, the field is four rows long. Greater than 1000, the field is large. If there is more than one field this size, the tab will resize to display multiple large fields. Thus, we recommend only two or three large fields on a tab. Key Required Specifies if the attribute is used in creating the key for the resource. If more than one field is designated as a key field, all fields designated as keys are used in creating the key. The key can be changed for a resource type if wanted, except in the case of the predefined Computer resource. Specifies if the attribute is a required value (the user must enter a value for this attribute). CMDB Solution

15 Data Class Attribute Parameters Auto-Generate Description Select this checkbox to automatically generate a value for the data class attribute. Use the associated Mask field to specify the format of the generated value. The mask format is: nnn[suffix] OR [prefix]nnn Where: nnn = one or more 0s (value will have same number of digits) or 9s (value will have up to the number of digits) prefix OR suffix = any character (to use 0 or 9 as a character, proceed with \ ) Examples: ABC000 = ABC001, ABC002, ABC003,... ABC999 = ABC1, ABC2, ABC3, XYZ = 001XYZ, 002XYZ, 003XYZ, XYZ = 1XYZ, 2XYZ, 3XYZ,... X\0Y\9Z000 = X0Y9Z123, X0Y9Z124, X0Y9Z125,... The Start specifies the starting value for the numeric part of the automatically generated value. Prompt Data Mask Hidden Display Order (String type only) Specifies if an icon is added next to the field that lets you search the database for the field value. Values in the database that match the string are listed for selection as the field value. This lets you enter part of a wanted value (such as a first name) in the field and find the rest of the value in the database (full name). (String type only) Specifies the data mask to use for entering data into this field. A data mask lets you specify which characters, how many, and the order of characters in a field. See Data Input Masks (page 13). Specifies if this attribute is a hidden value. Specifies the order in which the fields are ordered on the Display page. The lower the number, starting with 1, the higher the field will be placed on the page. Data Input Masks Data input masks help prevent errors as data is entered for a resource and ensure that data is in the wanted format. Masks specify the data that can be entered and the format of the data. Example: A data mask can ensure that a phone number is entered in a specific format. Data masks can specify the following about the data in a field: Character types in a field: letters, digits, special symbols, spaces, and so forth Number of characters in a field Order of characters in a field Actual characters in a field Data input masks are ignored when data is imported into a field and in static lists. CMDB Solution

16 With each data class attribute, you can specify a data mask using the Data Mask parameter. See Data Class Attribute Parameters (page 11). The following table lists and describes the characters that can be used in defining a data mask and their meaning. Data Mask Characters Character A a Meaning Any letter. Entry required. Any letter. Entry optional. 9 Any digit or space. Entry optional; + and - not allowed. 0 Any digit (0 through 9). Entry required; + and - not allowed). * Any letter, digit, space, +, or -. Entry optional; spaces are removed when data is saved. # Any letter, digit, +, or -. Entry required. \ Treat the masking character following the \ as a regular character with no special masking properties. All other characters All other characters not in the data mask must be as listed in the data mask. The following table gives examples of data masks. Data Mask Examples This mask ########## Pty Ltd Result in Any string containing exactly 10 letters or digits followed by the string Pty Ltd. Example: A Pty Ltd. (000) Telephone number. Required 3 digit area code surrounded by ( and ) followed by up to 4 digits, a -,and followed by up to 4 more digits. Example: (801) Credit card number (not American Express). Exactly 16 digits in groups of exactly 4 separated by a -. Example: /09/0099 Date with 1 or 2 digit month and day separated by a / and followed by a / and a 2 to 4 digit year. Example: 1/1/ 2001, 1/17/2001, 10/11/2001, and 12/2/01. AAAaaa A string containing 3 to 6 letters followed by 3 to 6 digits. Example: Com002, Comput002, or Comp \000\# A string that starts with a 0 followed by exactly 2 digits and ending with #. Example: 056#. Association Types A resource association type defines a child (to) to parents (from) relationship between one resource type to one or more resource types. This association lets child resources be linked to a parent resource. Example: A computer monitor can be associated with a computer, a cell phone can be associated with a user, and a lease with several pieces of equipment. Associations make it easier to keep track of and find data about related resources. CMDB Solution

17 After a resource association type is created, a field is added to the child resource, letting you select a resource or resources of the type specified by the parent in the resource association type. Example: if you create a resource association type that links the Monitor resource type to the Computer resource type, the Monitor resource type will include a field that lets you select the computer with which the monitor is associated. CMDB Solution includes numerous predefined resource association types, and you can also create your own. Type Relationships Understanding the relationships between various resource types, especially the crucial organizational resource types, helps you understand dependencies within the Notification Database. Not all resource types can be directly associated with each other, but most can be indirectly associated with each other. This is important for reporting purposes. Example: A computer asset is associated with a user and the user is associated with a department. Although the asset cannot be directly associated with the department, the asset will be reported as one of the department s assets, due to the indirect relationship created through the user to the department. The following table shows direct resource type relationships. The Type column is the child (from) and the Creates Association With column is the parent (to). Type Direct Relationships Type Asset Company Cost Center Department Location User Creates Direct Association With Cost Center, Location, User, Department, and Asset Creates no direct associations Location and Manager (User) Cost Center, Location, and Manager (User) Cost Center and Manager (User) Company, Department, Location, and Manager (User) The following table shows indirect resource type relationships, including the path taken to create the association. The Type column is the child (from) and the Creates Indirect Association With column is the parent (To). Type Indirect Relationships Type Asset Creates Indirect Association With User > Company User > Department User > User Company Cost Center Department Location Creates no indirect associations Creates no indirect associations Cost Center > User Cost Center > User CMDB Solution

18 Type Indirect Relationships Type Manager User Creates Indirect Association With Existing Users can be specified as Managers Department > Cost Center Department > Location For information on how to view a resource s existing associations, see Association Diagram (page 36). Creating a Association Type To create a resource association type 2. In the left pane, select Configuration > Settings > Associations > Asset Association Types or Contract Association Types > User Defined. 3. Right-click User Defined and select New > Editable Association Type. 4. In the content pane, specify values for the fields. See Association Type Page (page 20). 5. Click Apply. Working with Types Editing a Type (page 16) Creating a Type (page 17) Exporting and Importing Type Definitions (page 17) Setting Default Values for Type Fields (page 18) Editing a Type After a resource type has been created, you can add additional data classes to the resource type, but you cannot remove existing data classes or change the base resource type. To edit a resource type 1. In the Altiris Console, select the Configuration tab. 2. In the left pane, click the resource type you want to edit under Configuration > Settings > Types > resource type category. 3. In the content pane, click Edit Data Classes List, select the data classes you want to add, and then click OK. For information on how data classes work, see Data Classes (page 9). 4. Click Apply. CMDB Solution

19 Creating a Type Creating a resource type can provide you with increased flexibility because the resource type is defined exactly as you want it. However, you should create a new resource type only as a last resort if there are no predefined resource types that meet your needs. Because the predefined resource types are linked to numerous reports, summary data, and other features, if there is a predefined resource type that you can use or modify to fit your needs, we recommend using it. See Predefined and User-Defined Types (page 8). Most resource type categories allow user-defined resource types. You can add resource types to an existing folder or create your own. Some categories have a User Defined folder that can be used for resource types. The Financial Types and Organizational Types categories do not allow user-defined resource types. To create a resource type Before you begin creating a resource type, be sure you create the needed data types first. 2. In the left pane, select Configuration > Settings > Types > resource type category. 3. Right-click resource type category and select New > Type. 4. In the content pane, enter a name and description for the resource type. 5. Click the Base Type link, select the base resource type in the Items Selector dialog, and click Apply. For information on how base resource types work, see Base Types (page 8). 6. If you want to add data classes, click Edit Data Classes List, and select the data classes you want to add, and then click OK. For information on how data classes work, see Data Classes (page 9). 7. Click Apply. Exporting and Importing Type Definitions You can share resource type definitions with other Notification Servers. This eliminates the need to redefine types that you have already defined on another Notification Server. The resource type exporting feature exports all of the necessary XML code to create a resource type on another Notification Server, including any data classes that are associated with the resource type. CMDB Solution is not required to export a resource type, but it is to import one. To export resource type definitions Perform this procedure on the Notification Server from which you want to export the resource type definition. 1. In the Altiris Console, select the Configuration tab. CMDB Solution

20 2. In the left pane, right-click the resource type definition you want to export, and select Export. To export all of the resource type definitions within a folder, right-click the folder and select Export. 3. Specify the name and location of the.xml file. 4. Click Save. To import resource type definitions CMDB Solution must be installed to perform this procedure. If you import a resource type into a Notification Server that already has a resource type with that name, you will end up with two resource types with the same name. Only the ID number (GUID) associated with the resource type needs to be unique between resource types. If you import a resource type with the same GUID as a resource type already in Notification Server (it is the same resource type), the imported resource type will replace the one that is already in Notification Server. 1. Place the.xml resource type definition file you want to import in a location accessible from the Notification Server computer. 2. In the Altiris Console, click the Configuration tab. 3. In the left pane, select Configuration > Settings > Types > resource type folder. 4. Right-click resource type folder and select Import. 5. Select the.xml file you want to import. 6. Click Open. Setting Default Values for Type Fields You can set and edit default values for resource type fields. When you use the resource type to add a resource to Notification Server, the default values you specified will automatically be entered into the appropriate fields. Using default values for fields that do not change from resource to resource saves data entry time. Example: If your company uses the same cost center for most purchases, you can set that cost center as the default. Then, you only need to change the value when a different cost center is used. When data is imported, default values are not applicable. To set default values for resource type fields 2. In the left pane, select Configuration > Solutions Settings > CMDB Solution > Default Values. 3. In the content pane, select the resource type for which you want to set default values. 4. In the page that opens, enter default values for the wanted fields of the resource type. CMDB Solution

21 5. Click OK. 6. In the content pane, click OK. Type Interface Items Edit Type Page (page 19) List s Page (page 20) Association Type Page (page 20) Data Class Page (page 21) Data Class Summary Page (page 22) Edit Type Page This page specifies the base resource type and data classes of a resource type. For information on creating or editing a resource type, see Working with Types (page 16). To access the Edit Type page 2. If you are creating a new resource type, in the left pane, select Configuration > Settings > Types > resource type folder. 3. Right-click resource type folder and select New > Type. If you are editing a resource type, in the left pane, select Configuration > Settings > Types > resource type category > resource type to edit. Edit Type Page Items Item Name Description Base Type Description Name of the resource type. After the resource type is created, this value is not editable. Description of the resource type. After the resource type is created, this value is not editable. The resource type upon which this resource type is based. All of the data types of the base resource type are included in this resource type. After the resource type is created, this value is not editable. See Base Types (page 8). Association Types View Details Display associations inherited from the Base Type. (Editing only) A checkbox lets you switch between viewing the base type data classes and the base type associations. A table displays a list of the applicable data classes or associations. CMDB Solution

22 Edit Type Page Items Item Data Classes Description List of data classes that define the resource type. This list is not displayed until at least one data class is added to the definition of the resource type. Editable: Display all editable data classes. All: Display all existing data classes. Show inherited data classes: Display all data classes inherited from the Base Type. Allow Edit: Show or hide the data class in the resource page. Edit Data Classes List Opens a dialog that lets you select the data classes used to define the resource type. List s Page This page lists the resources associated with a resource type. This page contains a subset of the functionality provided by the List Page (page 36). Double-clicking a resource launches the Manager console. To access the List s page 2. In the tree view pane, select Configuration > Settings > Types > resource type category > resource type. 3. In the content pane, click the List s tab. Association Type Page This page lets you create and view associations between resource types. Each association forms a child-to-parent relationship between two resource types. The association adds a field to the child resource for specifying a parent resource. Example: To associate a non-network printer with a computer, create an association where the printer is the child resource and the computer is the parent. The association will add a field to the printer resource that lets you specify the associated computer. For more information see Type Relationships (page 15). To access the Association Type page 2. In the left pane, select Configuration > Settings > Associations > resource associations group > resource association. Association Type Page Items Item Name Description Description association type name. Description of resource association type. CMDB Solution

23 Association Type Page Items Item Tab Name From Type To Type Allow Association to Itself Minimum Cardinality Maximum Cardinality Enable Editing From Description The Display page tab on which the field for selecting the parent resource is added. The child resource type in the association. The parent resource type in the association. Allow the asset to be associated with itself. Specifies the minimum number of relationships that must be established between the child and parents. Specifies the maximum number of relationships that can be established between the child and parents. If you do not want to limit the number of relationships, select the Unlimited checkbox. Specifies the mechanism style used to select an associated resource. The options are: Computer Type Association Picker Contract Assigned User Picker Generic Picker Hierarchy Picker (for hierarchal parent resource types) Hierarchy Picker Showing Children (for hierarchal parent resource types) Asset List List Association Picker for Asset Tree Picker for Asset Software Purchase Association Selecting the checkbox with the same name as the resource association type allows a reverse resource association to be created between two resources. Example: Selecting the User checkbox for the Owners resource association lets you create an association from a user (parent) to an asset (child). Unless you select this box you can create associations only from a child resource to a parent resource. Data Class Page This page defines the attributes of a data class. For information see Adding Data Class Attributes to a Data Class (page 11). CMDB Solution

24 This page is applicable only to data classes that can be edited. For data classes that cannot be edited, see Data Class Summary Page (page 22). To access the Data Class page 2. In the left pane, select Configuration > Settings > Data Classes > data class folder > data class. Data Class Page Items Item Name Description Multiple Rows Data Entry Tab Name Data Class Definition Add New Attribute Description Name of the data class. Description of the data class. Checkbox to specify if the data class has multiple rows. Each attribute in a multiple row data class is a cell in a table row. An invoice where there can be multiple items that need to be added requires a multiple row data class. For more information, see Data Classes (page 9). Name of the Display page tab on which the data class attributes are added as fields. List of the data class attributes associated with the data class and their parameter values. For a description of the parameters, see Data Class Attribute Parameters (page 11). Opens the Data Class Attribute Configuration dialog, which lets you add new data class attributes. Data Class Summary Page This page includes a list of resource types that use the data class, the number of resources that reported data, the last time a resource reported data, and a list of the attributes that define the data class. This page is applicable only to predefined data classes that cannot be edited. For data classes that can be edited, see Data Class Page (page 21). To access the Data Class Summary page 2. In the left pane, select Configuration > Settings > Data Classes > data class folder > data class. CMDB Solution

25 Chapter 4 s s are items that can be managed by the Notification Server, such as computers, phones, contracts, and users. s are based on templates called resource types. Predefined resource types are provided for commonly used resources and you can also create your own. Whenever possible, use the predefined resource types. For information on the benefits of predefined resource types, see Predefined and User-Defined Types (page 8). With all resources, you can manually enter data or you can import it from an external source. To manually enter data, see Adding a in Altiris Asset Management Help. To import data, you will need Altiris Connector Solution or an Altiris connector for a specific application. Categories types are grouped into categories for convenience. types within a category have similar characteristics, a common purpose, or other similarities. The following are the main resource categories: Asset Types Category (page 23) Contract Types Category (page 33) Service Types Category (page 33) Datacenter Types Category (page 33) Asset Types Category Assets represent physical items, whose data is added to the Notification Database using a resource type. CMDB Solution tracks and manages any asset. Each asset can be associated with a user, cost center, location, and department. CMDB Solution

26 The following table lists and describes the Asset Types category resource types. Asset Types Category Types Type Subcategory Type Description --- Asset A dual-purpose resource type. First, it lets you enter generic asset data. Second, the resources displayed in the list of resources are an aggregate of all asset category resources. Furniture and Fixtures Furniture and Fixtures All predefined asset types are based on this resource type. If you are creating a resource type, we recommend basing it on an existing asset type to take advantage of built-in functionality. Furniture and fixtures, such as chairs, desks, file cabinets, bookcases, artwork, tables, and lamps. IT Computer Works with inventory data from Inventory Solution to let you associate additional data with the computer data collected by Inventory Solution, such as a barcode value. For information, see Computer Type (page 32). Common fields for this resource type are picked up automatically when the resource is added through the Notification Server. Office Equipment Fax Machine Monitor Network Peripheral Scanner Virtual Machine Cell Phone Desk Phone Office Equipment Fax machines. Computer monitors. Networked printers. Network resources, such as hubs, switches, routers, and bridges. Any peripheral device connected to the network. Image scanners. Virtual machines. Company cell phones. Company desk phones. Company office equipment, such as calculators, photo copiers, paper punches. Asset Types Category Fields Many asset types are defined with the same data classes, which results in the same fields. The following tables list and describe these fields and the asset types that include them. CMDB Solution

27 Asset Type Category General Tab Fields Field Data Class Description Types System Number Identity Value on the asset tag attached to the resource. Barcode Identity Barcode value for the resource. Used with Barcode Solution, the barcode can greatly simplify the way assets are tracked and updated in the console. Color DoubleSided Last Barcode Scan Location ID Network Printer Details (fixed data class) ID Network Printer Details (fixed data class) Identity N/A Association Color printing. Double-sided printing. Last time an asset barcode was scanned. Click the button to associate an asset with a location. To use reports including cost center information about the asset, it must be associated with a location. Computer Fax Monitor Network Device Network Peripheral Computer Fax Monitor Network Device Network Peripheral Computer Fax Monitor Network Device Network Peripheral Computer Fax Monitor Network Device Network Peripheral Scanner Virtual Machine Furniture and Fixtures Cell Phone Desk Phone Office Equipment Scanner Virtual Machine Furniture and Fixtures Cell Phone Desk Phone Office Equipment Scanner Virtual Machine Furniture and Fixtures Cell Phone Desk Phone Office Equipment Scanner Virtual Machine Furniture and Fixtures Cell Phone Desk Phone Office Equipment CMDB Solution

28 Asset Type Category General Tab Fields (Continued) Field Data Class Description Types Manufacturer Manufacturer Free text field for entering the name of the manufacturer of the resource. If you are creating a new asset type and want to use reports including manufacturer, model, or system number information, the new asset type must include the predefined Manufacturer data class. Max Resolution ID Network Printer Details (fixed data class) Maximum resolution. Model Manufacturer Free text field for entering the model name of the asset. Name (ID Network Printer) Serial Number ServerName Speed ID Network Printer Details (fixed data class) Serial Number ID Network Printer Details (fixed data class) ID Network Printer Details (fixed data class) Network ID for the printer. Serial number for the resource. The individual serial number for each asset is an important feature of the overall solution. Use Inventory Solution to track hardware and gather data, including the serial number. Name of the printer s server. Printer speed. Computer Fax Monitor Network Device Network Peripheral Computer Fax Monitor Network Device Network Peripheral Computer Fax Monitor Network Device Network Peripheral Scanner Virtual Machine Furniture and Fixtures Cell Phone Desk Phone Office Equipment Scanner Virtual Machine Furniture and Fixtures Cell Phone Desk Phone Office Equipment Scanner Virtual Machine Furniture and Fixtures Cell Phone Desk Phone Office Equipment CMDB Solution