How asset management works

Asset management is a set of processes used to track the deployment, use, and maintenance of assets across an enterprise. An asset is any item owned by a company. For example, IT assets can include items such as servers, laptops, and monitors.

SolarWinds Web Help Desk provides IT asset management functionality, including:

A central repository for assets
Discovering Windows-based assets and importing assets from other repositories
Inventory maintenance and record keeping
Integration with Dameware Remote Support software for troubleshooting
A reporting engine that you can use to generate preconfigured and custom reports

Centralized repository

Web Help Desk maintains a complete product catalog of all assets owned by your company, which includes price and warranty details. With a customizable asset details form, you can track your client assignments, purchase orders, warranty information, and configuration details.

Asset discovery

Using a built-in scanning engine, Web Help Desk can discover your network systems based on subnet or IP range. Using scheduled WMI discovery, Web Help Desk can periodically poll endpoints to update hardware and software inventory information, including:

Host name
Model
Serial number
Operating system
Hard drive
Memory
Installed software

You can also import asset inventory information from third-party asset discovery tools, spreadsheet records, and network management systems. If you are running SolarWinds Network Performance Monitor (NPM), Server & Application Monitor (SAM), or Network Configuration Manager (NCM), you can synchronize your Web Help Desk node and asset discovery in your corporate network.

Web Help Desk also integrates with third-party asset discovery tools, such as Casper and Microsoft SCCM (System Center Configuration Manager).

Inventory maintenance and record keeping

You can use Web Help Desk to associate asset details with service requests so you can track the ticket history for each asset. You can also manage information about purchase orders, parts, and billing. For example, when you enter purchase order information for an asset, Web Help Desk calculates warranty and lease end dates, and notifies you prior to the expiration date.

Techs and clients can use the Web Help Desk reservation center to select a checkout time and date range for a specific asset. You are notified when a checked-out asset is due, helping you to identify overdue, lost, or stolen inventory.

Troubleshooting

To simplify troubleshooting and support, you can launch remote desktop sessions directly from your asset inventory. With built-in integration with Dameware Remote Support software, in addition to native remote desktop protocol (RDP) and virtual network computing (VNC) connections, you can establish remote sessions with user systems and provide instant assistance.

Dameware requires the user be within the network.

Reporting

You can use Web Help Desk to generate asset reports based on location, department, asset type, asset status, and purchase and warranty dates.

Reports can help you: