Defining Software Device Groups

To define device groups, use the Software Device Group component (IT_SWGRP_DEFN)

This topic provides an overview of Software Device Groups and discusses how to define device groups.

Page Name

Definition Name

Usage

Define Software Device Groups Page

IT_SWGRP_DEFN

Define software device groups to associate devices (by Serial ID) to an administrator for the ultimate purpose of linking software licenses to assets rather than users.

IT devices are often maintained by an IT administrator or a content manager rather than the primary user of the device. These devices may have multiple CPUs and may require more than one license to operate certain software, such as Microsoft MSSQL, for example. This is most commonly applicable to devices such as servers.

The software device group links the role of the content manager to these unique IT devices by associating their employee ID (Empl ID) with a Device Group. The Device Group definition contains the Serial IDs of the devices that are maintained by the content manager. This is known as the Serial ID-based Software Authorization model.

These devices or machines have a declared number of licenses required for a given software title. Once you have created the software device group (linking the administrator to the device), associate the device group to the appropriate software titles in the Define Software Titles/Users component, providing an Authorized Licenses value for the device group. The licenses required for each of these devices are counted and their summation is compared to the Authorized Licenses value that is specified for the device group.

To implement the Serial ID-based Software Authorization Model:

  1. Select the Authorize Software by Device check box on the Define IT Subtypes page for a particular IT Subtype, such as SERVERS.

    See Defining IT Subtypes.

  2. Supply the IT Asset Related Information (CPU) for the asset information within PeopleSoft Asset Management. This stores the number of CPUs that an IT hardware device has installed, physical and/or virtual.

    See Adding and Maintaining Asset Information.

  3. (Optional) Select the Source Device Groups from ARM check box within PeopleSoft Asset Management Installation Options. The check box is selected as the default when IT Asset Management is installed.

    See Installation Options - Asset Management Page.

  4. Define the Software Device Groups, linking administrator with devices.

  5. Associate the device groups to software titles.

    See Define Software Titles/Users Page.

  6. Select the Software Device Monitor check box on the Generate Metrics page. Run the metrics to update device group data for the Software Device Monitor pagelet. This pagelet reports the software titles that are installed, authorized, declared and unresolved for a given device group.

    The Generate Metrics process produces and updates the associations and detail setup that allows you to declare licenses for groups and/or software relationships. Declared licenses should be equal to the number of CPUs the first time that the Metrics engine processes the associations.

  7. Specify how many licenses of a particular software that a device requires using the Declare Device Licenses page. The Override check box indicates whether the number of declared licenses has been overridden. The value in the Declared Licenses field is the override value specified. It is considered overridden if the value is not zero and has been changed by the user.

    See Define Software Titles/Users Page.

  8. After any change to the groups or additions to software relationships, the Generate Metrics process should be run to allow an update of declared licenses and unresolved software. This ensures that the Software Device Monitor pagelet always reports the most up-to-date software titles that are installed, authorized, declared and unresolved. Select the Software Device Monitor check box on the Generate Metrics page and run the metrics to update device group data for the Software Device Monitor pagelet.

  9. Limit the device group that a user can access in the Software Device Monitor pagelet by specifying a device group within User Preferences for IT Asset Management.

    See User Preferences - IT Asset Management Page.

Use the Define Software Device Groups page (IT_SWGRP_DEFN) to define software device groups to associate devices (by Serial ID) to an administrator for the ultimate purpose of linking software licenses to assets rather than users.

Navigation:

Set Up Financials/Supply Chain > Product Related > IT Asset Management > ITAM Device Groups > Define Software Device Groups

IT Asset Management > IT Asset Definitions Center > Resource Settings > Device Groups > Define Software Device Groups

This example illustrates the fields and controls on the Define Software Device Groups page. You can find definitions for the fields and controls later on this page.

 Define Software Device Groups page

Field or Control

Description

Group Id

Assign a software device Group Id.

Group Owner Id

Select the Employee ID of the device group administrator or content manager. The content manager controls the software contents of the machines in the device group.

Source From ARM

Select from the following values:

  • Yes - The Device Group is dynamically defined to include any asset with:

    • IT Subtype that has the Authorize Software by Device attribute/flag selected, AND

    • The Group Owner ID is the Asset Custodian.

  • No - The Members of the Group must be manually entered.

Note: If the Asset Custodian field value is changed in the ARM, then the asset will no longer be included in the Software Device Group.

The page elements that are visible and active on this page depend upon your selection in this field. If you select Yes to populate the machines from the Asset Repository, the resulting grid is entitled Group Owner's Devices in ARM and the data appears as display-only. If you select No to add your own devices, the resulting grid is entitled Group Members.

When accessing a software device group that has a Source From ARM value of Yes, the Group Members grid appears only in Include History or Correct History modes (if there is associated data in the device group).

Note: If you change the Source From ARM field from No to Yes, a new effective-dated row for each active group member (groups included) is inserted with an effective date equal to the current date, a Status as of Effective Date equal to Inactive, and a row-level Source From ARM equal to Yes. Even though the row-level values are ignored due to the Device Group's Source From ARM value, the detail rows provide an audit trail showing the effective date that the group definition Source From ARM value was changed to Yes.

If you change the Source From ARM field from Yes to No, a new effective-dated row is added in the Group Members grid for all assets of which the Group Owner is the custodian (all devices in the Group Owner's Devices in ARM grid). The Status as of Effective Date will be Inactive, and the Source from ARM will be equal to No.

Update ARM Custodian On Save

Select Yes to activate a Component Interface that, upon saving, changes the value of the Custodian field within the Asset Repository to this device group's owner for every Device line in the grid where the current effective dated row is Active. Select No to leave the Custodian field in the ARM unchanged.

Note: This field is active only when you select No for the Source from ARM value and there are active devices in the Group Members grid.

Fetch From ARM

Click this button to retrieve the assets assigned to this content manager as custodian from the ARM. This is a one-time event and creates a static list. The difference between this and Source from ARM option is that the Source from ARM selection is dynamic and will continue to source from the ARM when the ARM changes. The Fetch from ARM is static and only retrieves the assets from the ARM at the instant it is invoked. You may also start with an empty list and build a Fetch from ARM group selecting asset by asset.

The Fetch from ARM button inserts an effective-dated row for all assets of which the group owner is the custodian. . If you want to have assets sourced from the ARM and additional assets not associated with this custodian (content manager), select Fetch from ARM first, then manually add additional assets. Fetch from ARM has no impact on groups that have been added to the device group.

Note: This field is active only when you select No for the Source from ARM value.

Display Effective Date

Enter an effective date and click the Display button to view the current effective-dated rows as of the date supplied. The default value is the current date.

Note: This field appears only when selecting Include History or Correct History.

Display button

Click this button to view all current effective-dated rows as of the date entered in the Display Effective Date field. Upon clicking the Displaybutton, all data on the page is presented as display-only, the Save button is no longer effective, and all values are consolidated in the same grid.

Note: Although this field appears only when selecting Include History or Correct History, it is used for query purposes and not for modifying data.

Group Members

This grid appears when selecting No as the Source From ARM value. If the Source from ARM check box is deselected within Installation Options in Asset Management/IT Asset Management, this mode will be the default.

Field or Control

Description

Software Device Group Type

Select the following options for inclusion in the device group:

  • Device - Select to include an individual machine in the device group.

  • Group - Select to include another device group as a subset (or child) within the device group.

It is important to set the device group hierarchy carefully. A device can belong to many device groups; however, a device group can belong to only one parent device group and cannot be repeated in the hierarchy. Edits are in place to prevent a child group from being specified as a parent of its own parent; however, edits do not prevent the assignment of a device group as a parent of its own grandparent device group. This would be detected by the Software Device Monitor batch program and, as a result, processing is suspended until the group hierarchy is corrected.

Field or Control

Description

Member and (member description)

Select from a list of existing device group names or Serial IDs (if the asset is from the appropriate IT Subtype in the ARM.)

The description is automatically supplied from the appropriate record based on the Group Value selection. If it is a device, the description is the tag number from the Asset table. If it is a Group, then the description from the Software Device Group definition is supplied.

Field or Control

Description

Effective Date

Displays the effective date of a given row. When adding a new row, the current date is the default.

Note: When a future-dated row is inserted and saved in the Group Members group box, the CPU field is set to zero. Once the future-dated row becomes the current row, the Software Device Monitor batch process updates the CPU field with the value from the asset as of that effective date.

Field or Control

Description

Status as of Effective Date

Displays the status of a given device or group member as of the effective date. The values are Active or Inactive.

CPU

Displays the value from the Asset Repository CPU field for a device. Click this link to access the Basic Add - Operation/Maintenance page within Asset Management where you may change the CPU value, which updates the value in the ARM CPU field.

Note: If you change the CPU field on the Basic Add - Operation/Maintenance page, a new effective-dated row is added within the Software Device Group definition for every group to which the device belongs and is currently active.

Source From ARM

Visible only in Include History or Correct History modes, this field provides an audit trail of the group Source From ARM state at a given time. When you change the header level Source From ARM value, a detail row is added to the Group Members group box to reflect the Source From ARM change with the effective date of the change. For new rows, the default value of this field is No.

Empl ID and Name

Displays the Employee ID and corresponding name of the group owner if the selection is a group. If the selection is a device, this column displays the Employee ID and name of the custodian within the asset repository. Click this link to access the Employee Detail page for more information.

Group Owner's Devices in ARM

This grid appears when selecting Yes as the Source From ARMvalue. If the Source Device Groups from ARM check box is deselected within Installation Options in Asset Management/IT Asset Management, this mode is not available. When the Source Device Groups from ARM check box is selected in the Installation Options, it sets the default value of the Source from ARM flag when adding a device group. The default can be overridden.

Field or Control

Description

Serial ID, Tag Number, CPU, Empl ID

These fields are display-only and are populated from the information found within the Asset Repository. Click the Empl ID link to access the Employee Detail page for more information.