Tech Brief: Summary Assets
Tech Brief: Summary Assets
Locations and Assets Overview
In order to understand Summary Assets, it is important to have a clear understanding of the two parts of the system that are associated when you use Summary Assets: Location objects (Locations) and Asset objects (Assets). In the simplest definition, Locations are places while Assets are objects such as inventory items or environmental sensors.
Locations
Locations can represent a campus, a building, a floor, a room, a sub-room, as well as rows of a data center and even individual racks in a data center. In the Administrator Console, Locations are modeled as a location hierarchy or location tree.
Above is an example of Locations defined in the location tree that represent a data center with six rows (A-F) and 10 racks in each row. Notice the Locations get more specific deeper into the location tree (e.g., Austin Data Center > Row A > Rack 1).
Assets
On the User Console, Asset objects (Assets) are created to represent the assets that are being managed and tracked. Assets can be inventory items such as computers, monitors, etc. or they can be sensors such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors, etc. Assets can have a variety of attributes associated with them such as name, serial number, asset tag ID, location, date of installation/deployment, color, weight, size, cost, warranty status, sensor values, etc. Assets can be placed (automatically or manually) into locations represented by the location tree.
It is important to understand that Locations and Assets are separate structures that behave differently and which are created in different parts of the system. Locations are not Assets and Assets are not Locations. Locations represent places and can only be created on the Administrator Console. Assets represent things and are created on the User Console. Summary Assets “tie” the two together.
Summary Asset Considerations
A Summary Asset – an Asset that represents a Location – is a unique object that must be explicitly created by the system Administrator. Not all Locations need to be represented by a Summary Asset. It depends upon the Location and the needs of the end users, which is why it is left up to the Administrator to decide and create. When you create a Summary Asset, you are associating (tying) it to a specific Location. Any location can have a corresponding Summary Asset associated to it.
Some locations have an obvious need to be treated as both an Asset and a Location. A good example of this duality is a Location that represents an IT Rack in a data center. Each rack is clearly a Location that holds other Assets (e.g., servers, appliances, storage systems). However, each IT Rack is also an Asset unto itself that needs to be tracked and managed. Another example is a mobile location, such as a truck or a ship, both of which are themselves assets, but both can also contain other assets.
Features and Uses of Summary Assets
A Summary Asset can be used just like a standard Asset. It can be defined with any number of attributes just like standard Assets. Summary Assets will show up in the Table View as well. The default schema has three types of assets already defined in the system in a hierarchy that represents “best practices” based on specific RF Code expertise and extensive deployment experience:
· Inventory: Inventory Assets represent assets that are being tracked and managed.
· Sensor: Sensor Assets represent sensors that are being managed.
· Summary – Location: Summary – Location assets represent the Summary Assets that are being managed.
Note that within the hierarchy under all three of main Asset types, including Summary Assets, there are also subtypes or subcategories. These can also be altered or changed in the Schema Editor by the Administrator.
By grouping each of these three types of Assets as peers, you can easily configure Table View filters and Reports to use specific categories of Assets. For example, if you want to view all of your Sensors, all it takes is a single click. The same is true for all Summary Assets.
Figure: The default hierarchy of the Summary Assets (Summary – Location) provided by the schemas.
When you create Summary Assets and associate them to a Location, be sure to select the appropriate level or point in the hierarchy in order to properly classify the Summary Asset.
Summary Asset Attributes
Each type of Summary Asset can have a variety of additional attributes to make the definition of the Summary Asset more useful. Some of the attributes require the Administrator to input information or select items from drop-down boxes that help to further “define” or “configure” the Summary Asset.
Figure: An example of the Data Center Summary Asset configuration screen.
Figure: An example of the Summary Asset configuration screen for Row A.
Figure: An example of the Rack 01 Summary Asset configuration screen.
Calculated Attributes
Another type of attribute that is available to Summary Assets is called the Calculated Attribute. A Calculated Attribute applies a formula that takes data from one or more attributes, performs some calculation or evaluation of the data, and then stores the result in the Calculated Attribute itself. This application of a formula is similar to how they work in a spreadsheet. Calculated Attributes are automatically updated (recalculated) when any dependency data changes. This is an extremely powerful feature that provides great flexibility in customization.
A simple example of a Calculated Attribute on a Summary Asset would be a simple count of the number of assets in the Summary Asset. Remember that the Summary Asset represents a location as well. Calculated Attributes on a Summary Asset have access to the data stored in the attributes of the Summary Asset itself as well as access to the data of all of the assets in the Summary Asset location. Calculated Attributes can easily produce summary information about the population of assets in the Summary Asset Location. This summary information derived from the Calculated Attributes on Summary Assets is ideal information for Dashboard Views and Map Views. In fact, Calculated Attributes are one of the main reasons for creating Summary Assets.
One increasingly popular and valuable data center metric, the Rack Cooling Index (RCI), can be generated using Calculated Assets. Note that the RCI and the Return Temperature Index (RTI) are both included in the default schema and available for use when you define Summary Assets. For example, if you take the three temperature values of temperature sensors placed at the top, middle, and bottom of a rack and you apply the RCI formula inherent in the RCI Calculated Attribute, you can calculate the RCI for the rack. By defining a Summary Asset at the row level, you can similarly calculate RCI for the row as well.
Figure: An example of some of the Calculated Attributes on the Rack 01 Summary Asset.
Calculated Attributes are defined and configured by the Administrator in the Schema Editor.
Figure: An example of a Calculated Asset Attribute in the Schema Editor in the Admin Console.
Summary Asset Licensing
For Asset Manager, the licensing mechanism is based purely on the number of Assets defined in the system. Any asset added to the system will consume a license regardless of the schema configuration. So this means that every Inventory, Sensor and Summary Asset will each consume a license. The licensing facility works independent of the schema definitions of the asset categories so all “Assets” are of equal value and count equally as a licensed entity. The number of Locations, Users, Readers, etc. defined in the system has no bearing on the licensing.
Assume an Asset Manager system contains all of the following:
· 50 readers
· 10 users
· 60 IT Racks spread across 6 rows in a single data center
· 75 unique locations defined in the Location Tree
· 2,500 inventory assets
· 350 sensors assets
· 67 summary assets (associated to the 60 IT Racks, 6 Rows, 1 Data Center locations)
Licenses are consumed by the 2,500 inventory assets, the 350 sensor assets, and the 67 summary assets. However, none of the readers, users, racks, or locations in the Location Tree consume a license; therefore, the total number of licenses required in this scenario would be 2,917. Knowing how licenses are consumed is important when you calculate the number of licenses that you need to purchase.
Conclusion
Summary Assets are a powerful and important feature of Asset Manager. Some information and capabilities of the system, especially the RCI and RTI metrics require that you define Summary Assets. Before defining your Summary Assets, ensure that the Location Tree is fully defined and configured. It is also important to remember that not every Location will need a Summary Asset, so the Administrator will need to determine what is appropriate. Finally, remember that each Summary Asset consumes a license just like an Inventory or Sensor Asset, so define all you need but no more.
Summary Asset Frequently Asked Questions
Q1 – Do Summary Assets consume a license?
A1 – Yes.
Q2 – Should a Summary Asset be created for each and every Location defined in the system?
A2 – Not necessarily. It all depends upon your scenario and the level of summary information you wish to collect.
Q3 – Do Summary Assets require greater computing?
A3 – No, Summary Assets do not, but the calculated attributes associated to the Summary Assets do. Note that by default, the default schemas have calculated attributes associated with the Summary Assets.
Q4 – Can additional Summary Asset types be created?
A4 – Yes. The Administrator can use the Schema Editor to create any desired Asset hierarchy for Summary Assets.
Q5 – Are Summary Assets required for using the RCI and RTI metrics?
A5 – Yes.
Q6 - Can custom reports access the attributes associated with Summary Assets?
A6 – Yes. All features of the product (Table View, Map View, Dashboard View, Alerts & Thresholds, Reporting, and Graphing) can access the attributes on Summary Assets.
For instructions on creating, editing, and removing Summary Assets, refer to the RF Code Support Knowledge Base article titled How to Create, Edit, and Remove Summary Assets at this link:
http://support.rfcode.com/customer/portal/articles/936376-how-to-create-edit-and-remove-summary-assets
In order to understand Summary Assets, it is important to have a clear understanding of the two parts of the system that are associated when you use Summary Assets: Location objects (Locations) and Asset objects (Assets). In the simplest definition, Locations are places while Assets are objects such as inventory items or environmental sensors.
Locations
Locations can represent a campus, a building, a floor, a room, a sub-room, as well as rows of a data center and even individual racks in a data center. In the Administrator Console, Locations are modeled as a location hierarchy or location tree.
Above is an example of Locations defined in the location tree that represent a data center with six rows (A-F) and 10 racks in each row. Notice the Locations get more specific deeper into the location tree (e.g., Austin Data Center > Row A > Rack 1).
Assets
On the User Console, Asset objects (Assets) are created to represent the assets that are being managed and tracked. Assets can be inventory items such as computers, monitors, etc. or they can be sensors such as temperature sensors, humidity sensors, etc. Assets can have a variety of attributes associated with them such as name, serial number, asset tag ID, location, date of installation/deployment, color, weight, size, cost, warranty status, sensor values, etc. Assets can be placed (automatically or manually) into locations represented by the location tree.
It is important to understand that Locations and Assets are separate structures that behave differently and which are created in different parts of the system. Locations are not Assets and Assets are not Locations. Locations represent places and can only be created on the Administrator Console. Assets represent things and are created on the User Console. Summary Assets “tie” the two together.
Summary Asset Considerations
A Summary Asset – an Asset that represents a Location – is a unique object that must be explicitly created by the system Administrator. Not all Locations need to be represented by a Summary Asset. It depends upon the Location and the needs of the end users, which is why it is left up to the Administrator to decide and create. When you create a Summary Asset, you are associating (tying) it to a specific Location. Any location can have a corresponding Summary Asset associated to it.
Some locations have an obvious need to be treated as both an Asset and a Location. A good example of this duality is a Location that represents an IT Rack in a data center. Each rack is clearly a Location that holds other Assets (e.g., servers, appliances, storage systems). However, each IT Rack is also an Asset unto itself that needs to be tracked and managed. Another example is a mobile location, such as a truck or a ship, both of which are themselves assets, but both can also contain other assets.
Features and Uses of Summary Assets
A Summary Asset can be used just like a standard Asset. It can be defined with any number of attributes just like standard Assets. Summary Assets will show up in the Table View as well. The default schema has three types of assets already defined in the system in a hierarchy that represents “best practices” based on specific RF Code expertise and extensive deployment experience:
· Inventory: Inventory Assets represent assets that are being tracked and managed.
· Sensor: Sensor Assets represent sensors that are being managed.
· Summary – Location: Summary – Location assets represent the Summary Assets that are being managed.
Note that within the hierarchy under all three of main Asset types, including Summary Assets, there are also subtypes or subcategories. These can also be altered or changed in the Schema Editor by the Administrator.
By grouping each of these three types of Assets as peers, you can easily configure Table View filters and Reports to use specific categories of Assets. For example, if you want to view all of your Sensors, all it takes is a single click. The same is true for all Summary Assets.
Figure: The default hierarchy of the Summary Assets (Summary – Location) provided by the schemas.
When you create Summary Assets and associate them to a Location, be sure to select the appropriate level or point in the hierarchy in order to properly classify the Summary Asset.
Summary Asset Attributes
Each type of Summary Asset can have a variety of additional attributes to make the definition of the Summary Asset more useful. Some of the attributes require the Administrator to input information or select items from drop-down boxes that help to further “define” or “configure” the Summary Asset.
Figure: An example of the Data Center Summary Asset configuration screen.
Figure: An example of the Summary Asset configuration screen for Row A.
Figure: An example of the Rack 01 Summary Asset configuration screen.
Calculated Attributes
Another type of attribute that is available to Summary Assets is called the Calculated Attribute. A Calculated Attribute applies a formula that takes data from one or more attributes, performs some calculation or evaluation of the data, and then stores the result in the Calculated Attribute itself. This application of a formula is similar to how they work in a spreadsheet. Calculated Attributes are automatically updated (recalculated) when any dependency data changes. This is an extremely powerful feature that provides great flexibility in customization.
A simple example of a Calculated Attribute on a Summary Asset would be a simple count of the number of assets in the Summary Asset. Remember that the Summary Asset represents a location as well. Calculated Attributes on a Summary Asset have access to the data stored in the attributes of the Summary Asset itself as well as access to the data of all of the assets in the Summary Asset location. Calculated Attributes can easily produce summary information about the population of assets in the Summary Asset Location. This summary information derived from the Calculated Attributes on Summary Assets is ideal information for Dashboard Views and Map Views. In fact, Calculated Attributes are one of the main reasons for creating Summary Assets.
One increasingly popular and valuable data center metric, the Rack Cooling Index (RCI), can be generated using Calculated Assets. Note that the RCI and the Return Temperature Index (RTI) are both included in the default schema and available for use when you define Summary Assets. For example, if you take the three temperature values of temperature sensors placed at the top, middle, and bottom of a rack and you apply the RCI formula inherent in the RCI Calculated Attribute, you can calculate the RCI for the rack. By defining a Summary Asset at the row level, you can similarly calculate RCI for the row as well.
Figure: An example of some of the Calculated Attributes on the Rack 01 Summary Asset.
Calculated Attributes are defined and configured by the Administrator in the Schema Editor.
Figure: An example of a Calculated Asset Attribute in the Schema Editor in the Admin Console.
Summary Asset Licensing
For Asset Manager, the licensing mechanism is based purely on the number of Assets defined in the system. Any asset added to the system will consume a license regardless of the schema configuration. So this means that every Inventory, Sensor and Summary Asset will each consume a license. The licensing facility works independent of the schema definitions of the asset categories so all “Assets” are of equal value and count equally as a licensed entity. The number of Locations, Users, Readers, etc. defined in the system has no bearing on the licensing.
Assume an Asset Manager system contains all of the following:
· 50 readers
· 10 users
· 60 IT Racks spread across 6 rows in a single data center
· 75 unique locations defined in the Location Tree
· 2,500 inventory assets
· 350 sensors assets
· 67 summary assets (associated to the 60 IT Racks, 6 Rows, 1 Data Center locations)
Licenses are consumed by the 2,500 inventory assets, the 350 sensor assets, and the 67 summary assets. However, none of the readers, users, racks, or locations in the Location Tree consume a license; therefore, the total number of licenses required in this scenario would be 2,917. Knowing how licenses are consumed is important when you calculate the number of licenses that you need to purchase.
Conclusion
Summary Assets are a powerful and important feature of Asset Manager. Some information and capabilities of the system, especially the RCI and RTI metrics require that you define Summary Assets. Before defining your Summary Assets, ensure that the Location Tree is fully defined and configured. It is also important to remember that not every Location will need a Summary Asset, so the Administrator will need to determine what is appropriate. Finally, remember that each Summary Asset consumes a license just like an Inventory or Sensor Asset, so define all you need but no more.
Summary Asset Frequently Asked Questions
Q1 – Do Summary Assets consume a license?
A1 – Yes.
Q2 – Should a Summary Asset be created for each and every Location defined in the system?
A2 – Not necessarily. It all depends upon your scenario and the level of summary information you wish to collect.
Q3 – Do Summary Assets require greater computing?
A3 – No, Summary Assets do not, but the calculated attributes associated to the Summary Assets do. Note that by default, the default schemas have calculated attributes associated with the Summary Assets.
Q4 – Can additional Summary Asset types be created?
A4 – Yes. The Administrator can use the Schema Editor to create any desired Asset hierarchy for Summary Assets.
Q5 – Are Summary Assets required for using the RCI and RTI metrics?
A5 – Yes.
Q6 - Can custom reports access the attributes associated with Summary Assets?
A6 – Yes. All features of the product (Table View, Map View, Dashboard View, Alerts & Thresholds, Reporting, and Graphing) can access the attributes on Summary Assets.
For instructions on creating, editing, and removing Summary Assets, refer to the RF Code Support Knowledge Base article titled How to Create, Edit, and Remove Summary Assets at this link:
http://support.rfcode.com/customer/portal/articles/936376-how-to-create-edit-and-remove-summary-assets