User Guide: Configuring and Using Asset Excel

Overview

The Cireson Asset Excel app is designed to interface with the Cireson Asset Management application in order to streamline the way data is managed. Asset Excel is used for bulk import of assets, as well as bulk modifications of administration items and warranties/contracts at the click of a button and all within the user friendly experience of Microsoft Excel®.

Search capabilities of this app assist users in displaying current software and hardware assets and making the required modifications. This app is an Add-in that is installed within Microsoft Excel® and exposes its functionality within the Ribbon in a way that is familiar to all Microsoft Office® users.

For instructions on how to install the Asset Excel App, click here (KB19)

Once installed, Asset Excel will appear as a Ribbon on the far right of the existing Ribbons within Excel.

KB2519 - Reference: Asset Management

KB2520 - User Guide: Installing Asset Management

KB2521 - User Guide: Configuring Asset Management

KB2522 - How To: Asset Management Environment Permissions - Master User Role

KB2523 - User Guide: Asset Management Lists

KB2526 - User Guide: Upgrading Asset Management

KB2527 - User Guide: Optimizing Asset Management Intelligence

KB2528 - How To: Configuring Software Metering in Configuration Manager

KB2531 - How To: Configuring User Device Affinity in Configuration Manager

KB19 - Install: Asset Excel

KB2533 - User Guide: Configuring and Using Asset Excel

Connecting Asset Excel

For Asset Excel to function it first must be aware of the SCSM instance and have user authentication to be able to access the required Asset Management classes within the SCSM database.

To connect Asset Excel to an SCSM instance:

Within the Excel, click the Ribbon titled Cireson Asset Excel app at the top of the screen.
Click the Connect button.
{Optional} Users may be prompted to log in the first time the app is run. Within the Service Manager Login window enter the server name and login credentials for the SCSM management server and click Login. The user account logging on will require Asset Management rights within SCSM to access the records necessary.
Once the app is connected the required icons will be enabled and the Connect button will be disabled.
For more detailed information for the logon, or any process that is attempted by Asset Excel, click the Log Viewer button to view a verbose log.
This log is the first place to go for fault finding or to check the validity of importing or updating asset CI’s.

Configuring Asset Excel Settings

There are many options within Asset Excel that can affect the performance, Function and Data within the app.

To access Asset Excel settings:

Within the Excel, click the Ribbon titled Cireson Asset Excel app at the top of the screen.
Click the Settings button.

Service Manager Settings

Set a Service Manager Site to connect to: - The Service Manager site will be set to the SCSM management server that was entered at the login screen. This can also be modified by this setting

Asset Management Settings

On the Hardware Asset sheet use the Model and Manufacturer dropdown lists - Change the Model and Manufacturer cells on the Hardware Asset sheet to use enumeration lists from the Catalog Item class

On the Software Asset sheet use the Manufacturer dropdown list - Change the Manufacturer cells on the Software Asset sheet to use enumeration lists from the Catalog Item class

On the Consumable sheet use the Manufacturer and Model dropdown - Change the Model and Manufacturer cells on the Consumable sheet to use enumeration lists from the Catalog Item class

Remove requirement for Serial Number or Asset Tag on Hardware Asset worksheet - Make the Serial Number and Asset tag optional on the Hardware Asset sheet

Remove requirement for Model on the Catalog Item worksheet - Make the Model optional on the Catalog Item sheet

Asset Excel Settings

Don’t process relationships during import - Will not record any of the relationships with each other during the import (Such as Hardware Asset has Organization)

Ignore Excel validation errors on relationship columns - Allows administrators to have more control of the import depending on errors that are detected.

Run Import in Test Mode - will process the import and evaluate the rules etc. but will not commit the records to the database. Results are shown in the Log file discussed earlier in this section.

Select a Hardware Asset Type Projection - This setting controls the data that is returned and available from the SCSM Database

Select a Software Asset Type Projection - This setting controls the data that is returned and available from the SCSM Database

Limit Results to (number of objects): - Limiting the results returned from the database will improve performance of the app, however, it will limit the results. This number should be set to a number high enough to retrieve the records required, but not any higher. Or, a different search term should be used.

Note: If some settings are greyed out, this is due to the logged-on user not having administration rights over the SCSM CMDB to make appropriate changes

Bulk Import Assets via Asset Excel

One of the key benefits of Asset Excel is the ability to import bulk Hardware and Software Asset records in way that is easy to enter and manipulate.

To import bulk Assets using Asset Excel:

Within the Excel, click the Ribbon titled Cireson Asset Excel app at the top of the screen.
Click the New button and select New Hardware Sheet or New Software Sheet.
A new worksheet will be created with the fields available for that type of asset.
Enter data by copying and pasting or manually entering data into the spreadsheet as required.
Some fields must have specific values entered to match enumeration lists or existing classes in the database. These fields will have a drop down list of the values that can be selected.
With Hardware Asset ID, if an entry is not overwritten a random GUID will be generated and entered in the cell.
Once one value is selected the value can be cut and pasted to other cells in the column to make bulk entry easier.
Once all data has been entered for the assets to be imported select one of the Import Asset(s) buttons within the Asset Excel Ribbon. Only those buttons that are relevant to the active worksheet will be active.
Import Hardware Asset(s) will only import those rows that are selected within the worksheet, whereas the Import All option will import all the assets within the active worksheet.
Once the import has taken place, or test run completed, a notification will be shown that the import is complete.
If there is a data validation error an error message will show the first cell with the validation error.
The log will also provide detailed information regarding the reason.

Bulk Edit Admin Items and Contracts via Asset Excel

Asset Excel can be used for more than just entering Assets on a large scale. It can also be used to enter or edit Administration items, such as Cost Center, Organizations, Consumables etc. and Contracts.

To Edit or Add New Administration Items or Contracts using Asset Excel:

Within the Excel, click the Ribbon titled Cireson Asset Excel app at the top of the screen.
Click the button with the label of the administration item that is to be added or edited. In this example Catalog Items will be used but the principle applies to all Administration items and contracts.
A new worksheet will be loaded containing all the existing administration items within the database.
These can be edited or new rows added as required.
Like with Hardware and Software assets, some fields will have a drop down list of the values that can be selected.
When all edits are complete, click the Update button located at the far right of the columns for the item.
Once the import has taken place, or test run completed, a notification will be shown that the import is complete.