METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING A COMPREHENSIVE VIEW OF IT ASSETS AS SELF SERVICE INQUIRY/UPDATE TRANSACTIONS

• US 20110087601A1
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Published: 04/14/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Alonzo, Jason Aron, Yee, John Leong, Apte, Umesh Madhav
• Granted Patent: US 9,582,776 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/52
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 21/105 Arrangements for software license management or administration, e.g. for managing licenses at corporate level
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/06 Resources, workflows, human or project management; Enterprise or organisation planning; Enterprise or organisation modelling
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/063 Operations research, analysis or management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/12 Accounting

Abstract

This disclosure describes, generally, methods and systems for providing consolidated self service IT asset management. The method includes displaying, on a display device of an IT asset management system, an IT asset management user interface (UI), logging in, by an IT assets custodian, to the IT assets management UI, and displaying, at the IT assets management UI, an aggregated view of all IT assets assigned to the IT asset custodian. The aggregated view of the IT assets is generated from a plurality of IT asset assignment sources. The method further includes providing, the IT asset custodian with the ability to management the assigned IT assets and accurately account for the asset according to its actual use.

Claims

1. A method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management, the method comprising:

displaying, on a display device of an IT asset management system, an IT asset management user interface (UI);

logging in, by an IT assets custodian, to the IT assets management UI;

displaying, at the IT assets management UI, an aggregated view of all IT assets assigned to the IT asset custodian, wherein the aggregated view of the IT assets is generated from a plurality of IT asset assignment sources;

providing, the IT asset custodian with the ability to management the assigned IT assets in order to correct financial accounting of the use of the IT assets;

determining that at least one of the assigned IT assets is to be re-assigned;

in response to determining that at least one of the assigned IT assets is to be re-assigned, sending a request from the IT asset custodian to an IT asset manager for the IT asset to be removed from the IT asset custodian;

assigning the removed IT asset to another custodian;

correcting the financial accounting of the use of the IT asset; and

removing the IT asset from the IT asset custodian.

2. A method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 1, the method comprising determining if the assigned assets is to be re-assigned based on either incorrect assignment to the IT asset custodian or the IT assets is no longer being used by the IT asset custodian.

6. A method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 2, further comprising determining that none of the assigned IT assets are to be re-assigned.

7. A method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 6, further comprising maintaining the aggregated view of all IT assets assigned to the IT asset custodian.

8. A method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 1, wherein the ability to management the assigned IT assets includes one or more of the following:

viewing the aggregated view of the assigned IT assets, updating properties associated with the IT assets, providing notes associated with the IT assets, and generating requests associated with the assigned IT assets.

9. A method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 1, wherein the logging in to the IT assets management UI includes providing a username and a password associated with the IT assets custodian.

10. A method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 1, wherein a plurality of IT asset assignment sources comprise one or more of the following:

an IT asset repository, an IT asset database, and an IT asset tracking data store.

11. A method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 1, wherein the aggregated view of the IT assets provides a view of the IT custodian'"'"'s assigned IT assets across a plurality of roles.

12. A method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 1, the plurality of roles comprise one or more of the following:

IT assets owned by the IT custodian, IT assets associated with the IT assets custodian as a primary user, IT assets associated with the IT asset custodian by membership in an employee group, and IT assets associated with the IT asset custodian by an assigned device group.

13. A method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 1, wherein the aggregated view of the IT assets provides hardware and/or software details about the IT assets.

14. A method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 1, wherein the ability to management the assigned IT assets comprises providing the IT asset custodian with an actual physical view of assigned IT assets.

3. (canceled)

4. (canceled)

5. (canceled)

15. A method for providing consolidated self service IT asset management, the method comprising:

recording software and/or hardware assets in an asset repository of an asset system;

setting up, at the asset system, an IT asset management application;

assigning, to an IT asset custodian, software and/or hardware licenses, wherein the IT asset custodian is a member of a custodian group which provides the IT asset custodian with access to IT assets associated with the IT asset custodian group;

comparing an aggregated software and/or hardware asset repository with a compliance metric;

reviewing the software and/or hardware licenses assigned to the IT asset custodian, with the compliance metric to determine the IT asset custodian'"'"'s compliance with the software and/or hardware license requirements;

updating, the software and/or hardware licenses assigned to the IT asset custodian, such that the assigned licenses are in compliance with the compliance metric;

updating the software and/or hardware licenses use for accounting accuracy; and

displaying for the IT asset custodian each of the software and/or hardware licenses and IT assets associated with the IT asset custodian group.

16. A method for providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 15, wherein the asset custodian is a member of at least one employee group.

17. A method for providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 16, further comprising reviewing and maintaining software and/or hardware compliance among the employee group.

18. A method for providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 17, wherein the asset custodian is a member of at least one device group, and wherein the method further comprises reviewing and maintaining software and/or hardware compliance among the employee group.

19. A method for providing consolidated self service IT asset management as in claim 15, wherein the compliance metric comprises maximum license allotments and license usage requirements and/or restrictions.

20. A machine-readable medium for providing consolidated self service IT asset management, having sets of instructions which, when executed by a machine, cause the machine to:

display, on a display device of an IT asset management system, an IT asset management user interface (UI);

log in, by an IT assets custodian, to the IT assets management UI;

display, at the IT assets management UI, an aggregated view of all IT assets assigned to the IT asset custodian, wherein the aggregated view of the IT assets is generated from a plurality of IT asset assignment sources;

provide, the IT asset custodian with the ability to manage the assigned IT assets;

determine that at least one of the assigned IT assets is to be re-assigned;

in response to determining that at least one of the assigned IT assets is to be re-assigned, send a request from the IT asset custodian to an IT asset manager for the IT asset to be removed from the IT asset custodian;

assign the removed IT asset to another custodian;

correct the financial accounting of the use of the IT asset; and

remove the IT asset from the IT asset custodian.