Methods and systems for providing a comprehensive view of it assets as self service inquiry/update transactions

• US 9,582,776 B2
• Filed: 10/09/2009
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 10/09/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Oracle International Corporation (Oracle Corporation)
• Inventors: Apte, Umesh Madhav, Alonzo, Jason Aron, Yee, John Leong
• Primary Examiner(s): Reagan, James A
• Application Number:
  US12/576,988
• Publication Number:
  US 20110087601A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,699 Days
• Field of Search: 705 50- 79
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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:

receiving, at an information technology (IT) asset management system, a communication from a user device;

identifying, at the IT asset management system, an IT assets custodian that corresponds to the user device based on the communication, the IT asset custodian is associated with a first role identifying a first type of asset assignment and a second role identifying a second type of asset assignment;

querying, by the IT asset management system, a first database using an identifier of the IT assets custodian to identify one or more first IT assets assigned to the IT assets custodian, the first database being associated with the first role, the one or more first IT assets including a portable hardware device;

querying, by the IT asset management system, a second database using an identifier of the IT assets custodian to identify one or more second IT assets assigned to the IT assets custodian, the second database being associated the second role;

generating, at the IT asset management system, an asset management user interface that includes an aggregated view identifying IT assets assigned to the IT assets custodian, the aggregated view identifying each of the one or more first IT assets and each of the one or more second IT assets;

transmitting, from the IT asset management system, the asset management user interface to the user device;

monitoring a physical usage of at least one of the one or more assigned IT assets;

determining, by the IT asset management system based on the monitoring, that the at least one of the assigned IT assets is to be re-assigned from the IT asset custodian to another IT asset custodian;

assigning, by the IT asset management system, the at least one of the assigned IT assets to the another IT asset custodian; and

removing, by the IT asset management system, an assignment of the at least one of the assigned IT assets from the IT asset custodian.

2. The method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as recited in claim 1, wherein the monitoring further includes monitoring a location of the IT asset custodian.

3. The method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as recited in claim 2, further comprising:

detecting, based on the monitoring, that a location of the IT asset custodian has changed, wherein the determination that the at least one of the assigned IT assets is to be re-assigned is made in response to the detection.

4. The method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as recited in claim 2, wherein monitoring the location of the IT asset custodian includes determining whether the IT asset custodian is at a location corresponding to a site of an organization, the custodian being an employee of the organization.

5. The method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

detecting, based on the monitoring, that the another IT assets custodian is using the at least one of the assigned IT assets, wherein the determination that the at least one of the assigned IT assets is to be re-assigned is made in response to the detection.

6. The method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

generating a new version of the asset management user interface that identifies updated IT assets assigned to the IT assets custodian, the at least one of the assigned IT assets being removed from the updated IT assets.

7. The method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as recited in claim 1, wherein the communication from the user device includes a username and password.

8. The method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as recited in claim 1, wherein:

a plurality of roles includes an owner of an IT asset, a primary user of an IT asset, and a membership in an employee group associated with an IT asset;

the first role includes one of the plurality of roles; and

the second role includes another of the plurality of roles.

9. The method for providing consolidated self service IT asset management as recited in claim 1, further comprising:

determining, for an IT asset of the assigned IT assets, whether one or more assignments corresponding to the IT asset are compliance with a license allotment or usage restriction associated with the IT asset;

wherein the asset management user interface includes an indication as to whether the one or more assignments corresponding to the IT asset are compliant.

10. The method of providing consolidated self service IT asset management as recited in claim 1, wherein the assigned IT assets further include an authorization to use particular software.

11. A system comprising:

one or more processors; and

a memory having stored therein a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform actions including;

receiving a communication from a user device;

identifying an IT assets custodian that corresponds to the user device based on the communication, the IT asset custodian is associated with a first role identifying a first type of asset assignment and a second role identifying a second type of asset assignment;

querying a first database using an identifier of the IT assets custodian to identify one or more first IT assets assigned to the IT assets custodian, the first database being associated with the first role, the one or more first IT assets including a portable hardware device;

querying a second database using an identifier of the IT assets custodian to identify one or more second IT assets assigned to the IT assets custodian, the second database being associated with the second role;

generating an asset management user interface that includes an aggregated view identifying IT assets assigned to the IT assets custodian, the aggregated view identifying each of the one or more first IT assets and each of the one or more second IT assets;

transmitting the asset management user interface to the user device;

monitoring a physical usage of at least one of the one or more assigned IT assets;

determining, based on the monitoring, that the at least one of the assigned IT assets is to be re-assigned from the IT asset custodian to another IT asset custodian;

assigning the at least one of the assigned IT assets to the another IT asset custodian; and

removing an assignment of the at least one of the assigned IT assets from the IT asset custodian.

12. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the monitoring further includes monitoring a location of the IT asset custodian.

13. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein the actions further include:

detecting, based on the monitoring, that a location of the IT asset custodian has changed, wherein the determination that the at least one of the assigned IT assets is to be re-assigned is made in response to the detection.

14. The system as recited in claim 12, wherein monitoring the location of the IT asset custodian includes determining whether the IT asset custodian is at a location corresponding to a site of an organization, the custodian being an employee of the organization.

15. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the actions further include:

detecting, based on the monitoring, that the another IT assets custodian is using the at least one of the assigned IT assets, wherein the determination that the at least one of the assigned IT assets is to be re-assigned is made in response to the detection.

16. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the actions further include:

generating a new version of the asset management user interface that identifies updated IT assets assigned to the IT assets custodian, the at least one of the assigned IT assets being removed from the updated IT assets.

17. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the communication from the user device includes a username and password.

18. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein:

a plurality of roles includes an owner of an IT asset, a primary user of an IT asset, and a membership in an employee group associated with an IT asset;

the first role includes one of the plurality of roles; and

the second role includes another of the plurality of roles.

19. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the actions further include:

determining, for an IT asset of the assigned IT assets, whether one or more assignments corresponding to the IT asset are compliance with a license allotment or usage restriction associated with the IT asset;

wherein the asset management user interface includes an indication as to whether the one or more assignments corresponding to the IT asset are compliant.

20. The system as recited in claim 11, wherein the assigned IT assets further include an authorization to use particular software.