Desktop Asset Manager Help >> User Guide

User Guide

The following section describes how to operate in DAM. The procedure contains asset monitoring and software deployment.

1. Asset Monitoring

Asset monitoring allows you to view and track information about all assets in the system. The typical recommended operations are:

• Group assets
• Configure peripheral management policies
• Configure desktop control schemes
• Add assets
• View asset hardware changes
• View asset software changes
• View USB Monitor
• View illegal peripheral use reports
• View asset statistics

       1.1 Group assets

• Purpose:
  Assigning assets to groups by location, type, or function, allowing for flexible management.
  
• To Start Configuration:
  Select the User tab, and then in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select Asset Group.

       1.2 Configure peripheral management policies

• Purpose:
  Managing peripherals attached to the assets. The system supports disabling peripherals and enabling the monitoring of illegal peripheral use.
  
  
• To Start Configuration:
  Select the User tab, and then in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select Desktop Control Policy > Peripheral.

       1.3 Configure desktop control schemes

• Purpose:
  Specifying a control scheme for an asset or an asset group for management.
  
  
• To Start Configuration:
  Select the User tab, and then in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select Control Scheme.
  

       1.4 Add assets

• Purpose:
  Adding assets is to put assets under management. You can add assets one by one or in batches. The latter improves efficiency greatly.
  
• To Start Configuration:
  Select the User tab, and in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select All Assets.
  
  • Add one asset: Click Add.
  
  
  • Import assets in batches: Click Batch Import.
  
  
• Key Parameters:
  
  • Add one asset:
    
    1. Asset Number: Uniquely identifies an asset and the number cannot be repeated.
    2. Owner: Current user of the asset.
    3. Asset Group: Group that the asset is to be added to.
  • Import assets in bulk:
    
    1. Asset Number: Column of asset number in the file.
    2. Asset Group: Group that the asset is to be added to.
    3. Owner: Column of owners in the file.

       1.5 View asset hardware changes

• Purpose:
  Asset Hardware Change allows you to query hardware changes of the asset. But if a monitored CPU or DVD/CD-ROM is replaced with a new unit of the same brand and model, or if a monitored memory is replaced with a same-sized one, the replacement event will not be logged.
  
  
• To Start Configuration:
  Select the User tab, and then in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select Asset Hardware Change.
  
  

       1.6 View asset software changes

• Purpose:
  Asset Software Change provides a quick link to the information about the software changes of the asset.
  
  
• To Start Configuration:
  Select the User tab, and then in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select Asset Software Change.
  
  

       1.7 View USB file transfers

• Purpose:
  USB File Transfer allows you to view file operations through the USB port.
  
  
• To Start Configuration:
  Select the User tab, and then in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select Desktop Control Audit > USB File Transfer.
  
  

       1.8 View peripheral use

• Purpose:
  It allows you to query and view the detailed information about illegal peripheral use.
  
  
• To Start Configuration:
  Select the User tab, and then in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select Desktop Control Audit > Peripheral Use.
  
  

       1.9 View asset statistics

• Purpose:
  The statistics of types, statistics of CPU, Hard Disk Statistics, statistics of operating systems, statistics of software in the asset statistics help you understand the overall information of the assets. The statistics provides information for system upgrading and maintenance.
  
  
• To Start Configuration:
  Select the User tab, and then in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select Asset Statistics.
  
  

2. Software Deployment

Software deployment allows for installing the same software product on multiple assets. This greatly reduces the workload of installing software products one by one on each asset.

• Configure software server
• Create asset groups and add assets to groups
• Create software deploy task

       2.1 Configure software server

• Purpose:
  Software server is responsible for managing the scheduled batch software deployment to multiple assets.
  
• To Start Configuration:
  Select the User tab, and then in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select SW Server Settings.
  
  
• Key Parameters:
  
  • Server Name: Specifies a server and the name must be unique.
  • Deployment Method: Can be HTTP, FTP, and file share.
  • IP Address: IP address of the server.

       2.2 Create asset groups and add assets to groups

• Purpose:
  Create asset groups, each with the assets needing the same software to be deployed. In this case, the task can be assigned by group.
  
  
• To Start Configuration:
  Add asset groups: Select the User tab, and then in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select Asset Group.
  
  Add assets: Select the User tab, and then in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select All Assets.
  
  
• Key Parameters:
  
  • Add asset group:
    
    1. Name: Uniquely identifies an asset group.

       2.3 Create software deploy task

• Purpose:
  You can set up a software deploy task to install the software products to multiple assets.
  
  
• To Start Configuration:
  Select the User tab, and then in the navigation tree of Desktop Asset Manager, select SW Deploy Task.
  
  
• Key Parameters:
  
  • Task Name: Uniquely identifies a software deploy task.
  • Server Config Name: Identifies which server is used for the deployment task.
  • Software Name: Name of the software to be deployed.
  • File Path: Path where the software installation file is saved.
  • Installation Type: Specifies in which type the software is to be installed on the assets.The options include Quiet Installation, Interactive Installation, and Portable Software. The Quiet Installation type automatically pops up the installation window after software is downloaded. The Interactive Installation type requires that you manually execute the installation file after software is downloaded. The Portable Software type allows you to use the software without installing it. /li>
  • Not Save Setup File: Sets to delete the setup file from the assets after installation finishes.