Hardware

The Hardware section allows definition of Hardware components like specific CPUs, Hard-drives and other such hardware. Once defined under the Hardware section, an Hardware Component Model is defined, Say "Intel Pentium 2" processor. This object can be then associated with a Computer, a User or a Location - creating an instance of this hardware component under the main object.

Defining such hardware like the CPU above, just declares a generic model of the hardware. When associating the hardware model to an object (as said above: Computer, User or Location), the model is then instantiated, and is given version information, serial number, purchase information and more - which are all unique to the actual hardware installed. In this manner, an instantiation of the " Intel Pentium 2" CPU from above can be: "Intel Pentium 2 - 450Mhz" with a specific Serial Number and so forth.

Keep in mind that when defining hardware in this section, you are only specifying model types, and not actuall (physicall) components).

Hardware is also categorized by Hardware Groups (called "Hardware Types"). These are the generic super-groups of hardware: CPUs, VGA-Cards, Printers and so forth. It makes it easier to browse through the hardware when categorized to these groups, as you will see below. "Hardware Types" can be defined and modified by the Admin using the "Manage Types" menu.

When accessing the Hardware Menu (or when pressing the "Show Hardware List" toolbar button, you will first get a small listbox requesting to choose which hardware type to display. You can choose to show a specific type, or all types together. Clicking the "Go" button will display the desired hardware list. The type listbox will appear on top of the list to allow you to switch to other types when desired.

The Hardware screen support be basic operations to manage hardware:

Hardware List

The hardware list displays by category, before each category the category name and icon are displayed. If all hardware types are displayed then clicking on a type/category name will display only items of that type.
Clicking on an item on the list will show full information about that item, and will select it for edit/delete. The list is standard and allows sorting, and browsing through list pages.

Adding Hardware

This opens a form which requires you fill in information about new hardware:

Hardware Type

Choose from the listbox which type of hardware you wish to add.

Manufacturer:

The name of the company manufacturing the hardware

Model:

General Model of the hardware, remember that you enter specific vesion info when associating the hardware with a computer or other hardware owner.

Viewing Hardware

Clicking hardware in the list will display information page on the right side of the screen. The page displays full info about the hardware item, allows to view logs about this item, and also allow cross reference links for that hardware: these links will allow you to see a where the hardware (of this type) is installed.

Editing Hardware

Edit mode works just like Add Hardware, only it will change an existing record. The dialog will also alow viewing of history for that hardware. To edit, click on hardware from the list, then click the "Edit" button.

Deleting Hardware

The delete button will delete a Hardware item selected from the hardware list. Note, that deleting hardware items is permanent, and all hardware of that type that is associated with a Computer ,User or Location will also be deleted.

Hardware