Ideas for Internal Asset Tags

[chite]

All, I'm hoping for some ideas on how to solve a problem I have. We currently have Asset tags that we stick on the outside of all of our computers. When we build a computer we manually add the asset tag number to the Computer Description Field of the Windows OS. We see the number in the description in Lansweeper but this field is NOT searchable from the search window in Lansweeper.

1. Is there a better area (reg key, another description field) on the OS level that we should be putting this Asset Tag # for better searchablility in Lansweeper?

2. Or is there a custom report that I can write in Lansweeper to pull that field from each of the computers on our network?

3. Or am I totally doing this the wrong way and someone else has had experience with a better more feasible option?

thanks in advance for the help!

Chaden

[chite]

Thanks for the Reply's. I found out our helpdesk actually does that "city-Assettag#" in the description of the OS. After we upgraded yesterday to Lansweeper 5.1, we found a way that we can utilize the search functionality on a canned report called "Computer: Description empty" - this report showed all computers with an "empty" description field so we had to adjust the sql query a little to show all computers with or without a description. here's the sql query we ended up with.

***********************************************************************************************
Select Top 1000000 tblAssets.AssetID,
tblAssets.AssetUnique,
tblAssets.Domain,
tsysOS.OSname,
tblAssets.Description,
tblAssets.Lastseen,
tsysOS.Image As icon
From tblAssets
Inner Join tblAssetCustom On tblAssets.AssetID = tblAssetCustom.AssetID
Inner Join tsysOS On tblAssets.OScode = tsysOS.OScode
Where tblAssetCustom.State = 1
Order By tblAssets.AssetName

***********************************************************************************************

we named this report "Computers: Descriptions"
This report is searchable in the descriptions field, so if we have an asset with an asset tag #1234 then all we have to do is search for the number and it finds the asset in the list.

we also found a Lansweeper article that showed how to change the computer description remotely so the helpdesk staff doesn't have to go to each individual machine and change it manually - I'm sure there's multiple ways to do this but here's the article and vb script we found:

http://www.lansweeper.com/forum/yaf_postst417_Change-the-computer-description.aspx

this is what we ended up with on our own:
to remotely change the computer description:
************************************************************************************************
Set WshNetwork = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Network")

strComputer = Inputbox("Enter Computer:")
strDescription = Inputbox("Enter Description:")

Set Obj= GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer).InstancesOf("Win32_OperatingSystem")
For Each x In Obj
x.Description = strDescription
x.Put_
Next

Set Obj= GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer).InstancesOf("Win32_OperatingSystem")
For Each x In Obj
msgbox (x.Description)
Next


WScript.Quit
************************************************************************************************

to verify the description was changed successfully:
************************************************************************************************
Set WshNetwork = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Network")

strComputer = Inputbox("Enter Computer:")

Set Obj= GetObject("winmgmts:\\" & strComputer).InstancesOf("Win32_OperatingSystem")
For Each x In Obj
msgbox (x.Description)
Next


WScript.Quit
************************************************************************************************
going back to the QR option - I think the QR codes would be great if we didn't have an asset tag process already, but redoing the process would take us more time than I think we have. Who knows though, maybe we'll get there someday.


thanks to everyone's help on this subject, I appreciate the options and ideas from everyone.

Chaden

[RTI_IT]

This is very similar to what MichaelSVHAC said. We have multiple plants so we name our machines accordingly. For example 1381-P2WOFFICE is asset 1381 located in plant two west offices.

[chite]

All, great Ideas, thanks for the posts, I'll look into the QR codes in 5.1 - were going to be upgrading to 5.1 on Wednesday this week.

I'll keep you posted on how it goes 🙂
thanks again!!

Chaden

[Hemoco · Accepted solution]

Why not use the QR codes in 5.1, this way you can keep your asset names.

[MichaelSVHAC]

Though not especially helpful for your current situation. Why not name your workstation with Site code and asset tag? eg City-12349876