RT Asset Tracker - unique name field

Hello,

I’m looking at using RT AssetTracker module for tracking our hardware
and software licenses. It does exactly what I’d like for hardware, but
I’d also like to track software licenses. The problem that I’m running
up against is that each asset name field must be unique. For example,
if I’m tracking Windows licenses, I’d like to be able to have 20 assets
called something like “Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)” with separate
Asset IDs and product keys, and then I’d link them to the workstations
that they run on. Is there any way to accomplish something like this?
If not, how do people generally go about tracking software licenses with
the RT Asset Tracker?

Please let me know if I’m approaching this from the wrong angle
completely - I’m open to suggestions. Thanks!

Darren

Hello. What we have been doing is track the software as custom fields attached to hardware records. The custom fields have values for versions of office apps etc.

PMOn Apr 11, 2012, at 9:45, Darren Hildebrand darren.hildebrand@opusvfx.com wrote:

Hello,

I’m looking at using RT AssetTracker module for tracking our hardware and software licenses. It does exactly what I’d like for hardware, but I’d also like to track software licenses. The problem that I’m running up against is that each asset name field must be unique. For example, if I’m tracking Windows licenses, I’d like to be able to have 20 assets called something like “Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)” with separate Asset IDs and product keys, and then I’d link them to the workstations that they run on. Is there any way to accomplish something like this? If not, how do people generally go about tracking software licenses with the RT Asset Tracker?

Please let me know if I’m approaching this from the wrong angle completely - I’m open to suggestions. Thanks!

Darren

From: “Darren Hildebrand” darren.hildebrand@opusvfx.com

I’m looking at using RT AssetTracker module for tracking our hardware
and software licenses. It does exactly what I’d like for hardware, but
I’d also like to track software licenses. The problem that I’m running
up against is that each asset name field must be unique. For example,
if I’m tracking Windows licenses, I’d like to be able to have 20 assets
called something like “Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)” with separate
Asset IDs and product keys, and then I’d link them to the workstations
that they run on. Is there any way to accomplish something like this?
If not, how do people generally go about tracking software licenses
with the RT Asset Tracker?

I would use that as a description, and use the license key itself – or
some unique component thereof, as the name.

You’re hitting an analog of the “serial numbered inventory” problem.

Cheers,
– jra
Jay R. Ashworth Baylink jra@baylink.com
Designer The Things I Think RFC 2100
Ashworth & Associates http://baylink.pitas.com 2000 Land Rover DII
St Petersburg FL USA http://photo.imageinc.us +1 727 647 1274

Thanks, but my problem with that approach is that records of a specific
software license can disappear along with a computer. Since there are
times when I’d be moving licenses from one computer to another, I’d
prefer for a software license to be a separate entity that can be
unlinked from one computer and linked to another, but it’ll always exist
unless it’s intentionally removed.

It sounds like I’m stuck with using a unique name, so I’m thinking that
I’ll probably append the name with part of the product key or something.

Thanks for the suggestions!

DarrenOn 12-04-11 11:52 AM, Paul Muther wrote:

Hello. What we have been doing is track the software as custom fields attached to hardware records. The custom fields have values for versions of office apps etc.

PM

On Apr 11, 2012, at 9:45, Darren Hildebranddarren.hildebrand@opusvfx.com wrote:

Hello,

I’m looking at using RT AssetTracker module for tracking our hardware and software licenses. It does exactly what I’d like for hardware, but I’d also like to track software licenses. The problem that I’m running up against is that each asset name field must be unique. For example, if I’m tracking Windows licenses, I’d like to be able to have 20 assets called something like “Windows 7 Professional (64-bit)” with separate Asset IDs and product keys, and then I’d link them to the workstations that they run on. Is there any way to accomplish something like this? If not, how do people generally go about tracking software licenses with the RT Asset Tracker?

Please let me know if I’m approaching this from the wrong angle completely - I’m open to suggestions. Thanks!

Darren