Creating a Computer System CI

Before you begin

Ensure that you have access to the company selected in the Default Company list in Asset Management Settings. For more information, see Configuring BMC Asset Management settings.

Follow this procedure to create a Computer System CI. The procedure for creating other CI types is similar.

To create a Computer System CI

1. In the navigation pane of the Asset Management console, choose Functions > Manage CIs.

2. In the Select a CI Type dialog box, choose System > Computer System, and click Create.
   The Computer System (New) form appears.

   Important

   When creating a CI, only the Quick Links and Functions menus in the left navigation section are active, and will expand. The Advanced Functions and Create Other Requests menus will get activated only after you save the CI.

3. At the top of the Computer System form, specify general information.
   Bold field names indicate required fields. You must specify information into these fields before you can save the CI.

4. In the CI Name field, specify a name for the CI.
   
   

   Best Practice

   When creating a CI name, follow a consistent naming convention. According to the IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) guidelines, identifiers should be short but meaningful, and for hardware, not based on supplier device names. For example, the name might include an indicator of the item's function followed by a numeric code, such as MONITOR100.

5. In the CI ID field, type a unique alphanumeric value for the CI.
6. Specify whether the item is supported by selecting Yes or No from the Supported list.
   This field provides information for your records.
7. From the Company list, select the company to which this item belongs.
   For more information about this field, see Providing access to a CI for multiple companies.
8. From the Primary Capability and Capability List fields, select or type the roles this item performs in your company's topology.

9. Select a status from the Status list.
   You can select one of the following options:

   Status	Description
   Deployed	The item has been deployed and in use. This is the default value.
   Received	The item represented by the CI was received in shipping.
   Being Assembled	The item is being assembled.
   In Repair	The item is down for maintenance.
   Down	The item is down, but not yet in maintenance.
   End of Life	The item is no longer being deployed.
   Transferred	The item was transferred to another location.
   Delete	The CI is marked for deletion.
   In Inventory	The item is in inventory, but not yet deployed. If the Search Inventory Locations dialog box is configured, perform the following steps: On the confirmation message window, click OK. On the Search Inventory Locations dialog box, click Search. From the search results, select the required location, and click Return. Important: If the Search Inventory Locations dialog box is not displayed, see Displaying the Search Inventory Locations dialog box to set the CI location.
   On Loan	The item is on loan to another location.
   Ordered	The item has been ordered but is not yet available.
   Disposed	The item is no longer available and was disposed of.
   Reserved	The item was reserved and taken out of inventory.
   Return to Vendor	The item must be returned to the vendor as damaged or unwanted.

10. Select the impact, urgency, and priority that apply when this item goes down (becomes unavailable).
11. In the Users Affected field, specify the number of people who use this item.
    Alternatively, specify the number of users who are affected when the item goes down.

12. Complete the other fields in this area:

    Field name	Description
    Tag Number	The CI tag number. This number is usually placed on the product by a member of your IT department to track the CI.
    Serial Number	The item's serial number
    Part Number	The item's part number
    System Role	The role this item plays in your company
    Status Reason	The reason for the current CI status

13. Click the General tab.
14. Use the Tier fields to categorize the item, as described in Categorizing CIs.
15. In the Location area, use the lists and fields to specify the location of the item.

16. Specify the dates of the CI in the Lifecycle area.

    Field name	Description
    Received Date	This field is automatically populated when the CI is received using the Requisition, Purchase/Receive feature.
    Installation Date	This field is populated when the CI is put into Deployed state.
    Available Date	Enter the date the CI will be available.
    Return Date	Enter the return date of the CI.
    Disposal Date	Enter the disposal date of the CI.
    Last Scan Date	This field is automatically populated when the CI instance has been discovered using a discovery tool such as BMC BladeLogic Client Automation or BMC Atrium Discovery and Dependency Mapping.

17. Enter the owner information in the Owner Name and Owner Contact fields.

    Important

    Owner information appears only on the Computer System, Application, and Business Service CI forms. For more information about service context, see Using BMC Atrium Service Context.

18. Click the Specifications tab.
    Add additional information about the CI and the item that it represents.
19. Click Save.
    If you see a message instructing you to complete additional fields, which might be necessary for this particular CI, do so.