Accessing and navigating Asset Console
The following video (2:52) provides you an overview of the filtering capabilities in Asset Console.
Watch the YouTube Video about filters and presets in Asset Console.
The following image shows different functionalities available in the Asset console:
Before you begin
Make sure your administrator has set the value of CCS parameter enableISAssetConsole to true as described in the Setting configuration parameters in BMC Helix ITSM topic. For more information, see Enabling-and-configuring-the-Asset-console.
You can access the Asset console from the Console menu in BMC Helix ITSM.
Your ability to view the asset console (and items in the console) depends upon the specific permissions you have been granted to fulfill your role in the organization. For more information, see Asset Management user roles and permissions.
The following video (3:41) gives you a quick tour of the Asset Console.
Watch the YouTube Video for a quick tour of the Asset Console
To filter items
The Asset console displays a list of assets. By filtering and sorting the list, you can locate items that match your criteria. BMC Helix ITSM has rich filters out of the box. There are advanced filters specifically for Computer System assets. For example, you can filter for all computers that have a minimum of 2 CPUs and a Windows operating system. You can use other advanced filters like Primary capability and System environment to narrow down your search results.
The Asset type filter in the Asset console displays the following common asset classes:
- Computer
- Business service
- Equipment
- Hardware
- Network
- Software
Each of these out-of-the-box asset class filters include their sub-type asset classes. When you filter by applying an Asset Class filter, all the associated sub-type filters are also applied. For example, when you apply the Asset type filter Computer, the search results include the assets from sub-types of Computer System class: Computer System, Mainframe, and Printer. For more information about the list of sub-types for other classes, see Asset-types-and-subtypes. You can also search and apply a sub-type asset class or other asset classes directly by typing in the box present below the class filters.
The filters in the Asset console are independent of each other. For example, when you select Asset type as Network, the filters that are exclusive for Computer System, like CPU Count, are also shown. When you type three characters in the filter, a list of relevant suggestions are shown. These suggestions are also not dependent on the other filters and all the suggestions that you have access to are listed. For example, when you enter Hardware in Product categorization tier1 and type App in the Tier 2 filter, suggestions such as Application / Software are also displayed.
In the Asset console, all people relationship filters such as Approved by and Owned by display the following named filters:
- Me
- My support groups
- My organization
When you place the cursor in the search box below these filters, a list of all the people, support groups, and organizations that you can access are displayed. More relevant results are displayed as you start typing in the search box.
When you start typing in the search box available for some filters, you get relevant suggestions that you have access to, along with some additional information below each suggestion. This additional information helps you to distinguish between same filter values. For example, when you search for Adam in Approved by, the email ID and department information below each suggestion helps you to select the correct filter value of your choice.
By default, the Asset console shows the computers managed by you. To search for a specific asset in the console, select multiple filters and click Apply filters. The system displays the results according to the filters that you selected. When selecting filters if you select Cancel, system cancels your selection and displays the result according to the filters that were previously applied. Note that you must apply a minimum of two filters or perform a search by entering a search term for the system to display the result. If you have set preset, and additionally specified filters, the system displays the result as per the preset and filters.
To clear all the selected filters, click the Clear option. This clears only the filter selection and does not remove the applied filters. The list of items already displayed in the console remain unchanged. The Apply filters button will remain disabled, if there is no change between the filters selected and the filters that are already applied. To remove all the applied filters, click Remove all. All the applied filters are removed with no items displayed in the console and the following error message is displayed:
After adding the filters in the Asset console, you can narrow down the search result further by entering a keyword in a search box. The keyword search is done on the CI Name, Product name, and Serial number columns. This quick text search cannot be saved as a Preset.
In the Asset console, the first 50 results are displayed initially. More results are displayed as you scroll down. Click 
to see the actual number of search results:
Keywords filter overview
Use the Keywords filter to filter CI records based on one or more keywords. By default, the Keywords filter is applied to the CI Name, Product name,and Description columns on Asset Console.
The percent symbol (%) is used as a wildcard to filter the records by keywords. By default, the keyword you specify is automatically followed by the percent (%) wildcard, and records that begin with the keyword in CI Name, Product name or Description are filtered.
For example, if you specify the keyword router, all records that begin the router text in the CI Name, Product name or Description columns are filtered.
The resulting query in the background appears as 'CI Name' LIKE "router%" OR 'Product Name' LIKE "router%" OR 'Description' LIKE "router%".
Based on configuration, you can specify whether you want to implicitly add the percent (%) wildcard after a keyword or manually type the percent (%) wildcard in the format you want with a keyword, such as %router, %router%, or router%.
For more information about customizing the Keywords filter, see Enabling and configuring Asset console.
To sort multiple columns
In the Asset console, you can sort a single column or sort multiple columns at a time.
- Click
in the first column header, to sort a column in ascending or descending order. - Click
in the second column header that you need to sort. - Select Ascending or Descending.
- Select the order of sorting from Sort order.
This is the order in which the columns are sorted. For example, If you select 2 of 2, the selected column is sorted after the 1 of 2 column is sorted. - Click in all the column headers that you want to sort and repeat the steps 3. and 4.
To manage visible columns
In the Asset console, you can select the columns that you want to see in the console and hide the other columns that are irrelevant to you.
Click Visible columns. Select all the columns that you want to see in the Asset console.
The selected columns are added to the console. Use the Search box to quickly find the columns you need to select.
Preset filters
The Asset console has filter presets provided out of the box. You can use the out-of-the-box preset filters to filter items quickly or you can also add a preset filter based on your requirements.
The following preset filters are available out of the box:
- Computers managed by me
- Asset type: Computer (Computer System, Mainframe, Printer)
- Status: Deployed
- Managed by: Me
- Software titles
- Asset type: Software Server, System Software
- Status: Deployed
- Printers
- Asset type: Printer
- Status: Deployed
To manage preset filters
By default, the Asset console applies the Computers managed by you preset filter. This preset contains three filters. If you remove or add any filter, the console shows the preset as Edited. Click Discard changes to reset to the previously applied preset filter.
To save the custom presets, select the required filters and click Save as. In the popup screen, enter a name for the preset and click Save. The new preset appears in the list of presets under Created by me, so that the next time you want to apply the same filters, you can directly apply the preset.
You can also rename or delete any custom presets. To delete a custom preset, select the preset and from the Action menu, click Delete.
You can share the preset filters created by you with your team members, to improve efficiency and consistency in the team. Let's say you are an asset manager in your organization. You and your team are responsible for managing and upgrading assets, and performing maintenance. You can create custom presets and share with your team, so that all the team members track the right assets for which they are responsible. For example, you can create a custom view preset My down computers with the following filters and share with your team:
Asset type: Computer
Status: Down
Company: Petramco
Your team members can use this preset shared with them to track the computers that are down in the company and take appropriate action regularly.
To share a custom view preset
- Select a custom view preset and from the Action menu, click Share.
- In the Share view preset window, enter the name of the user with whom you want to share the preset in Share preset with, and click Add.
You can also search for a user with their name, login ID, and email address. Once all the recipients are added, click Save.
You can view, add, or remove the users with whom you share the preset from the Share view preset window anytime you want.
You can share the presets with a maximum of 100 users. The presets you created are shown in the list of presets under Created by me in the preset selection dropdown. The presets you shared with others are flagged with 
.
To add a preset shared with you to the asset console
- From the preset selection dropdown in the asset console, click
next to Shared with me.
In the Add shared view presets window you can see the list of presets shared with you, along with the name of person who shared the preset with you.
- Select the view preset you want to add, and click Add.
The presets shared with you are shown in the list of presets under Shared with me in the preset selection dropdown.
If you delete a preset shared with you, it will be deleted from the presets selection dropdown. The preset shared with you will still be shown in the Add shared view presets window and you can add the preset shared with you to the presets selection dropdown anytime you want.
User preferences
The Asset console saves the following user preferences and applies them when you log in again after you log off:
- Filters applied
- Column preferences like column width, position and visible columns
- Sorting preferences
What has changed from the classic Smart IT Asset Console?
Click here to see the differences between the classic Smart IT asset console and the BMC Helix Innovation Studio based asset console.
Functionality | Classic Smart IT Asset Console | BMC Helix Innovation Studio based Asset console |
|---|---|---|
Filter dependency | The availability of some filters are dependent on other filter selections. For example, if you select Asset type as Network, the Computer System specific filters like CPU Count and Operating System are not available for selection. | The filters are independent of each other. For example, you can select CPU count filter, irrespective of the asset type that you select.
|
Filter criteria | You need to apply at least two filter criteria to search for the assets.
| You can apply two filter criteria's or one quick text search to search for the assets.
|
Bulk update | You can configure asset actions for single or multiple assets. | You can perform the following bulk updates on a single or multiple assets:
You can update multiple standard attributes for selected assets from the Update Asset pane. You can also create people relationships in bulk from the Related people pane. |
Asset details | You can view the asset details by clicking on any column. | You can view the asset details only by clicking the CI name column. |
Export | You cannot export the asset records. | You can export the assets to CSV format.
|
Shareable presets | You can not share the presets. | You can create and share your custom presets with other users, or you can use the presets created by others and shared with you.
|
Sort multiple columns | You can sort only one column at a time. | You can sort multiple columns at a time. You can select the sort order for the columns to be sorted.
|
Row-level actions | You cannot perform any row-level actions on an asset. | You can perform the following row-level actions on a single asset:
You can view the related CI and people relationships. If you have the necessary permissions, you can also create and delete these relationships. You can configure Discovery URL and view the dynamic service models created in BMC Helix Discovery by using the links available in the Related CIs pane. |
Error handling in Bulk updates | If there is an error updating some of the assets in bulk updates, none of the assets are updated. | If there is an error updating some of the assets in bulk updates, the error is handled and the other assets are updated. |
Locale support | Supports Hebrew locale. | Does not support Hebrew locale. |
Instructions for classic interfaces
View instructions for classic Smart IT
If your administrator has set the value of CCS parameter enableISAssetConsole to false in the Setting configuration parameters in BMC Helix ITSM, you will view the Smart IT asset console.
Asset Console displays a list of all assets. You can locate items that match your criteria by filtering and sorting the list. For example, you can filter assets by their present state.
To view the details of an asset, navigate to Asset Console and click an asset. The details of that asset are displayed on a new browser tab.
To access Asset Console
- On a web browser, open the BMC Helix ITSM URL.
- Enter yourBMC Helix ITSM user name and password.
- (Optional) To use BMC Helix ITSM with a screen reader, select Use Accessibility Mode.
- Click Log In.
Ticket Console is displayed. - Click Console > Asset Console.
Asset Console is displayed.
Asset Console overview
You can sort a console table by tapping or clicking one of the column headings (tablet and universal client), or by selecting a sorting option from a menu (phone). Filters and presets in Asset Console help you to narrow your search for assets based on your criteria. You must apply a minimum of two filters to a console table. The console includes at least one pre-defined set of filters, called a preset. When you select a preset from the list, the filters are applied to the console.
Applying filters
In Asset Console, you can search for a specific asset by using filters. In Asset Console, select the relevant filters and click Apply. The results are displayed according to the selected filters. You must select at least two filters to view assets in the console. The Apply button remains disabled if you clear the filters and again select the same filters.
There are advanced filters specifically for Computer System assets. For example, you can filter for all computers that have a minimum of 2 CPUs and a Windows operating system.
Typically, the OR condition applies to the following filters:
- Region
- Site Group
- Site
The AND condition applies to all other filters in Asset Console.
For example, consider that the following company, region, site group and site data is present in the Mid-Tier:
Company name | Region | Site group | Site |
|---|---|---|---|
Calbro services | Asia Pacific | Hong Kong | Hong Kong Support Center |
Calbro services | Asia Pacific | Japan | Tokyo Support Center |
The following assets (CIs) for computer system have been created for different regions, site groups, and sites.
Asset name | Company, region, site group, and site details |
|---|---|
Asset 1 | Calbro services -> Asia Pacific -> Hong Kong-> Hong Kong Support Center |
Asset 2 | Calbro services -> Asia Pacific -> Hong Kong-> Hong Kong Support Center |
Asset 3 | Calbro services -> Asia Pacific -> Japan -> Tokyo Support Center |
Asset 4 | Calbro services -> Asia Pacific -> Japan -> Tokyo Support Center |
If you apply the following filters in Asset Console:
- Asset Type: Computer System
- Status: Deployed
- Region: Calbro services -> Asia Pacific
- Site Group: Calbro services -> Asia Pacific -> Hong Kong
BMC Helix ITSM: Asset Managementdisplays all assets that fulfill the following conditions:
asset type = computer System AND Status = Deployed AND ((Region = Calbro services -> Asia Pacific) OR (Site Group = Calbro services -> Asia Pacific -> Hong Kong))
The assets that match the filter criteria are displayed in Asset Console as shown in the following screenshot:
Canceling filters
When selecting filters if you select Cancel, your selection is canceled and the result is displayed according to the filters that were previously applied. If you click the Clear Filters option, all filters are removed and the assets are displayed in Asset Console according to the default preset.
About presets
Presets are a combination of various filters available by default that help you search assets in Asset Console. If you apply a preset along with some additional filters, the results are displayed as per the preset and the applied filters.
In the web browser, you can select columns to view in a console, such as the Assignee or Status columns. Click the menu that appears below the ticket or article counts to view the Change and Order Columns panel.
For example, from Available Columns in Ticket Console, select Columns that Apply to All Tickets, or select one or more ticket types (such as Change or Incident) to show the available columns for that ticket type. Add columns by double-clicking each column name, or by dragging columns from Available Columns to Visible Columns. Arrange the order in Visible Columns by dragging.
Apply a filter on the custom column only if that custom column is added in the visible column list.
In the Edit preset blade, if a user removes a custom column from the visible column list then all the filters which were already applied on that custom column are removed after saving the preset.
In the universal client, you can also create custom presets. Use the custom presets to save different filter selections, visible columns, or both, depending on the different perspectives you need for each of your roles in the organization. You can select any preset as your default. In addition, you can edit any of your custom presets. Your default preset is displayed every time you log in from the universal client or from your mobile device. After you edit a preset or change the default, your changes are displayed immediately in the universal client. For mobile clients, you must log in again to see the updates.
In the universal client, you can click Refresh to see the latest list of results based on your current filters and column configurations.
View instructions for Mid Tier
To access Asset Console
To access the various modules in BMC Helix ITSM: Asset Management, you need the following permissions and authorizations:
- Asset Management permissions
- Contract Management permission model
- Cost module permission model
To open the console from the Applications menu
On the IT Home page, select Asset Management > Asset Management Console.
Asset Console appears.
Asset Console overview
Watch the following video for a quick tour of Asset management:
The following figure shows Asset Console and its functional areas:
The following table describes what you can do in each of the functional areas:
Functional area | Description |
|---|---|
Filter By | Search using predefined searches, and manage your searches. Click the magnifying glass icon to edit, save, and delete custom searches. Saved custom searches appear in the My Searches node of the Defined Searches list. For more information about custom searches, see Searching for tickets, assets, resources, and people in BMC Helix ITSM. |
Dataset Name | Work with CIs in the selected dataset. For example, you might switch between working with CIs in the production dataset (BMC Asset) and the sandbox dataset (BMC.ASSET.SANDBOX). For more information, see Configuration-items. |
Company | Filter the CIs displayed by company. |
Role | Select one of the following Asset Management assignment roles: Approved by, Created by, Managed by, Owned by, Supported by, Used by, or All. The role selection combines with the Filter By, Dataset name, and Company selection to limit the records presented in the Configuration Items (CIs) table. Important: If you select a role, the table displays the CIs related to that particular role. For example, if you select Managed By, the table displays only those CIs that are managed by the role you select. However, if you select ALL, all the CIs in the system are displayed. Best practice: Use caution when selecting the ALL option. If your system has a large number of CIs, displaying all of them in the table could affect performance. You can configure a default Role field selection by using Application Preferences. |
Configuration Items (CIs) panel | |
Explore CI | Use BMC Atrium Explorer to view a map of the relationships between the selected CI and related CIs. For more information, see Exploring-asset-relationships. |
Related Services | View the list of business services that are affected by the selected CI. |
Service Context | Opens the Service Context Summary view for the record selected in the console table. Important: The Service Context button is enabled when you perform searches for the following types of CIs:
For more information about Service Context, see Viewing CI and service relationships in the Service Context. |
CI Relationships panel | |
View | View or modify the related CI. |
Show Related | Select the relationship to the CI from this list to be displayed in the CIs table. The relationships are Assets, Releases, Incidents, Problems, Known Errors, Change Requests, Solutions Database, People and Contacts. |
Relationship Type | Filter the Related CIs table for CIs with a specific relationship type, such as component. |
Related CIs table | Lists all the CIs related to the CI that you select in the CIs table. |
Show | Select whether the Related CIs table displays CIs that are children or parents of the CI selected in the CIs table. |
Manage CIs | Create or search for CIs. For more information, see Asset types and sub types. |
Advanced CI Search | Perform a search of the BMC CMDB, based on CI type. |
Manage Inventory | Create bulk items. Search for bulk items, nonbulk CIs, or CIs in inventory. For more information, see Managing-asset-inventory. |
Manage Configurations | Create and modify configurations. For more information, see Managing-the-configuration-catalog. |
Manage Costs | Manage cost center and charge-back processes. For more information, see Tracking-costs-and-charge-backs. |
Manage Bulk Updates | Perform bulk updates to CI and people information. See Performing-bulk-updates. |
New Schedule | Create audit, maintenance, review, and decommission schedules. For more information, see Creating-and-modifying-maintenance-and-audit-schedules. |
Search Schedule | Search for or modify audit, maintenance, review, and decommission schedules. For more information, see Creating-and-modifying-maintenance-and-audit-schedules. |
My Profile | Open your People Profile record. For more information, see Updating people information. |
Application Preferences | Modify your Console or Overview console preferences. For more information, see Modifying-application-preferences. |
Reminders | Create reminders for yourself or other members of your organization. For more information, see Creating-reminders. |
Reports | Generate reports on CIs, contracts, and so on. For more information, see Using-reports-and-flashboards. |
KPIs | The KPIs that appear in the Asset Management console represent the following variables in graphical format:
|
Role based console
Depending on your role, you might have access to one or more of the consoles listed in the following table. You can access these consoles from the navigation pane of the AR System IT Home page.
Console | Used by | Purpose | More information |
|---|---|---|---|
Purchasing |
|
| |
Approval | Anyone with permission to approve a purchase requisition |
| |
Receiving | Configuration administrators |
| |
Contract Management | Contract managers | Create and manage contracts | |
Software Asset Management | Software asset managers |
|
To change datasets
A dataset is a collection of CIs that are identified by a unique name.
In the Mid Tier interface, CIs can be discovered by a discovery tool or they can be entered manually. In either situation, the CIs are likely to be put into one of the following datasets in BMC Helix CMDB:
- BMC Asset — Default production dataset.
- BMC.ASSET.SANDBOX — Default sandbox dataset. For information about the sandbox dataset, see Configuration-items.
- BMC Configuration Import — Data from BMC Configuration Automation for Clients.
- BMC.SIM — Data that is modeled in BMC Service Impact Manager.
- BMC.ADDM — Data from BMC Atrium Discovery and Dependency Mapping.
- Third-party dataset — Other datasets from third parties.
- In Mid Tier, select Applications > Asset Management > Asset Management Console.
- In Asset Console, select the dataset from Dataset Name.
