Asset Management Training¶

Complete Guide to Managing Assets in RackPlane¶

This training module covers everything you need to know about asset management, from basic operations to advanced workflows.

Table of Contents¶

Understanding Assets
Creating Assets
Asset Lifecycle
Searching and Filtering
Bulk Operations
Stock Management
Serial Number Management
Best Practices

Understanding Assets¶

What is an Asset?¶

An asset in RackPlane represents any physical equipment that you want to track. This includes:

Compute: Servers, workstations, blades
Network: Switches, routers, firewalls, load balancers
Storage: NAS, SAN, disk arrays
Power: PDUs, UPS, power cables
Connectivity: Cables, transceivers, patch panels
Infrastructure: KVM switches, console servers

Asset Data Model¶

Asset
├── Identity
│   ├── Name
│   ├── Serial Number
│   ├── Asset Tag
│   └── Model
├── Classification
│   ├── Type (Server, Switch, etc.)
│   ├── Manufacturer
│   └── Custom Fields
├── Location
│   ├── Datacenter
│   ├── Room
│   ├── Rack + U-Position
│   └── OR Storage Container
├── Status
│   ├── Active / Storage / Decommissioned
│   └── Maintenance State
├── Lifecycle
│   ├── Purchase Date
│   ├── Warranty Expiration
│   └── End of Life Date
└── Relationships
    ├── Network Ports
    ├── Connected Cables
    └── Parent/Child Assets

Creating Assets¶

Method 1: Manual Creation¶

Steps:

Navigate to Assets page
Click + Add Asset
Select the asset type
Fill in the form:

┌─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐
│ Create New Asset                                    [Close] │
├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┤
│ Type:        [Server          ▼]                            │
│ Name:        [Web Server 01        ]                        │
│ Serial:      [ABC123XYZ789         ]                        │
│ Asset Tag:   [ASSET-001            ]                        │
│ Model:       [Dell PowerEdge R750  ]                        │
│                                                             │
│ Location:    [Datacenter ▼] [Rack ▼] [U: __ ] [Height: __ ]│
│              ☐ Add to Stock instead                        │
│                                                             │
│ [Cancel]                                   [Create Asset]   │
└─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘

Method 2: OCR Scanning¶

For assets with labels:

Click 📷 Scan Label
Point camera at the asset label
RackPlane extracts:
Serial number
Model number
Manufacturer
Review and complete missing fields
Save the asset

Method 3: Vendor Product Search¶

Search vendor catalogs (Pro+):

Click 🔍 Search Products
Enter product name or part number
Select from results (Mouser, FS.com)
Product details auto-populate
Add quantity and location
Save

Method 4: CSV Import¶

For bulk creation:

Download CSV template
Fill in asset data
Required columns:
name
type
serial_number
Optional columns:
model, manufacturer
datacenter_code, rack_code, u_position
purchase_date, warranty_expiration
Upload and review
Confirm import

Sample CSV:

name,type,serial_number,model,datacenter_code,rack_code,u_position
Web Server 01,server_device,ABC123,PowerEdge R750,DC1,A01,10
Web Server 02,server_device,ABC124,PowerEdge R750,DC1,A01,12
Core Switch,switch_device,SW001,Nexus 9300,DC1,A01,40

Asset Lifecycle¶

Status Transitions¶

                    ┌─────────────────┐
                    │    PLANNED      │
                    └────────┬────────┘
                             │ Purchase/Receive
                             ▼
                    ┌─────────────────┐
         ┌─────────│    STORAGE      │◄────────────┐
         │         └────────┬────────┘             │
         │                  │ Deploy               │ Return to Storage
         │                  ▼                      │
         │         ┌─────────────────┐             │
         │         │     ACTIVE      │─────────────┘
         │         └────────┬────────┘
         │                  │
         │    ┌─────────────┼─────────────┐
         │    │             │             │
         │    ▼             ▼             ▼
         │ ┌──────┐   ┌──────────┐   ┌──────────┐
         │ │MAINT.│   │ RESERVED │   │DECOMM.   │
         │ └──────┘   └──────────┘   └──────────┘
         │    │             │
         │    └─────────────┼──── Return to Active
         │                  │
         └──────────────────┘

Automatic Status Changes¶

RackPlane automatically updates status when:

Action	Status Change
Assign to rack	Storage → Active
Move to container	Active → Storage
Connect cable	Cable moves from Storage → Active
Disconnect cable	Option to return to Storage
Set decommission date	Active → Decommissioned

Searching and Filtering¶

Quick Search¶

Type in the search bar to search across: - Asset name - Serial number - Asset tag - Model

Advanced Filters¶

Click Filters to filter by:

Filter	Options
Type	Server, Switch, Cable, etc.
Status	Active, Storage, Decommissioned
Location	Datacenter, Room, Rack
Container	Storage containers
Manufacturer	Vendor/brand
Date Range	Created, purchased, warranty

Saved Filters¶

Save frequently used filter combinations: 1. Apply filters 2. Click Save Filter 3. Name your filter 4. Access from Saved Filters dropdown

Example Searches¶

# Find all Dell servers
type:server_device manufacturer:Dell

# Find assets expiring within 30 days
warranty_expiring:30d

# Find all items in DC1, Rack A01
datacenter:DC1 rack:A01

# Find all cables in storage
type:*_cable status:storage

Bulk Operations¶

Selecting Multiple Assets¶

Check the checkbox next to assets
Or click Select All for current page
Selected count appears in toolbar

Available Bulk Actions¶

Action	Description
Move	Change location for all selected
Update Status	Change status in bulk
Export	Download selected as CSV
Print Labels	Generate QR labels
Delete	Remove selected (with confirmation)
Tag	Add tags to selected

Bulk Move Example¶

Select assets to move
Click Move
Select destination:
Datacenter/Rack/U-position
Or Storage Container
Confirm move

Stock Management¶

Understanding Stock vs. Deployed¶

State	Location	Use Case
Deployed	Rack + U-position	Active equipment
Stock	Storage Container	Spare parts, cables

Storage Containers¶

Organize spare inventory:

Storage Room
├── Cabinet 1
│   ├── Shelf A (DAC Cables)
│   ├── Shelf B (Transceivers)
│   └── Shelf C (Power Cables)
├── Cabinet 2
│   ├── Drawer 1 (Spare NICs)
│   └── Drawer 2 (Console Cables)
└── Spare Parts Box
    └── Miscellaneous

Creating Containers¶

Navigate to Stock → Containers
Click + Add Container
Enter:
Name
Type (Box, Shelf, Drawer, Cabinet)
Location description
Save

Stock Levels¶

Track inventory levels:

Set minimum quantity for alerts
View current count
Get low stock alerts (Starter+)

Adding Items to Stock¶

When creating an asset: 1. Check "Add to Stock" 2. Select container 3. Enter quantity (for consumables) 4. Save

Serial Number Management¶

Importance of Serial Numbers¶

Serial numbers enable: - ✅ Warranty lookups - ✅ Vendor support tickets - ✅ Audit compliance - ✅ Asset tracking

Serial Number Formats¶

RackPlane tracks various formats:

Vendor	Format Example
Dell	`ABCD123`
HP/HPE	`CZ12345678`
Cisco	`FOC12345ABC`
Arista	`SSJ12345678`

Duplicate Detection¶

RackPlane warns if a serial number already exists: - Shows existing asset details - Prevents accidental duplicates - Can override if intentional

Serial Number History¶

View serial number changes: 1. Open asset details 2. Click History tab 3. See all modifications

Best Practices¶

1. Naming Conventions¶

Do:

WEB-SVR-01, WEB-SVR-02    (Consistent, searchable)
CORE-SW-A01-01            (Includes location)

Don't:

webserver1, Web Server Two    (Inconsistent)
The main switch in DC1        (Too verbose)

2. Complete Data Entry¶

Fill in all relevant fields: - Serial number (for warranty) - Purchase date (for depreciation) - Warranty expiration (for alerts)

3. Regular Audits¶

Schedule periodic audits: 1. Generate asset report 2. Physical verification 3. Update discrepancies 4. Document changes

4. Use Asset Tags¶

Print and apply QR code labels: - Enables quick scanning - Physical verification - Lost asset recovery

5. Document Changes¶

Use notes field for: - Configuration changes - Maintenance history - Special requirements

6. Organize Stock¶

Use meaningful container names
Group similar items
Set minimum stock levels
Regular inventory counts

Exercises¶

Exercise 1: Create Your First Asset¶

Navigate to Assets
Click + Add Asset
Create a server:
Name: "TEST-SVR-01"
Type: Server
Serial: "TEST123"
Add to storage (not deployed)
Verify it appears in stock

Exercise 2: Move Asset to Rack¶

Find TEST-SVR-01
Click Edit
Change location:
Select datacenter
Select rack
U-position: 10
Save
Verify status changed to Active

Exercise 3: Bulk Import¶

Download CSV template
Add 5 test cables
Upload CSV
Review and confirm
Find imported assets