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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

  1. Understanding Assets
  2. Creating Assets
  3. Asset Lifecycle
  4. Searching and Filtering
  5. Bulk Operations
  6. Stock Management
  7. Serial Number Management
  8. 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:

  1. Navigate to Assets page
  2. Click + Add Asset
  3. Select the asset type
  4. 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:

  1. Click 📷 Scan Label
  2. Point camera at the asset label
  3. RackPlane extracts:
  4. Serial number
  5. Model number
  6. Manufacturer
  7. Review and complete missing fields
  8. Save the asset

Search vendor catalogs (Pro+):

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

Method 4: CSV Import

For bulk creation:

  1. Download CSV template
  2. Fill in asset data
  3. Required columns:
  4. name
  5. type
  6. serial_number
  7. Optional columns:
  8. model, manufacturer
  9. datacenter_code, rack_code, u_position
  10. purchase_date, warranty_expiration
  11. Upload and review
  12. 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

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

  1. Check the checkbox next to assets
  2. Or click Select All for current page
  3. 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

  1. Select assets to move
  2. Click Move
  3. Select destination:
  4. Datacenter/Rack/U-position
  5. Or Storage Container
  6. 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

  1. Navigate to Stock → Containers
  2. Click + Add Container
  3. Enter:
  4. Name
  5. Type (Box, Shelf, Drawer, Cabinet)
  6. Location description
  7. 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

  1. Navigate to Assets
  2. Click + Add Asset
  3. Create a server:
  4. Name: "TEST-SVR-01"
  5. Type: Server
  6. Serial: "TEST123"
  7. Add to storage (not deployed)
  8. Verify it appears in stock

Exercise 2: Move Asset to Rack

  1. Find TEST-SVR-01
  2. Click Edit
  3. Change location:
  4. Select datacenter
  5. Select rack
  6. U-position: 10
  7. Save
  8. Verify status changed to Active

Exercise 3: Bulk Import

  1. Download CSV template
  2. Add 5 test cables
  3. Upload CSV
  4. Review and confirm
  5. Find imported assets

Troubleshooting

"Asset not saving"

  • Check required fields (name, type)
  • Verify serial number is unique
  • Ensure valid U-position

"Can't find asset"

  • Check current filters
  • Search by serial number
  • Verify tenant context

"Duplicate serial number"

  • Review existing asset
  • Merge if duplicate
  • Override if legitimate

Next Steps