Guide to IT asset discovery

Many IT teams discover gaps in their asset inventory only during outages, compliance audits, or upgrades. These blind spots are common in today's complex IT environments.

From hardware in the server room to software in the cloud, this guide explains why IT Asset Discovery matters and how to do it right. As cybersecurity and data integrity become more important in modern IT, knowing what's in your digital environment is critical. Ready to transform how you handle your IT assets? Let's get started.

What is IT asset discovery?

IT asset discovery is the systematic process of identifying, cataloging, and continuously monitoring all IT assets within an organization. It's an essential practice in today's tech-driven business landscape, ensuring that every piece of hardware and software is accounted for and managed effectively throughout its lifecycle. This comprehensive approach enables organizations to optimize asset utilization, achieve compliance, reduce security risks, eliminate waste from overprovisioned licenses, and improve operational efficiency.

In an era dominated by cloud technologies, asset discovery is crucial for protecting the integrity of data scattered across a multitude of devices. For IT teams, it transcends the routine task of inventory management, ensuring that each asset not only exists but thrives as a pivotal contributor to the organization's objectives and cybersecurity framework.

What is an IT asset?

An IT asset is essentially any piece of technology that supports your business operations. This includes tangible hardware, such as computers, servers, networking devices, and intangible software applications and licenses. These assets form the backbone of your IT infrastructure, enabling your day-to-day business activities and driving your company's technological advancement.

Examples of IT assets

Not all discovery is created equal. Modern IT environments require comprehensive discovery across four distinct categories:

Hardware assets

• Servers: The muscle of your ITAM, powering data processing, application hosting, and network management

• Workstations and laptops: Critical for high-end tasks and mobile productivity, these devices are the lifeblood of your business operations

• Networking equipment (routers, switches): The conduits of your digital realm, ensuring seamless data flow and connectivity within your IT ecosystem

• Data center infrastructure: Critical equipment including CRACs (Computer Room Air Conditioners), PDUs (Power Distribution Units), BCPMs (Branch Circuit Power Monitors), UPSs (Uninterruptible Power Supplies), and environmental sensors that support and protect your IT operations.

Software assets

• Operating systems: The foundational layer of your technology stack, bridging the gap between hardware and application software

• Business applications: The engines driving efficiency across various business functions, from CRM to accounting

• Software licenses: The rulebook governing the usage of your software arsenal, critical for legal compliance and operational harmony

Virtual assets

• Virtual machines: Software-defined computers running within your physical infrastructure

• Containers: Lightweight, standalone packages containing everything needed to run an application

• Hypervisors: The technology that creates and manages virtual machines, optimizing hardware utilization

Application assets

• Web applications: Browser-based tools serving diverse business functions

• Database systems: The repositories storing and managing your critical business data

• API services: The connectors enabling different software systems to communicate and work together

How does IT asset discovery work?

IT asset discovery functions as a thorough check of your IT ecosystem. The process happens through specialized software installed on individual devices like laptops or through a central application running on your server that monitors your entire network. This includes all connected devices such as printers, scanners, and data center equipment.

Once active, this software continuously updates hardware and software information and identifies security risks or anomalies. It's an ongoing process that ensures your IT assets are accounted for, secure, optimized, and properly integrated with your service desk operations.

What is the IT asset discovery process?

The IT asset discovery process is a methodical approach to identifying, cataloging, and managing all IT assets across your organization's network. Effective discovery uses multiple specialized protocols to ensure complete visibility:

• SNMP (Simple Network Management Protocol): Gathers information from network devices but has limitations for detailed system information.

• WMI (Windows Management Instrumentation): Provides deep insight into Windows-based systems but doesn't cover other operating systems or network devices.

• SSH/CLI: Enables secure remote access to gather detailed configuration data from Linux/Unix systems and network devices.

• API integrations: Connect with cloud services, virtualization platforms, and container orchestrators to discover dynamic resources.

• Agent-based discovery: Deploys lightweight software on endpoints to collect comprehensive data even from remote or intermittently connected devices.

Organizations that rely solely on limited protocols like SNMP and WMI often develop blind spots in their asset inventory. The most effective discovery solutions address this by combining these protocols with automated discovery scheduling to maintain a continuously updated, accurate view of the entire IT estate.

The discovery process should also build relationship maps showing dependencies between assets. These maps are valuable for change management, incident resolution, and service continuity planning. This isn't a one-time activity but a continuous cycle of discovery, validation, and documentation that keeps your IT asset inventory accurate and your CMDB reliable.

Asset discovery use cases

Healthcare industry

In healthcare, asset discovery focuses on identifying and managing the IT infrastructure that supports critical medical systems. This includes servers, workstations, and networking devices that run medical applications. While clinical or biomedical devices with an IP address may be directly discovered, the real value lies in mapping the supporting IT infrastructure to ensure compliance, performance, and availability of those systems.

Financial services

For financial institutions, asset discovery helps map and maintain visibility into trading platforms, secure transaction infrastructure, and ensure regulatory compliance across all digital assets. It provides the transparency needed for audit trails and security validations required in highly regulated environments.

Education sector

In educational institutions, asset discovery plays a key role in managing classroom technologies, various mobile devices, student databases, research facilities, and online learning platforms, ensuring smooth and secure educational experiences. It helps track assets distributed across campuses and remote learning environments.

Retail industry

Retail businesses use asset discovery to manage their point-of-sale systems, inventory databases, and customer service platforms, enabling a seamless retail operation. This visibility helps reduce the risk of disruptions during peak shopping periods and supports PCI compliance.

Benefits of implementing an IT asset discovery process

Automation of asset cataloging

Say goodbye to manual inventory management. IT asset discovery tools automate how you catalog your IT assets, including mobile devices that move around your organization. This automation frees your IT team to focus on more important tasks like endpoint security and strategic technology initiatives.

Centralized asset database

Think of a digital library that contains details of all your IT assets, from servers in your data center to laptops across your enterprise. This centralized database gives you quick, accurate information for solving problems at the help desk and maintaining your network efficiently.

Anomaly detection

Discovery tools like Device42 provide deep visibility into your IT environment, helping identify unmanaged assets and configuration gaps that could pose security risks. By maintaining a complete and accurate asset inventory, you can support compliance efforts and strengthen your security posture.

Network visualization

Asset discovery tools don't just list your network assets. They create a visual map of your entire IT landscape. This network visualization helps you understand asset distribution, usage patterns, and resource management, giving you a clear picture of your interconnected IT ecosystem.

Enhanced reporting and analysis

Regular monitoring and data collection provide valuable insights for audits, planning IT infrastructure upgrades, and managing software licenses. This information helps you make better decisions about your IT strategy and use resources more efficiently.

Business challenges of IT asset discovery

IT asset discovery, while crucial for streamlined IT operations, comes with its own set of challenges that businesses must navigate. These challenges range from technological diversity to security concerns, each requiring a strategic approach to overcome.

Managing asset diversity

In today's IT landscape, the sheer variety of assets, from legacy systems to cutting-edge technologies, makes it a daunting task to ensure comprehensive discovery and seamless compatibility. This diversity demands a flexible and adaptable discovery process that can efficiently cater to different types of assets.

Keeping up with rapid technological changes

The ever-evolving nature of technology means that IT assets are continually being updated or replaced. This rapid pace of change presents a significant challenge in maintaining an up-to-date and accurate inventory of IT assets, requiring constant vigilance and quick adaptation.

Balancing security and accessibility

Striking the right balance between ensuring robust security in the asset discovery process and maintaining user privacy and accessibility is a critical challenge. This requires a nuanced approach that secures the IT infrastructure without compromising on user experience and access.

Scalability and integration hurdles

As organizations grow, their IT environments become more complex. Ensuring that the asset discovery tools and processes scale effectively to accommodate this growth while integrating seamlessly with existing systems is a challenge that requires foresight and careful planning.

Addressing inaccurate or incomplete data

Asset discovery relies heavily on the accuracy and completeness of the data collected. Inaccuracies or gaps in data can lead to inefficient resource utilization and increased vulnerabilities. Overcoming this challenge involves implementing robust data validation and update mechanisms within the asset discovery process.

Compliance with regulatory requirements

With increasing regulatory demands, particularly in industries like healthcare and finance, ensuring that the IT asset discovery process complies with these regulations is a significant challenge. This requires a comprehensive understanding of both the regulatory landscape and the technical aspects of asset discovery.

IT asset discovery best practices

In IT asset discovery, success hinges on the tools you use and how you use them. Here are some best practices to ensure your asset discovery process is as effective as possible.

Implementing an asset discovery process

When implementing an asset discovery process, start by defining clear objectives. What do you want to achieve? Next, select the right tools that align with your IT infrastructure. It's about finding the perfect fit — like a key to a lock. Ensure comprehensive training for your IT team to make the most of these tools. Remember, a tool is only as good as the hands that wield it.

Ongoing management

Asset discovery isn't a one-time task. It requires an automated discovery that continuously scans your environment to ensure your asset inventory reflects the current state of your infrastructure, capturing new assets, configuration changes, and decommissions automatically. This ongoing visibility helps you make better decisions, reduce risk, and stay compliant.

Essential features of IT asset discovery tools

Certain asset management features stand out as indispensable. They're the backbone of any robust asset discovery strategy.

Modern CMDB (Configuration Management Database)

A comprehensive CMDB serves as the single source of truth for your IT ecosystem, storing detailed information about all IT assets and their relationships. This central repository enhances visibility, control, and decision-making across your organization.

Dependency mapping

Understanding how your assets interconnect is crucial for impact analysis, efficient troubleshooting, and service continuity planning. Robust dependency mapping visualizes relationships between assets, providing clarity on how changes to one component affect others. This capability also helps accelerate incident resolution by quickly identifying root causes and revealing what powers what, adding value beyond planning and analysis.

Advanced discovery capabilities

Modern environments require that you capture assets across your entire hybrid environment, including:

• DCIM (Data Center Infrastructure Management): Manage physical data center assets

• IPAM (IP Address Management): Track and manage your IP address space

• Cloud discovery: Identify resources across multi-cloud environments

• Application dependency mapping: Understand how applications interact

Multi-source IT management integrations

The ability to integrate with various IT management tools and identity providers ensures comprehensive coverage across your entire IT landscape, eliminating blind spots and providing a complete asset picture.

Near real-time auto-discovery

Continuous, automated scanning ensures your asset inventory stays current with minimal manual intervention, capturing new devices and changes as they occur.

Integrated ITAM and ITSM

Asset discovery should enhance service operations by linking assets to incidents, changes, and service requests, creating a seamless connection between your asset management and service management processes.

Top IT asset discovery tools

In asset discovery, choosing the right tool is pivotal. Here's a rundown of some of the top tools in the market, each bringing unique features to the table.

Freshservice

Freshservice is the powerhouse of asset management features your business needs to operate seamlessly, offering state-of-the-art IT service management capabilities. Designed for immediate impact, it's not just an ITSM tool—it's a transformation catalyst for your entire organization.

Features

1. Complete spectrum discovery: Capture information on all types of assets, including legacy systems, network devices, cloud resources, data center devices (such as PDUs and UPSs), software, operating systems, virtualization, databases, storage arrays, and end-user devices/MDM.

2. Multi-source CMDB: Integrations with a range of discovery solutions and identity providers ensure comprehensive coverage across your entire IT landscape.

3. Advanced discovery and relationship mapping: Build a sophisticated CMDB with detailed device data and their interdependencies, essential for impact analysis and change management.

4. Near real-time visibility: Get up-to-date asset information with native discovery tools that continuously scan your environment.

5. Scheduled scans: Automatically update your asset information across your network at regular intervals.

6. Mobile inventory management: Scan non-IT assets on the go using the Freshservice mobile app.

Pros

• Extensive range of discovery features

• User-friendly interface

• Real-time updates and comprehensive coverage

• Mobile app for on-the-go management

• Seamless integration between ITAM and ITSM processes

Cons

• Might be overwhelming for smaller IT setups due to its extensive feature set

SolarWinds

SolarWinds offers a robust IT asset discovery tool known for its powerful network scanning and device management features.

Features

• Intuitive user interface for ease of navigation

• Customizable asset grouping and reporting for tailored asset management

• Advanced network monitoring tools for detailed asset oversight

Pros

• User-friendly and customizable

• Effective network scanning and management

Cons

• Complex setup and usage, requiring technical know-how

Zluri

Zluri focuses on SaaS stack visibility, providing insights into subscriptions, costs, and SaaS application management.

Features

• Comprehensive reporting for subscription and cost management

• Centralized governance for SaaS applications

• Advanced discovery methods for all IT assets, enhancing security and compliance

Pros

• Ideal for SaaS-heavy environments with exceptional subscription analytics

• Excels at identifying shadow IT and unauthorized cloud applications

• Strong automation for SaaS license optimization workflows

Cons

• Lacks native hardware scanning capabilities

• SaaS-focused approach may require complementary solutions for on-premises assets

Lansweeper

Lansweeper offers an efficient solution for comprehensive IT asset discovery, focusing on network-wide visibility.

Features

• Streamlined setup for efficient deployment

• Customizable asset grouping, tagging, and reporting

• Comprehensive network scanning capabilities

Pros

• Efficient deployment with prompt results

• Customizable asset management features

Cons

• Limited integration with non-Lansweeper tools

• Basic reporting features

SysAid

SysAid provides a robust IT service management software with powerful asset discovery and management features.

Features

• Automated network scanning for hardware and software assets

• Centralized asset repository for streamlined management

• Automated reporting capabilities

Pros

• Strong service desk integration makes asset-to-ticket correlation seamless

• Comprehensive reporting templates tailored for compliance audits

• Particularly strong for Windows-dominated environments

Cons

• Limited customization options for complex IT environments

• Weaker in cloud asset discovery compared to on-premises capabilities

Qualys

Qualys specializes in cloud-based security and compliance, offering an IT asset discovery tool for a comprehensive view of IT infrastructure.

Features

• Real-time updates for the latest asset information

• Advanced scanning technologies for accurate asset data

• Integration with other Qualys solutions

Pros

• Real-time asset updates

• Advanced scanning for accurate information

Cons

• Compatibility limitations with certain systems

NinjaOne

NinjaOne excels in remote monitoring and management, offering automated IT asset management across various devices.

Features

• Automated IT asset management for servers, workstations, and laptops

• Supports VMware, Hyper-V, and SNMP devices

• Simplifies application management at endpoints

Pros

• Comprehensive support for various devices and environments

• Simplified application management

Cons

• Dependency on the active directory for the distribution server

• Unstable remote connectivity

InvGate Assets

InvGate Assets is a versatile tool for IT asset discovery and management, automating and simplifying the tracking of IT assets.

Features

• Combination of agent-based and agentless discovery methods

• Automation of asset management processes

• Accurate and up-to-date asset information

Pros

• Efficient discovery methods

• Automation for ease of asset management

Cons

• Steep learning curve for new users

• Dependence on a stable IT infrastructure

Freshservice for IT asset discovery

Freshservice provides a comprehensive, user-friendly, and effective solution for organizations looking to optimize their asset management processes. Organizations can automate and streamline the IT asset discovery process, ensure up-to-date and accurate asset information, and manage assets efficiently, even remotely, with Freshservice. Freshservice offers an advanced ITAM solution powered by Device42 to deliver unparalleled asset and dependency discovery. This integration enables organizations to benefit from full-spectrum discovery, automated CMDB enrichment, and greater visibility across complex IT environments, laying the groundwork for faster incident response, smarter change management, and improved compliance.

Auto-discover assets in your network

Identify all the assets used within your organization using comprehensive discovery tools to manage computers and scan for all assets within your network.

Periodically scan your assets

Automatic scans across your network update asset information to ensure up-to-date and accurate data.

Scan and identify assets on the go

Use your mobile's barcode or QR capabilities within our IT asset management software to scan for assets even when you're away from your desk.