2010-01-07 Thursday - Datacenter Asset Management Systems

A good friend of mine on the East Coast contacted me recently for suggestions on Open Source tools to help with managing information / assets related to a datacenter:

"We have deployed a system for a client comprising some 60 pieces of hardware and software from about 10-15 different vendors, including our own application software. As system integrators, we need to support this suite and track the configuration management. Do you know of any reasonably decent uncomplicated freeware tools for managing this type of CM? We do not need source control tracking. We need to track the system configuration. For example, System 1.1.0.1 consists of server 1 with Win Server 2008 64 bit, Service pack 2, SQL Server 2009, SP 1, App Y version 1.1.2, etc. etc. etc."

"Also, do you know of any tools to inventory and manage deployed licenses so we can track expiration dates, etc.?"

"For the license inventory...a small DB to enter and tracks license keys, contracts, expiration dates, support contracts/contacts, etc. We've been dinged several times with temp licenses that expired and brought stuff to a halt. We can probably manage this comfortably with a spreadsheet...What we do need is a CM tool (which may likely include a license tracking feature). We are doing this with a spreadsheet at the moment, and it is getting cumbersome. We are required to maintain tight CM control, and to submit a configuration sheet with every submission to the customers test lab."

Here are some of the resources / possible tools I suggested:

• racktables.org/



• ocsinventory-ng.org/



• rackmonkey/



• open-audit.org



• kwoksys.com



• cmdb.info



• nVentory



• dokuwiki