Benefits of Discovery and Automation for IT Teams

Does your organization struggle with managing assets effectively? Do you have the ability to provide an accurate count of the different asset classes that you manage?

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If so, you are not alone. Many organizations express difficulties tracking and managing devices in their environment. The abrupt shift to a remote workforce has only exacerbated this problem. Having a robust solution for discovering asset information automatically can dramatically decrease the time it takes as well as reduce the resources required to track assets and ensure that data is accurate and reliable.

The added information made available with a discovery solution can also enhance ITIL processes so that they can be more effective:

• Incident Management: Gather more relevant data about user hardware and software environments
• Problem Management: Execute faster root cause analysis with fewer resources
• Change Management: Perform change impact analysis more efficiently for improved decision making
• Knowledge Management: Assemble articles specific to vendors and models in use, giving users the right information for quicker self-resolution

Organizations frequently rely on endpoint agents that can collect hardware and software information from the most common desktop and server operating systems. While these tools provide value, it is also necessary to complement this strategy by employing an agentless scan of the network to gather inventory data. Having the capability to discover devices without installing agents provides numerous benefits to all environments.

How Can Discovery and Automation Help?

Because many devices needing to be discovered do not have agents that can be installed, network discovery can help find routers, switches, and other critical devices on the network. In addition, discovery aids in the deployment of agents, as it is difficult to determine if everything is being covered if you do not know what “everything” is. Furthermore, discovery can have minimal impact on endpoint device performance because there is no need to load more agents on the machine.

Regardless of what type of discovery solution is being employed, the benefits extend far beyond simple asset tracking and inventory management. By using a discovery solution, organizations can map the data center to identify critical network devices that require standby replacements, possess a better understanding of cooling and electrical requirements, and be more prepared in the event of a disaster.

Whether the goal is building a CMDB, ensuring devices are updated and patched correctly, or tracking software licensing more accurately, a crucial component for success is developing an effective strategy for discovery.