K1000 Assets
I've uploaded our asset records for over 23,000 machines. We have fields department, location, inventory date, custodian, along with some others. These records can change if the machine moves. So our thinking is to import an updated csv every month.
My question is will importing new overwrite the fields that have changed? If not what is best practice to accomplish the changes on a monthly basis?
Answers (3)
We use the Asset Name field to store the serial number in our Computer asset type. As long as your future imports have a unique entry for the name (or at least one field), then you can check the box for "PK" and it will match records on that field. Imports should then update matching records and not create duplicates.
Comments:
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I get that. We use the serial number as well. Will it only update that field, or should I mark PK for all fields that could change?
Say a machine moved from HR to Finance. That data changed on the csv. Once I updated even without department selected as PK that should update correct? - dugullett 12 years ago -
You only want to select Name as the PK. If you upload a csv with just two columns:
Serial Number | Department
45ytghyg | Finance
It will only update the Department field to Finance. When you upload the file you're given the screen to match asset fields to column in the CSV and only those fields with a matching column selected will be updated. - chucksteel 12 years ago
It has been a while since I worked with the assets, but I believe when you import during the mapping process you have the option whether or not to update the existing records, or to only add additional records.
It will generally update and overwrite the old one.
Maybe it would be easier to put an sql hat on with this though. You could have a helpdesk queue called 'asset maintenence' and we just email it the serial number and name of the new location and it updates the asset through sql select and update queries (from custom fields which you've setup). That way your information is live and not a month behind?
