Enabling automated synchronization

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Automated synchronization is an option that must be enabled in the Organizations application before any automatic synching can occur. You enable automated synchronization so that when assets and CIs are initially linked, their key attribute data and customer information (for Service Provider Edition users) are synchronized automatically.

About this task

These settings inform the asset-CI reconciliation task about whether synchronization is on or off, and which direction to synch from (from asset to CI, or CI to asset). The settings also enable a button in the UI that allows you to immediately synchronize already linked assets and CIs from the Organizations application.

Enabling the globally available synchronization options in the Organizations application turns on automated synching of these key attributes for all linked assets and CIs. The synchronization is enabled by using the Asset and CI Synchronization action. This action also allows you to specify the direction of initial synchronization as either “Copy the asset information to the linked CI” or “Copy the CI information to the linked asset.”

If you upgrade the product and want to synch all existing authorized asset-CI links, use the Synchronize Assets and CIs button.

Procedure

  1. On the navigation bar, click Open menu > Administration > Organizations.
  2. Display the existing organizations.
    Note: The synching that you enable applies globally and not to any one selected organization.
  3. Select the CI and Asset Synchronization action.
  4. Select Synchronize information between assets and CIs that are linked.
  5. Select either Copy the asset information to the linked CI or Copy the CI information to the linked asset, depending on the direction in which you want the synching to occur.

    (If you do not synchronize in step 4, these buttons are not selectable.)

  6. Click Apply to save your settings.
  7. Optional: If you want to synch all assets and CIs that are currently linked, immediately, for all sites and organizations, click Synchronize Assets and CIs.

    Use the Synchronize Assets and CIs button if you have upgraded the product and want to synch your existing authorized asset-CI links. If you were previously synching with the asset-CI reconciliation task, but subsequently disabled synchronizaton, then changed authorized assets or CIs and later reenabled synchronization, use this button to get all your linked assets and CIs back in synch.

    When you click this button, the key attributes and common specification attributes are copied if the default setting is to synchronize information. The copied information replaces existing values. For Service Provider Edition users, the primary customer and all associated customers are copied as well.

    If the authorized asset is generic (was automatically created) and the authorized CI is not, the attributes are copied from the CI to the asset. If the authorized CI is generic and the authorized asset is not, the attributes are copied from the asset to the CI. Otherwise, the copying depends on the synchronization direction enabled in step 5.

    The asset-CI reconciliation task does not have to be active to use this button. (If you do not synchronize in step 4, the Synchronize Assets and CIs button is not displayed.)