How do I prepare to use Assets Data Manager?

[#1]

With the release of Assets Data Manager coming up, now is a great time to prepare for when the feature will be available within Assets in Jira Service Management.

This page will help you understand the Architecture, infrastructure requirements, and some of the planning you need to do to be ready to roll.

Data Manager Architecture

The important thing to note in the above diagram is that the first two boxes are in your environment.

Source Data

These are the tools that you want Data Manager to consume and are likely to reside in your environment or they may be cloud based.

Local Server
The local server is required to use the Adapters Client (which consumes data from your data sources) and the Cleanse and Import Client (which leverages your local system to clean and reconcile your data). This server is in your environment and can be either OnPrem or in the Cloud. The important piece is that it has the ability to connect to any location where data is sourced from and be able to pass data up to JSM Assets, including Data Manager.

Note: For quick testing, this can also be a workstation.

Data Sources to connect

Before you can determine the sizing requirements of the local server, you need to work through the potential Object Types in your scope (eg Compute, Network, Peripheral, People &/or Software) and for each Object Type the data sources you want to connect to.

As an example, you’ve decided to start with the Compute Object Type, your organisation has about 20,000 compute devices, including physical and virtual end points in both the infrastructure server and end user computing space; and you are going to connect five (5) data sources using the Flat File method as a quick test. That is; you can get Data Manager set-up quickly loading CSV files and will work to automate the process in the future.

To be really ready, prior to starting your set-up of Data Manager - work with your tool SME’s to ensure that they are able to provide an unfiltered* CSV extract of their tool, including the columns (or attributes) you want Data Manager to utilise. If you’re looking at the Compute object type, include all the types of things you’d look at when buying a new computer (eg manufacturer, model, processor, CPU count, operating system, serial number, RAM, disk space, etc and of course an asset name).

* An unfiltered extract is requested, as this allows full cross comparative data analysis to occur within Data Manager. As an example; if may show where one data source has identified an end point are retired but another tool may still have it as active.

Sizing Guide for the Local Server

The above example, fits in the blue box below; so above our Operating System and standard organisation requirements (i.e. for monitoring tools etc), our RAM requirements are 8gb and an additional 50gb storage to store the CSV files you collect.

The Data Manager Cleanse & Import client for JSM Assets can run on many operating systems including Windows, Linux, or MAC.

Once you have your local server set-up and you’ve worked out the tools to connect, plus obtained extracts** for those tools, you will be ready to roll when Assets Data Manager is released.

** Several out of the box adapters exist; however, obtaining appropriate credentials can often slow down the set-up process. Therefore, CSVs are a great way to see the tool up and running quickly. You can always switch to those adapters at a later stage.

[Yuly Buenahora]

Hi, can you elaborate more about this use for the "Local Server": Cleanse and Import Client (which leverages your local system to clean and reconcile your data)? I thought the client was more like a bridge to connect DM to the sources but looks like there is more functionality in this client.

[Murali Makam]

Where can I see a list of adapters available? Is their an adapter to connect to AWS config aggregator? Azure cloud?

[Dirk Ronsmans]

@Murali Makam 

https://community.atlassian.com/t5/Assets-Data-Manager-f-k-a/What-adapters-will-Assets-Data-Manager-support/ba-p/2659714

[Dirk Ronsmans]

Are there any plans to containerize the Data Manager Cleanse & Import client?

[Murali Makam]

Hi  @Dirk Ronsmans , I reviewed the adapters list. I do not see anything for integrating with AWS cloud for AWS resources. If I misread, please let me know if it exists or planned to be developed and when? We need that ASAP.

[Marcelo Garcia Majewski]

Hello, I am configuring data loading based on a source in Databricks. I have installed the Databricks JDBC drivers in the JIRA environment, the connection was successful, but when inserting the select statement, a generic error message appears saying: "Something went wrong, contact the administrator." Checking the query logs in Databricks, I see that the table call is successful. It seems that the "assets" plugin cannot handle the data format or something like that. We did not find any failure references in the JIRA logs. Any idea what it could be? Is there a specific connector recommended for this data load connection with the Databricks source?