System and method for assigning a unique asset identity
Methods, systems, and articles of manufacture consistent with the present invention provide for managing a customer asset, which is a hardware or software component of a customer device, in a data processing system having an offering platform program. The customer asset's is discovered by an asset manager, and an asset identity is assigned. The asset identity is stored persistently.
1. A method in a data processing system having at least one processor and a program for managing a customer asset, which is a hardware or a software component of a customer device, the method comprising the steps of:
discovering the customer asset;
acquiring an immutable identifier from one of two or more components of the customer asset;
acquiring a non-unique identifier associated with the customer asset;
creating, by a data processing system, a unique asset identifier by combining the immutable identifier of the component with the non-unique identifier associated with the customer asset;
assigning, by the data processing system, the unique asset identifier to the customer asset; and
registering, by the data processing system, the customer asset by persistently storing the unique asset identifier.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of discovering, assigning and registering are performed by an asset platform program local to the customer asset.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the steps of discovering, assigning and registering are performed by an offering platform program remote to the customer asset.
4. The method of claim 1 , further comprising alerting a user if the unique asset identifier cannot be determined.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the non-unique identifier associated with the customer asset is a name of the customer asset, and wherein the combining comprises concatenating the name of the customer asset and the immutable identifier of the component.
6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium containing instructions that cause a data processing system to perform a method of managing a customer asset, which is a hardware or software component of a customer device, the method comprising the steps of:
discovering the customer asset;
acquiring an immutable identifier from one of two or more components of the customer asset;
acquiring a non-unique identifier associated with the customer asset;
creating a unique asset identifier by combining the immutable identifier of the component with the non-unique identifier associated with the customer asset;
assigning the unique asset identifier to the customer asset; and
registering the customer asset by persistently storing the unique asset identifier.
7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the steps of discovering, assigning and registering are performed by an asset platform program local to the customer asset.
8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the steps of discovering, assigning and registering are performed by an offering platform program remote to the customer asset.
9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , further comprising alerting a user if the unique asset identifier cannot be determined.
10. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6 , wherein the non-unique identifier associated with the customer asset is a name of the customer asset, and wherein the combining comprises concatenating the name of the customer asset and the immutable identifier of the component.
11. A data processing system for managing a customer asset, which is a hardware or software component of a customer device, the data processing system comprising:
a computer processor configured to execute program instruction;
a memory, coupled to the computer processor, configured to store the program instructions; and
the program instructions that when executed by the computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform the steps of:
discovering the customer asset;
acquiring an immutable identifier from one of two or more components of the customer asset;
acquiring a non-unique identifier associated with the customer asset;
creating a unique asset identifier by combining the immutable identifier of the component with the non-unique identifier associated with the customer asset;
assigning the unique asset identifier to the customer asset; and
registering the customer asset by persistently storing the unique asset identifier.
12. The data processing system of claim 11 , wherein the steps of discovering, assigning and registering are performed by an asset platform program local to the customer asset.
13. The data processing system of claim 11 , wherein the steps of discovering, assigning and registering are performed by an offering platform program remote to the customer asset.
14. The data processing system of claim 11 , further comprising alerting a user if the unique asset identifier cannot be determined.
15. The data processing system of claim 11 , wherein the non-unique identifier associated with the customer asset is a name of the customer asset, and wherein the combining comprises concatenating the name of the customer asset and the immutable identifier of the component.