The laptop nobody can find
A manager asks for a laptop for a new starter. The store cupboard has laptops, but none are logged, none are tagged, and nobody knows which are free.
Good operation is a habit of tracking, helping and writing things down.
Key words
| Word | What it means |
|---|---|
| Asset | anything the organisation owns that has value |
| Asset tag | a unique label stuck on a device and recorded in the register |
| Register | a list that records items and their details |
| Licence | permission to use software, often for a set number of users |
| Remote access software | a program that lets a technician see and control another computer |
| Finding | a fact learned while looking into something |
| Technical term | the proper word for a part or action in IT |
| Escalate | to pass an issue to a higher line of support |
The cells students fill in are left blank in this preview.
By the end of this lesson
Note
I can operate and maintain assets, support users in person or remotely, and record and summarise findings clearly.
Starter
Have a go
Starter
3 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.
Operate and maintain assets
Three habits keep assets under control.
Track software licences. Know how many you bought and how many are used. Respond to requests for hardware and software. A request is logged, checked against needs, and either supplied or refused with a reason. Log and tag assets correctly. Every device gets a unique asset tag, stuck on it and written in the register.
Build a one-line asset record from this machine
echo "name,cores,memory_mb" > assets.csv && echo "$(hostname),$(nproc),$(free -m | awk '/Mem/{print $2}')" >> assets.csv && cat assets.csvA command for the lesson’s lab terminal. It is shown here and not run.
Check: assets
Have a go
Check: assets
4 questionsYour answers are marked here and are not kept. A college account keeps every student’s marks.