ABSTRACT
The second essential element is asset determination. As
mentioned above, it is not possible to manage what you do
not know about or, perhaps more accurately, what you do
not know enough about to determine the management or
security requirements of the device. A complete and accu-
rate inventory of the devices attached to the network is the
most essential element of system management after poli-
cies, standards, and procedures. Most organizations have
some type of asset inventory system, and several system
management tools have hardware and software inventory
capabilities but these systems may not cover all the devices
connected to the network. Building an accurate asset
inventory requires discovery, inventory, and classification.
Discovery is a proactive process intended to find all the
active devices connected to the network and to gather some
of the information necessary to manage that device.
Discovery methods are discussed in more detail later in
this entry.
