HP Armada 7300 Intelligent Manageability for Armada Portable PCs - Page 4

INTELLIGENT MANAGEABILITY FOR ARMADA PORTABLE PRODUCTS (cont.) ... ASSET MANAGEMENT Compaq Armada portable PCs are now even easier to track. Advanced hardware and firmware enable a network administrator or PC user to track and monitor the entire system - portable PC and the docking station - locally or over the network from a central management console. Efficient processes for tracking valuable PC assets over the network will save the cost of visiting each system to gather inventory information. Also, customers can utilize any PC LAN management application (e.g., Compaq Insight Manager, Microsoft SMS or Intel LANDesk Management Suite) to extract information over the network thus maximizing the value of existing investments in tools and training. Asset Management features provide the necessary "who, what and where" foundation required for effective client/server monitoring and maintenance. As a result, a more effective remote problem diagnosis is made because the LAN administrator is able to determine where a PC is located and how it is configured. Even when on the road or not connected to a network, Asset Management allows the user to retrieve system configuration information and test performance of the system anytime anywhere with enhanced Diagnostics for Windows (Compaq Insight Personal Edition). AssetControl Compaq designed many AssetControl features into the Armada portable PCs containing information about the system that makes it easier to inventory. Now, AssetControl provides the capability to track even more PC component information. All AssetControl information is stored in hardware and can be retrieved by Compaq Insight Manager, Management Solutions Partner applications, Diagnostics for Windows (Compaq Insight Personal Edition), and Computer Setup. Only the Ownership Tag and Asset Tag requires data input. System Serial Number, Manufacturer and Model-When the Compaq factory builds an Armada PC it assigns a serial number, the manufacturer and model information to each unit. This data is automatically stored in the computer's hardware. Hard Drive Manufacturer, Model, and Serial Number-Hard drive manufacturer, model, and serial number are stored in the hard drive firmware and extracted via the hard drive driver. External Monitor Manufacturer, Model, and Serial Number-Compaq's AssetControl Monitors have been designed to conform to VESA's Display Data Channel (DDC) specification. This data channel provides a way for the monitor to automatically communicate configuration and asset information to the PC. The asset information is contained in an Extended Display ID (EDID) file stored within the monitor. Compaq monitors support DDC1 and DDC2B communication protocol standards but use DDC2B, the faster protocol, for AssetControl. Panel Manufacturer, Model, Resolution and Serial Number-Compaq's AssetControl allows local retrieval of flat panel information. This information is programmed in the factory. Battery Manufacturer and Serial Number-Before leaving the Compaq factory, battery manufacturer and serial number are programmed into the battery firmware for easy local and remote retrieval. Asset Tag-The Asset Tag is intended to be used as a repository for storing company-specific property asset numbers for easy tracking. It initially contains the system serial number. The Asset Tag is stored in a protected section of non-volatile memory that can be accessed and modified with the F10 Computer Setup. System Board Revision Level-This feature allows management software to read the revision level of the system board. When the factory builds a new system board, the revision level is digitally encoded into the hardware and cannot be modified thereafter. 4