Overview

Overview


Note

Cisco DNA Spaces is now Cisco Spaces. We are in the process of updating our documentation with the new name. This includes updating GUIs and the corresponding procedures, screenshots, and URLs. For the duration of this activity, you might see occurrences of both Cisco DNA Spaces and Cisco Spaces. We take this opportunity to thank you for your continued support.

Asset Locator is more than an asset management tool. It is a comprehensive single resource for managing, monitoring, and optimizing your assets, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, alerting system, and operational workflows. Using a technology-agnostic approach, the solution can use a wide range of tags and sensors, including Wi-Fi, RFID, and environmental monitors, to continually integrate, monitor, and manage your connected operations. Through its cloud-based interface, you can define the profile, category, and ownership of each of the assets. You can establish business rules to define workflows and the expected operating range of your assets and sensors.

Asset Locator then continually monitors data from the sensors attached to your assets—including telemetry data such as temperature and humidity. When any measure deviates from the norm established by your workflows, policies, and business rules, the solution swings into action. It can give you an immediate alert or, if you prefer, can trigger an automated action that is predefined by your workflows and business rules.

The cloud solution and mobile app give you real-time visibility into how your operations are functioning, enabling you to take immediate action and optimize operational processes. In addition, you have access to a wide range of historical reports and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to help you continually evaluate the effectiveness of operations and measure the impact of new processes.

Overview

Here is a quick glance at the solution architecture:

  • Asset Locator cloud account.

  • Assets that are to be tracked.

  • Tags (Wi-FI, BLE, or RFID) attached to the assets that need to be tracked.

  • Cisco Access Points and Cisco Wireless Controllers.

  • Cisco Connected Mobile Experiences device (Cisco CMX) OR Cisco Spaces: Detect and Locate deployed within the network.

  • Floor Maps downloaded from Cisco Prime Infrastructure .

Solution Component

Description

Version supported

Cisco AireOS Wireless Controller

Control and Data

Any wireless controller version

Cisco Access Points

 For Wi-FI tags. Location of assets based on RSSI information emananting from tag.

Any AP

Cisco Prime Infrastructure

For AP positioning and exporting maps. (Management)

Cisco PI Version 3.0 and above.

Cisco CMX OR Cisco Spaces: Detect and Locate

Configuration and management required for Asset Locator.

Cisco CMX 10.3.1.x and above.

Tags

Attached to assets that need to be tracked

CCX Compatible, Wi-Fi, BLE, RFID

Assets

Assets that need to be tracked

—

Maps

Building and floors maps exported from Cisco Prime Infrastructure

—

Cisco Asset Locator

Monitor, Track, and Manage assets

—
Figure 1. Information Flow

Note

Asset Locator requires a data path that includes either Cisco Spaces: Connector or Cisco CMX.

Figure 2. Information Flow

Features and Benefits

  • Use your existing wireless network to provide better operational insights and efficiencies

  • Digitize and capture indoor location, sensor telemetry and other contextual data from your assets

  • Save critical staff time by easily managing and quickly locating assets in your facilities

  • Synthesize the collected data via a sophisticated rules engine, apply business and workflow rules, and automatically trigger defined actions and alerts

  • Reduce manual processes by tracking, managing, and monitoring Wi-Fi, RFID tags, and telemetry sensors attached to assets

  • Avoid inventory loss or stock outages by monitoring assets and sensors in real time, applying business and workflow rules, and automatically triggering alerts

  • Automate KPI monitoring through the web dashboard and reports, for real-time and historical insights to optimize operations

  • Provide connectivity to enterprise applications via a flexible, API-driven platform

  • Gain unified visibility across the entire organization from a single cloud-scaled dashboard while providing custom roles and permissions to users

  • Reduce CapEx and maintenance costs with a SaaS subscription model

Table 1. Features and Benefits

Feature

Benefit

Cisco Compatible Extensions (CCX) compatibility

Provides support for multiple tag providers

Helps reduce new investment when tag systems are already deployed

Cloud service

Reduces installation cost and time

Improves scalability as demand grows

Improves solution through continuous feature development and faster deployment

Asset track and trace, monitoring, and management

Improves efficiency of critical staff by reducing manual monitoring and tracking of assets

Improves asset utilization by analyzing movement and utilization patterns

Improves tactical operations through real-time visibility into all assets in a facility

Rules

Enables automated workflows through rules that address conditions such as asset location, motion status, environmental telemetry, and other business attributes

Avoids inventory loss or stock outages through an alerting system

Detects the temperature and humidity of refrigerators to maintain an acceptable range for temperature-sensitive assets

Tracks assets based on entrance, exit, or motion-sensing events

Improves safety and security by detecting panic button trigger

Alerting system

Reduces downtime by triggering alerts when asset condition exceeds threshold defined by business rules and workflows

Helps keep staff informed through alerts sent by email or text message

Automatically classifies assets based on rule conditions

Manages alerts with built-in audit trail and alert management system

Triggers secondary workflows through API triggers to other enterprise back-end systems

Reporting

Reduces time spent collecting data, monitoring assets, and reporting

Helps improve decision-making through automated and customizable KPI reports

Enables compliance reporting with historic records on telemetry data (temperature, humidity, etc.) and asset status

Mobile app

Provides a user-friendly interface to help reduce time spent searching for assets inside a facility

Uses the mobile device’s location to further improve asset search by limiting results to nearby assets and alerts

Improves response to and compliance with alerts through notifications and easy alert management

Improves user experience and mobility for staff on the floor

Licensing

Cisco Spaces: Asset Locator is tag and sensor technology agnostic. Depending on your technology preferences, you can purchase sensors from any CCX-compliant tag vendor.

The web and mobile platforms give you the power to tailor the solution to your needs. How do you want to categorize your assets? What workflows are important to your operations? Through a single, cloud-based interface, you have complete control over each of these elements. And by automating your workflows and alerts, you no longer need to spend cycles on day-to-day monitoring, but rather can focus on continually improving your operations.

Asset Locator is a component of Cisco Spaces, a cloud-based and mobile solution that can be deployed easily and quickly. And its subscription model helps provide predictable, year-to-year operational expenses. Asset Locator is included in the Cisco Spaces ACT license.

Navigate to Settings > Licenses to find details of existing license.

  • Type—Type of License (Evaluation or Advanced)

  • End Date—Date of expiry of license

  • Days Remaining—Number of days remaining for the license to expire.

  • Account Name—Account Name of License

  • Account Number—Account Number of License