Asset merging
Asset merging is the process where the information for one asset is combined with the information for another asset under the premise that they are actually the same physical asset.
Asset merging occurs when an asset update contains identity data that matches two different asset profiles. For example, a single update that contains a NetBIOS host name that matches one asset profile and a MAC address that matches a different asset profile might trigger an asset merge.
Some systems can cause high volumes of asset merging because they
have asset data sources that inadvertently combine identity information
from two different physical assets into a single asset update. Some
examples of these systems include the following environments:
- Central syslog servers that act as an event proxy
- Virtual machines
- Automated installation environments
- Non-unique host names, common with assets like iPads and iPhones.
- Virtual private networks that have shared MAC addresses
- Log source extensions where the identity field is
OverrideAndAlwaysSend=true
Assets that have many IP addresses, MAC addresses, or host names show deviations in asset growth and can trigger system notifications.