Work with Assets
Table of Contents
This topic explains what assets are, the two asset types in Syncro, and how assets are managed from the Assets & RMM tab.
Overview
An Asset is any device or endpoint tracked in Syncro. Assets are the foundation of Syncro's RMM capability: they receive policies, generate alerts, run scripts, and accumulate a history of tickets, activity, and system data. Every asset belongs to an Organization and can be assigned to a policy folder.
Assets are accessible from the Assets & RMM tab, which displays a searchable table of all assets across your account. From this tab you can create new assets, take bulk actions, and open any individual asset's details to view and manage that device.
For step-by-step instructions, see Create an Asset Manually and Edit an Asset.
Key Components
Syncro Device
An asset on which the Syncro Agent has been installed. Syncro Devices report into the platform on a regular sync interval, and support the full range of RMM capabilities: remote access, backgrounding tools, script execution, patch management, system checks, antivirus monitoring, and more.
User-Created Device
An asset created manually in Syncro when the Syncro Agent cannot be installed, such as for printers, monitors, phones, Linux servers, or network switches. User-Created Devices support a more limited feature set than Syncro Devices. They can have SNMP enabled to support monitoring.
Asset Details Page
The page that displays whenever you open a specific asset. It contains a header bar with the asset's name and status, an actions button bar, and a set of subtabs.
The subtabs available depend on asset type: User-Created Devices display the Overview subtab only (plus Monitoring if SNMP is enabled); Syncro Devices display Overview, System Info, Monitoring, Antivirus, Scripts, System Checks, Installed Apps, and Windows Patches.
See About the Asset Details Page.
Assets & RMM Tab
The main hub for working with assets across your account. It contains a search field, an action button bar, an Overview and Alerts dashboard, and a table of all assets.
Use Cases
- A technician can view the health, activity, and alert status of any managed device from a single location, without needing direct access to the machine.
- A technician can remotely access a Syncro Device, run scripts, trigger reboots, and manage patches directly from the asset's Details page.
- A technical lead can pull asset activity reports and system information for any device in the account, supporting compliance audits and client reviews.
- Assets assigned to policy folders can be used as the basis for recurring invoice line items, ensuring billing counts automatically reflect the current state of managed endpoints.
Best Practices
- Name assets consistently from the start. Use a naming convention that includes the organization, device type, and identifier so assets are easy to locate and sort across your account. For Syncro Devices, use a friendly asset name only when the hostname isn't meaningful.
- Assign every asset to a policy folder. Assets without a policy folder assignment won't receive policies or contribute to recurring invoice line items, which can create gaps in both coverage and billing accuracy.
- Use asset types deliberately. Asset types help filter and report on your inventory. Define a controlled set of types before you start adding assets, rather than creating new ones ad hoc.
- Enable SNMP on manually created devices where possible. User-Created Devices have a limited feature set by default; enabling SNMP extends monitoring capability and gives you visibility into devices the Syncro Agent can't reach.
- Keep custom fields consistent across similar asset types. Custom fields you create for assets appear on the Edit page for all assets. Define them with a specific purpose in mind and apply them uniformly so reporting and filtering stay reliable.
- Archive assets on a regular cadence rather than ad hoc. Keeping decommissioned devices in your active list affects billing counts, asset reports, and policy coverage. A scheduled review, monthly or quarterly, keeps your account accurate. See Archive Assets for details.
Conditional Behavior
- When viewing a Syncro Device's details, you'll have access to the full range of RMM subtabs and remote actions.
- If an asset is a User-Created Device, only the Overview subtab is available by default; the Monitoring subtab also appears if SNMP is enabled on the asset.
- If an asset is archived, only the System Info subtab is displayed and available actions are limited to Merge and Delete. See Archive Assets for details.
Notes
- The information and options Syncro displays for an asset depend on its type.
- Organizations are in the process of being renamed from Customers, and End Users from Contacts. You may see both terms in Syncro.
Create an Asset Manually
Use this procedure to manually create an asset in Syncro when you cannot install the Syncro Agent on a device, such as for printers, monitors, phones, Linux servers, or network switches.
Steps
- Navigate to the Assets & RMM tab.
- Click +New Asset. The New Asset/Create an RMM Agent page opens.
- Click +Create Asset Manually
Tip: To create an RMM installer instead, click +Create RMM Installer. - On the Create Asset Manually page, select an Asset Type.
Note: If the type you want does not exist, click Modify Asset Types to add one. - Start typing and then select a Customer Name to associate with the asset.
- Enter a Name for the asset.
- Optionally, enter a Serial Number or unique identifier.
- Optionally, set the “SNMP Enabled” toggle to the On position, select the SNMP version, and complete the appropriate fields.
Tip: Since Syncro gives you unlimited endpoints, it is a good idea to enable SNMP on manually created assets. See Enable SNMP on an Asset. - Click Create Asset.
Result
Syncro automatically opens the new asset. See About the Asset Details Page.
Edit an Asset
Use this procedure to open an existing asset and modify its field values.
Steps
- Navigate to the Assets & RMM tab.
- In the table, click the hyperlinked name of the asset you want to edit. The asset's Details page opens.
- In the action button bar in the upper right, click Edit. The Edit [Type] Asset page opens with the Asset Details subtab selected.
Note: The right side of the Edit page displays the following read-only sections reflecting current values for that asset: System Information, Operating System, Hardware, Storage, Networking, and Antivirus. The action bar also includes two additional buttons: Change Policy, which navigates to the Assets & Policies subtab for the customer, and Manage Asset Types, which navigates to the Asset Types page. - In the ASSET INFO section on the left side of the page, update any of the following:
- To reassign the asset's owner or policy folder, click the Edit (pencil) icon. Select a Customer Name and Policy Folder in the Update Asset Owner pop-up window, then click Update.
- To rename a User-Created Device, enter a new value in the Asset Name field, then click Save Changes. For Syncro Devices, the Asset Name defaults to the hostname and updates automatically if the hostname changes on the machine. To override this, check the "Use a Friendly Asset Name" box, enter a name, and click Save Changes.
Tip: You can revert to using the hostname at any time by unchecking the "Use a Friendly Asset Name" box. - To edit custom fields, update the values at the bottom of the section.
- Optionally, click the SNMP Details subtab to enable or configure SNMP. See Enable SNMP on an Asset.
- Scroll to the top and click Save Changes, or click Cancel to discard your changes.
Result
Your changes are saved.
Note: If Syncro reloads the Edit page after you click Save Changes, check the top of the ASSET INFO section for validation errors highlighted in red:
Correct any errors and click Save Changes again.