Metamodel's Asset types

What is an Asset Type?

An asset type is a conceptual model that defines a specific category of entities your organisation wants to manage in Boldo. It acts as a template that determines the structure, properties, and possible relationships for all assets of that type.

All assets of the same type share the same property structure and relational possibilities, ensuring consistency and enabling efficient cross-asset analysis.

Conceptual Structure of an Asset Type

🧱1. Attributes

Each asset type includes key attributes to define it conceptually and visually:

• Name: A unique and explicit identifier (e.g. "Applications") visible across all interfaces
• Description: Clarifies what the asset type includes/excludes to avoid classification errors
• Icon: A visual marker to help users quickly identify the asset type
• Colour: Used consistently in diagrams to create a visual identity
• Position: Determines the order of display in menus and lists

📝 2. Properties

Properties describe the attributes shared by all assets of this type. Each property becomes a field in the asset creation forms.

Structure of a Property:

• Name (e.g. "Budget", "Criticality", "Go-live Date")
• Data type: Short/long text, rich text, number, %, currency, date, boolean, rating scale, single/multi-select list
• Description: Optional documentation for context and guidance

Additional Features:

• Consistency rules: Length limits, allowed values, numeric ranges
• Default values: Suggested entries to speed up data input and promote best practices

🔗3. Relationships

Relationships define how assets of this type can connect with others.

Each relationship consists of:

• Source asset type
• Target asset type
• Type of relationship: Defines the nature and visual representation

Operations on an Asset Type

➕ 1. Creating a New Asset Type

To create a new asset type in Boldo:

1. Access Settings
   Go to the Organisation menu → Select Metamodel
2. Start the Creation Process
   In the Assets tab, click on the “Create asset type” button
3. Fill in the Form
4. • Name: Enter a clear and descriptive name (e.g. "Applications", "Servers")
   • Icon: Choose a representative icon from the available list
   • Colour: Select a distinctive colour for visual identification
   • Description: Provide a description to define the scope of this asset type and guide classification
4. Confirm : click “Validate” to create the new asset type
   

The newly created asset type is automatically assigned two default properties: name and icon. You can add additional properties later through the property management interface.

🛠 2. Editing an Asset Type

To edit an existing asset type:

1. Access Settings
   Navigate to the Organisation menu → Select Metamodel
2. Select the Asset Type
   Click the pencil icon next to the asset type you wish to modify
3. Edit Attributes
   You can update all key attributes:
4. • Name: Change the name of the asset type
   • Description: Update the explanatory description
   • Icon: Choose a new icon from the library
   • Colour: Select a new representative colour
4. Confirm Changes : click “Update” to save your modifications
   
   

Editing an asset type does not result in any data deletion. All existing assets and their values remain intact.

❌3. Delete an Asset Type

Deleting an asset type is an irreversible action that results in the permanent deletion of all assets of that type.

To delete an asset type:

1. Access Settings
   Go to the Organisation menu → Select Metamodel
2. Select the Asset Type
   Click the pencil icon next to the asset type you want to delete
3. Initiate Deletion
   In the edit form, click the bin icon to start the deletion process
4. Confirm the Name
   Enter the exact name of the asset type in the confirmation field to validate your intent
5. Confirm
   Click “Confirm” to complete the deletion

⚠️ Impacts of Deleting an Asset Type

Deleting an asset type triggers several cascading actions:

🔧 On the Metamodel:

• The asset type itself is deleted
• All properties defined for this type are automatically removed
• All relationships involving this type are also deleted

📊 On the Data:

• All assets of this type are permanently removed from the inventory
• All properties and values linked to these assets are deleted
• All relationships connecting these assets to others are deleted

🗺 On Views, Diagrams, Charts & Nested Maps:

• Views using this asset type will be deleted
• Diagrams: Affected assets are converted into plain rectangular shapes rather than being removed, to maintain diagram readability
• Charts: All charts involving this asset type are deleted
• Nested maps: All nested maps using this asset type are deleted

✅ Recommendations Before Deletion:

• Export your data in CSV format
• Check dependencies: Identify what will be affected
• Inform your team: Notify relevant users of the change
• Plan the migration: If needed, prepare a transition to another asset type