Asset Lifecycle

Feature: Asset Lifecycle

The Asset Lifecycle tool provides a centralized dashboard for all End-of-Life (EOL), End-of-Support (EOS), and End-of-Sale dates recorded in your Netbox instance. It enables proactive planning for hardware refreshes, support contract renewals, and budget forecasting.

Note: This feature relies on your Netbox instance having the custom fields end_of_life, end_of_support, and end_of_sale (as date types) assigned to objects like Device Types, Devices, or Platforms.

The tool is split into two main views: Report and Forecast.

The Report Tab

The Report tab is your primary view for all lifecycle events. It presents a comprehensive, sortable table of every object with a defined lifecycle date.

1. Run Report: Click the Run Report button to fetch all relevant data from Netbox.
2. Review Events: The table displays each event, showing the date, the number of days remaining, and the affected item. Events that are expired or expiring soon are highlighted for immediate attention.
3. View Affected Objects: For items that represent a group (like a “Platform” or “Device Type”), the table shows a count of all related objects. Click the View Objects button to see a popup with a complete list of every device or VM affected by that specific lifecycle event.

The Forecast Tab

The Forecast tab provides a powerful visual chart to help you understand future lifecycle impacts over time.

1. Generate Forecast: After running the report, switch to the Forecast tab. Adjust the forecast period (e.g., 24 months) and click Generate / Update Forecast.
2. Interpret the Chart: A chart will appear, showing the cumulative number of items that will reach a lifecycle event each month. This makes it easy to spot upcoming periods that will require significant planning and budget.
3. Switch Modes: You can change the perspective of the forecast:
   • Object Count: Shows the total number of individual assets (e.g., 50 devices) affected each month. This is useful for understanding the raw scale of impact.
   • Group Count: Shows the number of product lines (e.g., 2 device types) affected. This is useful for planning replacements for entire models or platforms.