Modernizing Hardware Lifecycle Management with Hexnode

In an enterprise managing number of endpoints, hardware failure is a statistical certainty, but user downtime shouldn’t be. This document defines the Predictive Maintenance Playbook for the Hexnode ecosystem. By transitioning from a reactive “Break-Fix” model to a data-driven “Predictive Replacement” strategy, we eliminate the productivity costs of sudden device failure. Leveraging Custom Health Telemetry and Automated ITSM Workflows, we identify degraded assets, swollen batteries, failing SSDs, and initiate replacement orders days before the hardware actually fails.

Logical Architecture & Entity Relationships

1. The Sensor Layer (Deep Telemetry)

• Component: Hexnode UEM Agent + Custom Scripting.
• Challenge: Standard MDM only sees basic battery %.
• Solution:
  • Windows: PowerShell script runs daily to query WMI for Battery FullChargeCapacity and NVMe S.M.A.R.T. Status.
  • macOS: Bash script queries system_profiler SPPowerDataType for Cycle Count.
• Output: Data is written to Custom Attributes on the device record.

2. The Analysis Hub (Threshold Logic)

• Engine: Hexnode Compliance Engine.
• Logic: Continuously evaluates the Custom Attributes against the defined policy.
• Rule Example: If ‘Battery_Health_Percentage’ < 75 OR If 'SSD_Wear_Level' > 90.
• Action: Marks the device as Non-Compliant.

3. The Integration Bridge (Procurement)

• Trigger: Device marked Non-Compliant due to Hardware Health.
• Mechanism: Hexnode Native ServiceNow Integration.
• Action: Automatically generates an Incident Ticket populated with the device Serial Number and the specific Health Metric (e.g., “Battery Cycles: 1100”).
• Workflow: ServiceNow routes this ticket to the “Procurement Queue” as a “Standard Change” request.

4. The User Interface (Experience)

• Mechanism: Broadcast Message.
• Action: IT manually or automatically triggers a message to the device: “Your laptop is scheduled for a refresh. Please expect a new device within 48 hours.”

The “Golden Threshold” Logic

Predictive indicators monitored via Custom Scripts.

Trigger A: Battery Health (PowerShell/Bash)

• Metric: Design Capacity vs. Full Charge Capacity.
• Threshold: < 75% Health.
• Cycle Count: > 1,000 Cycles (Li-ion EOL).
• Script Output: Writes value to Custom Attribute: Battery_Health_Status.

Trigger B: Storage Integrity (Windows WMI)

• Metric: Reallocated Sector Count or Percentage Used (NVMe).
• Threshold: Any increase in “Uncorrectable Errors.”
• Script Output: Writes value to Custom Attribute: Disk_Health_Status.

Execution Logic: The 4-Phase Response Playbook

Phase 1: Data Collection (SENSE)

The Hexnode Agent executes the “Health Check Script” (e.g., every 24 hours).

• Action: Script fetches low-level hardware data.
• Transport: The Agent pushes these new values to the Hexnode Cloud during the next sync interval.

Phase 2: Policy Evaluation (THINK)

The Compliance Engine processes the new Custom Attribute values.

• Logic: Checks if Battery_Health_Status falls below the configured threshold.
• VIP Context: A separate Policy Group for “Executives” can have stricter thresholds (e.g., replace at 85% instead of 75%).

Phase 3: Procurement Trigger (ACT)

The ServiceNow Integration acts on the “Non-Compliant” status.

• Ticket Creation: A ticket is generated:
  • Subject: “Predictive Hardware Failure – Asset [Serial]”
  • Category: Hardware / Replacement
  • Priority: Low (Proactive) / High (If VIP)
• Automation: ServiceNow workflows can auto-approve the order if within budget caps.

Phase 4: User Notification (NOTIFY)

• Trigger: Hexnode Administrator (or API) sends a Broadcast Message.
• Content: Corporate-branded popup informing the user of the proactive swap.

Scale Impact & ROI Analysis

Implementation Checklist (Action Plan)

• Scripting: Write and test PowerShell/Bash scripts to fetch Battery Cycles and Smart Status.
• Configuration: Create Custom Attributes in Hexnode (e.g., batt_health, ssd_status) to store script outputs.
• Scheduling: Configure Hexnode to execute these scripts on a Daily Schedule.
• Integration: Connect ServiceNow and map the “Non-Compliant” status to a specific Ticket Category.
• Policy: Define the Compliance Rules for batt_health < 75.