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Building a software baseline

Totem’s Inventory module helps you keep a catalog of your software assets, also known as your software baseline. This guide walks you through creating a software baseline in Totem.

To add new software assets to your inventory:

  • Log in to Totem.
  • Navigate to the Inventory module. Select the Software Baseline page.
  • Select Create Software. This will bring up the software asset inventory workflow.
  • Populate the software asset details. The below guidance clarifies certain fields across the asset inventorying process that can be confusing:
    • Group: In many cases, organizations will have different software installed on different machines. You can specify a Group (e.g., workstations, servers, CUI workstations, etc.) that is relevant for the listed software. Select an existing group or define a new one.
    • Type: Is the software an operating system (OS — e.g., Windows 11), a system application (e.g., drivers or necessary Windows programs), or a standalone application that can be uninstalled (e.g., Microsoft Word)?
    • Account Flags:
      • Shared Group Account: The software requires shared credentials to use; in other words, it is not tied to any specific account.
      • Admin Accounts: The software requires administrative privileges to use.
      • Local Admin Accounts: The software requires local admin (e.g., admin rights on a single specific computer/device) to use.
    • PAOBOAU: The software is considered a process acting on behalf of an authorized user, such as that it requires a unique user-level set of credentials to operate. Select Yes if it is a PAOBOAU.
  • When finished populating all desired fields, select Create Software. Your new software asset will appear in the list.
  • Repeat for any additional software assets you’d like to create. Alternatively, you can clone an existing software asset or import an existing software asset spreadsheet to save yourself time.