The Component object type is closely related to (and should be carefully distinguished from) the following object types:

• Differentiation from System

  System defines the organizational usage of a component in a specific period of time. Each component must always be assigned to a system. If a component is in storage, then it is assigned to a storage system.

  System has users, location, organization unit, usage type and it may have more than one superior systems (via usage types of other systems). Component has technical component type with its manufacturer, technical attributes, network information and links to request, orders and contracts via received products.

• Differentiation from Item

  Component represents the technical view of infrastructure, item represents the sales representation or a unit of maintenance/service delivered. Item is the term used for objects that can be ordered.

• Differentiation from Component Type

  Components that can only be differentiated from one another (physically) by the serial number are units of the same component type.

  Common characteristics of such components are described by their reference to a component type. Only those characteristics that differ for each individual component (such as inventory number, reference to a system, serial number,etc.) despite belonging to the same component type are described for the component itself.

  For this reason, a component's component type must always be specified when a component is created.