Element

An Element is a real-world instance of an asset in your organization — like an actual server, application, or database — that has been registered in the KScope Asset Registry.

If Element Types are the blueprints or templates, then Elements are the completed, filled-in versions of those templates that represent real assets in your IT environment.

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🧱 Why Elements Matter

Elements are the core data records in the Asset Registry. They are:

• The nodes in the asset graph

• The individual assets you manage, monitor, and relate to one another

• The starting point for contextualizing security, compliance, and cost insights

All analysis, visualization, and integrations in the registry start with well-modeled Elements.

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🧩 Example: Element vs. Element Type

Element Type	Example Element	What It Represents
Server	Server_001	A specific physical or virtual server
Application	PayrollApp	A deployed business application
Database	HR_DB	A running database instance

Each Element includes actual property values based on the schema defined by its Element Type.

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🔍 What Makes Up an Element?

An Element has the following key parts:

1. Element Type Defines the kind of asset it is (e.g., Server, Application).

2. Attributes The actual property values (e.g., name, IP address, version) associated with the element. Example: Server_001 → name: Server_001, IP: 192.168.1.10, storage_capacity: 500 GB

3. Module Identifies the external system that supplied this asset (e.g., AWS, ServiceNow).

4. Domain Indicates the organizational context or department the asset belongs to (e.g., Finance, HR).

5. Relationships Shows how the Element connects to other assets (e.g., a server hosts a database).

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🔄 Example: Complete Element Record

Let’s look at a full example of an Element:

Element: Server_001
Element Type: Server
Attributes:
  - name: Server_001
  - IP: 192.168.1.10
  - location: Data Center A
  - storage_capacity: 500
Module: AWS
Domain: Finance

This describes a specific server imported from AWS that is assigned to the Finance department.

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🧭 Where Do Elements Come From?

Elements can be:

• Automatically discovered through integrations with external systems like AWS, Azure, ServiceNow, etc.

• Manually created by users through the KScope UI or API

• Linked to other Elements to form a graph — showing how assets are interrelated across systems

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🛠 When Would I Create or Manage Elements?

You interact with Elements when you:

• Onboard new assets into the registry

• Review or audit asset properties

• Map relationships between systems (e.g., linking applications to infrastructure)

• Segment assets by department or business unit via Domains

• Track asset sources and reconcile multiple data feeds through Modules

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💡 Tips for Managing Elements

• Keep properties clean and consistent — match naming conventions across systems.

• Use Domains to control visibility and ownership by team or function.

• Check that each Element is correctly linked to its Element Type for schema enforcement.

• Establish Relationships to create a richer, more insightful asset graph.

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✅ Summary

In KScope Asset Registry, an Element is the actual asset you care about — a server, app, database, or any other digital resource. It’s the central node around which all other modeling concepts revolve.

Well-structured Elements give you clarity, control, and context over your asset landscape — helping you power smarter decisions in compliance, cost management, and security posture.