> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex-xsiam/detect-investigate-and-respond-to-threats/asset-management/asset-classes.md).

# Asset classes

Explore Cortex XSIAM asset classes and the resources each class represents.

The asset inventory organizes your organization's resources into a hierarchy:

1. **Class:** The highest-level grouping based on general purpose or domain, such as compute, network, or data.
2. **Category:** A detailed grouping within a class based on normalized function, such as virtual machine, container, or bucket).
3. **Type:** The most specific, provider-level implementation, such as AWS EC2 instance or GCP Compute Engine instance.

The following asset classes are available in the inventory:

| Asset class       | Description                                                                                                                                                                | License                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ |
| AI                | Provides a detailed view of AI-related assets, their attributes, and associated risks.                                                                                     | <div data-gb-custom-block data-tag="hint" data-style="info" class="hint hint-info"><p><strong>Notice</strong></p><p>This feature is included with a Cortex XSIAM Premium license or the Cloud Posture Security or Cloud Runtime Security add-on.</p></div>                                             |
| API               | Provides a comprehensive view of Application Programming Interfaces (APIs) across your cloud platforms.                                                                    | <div data-gb-custom-block data-tag="hint" data-style="info" class="hint hint-info"><p><strong>Notice</strong></p><p>This feature is included with a Cortex XSIAM Premium license or the Cloud Runtime Security add-on.</p></div>                                                                       |
| Application       | Provides a high-level summary and detailed insights into the business applications within your environment.                                                                | <div data-gb-custom-block data-tag="hint" data-style="info" class="hint hint-info"><p><strong>Notice</strong></p><p>This feature is included with a Cortex XSIAM Premium license or the Cloud Posture Security or Cloud Runtime Security add-on.</p></div>                                             |
| Code              | Provides an overview of code assets, including all code repositories, Infrastructure as Code (IaC) resources, CI/CD pipelines, and software packages.                      | <div data-gb-custom-block data-tag="hint" data-style="info" class="hint hint-info"><p><strong>Notice</strong></p><p>This feature is included with the AppSec add-on.</p></div>                                                                                                                         |
| Compute           | Provides a detailed overview of compute resources, including CaaS resources, virtual machines, containers, serverless functions, Kubernetes clusters, and general devices. |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| Data              | Provides an overview of data assets and their associated risks, highlighting sensitive assets and assets marked as open to the world.                                      | <div data-gb-custom-block data-tag="hint" data-style="info" class="hint hint-info"><p><strong>Notice</strong></p><p>This feature is included with a Cortex XSIAM Premium license or the Cloud Posture Security or Cloud Runtime Security add-on.</p></div>                                             |
| Device            | Overview of physical or virtual devices with a Cortex XDR agent installed.                                                                                                 | <div data-gb-custom-block data-tag="hint" data-style="info" class="hint hint-info"><p><strong>Notice</strong></p><p>This feature is included with a Cortex XSIAM Enterprise or Premium license or the Cortex XDR agent add-on.</p></div>                                                               |
| External Surface  | Provides an overview of external-facing assets, including services versus websites, domains versus certificates, and their distribution across providers.                  | <div data-gb-custom-block data-tag="hint" data-style="info" class="hint hint-info"><p><strong>Notice</strong></p><p>This feature is included with the Attack Surface Management (ASM) add-on.</p></div>                                                                                                |
| Identity          | Provides an overview of identity-related assets, giving visibility into both user and service-based identities and their associated permissions.                           | <div data-gb-custom-block data-tag="hint" data-style="info" class="hint hint-info"><p><strong>Notice</strong></p><p>This feature is included with a Cortex XSIAM Premium license or the Cloud Posture Security or Cloud Runtime Security add-on or the Identity Threat Module (ITDR) add-on.</p></div> |
| Network           | Provides an overview of network-related assets, including Load Balancers, Network Interfaces, Security Groups, and Subnets.                                                |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| Security Services | A complete overview of the security services being actively managed within your environment.                                                                               |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| All Other Assets  | All assets that are uncategorized.                                                                                                                                         |                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |


---

# Agent Instructions
This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com.

## Querying This Documentation
If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the following URL with the `ask` and `goal` query parameters:

```
GET https://cortex-docs.paloaltonetworks.com/cortex-xsiam/detect-investigate-and-respond-to-threats/asset-management/asset-classes.md?ask=<question>&goal=<user_goal>
```

`ask` is the immediate question: it should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
`goal` is what the user is ultimately trying to achieve, the reason they need the answer. Sharing it helps GitBook give you a better, more relevant answer. A goal is most helpful when it describes the outcome the user wants rather than restating the question. For example, with `ask=how do I create an API token`, a goal like `automate deployments from our CI pipeline` lets GitBook tailor the answer to that use case.

The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.
