Difference between software package & software model table

[shubhraag]

Hi

I am working on Calgary version of service now and have Service Now discovery in place. we are going to use SNOW discovery for software license management.

When I started my discovery on window servers, some of the software data is getting populated in cmdb_ci_spkg table - close to 800. When I check Discovery Models, I found that 1300 software models are discovered. I dont see any relation between cmdb_ci_spkg table and discovery models.

Can someone explain what is the difference between cmdb_ci_spkg , software models table and discovery software model table.

Thanks

[jesusemelendezm]

I am interested in knowing the answer to this question too.

[jcraneNYC]

Software Model - Information pertaining to a specific model of software in your Software Asset Management database. For example - Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat x.

Discovery Model - Software models as they are discovered by Discovery. Discovery will do its best to match software it finds to existing models in your Software Model table. You can also 'train' discovery to match things your way, so if you want to override Models found from Discovery and how they are matched to your Models table, you can do that here. You can even directly create a model from a Discovery Model in the event that it was not able to match up.

Software Packages - Installed software found by Discovery, where it's installed, version, install count, etc.

Hope this helps.

[jpharri]

A Software Model is manually created, is the template for the relates software licences, and is referenced by the Software Counter.

A Software Package is created by the CMDB as part of the inventory discovery process. As I understand it, the Software Package is a parent / template of Software Discovery Models, and you will find there may be several revisions of the same Software Discovery Model in your tables - these should all be related to the parent Software Package.

Underlying the Software Discovery Models is the actual Software Installations detected by your inventory system and added to the CMDB.

You link the Software Discovery Models to the Software Model.   The Software Counter compares the Software Licences related to the Software Model against all the Software Installations related to the Software Discovery Model that is related to the Software Model.   The comparison uses the licence type in the Software Model to calculate how many software licence rights have been consumed, then compares against the software licence rights owned to provide a compliance status.

[sabell2012]

Shubra:

I talk about this in an article I published yesterday.   I know it is a bit late for an answer to your question from a couple of years ago, but thought it might be helpful to others.

Pragmatic Patterns — Basic Business Service Management Patterns

Steven Bell

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