GLAS data collection & Oracle Options & Management Pack processing, compliance in SAM

[DD786]

Purpose:

This write-up aims to highlight all events related to the successful positioning of license compliance for Oracle Options and Management Packs in the SAM workspace.

Pre-requisites:

Below plugins has to be activated:

1. Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns (sn_itom_pattern).
   1. At least Discovery (com.snc.discovery) should be activated.
2. MID server to connect to the network
3. Data Collection for Oracle Global Licensing and Advisory Services(sn_itom_oracleglas)
4. Software Asset Management Professional(com.snc.samp)
5. Software Asset Management Professional for Oracle(com.snc.samp.oracle)

How it works:

The process of fetching and showcasing the license position for Oracle Options & Management packs has two major part.

1. [ITOM] Discovery of options & management packs
2. [SAM] Leverage the output of discovery and obtain license position

For certain customers, it has been observed that the existing GLAS data collection process may encounter performance issues due to the large number of options and management packs enabled in their environment. To address this, ServiceNow offers an enhanced data collection capability, Oracle GLAS V2 solution, which is available upon request. Customers are advised to contact their ServiceNow Account Executive to initiate such a request.

***Please note that once the Oracle GLAS V2 solution is activated, reverting to the previous data collection method is not recommended.

Part 1 - Discovery of options & management packs:

Refer Oracle Global License Advisory Services (GLAS) data collection

If Oracle GLAS V2 is enabled, then below controls will be available:

1. Oracle GLAS V2 solution introduces a new extension Oracle GLAS Data Collection V2 to Oracle DB on unix pattern.
2. A new property, sn_itom_oracleglas.large_env_glas_data_collection, governs the execution of the new GLAS extension along with the standard GLAS MID Server property. This property must be set to true to initiate GLAS data collection through the new pattern.
3. In the Mid Server -> Properties, set this sn_itom_pattern.disable_glas_data_collection property value to false.

Part 2 - Consuming discovery output for license position:

Post the discovery of GLAS data is successful, we should have below tables loaded with Oracle Options data:

When the Oracle GLAS V2 solution is enabled, a new table, Oracle GLAS Data for Databases (sn_itom_oracleglas_glas_data_for_database), is added to the system. This table can be accessed by navigating to the GLAS Data V2 – For Databases module within the Oracle GLAS Data navigation menu.

The Oracle GLAS Data for Databases table consolidates all required data related to Oracle Options and Management Packs. Records that were previously stored across the following tables are now consolidated into the Oracle GLAS Data for Databases table:

• ORCL_DETAIL (cmdb_ci_ora_lms_detail)

• ORCL_OPTIONS (cmdb_ci_orcl_options)

• ORCL_OVERVIEW (cmdb_ci_ora_lms_overview)

• ORCL_V$LICENSE (cmdb_ci_orcl_vlicense)

• ORCL_DBA_USERS (cmdb_ci_orcl_dba_users)

• ORCL_V$SESSION (cmdb_ci_orcl_vsession)

With the introduction of Oracle GLAS V2, these above legacy tables will no longer be populated with new data. All future data collection will be stored exclusively in the Oracle GLAS Data for Databases table.

New Table:

Now, scheduled job: SAM - Evaluate database option usage from Oracle GLAS data (will call it Oracle Option Job from here) runs on a weekly basis. And parses the data from different tables pertaining Oracle data (primarily Oracle instance, Relationship and ORCL_OPTIONS) and loads the data accordingly into Oracle Options(samp_oracle_options) table.

Once the Oracle GLAS V2 solution is activated, it utilizes the GLAS Data V2 – For Databases table, in combination with the Oracle instance and relationship tables, to populate data into the Oracle Options (samp_oracle_options) table. With this enhancement, the solution will no longer reference the legacy ORCL_OPTIONS table or the other five ORCL tables for data population.

When the reconciliation happens for Oracle, the recon. engine considers data from this table for establishing license position of Options & Management packs.

Below is the logic that executes when the Oracle Option job triggers:

Major events in the job:

• 1st event: Sets the currently used status to ‘Not in Use’ for all the entries in Oracle Options(samp_oracle_options) table and cleans the usage information.

• 2nd event:  For all the new oracle instances, create new entries in the Oracle Options(samp_oracle_options) table with not in use status against all the options permitted by Licensable Oracle Options(samp_oracle_option_set) table.

The Licensable Oracle Options(samp_oracle_option_set) table provides the complete list of database options and management packs that you can create software models for.

• 3rd event: For each options available in the Licensable Oracle Options(samp_oracle_option_set) table, the job processes the options by its applicable features first and then by rules.
  • Options processing with feature:  Entries at Oracle Feature Option Mappings (samp_oracle_feature_option_mapping) table are used to map the features to the appropriate database options and management packs at the database instance level.  During processing, the job leverages database view samp_dba_features_for_instance. This view holds features discovered against respective oracle instances(cmdb_ci_db_ora_instance). Post this part of the action is completed, Oracle Options(samp_oracle_options) table gets loaded with options where usage time is determined by use of its corresponding features.
  • Options processing by rule:  Usage information of the Options are determined based on usages managed at Signals for oracle options (samp_oracle_option_signals ) table. The job leverages database view samp_oracle_option_signals to process the records. This view holds options discovered against respective oracle instances(cmdb_ci_db_ora_instance). The option information with its usage timestamp gets loaded in the Oracle Options(samp_oracle_options) table.

Important tables & Database views:

1. Oracle Options [samp_oracle_options] : Holds Options with instance and last, first used, currently used timestamp. This table is basically used during reconciliation.
2. Licensable Oracle Options [samp_oracle_option_set ] : In scope options and mgmt. packs for SAM
3. Oracle Feature Option Mappings [samp_feature_option_mapping] : Maps different features with the options
4. Database view {samp_dba_features_for_instance } : Houses features mapped with the oracle instances
1. Tables involved in this view:
1. cmdb_rel_ci
2. cmdb_ci_db_ora_instance
3. cmdb_ci_orcl_options

1. Database view {samp_options_for_instance} :Maps options with oracle instances
1. Tables involved in this view:
1. cmdb_rel_ci,
2. cmdb_ci_db_ora_instance
3. cmdb_ci_orcl_options
2. Signal for oracle options (samp_oracle_option_signals ) : Houses feature, Option, usage indicators.

1. Signal Enabled for Instances [samp_signal_to_option_instance] : Holds overall map of the database, database instance, option and its signals
2. Default options for feature in use [samp_option_for_feature_inuse] : Default options for feature in use
3. Unreported Database Options Usage  [samp_unreported_database_options_usage] : To gain visibility into the Oracle Database options and management packs that are being used on undiscovered database instances.

SAM Maintenance:

Now that Oracle Options [samp_oracle_options] table is loaded with needed data, SAM reconciliation can progress.

To progress for a proper compliance though, SAM admin has to keep in mind that:

1. Each Options & Management packs demands separate software models to be created. Meaning, the entitlement of the database should be separate and should not be used for measuring these options and management packs.
2. Each software models should have its own entitlements.
3. The license metric of the entitlement of the database and options should be same. If Oracle database software model is measured on per processor then corresponding options should be measured on per processor only and not on Named User Plus.

Post reconciliation, License compliance on SAM workspace for Options & Management Packs are listed individually under Database but separate from the Database edition:

Useful Links:

• Oracle Database options and management packs
• Request Data Collection for Oracle Global Licensing and Advisory Services
• Feature mapping for Oracle Database options and management packs
• Unreported Database Options Usage report

[Jacques Wiehahn]

Thank you very much for sharing the information. Could you please load a better image of Oracle Options job workflow. Unfortunately all the text i blurry.

[DD786]

@Jacques Wiehahn  Here you go...
(Also you can download any image. Click the image>>Image opens in a new screen>> Hit the download button)

[sunilyadav]

Hi - Seems like the Oracle Glass V2 discovery pattern and data model has been changed, would you be able to share the latest documentation around it?

[KAL617]

Would love to hear feeback on  Oracle GLAS and your audits?  Was it alot of effort to implement? 

[DD786]

@sunilyadav  Oracle GLAS V2 solution updated!!!