SAM managers and analysts seek methods to apply their software entitlements to particular environments or sets of software installations. They can utilize software model installation conditions (also known as software install conditions) or the new feature-product installation conditions for this purpose.This blog explores these features and offers insights into their various application use cases.
The major differences and use cases of both these install conditions are mentioned below:
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Categories |
Software Model Install condition also known as software install conditions |
Product Install Condition (availability from VANCOUVER) |
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Applies to? |
Individual software model |
Individual software product |
|
When to use? |
Used to apply conditions for specific software models. It is a mechanism that allows customers to control which software installations can be covered by a specific software model.
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Used to apply conditions for all software models for a product- mainly to restrict your licenses to specific environments/devices etc.
|
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Can be combined with License under management? |
Yes, to exempt certain devices |
No |
|
Advantages |
Can be combined with License under management to ignore certain devices based on a criteria |
Avoids creating software install conditions for every software model under a software product to license devices |
Software Model Install conditions (also known as software install condition)
When to use?
Used to apply conditions for specific software models. It is a mechanism that allows customers to control which software installations can be covered by a specific software model.
When software install condition feature is combined with License under management, the SAM Managers get even more control to exempt or ignore certain software installations from licensing,
Doc's link: here
Availability
Available for all releases
Use Cases:
|
S.No. |
Use Case(s) |
Details |
How can install conditions be utilized? |
|
1 |
License Visual Studio for dev environment only |
Microsoft provides Visual Studio that enables developers to develop and test several software programs – listed here , on development or test environments only. The software (s) provided through Visual studio cannot be used for production purposes. |
If you have purchased Visual Studio, set up installation conditions for using Visual Studio only to consume licenses in your non-production environment.
However, you will need to create install conditions for all component products under Visual Studio
Please note that if Visual studio is licensing your nonproduction device installs then there is no need to ignore them using License under management
|
|
2 |
Exempt passive failover installation for Microsoft SQL Server |
Microsoft customers with software assurance entitlements get some additional benefits related to passive failover or disaster recovery.
This benefit allows customers to install and run passive SQL Server instances in a separate OSE or server for disaster recovery in anticipation of a failover event. A passive SQL Server replica does not serve SQL Server data to clients or runs active SQL Server workloads.
Details of all Microsoft terms and conditions please check here. |
SQL Server deployments on disaster recovery/passive failover environments should be excluded from license calculation.
Therefore, it is advised to set up software models with disaster recovery installation conditions using the environment field on the CMDB. However, you can use other fields also to identify development or test environment.
Once done, use the License under management field and set to false to ignore those devices |
|
3 |
Exempt disaster recovery installation for Microsoft Windows Server |
Microsoft customers with software assurance entitlements get some additional benefits related to disaster recovery rights. This benefit allows customers to use additional instance (s) of the server software to be used as offline or cold backups to help customers recover in case of catastrophic events. To get details of all terms and conditions pls check here. |
Windows Server deployments on disaster recovery environments should be excluded from license calculation.
Therefore, it is advised to set up software models with disaster recovery installation conditions using the environment field on the CMDB. However, you can use other fields also to identify development or test environment.
Once done, use the License under management field and set to false to ignore those devices
|
|
4 |
License all SQL Server /Windows Server deployments in production environment only |
Microsoft Windows Server /SQL Server licenses are consumed only in production environments
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Set up software model installation conditions for all software models of Microsoft Windows Server/SQL Server, so that all installations of SQL Server/Windows Server are licensed in production environment only You can use the environment field on the CMDB to accurately consume your entitlements. However, you can use other fields also to identify production environment
|
Steps to perform to ignore certain devices using Software Model install conditions with License under management:
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Step |
Task |
|
1 |
On License Operations-> Open a software model- and go to software install condition. Click on edit conditions* |
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2 |
Create your install condition and save it* |
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3 |
Thereby, go on software licensing section and disable/uncheck License under management (if required) |
*Note:
- Please note that for suite products such as SQL server you would have to create software install condition for each downgrade of the product
- It might also help to use software models with “any” version and “any” edition most of the time (unless you want to ignore an edition), so that you don’t have to create multiple software models for each version and edition separately.
Figure 1: Exempt passive failover installation for Microsoft SQL Server- using software install conditions with License under management
Product Install conditions
When to use?
Used to apply conditions for all software models for a product- mainly to license devices.
Avoids creating install conditions for each software model. However, it cannot be used to exempt any devices.
Availability
Available only from Vancouver release
Use Cases:
|
S.No. |
Use Case(s) |
Details |
How can install conditions be utilized? |
|
1 |
License all Visual studio products on development environment only
|
Microsoft provides Visual Studio that enables developers to develop and test several software programs – listed here , on development or test environments only. The software provided through Visual studio cannot be used for production purposes. |
Hence, If you have purchased Visual Studio, set up product installation conditions for using Visual Studio only to consume licenses in your non-production environment. These conditions would apply across all software models, including downgrades and editions. |
|
2 |
Llicense all SQL Server /Windows Server deployments in production environment only
|
Microsoft Windows Server /SQL Server licenses are consumed only in production environments |
Set up product installation conditions for Microsoft Windows Server, that would apply to all the Windows Server software models. Microsoft Windows Server licenses are consumed only in production environments hence you can use environment field on the CMDB to accurate consume your entitlements.
However, you can use other fields also to identify production environment |
Steps to perform:
|
Step |
Task |
|
1 |
On License Operations-> Product Install condition (availability from Vancouver) |
|
2 |
Select the Product |
|
3 |
Under software install condition, click on Edit conditions |
|
4 |
Create your install condition and save it* |
*Note: please note that these installation conditions will be created for the entire product and all its components if it’s a suite.
Figure 2: License all Visual studio products for the development environment only using Product Install conditions
ServiceNow SAM Pro realizes that it may be difficult for SAM Managers to understand where to apply which install conditions. Hence, for configuration of complex products such as Microsoft SQL Server and Windows Server we offer guided setup that provides you with step-by-step details to configure the same. The Guided setup helps automate the application of these install conditions.
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