Best practice for importing license records without PPN numbers

[nagaryu]

The product name list received from the customer included PPN numbers, so I downloaded an Excel template from "Create Entitlement" in Software Asset Workspace, filled in a small number of sample records, and uploaded them.

The records with PPN numbers that existed in the Content Library were imported correctly, but those without PPN numbers naturally resulted in an import error.

For example, PPN numbers AAA-10386-2024 (Access) and AAA-04027-2019 (Exchange Server CAL) caused an error, but the last four digits indicate the year, and of course they are not recently added licenses, so I don't think there is any chance that they will be newly added by automatic updates in the Content Library.

I have also heard that it will take several weeks even if I request ServiceNow to add them. Furthermore, I imagine that there is no guarantee that they will be added. (I haven't tried to request it yet...)

The number of records to be imported is about 650, and when I checked to see if they had PPN numbers, about 300 of them had "No PPN number."

So here is my question.

How should I deal with these 300 records?

The following is what I am thinking.

<Option 1>
Create a list of 300 records and request ServiceNow to register the PPN numbers, then wait a few weeks while praying that they are all registered.

<Option 2>
Create a custom PPN number (samp_custom_sw_product_definition) and, if necessary, a custom Discovery Map (samp_custom_sw_entitlement_definition), then import again.

*Prediction: If the Content Library is updated in the future to reflect the correct PPN number information, it is likely that the contents of the document below will be able to replace the correct information.

https://www.servicenow.com/docs/ja-JP/bundle/yokohama-it-asset-management/page/product/software-asse...

<Option 3>
When creating a record, the PPN number is not a mandatory field, so leave it blank.

*However, with this method, you will not be able to take advantage of the contents of the official document described in Option 2 in the future. This is because the PPN number used to link the information is blank.

Also, looking at the NowSupport article below, it seems that it is better not to leave the PPN number blank.
https://support.servicenow.com/kb?id=kb_article_view&sysparm_article=KB1532093

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If "Option 2" is implemented, I imagine the process will be as follows, but please let me know if I am wrong.

1. First, create a custom Discovery Map.

2. Next, create a custom PPN number and link it to the number set in 1 (CDMAPxxxxxx).

3. Enter the custom PPN number in Excel and upload it.

4. The Software Model will be automatically linked by linking it to the Publisher (Microsoft) and Product (Access, Exchange Server CAL, etc.) information specified in the custom Discovery Map, and the software model will be imported correctly and an alm_license record will be created.

*However, if steps 1 to 4 had to be performed for all 300 items, it would be a daunting task...

[dreinhardt]

Hi @nagaryu,

<Option 1> Create a list of 300 records and request ServiceNow to register the PPN numbers, then wait a few weeks while praying that they are all registered. For example, PPN numbers AAA-10386-2024 (Access) and AAA-04027-2019 (Exchange Server CAL) caused an error, but the last four digits indicate the year, and of course they are not recently added licenses, so I don't think there is any chance that they will be newly added by automatic updates in the Content Library.

This is correct, ServiceNow content team will to their own research and ask for proofs based on screenshots about the PPN. I can  imagine that ServiceNow will refer you to the standard PPN without the year, which is probably already in the Content DB.

You should speak to the SAM team and point out that the data is already available in the system as standard and that there are other options for displaying the year (start and end date, asset tag, comment field, link to contracts or, in some cases, a custom field).

<Option 2> Create a custom PPN number (samp_custom_sw_product_definition) and, if necessary, a custom Discovery Map (samp_custom_sw_entitlement_definition), then import again. *Prediction: If the Content Library is updated in the future to reflect the correct PPN number information, it is likely that the contents of the document below will be able to replace the correct information.

You already said that the internal PPN refers to a standard PPN. In this case, you should always refer to the DMAP of the standard PPN, as this ensures that all information from the content DB (downgrades, suite components) is also available for your custom PPN and the associated software model. 

Note: We always create missing PPNs as custom PPNs and report them to ServiceNow at the same time, as otherwise the publisher onboarding process will be unnecessarily delayed.

<Option 3> When creating a record, the PPN number is not a mandatory field, so leave it blank.

If no PPN is provided by the source data, you do not need to create a dummy. Try to find a matching DMAP to  ensures that all information from the content DB (downgrades, suite components) is also available for your software model. SAM Pro Entitlement Upload will not create any software models for records without a PPN, you've to create them before to allow the uploader a match based on Publisher/Product/Edition/Version/ ... fields

<Process Option 2>If "Option 2" is implemented, I imagine the process will be as follows, but please let me know if I am wrong.

1. Check if the custom PPN with -Year is available as out-of-the-box PPN with the same details about the product/edition ...

2. Note down the DMAP of the ootb PPN

3. Create a custom PPN and link it to the standard DMAP

4. Upload 

Example: In case of Windows Server or SQL Server, you've to manage all downgrades and suite components by your self to match the same data quality the content db provides based on the standard PPN

Best, Dennis

[nagaryu]

Hi @dreinhardt ,

Thank you for your reply. I understand that if there is a standard DMAP that matches the PPN I am trying to create, it will be used to create a custom PPN.

By the way, if I want to create a custom PPN with a specified version (e.g. 2024) or language (e.g. Japanese), how should I select the standard DMAP?

In other words, if there is only a record with the standard DMAP's Version condition and Language "-- Anything --", can I use that DMAP, or do I need to create a new custom DMAP with "Version condition: 2024" and "Language: Japanese" specified?

*My personal guess is that the Version and Language specified here will ultimately be linked to the automatically created Software Model, so if I use the standard DMAP, the same Software Model will be referenced, and it will be impossible to distinguish by Version and Language. I am concerned about this.

*As an experiment, I created a custom DMAP and custom PPN with a specified Version and Language, and specified the custom PPN on the alm_license PPN selection screen. At that moment, a new Software Model was automatically created, and information such as the custom DMAP, Version, and Language was reflected in that Software Model.