License Metric field empty in Software Subscription table after Adobe publisher pack integration

[dd31]

Hi team,

How is the License Metric field populated in the Software Subscription table? I’ve integrated with the Adobe publisher pack, but for some of the records this field is showing up empty, which is causing them to be marked as Unlicensed = true. Can someone explain why this happens and how the field is supposed to be populated?

[KevC]

1. What the License Metric field is

• The License Metric field in the Software Subscription [samp_sw_subscription] table tells SAM what measurement the entitlement uses (e.g., Named User, Device, Concurrent User, Processor, etc.).
• SAM uses this to evaluate compliance — it’s how the subscription is matched against discovery data.

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2. How it’s populated

• When you install a Publisher Pack (like Adobe), ServiceNow delivers content libraries: normalization rules, product models, and entitlement templates.
• Normally, when you import entitlements from Adobe (via integration, XML, or manual entry), the normalization engine maps the software entitlement record to a Product Model.
• That product model has a default license metric defined in the content library (e.g., “User” for Adobe Creative Cloud).
• During normalization, the entitlement → product model mapping is established, and the License Metric field on the subscription is set based on the product model definition.

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3. Why you see blanks

Some reasons why the License Metric can be empty:

• No product model match: If the subscription record couldn’t be normalized to a product model in the Adobe publisher pack, there’s no license metric to inherit.
• Product model missing metric: Sometimes, the content library itself may not have a metric defined for certain SKUs (less common, but it happens).
• Normalization hasn’t run or failed: The subscription might be in a “Raw” state and hasn’t been normalized yet.
• Custom/unknown SKU: If Adobe sent an entitlement SKU that isn’t recognized in the ServiceNow content service, the system can’t automatically assign the metric.

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4. Why that leads to

Unlicensed = true

The reconciliation logic says:

• If a subscription has no valid metric, SAM can’t figure out what to measure against.
• Since it can’t determine coverage, the system assumes the entitlement is not valid → Unlicensed = true.

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5. How to fix it

• Check normalization: See if the subscription is normalized to a product model. If not, you can manually map it.
• Update or request content: If the SKU isn’t recognized, update to the latest Adobe publisher pack or request content from ServiceNow.
• Set the metric manually: In some cases, you may need to manually assign the license metric on the subscription/product model.
• Re-run reconciliation after correcting normalization or metrics.

[dd31]

If you look at the screenshot, the software model is the same across all the records. I also have the entitlement in place, and it’s tied to the User Subscription license metric. My question is, why is the license metric showing up correctly for some records but missing for a few others, even though the setup looks the same?

[DeeG200]

Hi DD31 - You will need an entitlement associated with the same software model that is tied to those subscription products. If you are using the Adobe integration, it will typically create its own software model. Once you associate the two, the license metric will come over. 

[dd31]

f you look at the screenshot, the software model is the same across all the records. I also have the entitlement in place, and it’s tied to the User Subscription license metric. My question is, why is the license metric showing up correctly for some records but missing for a few others, even though the setup looks the same?