Software Asset Management publisher pack for Citrix

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Software Asset Management publisher pack for Citrix

    The Citrix publisher pack in ServiceNow Software Asset Management (SAM) enables you to optimize and reconcile your Citrix product licenses. It helps track licensing positions for Citrix users and devices to determine license compliance. The pack supports Virtual Applications (formerly XenApp) and Virtual Desktop (formerly XenDesktop) products, providing visibility into third-party applications delivered through these Citrix environments and the users who potentially access them.

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    To use this pack, you must activate the Software Asset Management Professional for Citrix plugin (com.snsampcitrix). Data collection is performed via the ServiceNow Discovery application, which gathers license consumption data from the Citrix License Server and identifies applications delivered through the Citrix Delivery Controller using OData APIs.

    Citrix Licensing Models

    The publisher pack supports two primary Citrix licensing models:

    • Concurrent licensing model: Licenses are checked out only during active sessions and checked back in when sessions end or disconnect. License usage is based on the number of licenses concurrently in use per device or user.
    • User/Device licensing model: Licenses are assigned to users or shared devices. User-assigned licenses allow unlimited connections from any device by that user, and device-assigned licenses allow unlimited users to connect from that device. License consumption is based on assigned users or devices.

    Managing License Access and Consumption

    License consumption for third-party applications delivered via Citrix virtualization is based on potential access, meaning any user or device able to access the virtual application or desktop may consume a license.

    Access control is managed through:

    • Delivery Groups: Collections of devices specifying which users have access to which Citrix applications or desktops.
    • Application Groups: Collections of applications shared across Delivery Groups or subsets of users, specifying user or Active Directory group access.

    Mapping users at the Application Group level takes precedence over Delivery Group mappings in SAM.

    Practical Use and Reporting

    Use the Citrix discovery pattern in ServiceNow Discovery to collect detailed license and application usage data. This enables you to create software installation records and track license usage accurately.

    License usage and compliance can be monitored through the Software Publisher Analytics dashboard for Citrix within the Software Asset Management classic application, and through the publisher overview for Citrix Systems in the Software Asset Workspace. These dashboards help you optimize your license position by identifying unused or unauthorized licenses for reclamation.

    Entitlements Management

    You can create or import Citrix software entitlements in ServiceNow to define license details that correspond to your software models. Proper entitlement management supports accurate license tracking and compliance reporting.

    Use the Citrix publisher pack for the optimization and reconciliation of your Citrix products. You can track licensing positions for your Citrix users and devices so that you can determine your license compliance.

    To use the Citrix publisher pack, activate the Software Asset Management Professional for Citrix plugin (com.sn_samp_citrix). For details, see Request Software Asset Management.

    The Citrix publisher pack supports Virtual Applications products (formerly XenApp) and Virtual Desktop products (formerly XenDesktop). Using this publisher pack, you can manage licenses and determine the license compliance for your Citrix products. You can gain visibility into the third-party applications that are delivered through your virtual applications and desktops. You can also gain visibility into the users that may potentially access those applications.

    Use the ServiceNow® Discovery application to collect data from Citrix. The license consumption data for your Citrix products is collected from the Citrix License Server.

    Discovery uses OData APIs to identify the third-party applications that are delivered through your Citrix farm from the Citrix Delivery Controller. Use this information to create software installation records and track license usage for these applications. To identify these applications, admins must create a Discovery schedule to run on the Citrix discovery pattern. See Citrix License Server and Delivery Controller discovery for more details on the Citrix discovery pattern and tables.

    Citrix licensing models

    The Citrix publisher pack supports the following Citrix licensing models:
    Concurrent licensing model
    Concurrent licenses are used only during active sessions. When a user begins a session, the application or desktop checks out a license for the device that is running the session. When the session disconnects or ends, the application or desktop checks the license back in to make the license available to other users and devices. Concurrent licenses enable either one connection to a virtual desktop or unlimited applications for any user or device. License consumption is based on the number of licenses being used.
    User/Device licensing model
    User/Device licensing model: User/Device licenses are assigned to either a user or shared device. If the Citrix License Server assigns a license to a user, that user can make unlimited connections from unlimited devices. If the Citrix License Server assigns a license to a device, unlimited users can make unlimited connections from that device. License consumption is based on the user or device using the license.
    The architecture for Citrix licenses is shown in the following figure:
    Citrix license architecture.
    Licensing for third-party applications that are delivered through Citrix virtualization technologies is based on potential access. Any user or device can consume a license as long as they have the potential to access an application or desktop deployed in a virtual Citrix environment. You can control access to these applications and desktops by using Delivery Groups and Application Groups:
    Delivery Groups
    Delivery Groups are collections of devices on which you can use Citrix applications or desktops. Each Delivery Group specifies the users that have access to those devices. In addition, Delivery Groups specify the applications or desktops that are available to those users.
    Application Groups
    Application Groups are collections of applications that are shared across Delivery Groups or subsets of Delivery Group users. Each Application Group specifies the users or Active Directory (AD) groups that have access to those applications.

    Refer to the Citrix product documentation for more information on Citrix deployment guidelines and recommendations. Use this information to determine whether you should map your users at the Delivery Group level or at the Application Group level. If you map users at both levels, Software Asset Management considers mappings at only the Application Group level.

    You can view your Citrix license usage data from the Software Publisher Analytics dashboard for Citrix. Use this data to optimize your license position by reclaiming any unused or unauthorized licenses.