License calculation types supported by the legacy Software Asset Management plugin

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 5 minutes to read
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    Summary of License calculation types supported by the legacy Software Asset Management plugin

    The legacy Software Asset Management (SAM) plugin in ServiceNow (com.snc.softwareassetmanagement) provides predefined, non-deletable license calculation types that help accurately quantify software license consumption across diverse environments. These license types enable organizations to align license entitlements with software deployments, hardware configurations, user activity, and specific vendor licensing models.

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    License Calculation Categories and Their Practical Application

    • By CPU: Calculates usage based on CPU cores or number of CPUs on hardware configuration items where software is installed. Useful for software licensed per CPU or core.
    • By number of points: Specifically for IBM PVU licensing, it multiplies core count by a CPU-type-specific PVU multiplier. Requires enabling the IBM PVU Process Pack to function.
    • By Client Access License (CAL): Counts licenses based on unique devices (CAL Device) or unique users (CAL User) accessing the software, leveraging software usage data for accurate tracking.
    • By user: Includes various user-centric models such as Number of installs per user, Per named user, and No license needed (User) for open source or free software. Differentiates between counting installs per user versus per unique user regardless of install count.
    • By utilization: Tracks license consumption using software usage data either per unique device (Usage CPU) or per unique user (Usage User), ensuring licenses align with actual software utilization.
    • By workstation: Counts licenses per hardware workstation with installed software or for software that requires no license.
    • By Oracle install: Supports Oracle-specific licensing schemes such as Oracle Named User, Named User Plus, and Processor licenses, available when the Oracle Process Pack is activated.

    Key Insights for ServiceNow Customers

    • These default license calculation types are critical for automating license compliance and optimization based on various licensing models and hardware/user configurations.
    • Each calculation type relies on different data sources like hardware configuration items, software installation data, or software usage records to determine license consumption accurately.
    • The IBM PVU and Oracle license types require additional process packs to be activated for full functionality, ensuring compliance with specific vendor licensing rules.
    • Choosing the correct license calculation type depends on the software vendor’s licensing model, your organization’s usage patterns, and available discovery or usage data.
    • Some license types identify software as “No license needed,” which helps in managing open source or unlicensed software without inflating license counts.

    Default license calculation types are available with the legacy Software Asset Management (com.snc.software_asset_management) plugin.

    These license types cannot be deleted.

    Table 1. License calculation types
    Category License type
    By CPU
    • By CPU cores: The counter adds up the total license rights for all software license records of this model. The CPU Core Count field on the hardware configuration item determines the number of rights consumed by any software installation located on the configuration item. For that installation, the counter checks for a valid entitlement record on any of the software license records. Applies to software installation data and hardware configuration items.
    • By number of CPUs: The counter adds up the total license rights for all software license records of this model. The CPU Count field on the hardware configuration item determines the number of rights consumed by any software installation located on the configuration item. For that installation, the counter checks for a valid entitlement record on any of the software license records. Applies to software installation data and hardware configuration items.
    By number of points

    Per installation - IBM PVU: The counter adds up the total license rights for all software license records of this model. The installation count for every hardware configuration item that has IBM PVU software is a point calculation. The CPU type determines the PVU per-core multiplier based on the IBM PVU mapping table. The total number of cores on the configuration item is multiplied with this per-core multiplier to determine how many rights are used by an installation on this configuration item. For that installation, the counter checks for a valid entitlement record on any of the software license records. Applies to software installation data and hardware configuration items.

    This license type is present but does not work until the Software Asset Management plugin IBM PVU Process Pack is active.
    By Client Access License (CAL)
    • CAL (Device): The counter adds up the total license rights for all software license records of this model. Usage is counted as one installation for every unique configuration item (device). For each installation, the counter checks for a valid entitlement record on any of the software license records. The Software Usage [ast_usage] table is used for counting.
    • CAL (User): The counter adds up the total license rights for all software license records of this model. Usage is counted as one installation for every unique user. For that installation, the counter checks for a valid entitlement record on any of the software license records. The Software Usage [ast_usage] table is used for counting.
    By user
    • Number of installs per user: The counter adds up the total license rights for all software license records of this model. It counts an installation when one software installation matches the discovery models that are mapped to this software model for any hardware used by a user. It counts up to the specified amount. For that installation, the counter checks for a valid entitlement record on any of the software license records. Applies to software installation data and hardware configuration items.
    • Per named user: The counter adds up the total license rights for all software license records of this model. It counts an installation when there is at least one software installation that matches the discovery models that are mapped to this software model for any hardware used by a unique user. For that installation, the counter checks for a valid entitlement record on any of the software license records. Applies to software installation data and hardware configuration items.
    • No license needed (User): The counter adds up the total number of users of this model. It counts an installation when there is at least one software installation that matches the discovery models that are mapped to this software model for any hardware used by a unique user. It applies to software installation data and hardware configuration items. This license type is used for software installations where no license is required, such as open source applications.
    To compare Number of installs per user and Per named user:
    • Number of installs per user counts the number of installs the user has and assigns license cost based on installs per license. For example, UserA has three installs. One license is used by each install, for a total of three licenses.
    • For Per named user, there is no install limit for a particular user. For example, UserB, who has three installs, needs only one license for the three installs.
    By utilization
    • Usage (CPU): The counter adds up the total license rights for all software license records of this model. The counter looks at all of the software usage data mapped to any of the discovery model records of the counter's software model. It counts one installation for every unique configuration item. For that installation, the counter checks for a valid entitlement record on any of the software license records. Applies to software usage data.
    • Usage (User): The counter adds up the total license rights for all software license records of this model. The counter looks at all of the software usage data mapped to any of the discovery model records of the counter's software model. It counts one installation for every unique user Accessed From hardware configuration item. For that installation, the counter checks for a valid entitlement record on any of the software license records. Applies to software usage data.
    By workstation
    • Per workstation: The counter adds up the total number of license rights for all software license records of this model. It counts an installation when there is at least one software installation on a hardware configuration item that matches the discovery models that are mapped to this software model. For each installation, the counter checks for a valid entitlement record on any of the software license records. Applies to software installation data and hardware configuration items.
    • No license needed (Workstation)This license type is used for software installations where no license is required, such as open source applications.
    By Oracle install
    • Oracle Named User: Oracle licensing scheme that counts by the number of unique users.
    • Oracle Named User Plus: Oracle licensing scheme that counts by the number of unique users and accounts.
    • Oracle Processor: Oracle licensing scheme that counts by the number of processors on a server.

    This category and its license types are available when the Oracle Process Pack is activated.