Optimizing license consumption for Microsoft SQL Server databases and components

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Optimizing License Consumption for Microsoft SQL Server Databases and Components

    This guide focuses on optimizing license consumption for Microsoft SQL Server databases and components identified through ITOM Discovery. To utilize this functionality, you must install version 1.7.0 or later of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.

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    Key Features

    • ITOM Discovery identifies Microsoft SQL Server databases and components, determining the edition of each component.
    • The Software Asset Management application creates software installation records for both components and databases, facilitating effective license reconciliation.
    • Licensing rules dictate that if databases and components are on the same device, only one license is consumed; separate devices require separate licenses.
    • Reconciliation of Microsoft SQL Server components is based on discovered editions, allowing for optimal license consumption.
    • Predefined discovery maps (DMAPs) are provided by the ServiceNow® Content Service team to associate software models with components, enhancing data normalization.
    • Reconciliation can be run automatically as a scheduled job or manually on demand.

    Key Outcomes

    By optimizing license consumption, you ensure compliance with Microsoft SQL Server licensing rules while maintaining an accurate count of your software rights. The structured approach helps in effectively managing licensing across different editions and devices, ultimately leading to potential cost savings and improved resource allocation.

    You can optimize the license consumption for your Microsoft SQL Server databases and components based on the component editions that are identified through ITOM Discovery.

    Note:
    To identify the editions of your Microsoft SQL Server components through ITOM Discovery, you must request and install version 1.7.0 or later of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application from the ServiceNow Store.
    Note:
    Both Microsoft SQL Server databases and components consume licenses against the associated Microsoft SQL Server edition. For Microsoft SQL Server components, the ServiceNow® Content Service team automatically associates each component with an appropriate Microsoft SQL Server edition based on the edition of the component. By optimizing the license consumption for your databases and components, you are optimizing licensing for Microsoft SQL Server and its component editions.
    ITOM Discovery locates and identifies the Microsoft SQL Server databases and components across your deployment. When it locates and identifies your Microsoft SQL Server components, it also identifies the edition of each component. The Software Asset Management application then creates a software installation record for each of your components based on the identified component edition. The Software Asset Management application also create a software installation record for each of your Microsoft SQL Server databases. You can use these software installation records to reconcile your components and databases based on both the associated Microsoft SQL Server edition and the following Microsoft SQL Server licensing rules:
    • If your Microsoft SQL Server database and components are deployed on the same device, only one license must be consumed on the device.
    • If your Microsoft SQL Server database and components are deployed on different devices, separate licenses must be consumed on each device.

    For more information on Microsoft SQL Server component edition discovery, see MSSQL server discovery.

    Reconciling Microsoft SQL Server components based on the discovered component editions

    You can reconcile Microsoft SQL Server components based on the discovered component editions so that licenses are optimally consumed against the appropriate Microsoft SQL Server editions.

    When you create software models for your various Microsoft SQL Server editions, such as Microsoft SQL Server Standard or Enterprise edition, your Microsoft SQL Server components are automatically associated with an appropriate model based on mappings that are provided by the ServiceNow® Content Service team. Mappings between your Microsoft SQL Server software models and components are based on the edition of each component. The Content Service team provides these mappings through predefined discovery maps (DMAPs) in the software library, which is a centralized repository of software content that you can use to normalize your discovered data. Each DMAP associates a software model with relevant software content, such as software model suite relationships and software product lifecycles. For more information on the Content Service and software library, see Software Asset Management Content Service.

    The Software Asset Management application considers software model suites during reconciliation so that you can accurately count your software rights and optimize your licenses, as child components are licensed against the parent software model and not the component itself. Reconciliation runs automatically as a scheduled job. However, you can also run reconciliation on-demand between scheduled jobs. For more information on software model suites, see Software Asset Management software suites. For instructions on how to run reconciliation manually through the Software Asset Management classic application, see Run software reconciliation in Software Asset Management classic. For instructions on how to run reconciliation manually through the Software Asset Workspace, see Run software reconciliation in the workspace.