Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server database and component license consumption

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Optimizing Microsoft SQL Server database and component license consumption

    This content explains how ServiceNow customers can optimize Microsoft SQL Server license consumption for both databases and components by leveraging ITOM Discovery and Software Asset Management. It highlights the importance of identifying the correct Microsoft SQL Server editions at the component level and using software installation records to ensure accurate license reconciliation and consumption.

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    Key Features

    • ITOM Discovery Edition Identification: Using version 1.7.0 or later of the Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application, ITOM Discovery identifies Microsoft SQL Server components and their editions across your deployment.
    • Software Installation Records: Software Asset Management creates installation records for each SQL Server database and component based on identified editions, enabling precise tracking and reconciliation.
    • License Consumption Rules: Licensing is optimized by applying rules where a single license covers SQL Server databases and components on the same device, while separate licenses are required when deployed on different devices.
    • Software Models and Mappings: ServiceNow’s Content Service team provides predefined discovery maps (DMAPs) that associate SQL Server components with appropriate software models based on editions, facilitating automated and accurate license reconciliation.
    • Software Model Suites Consideration: Reconciliation accounts for software suites so that child components are licensed under their parent software models, preventing license overcounting.
    • Automatic and On-Demand Reconciliation: License reconciliation runs automatically on a schedule, with options for manual execution via both the Software Asset Management classic application and Software Asset Workspace.

    Key Outcomes

    • Enables accurate identification and classification of Microsoft SQL Server components by edition, improving license tracking.
    • Optimizes license consumption by applying Microsoft SQL Server licensing rules across devices and components.
    • Automates license reconciliation using ServiceNow’s predefined mappings and software model suites, ensuring precise license counts.
    • Provides flexibility to run license reconciliation manually when needed to maintain up-to-date license compliance.

    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.