Software Asset Management publisher pack for Citrix

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Software Asset Management publisher pack for Citrix

    The Citrix publisher pack for Software Asset Management (SAM) enables ServiceNow customers to optimize and reconcile their Citrix product licenses, ensuring license compliance and better management of licensing positions for users and devices. It supports Virtual Applications (formerly XenApp) and Virtual Desktop (formerly XenDesktop) products, providing visibility into third-party applications delivered via Citrix environments and their potential users.

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    To utilize this publisher pack, customers must activate the Software Asset Management Professional for Citrix plugin (com.snsampcitrix) and leverage the ServiceNow Discovery application to collect license usage and software data from Citrix License Server and Delivery Controller using OData APIs.

    Citrix Licensing Models Supported

    • Concurrent Licensing Model: Licenses are checked out during active sessions and checked back in upon session end, allowing flexible use across users and devices based on concurrent active sessions.
    • User/Device Licensing Model: Licenses are assigned to either a specific user (allowing unlimited connections from any device by that user) or a shared device (allowing unlimited users on that device). License consumption tracks by assigned user or device.

    Managing License Access and Consumption

    License consumption for third-party applications delivered via Citrix virtualization is based on potential access by users or devices. ServiceNow SAM helps control access through:

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

    When mapping users to licenses, SAM considers Application Group mappings over Delivery Group mappings if both exist.

    Practical Use and Reporting

    License usage data collected can be viewed via the Software Publisher Analytics dashboard for Citrix within both the Software Asset Management classic application and the Software Asset Workspace. This enables customers to analyze compliance, optimize license positions, and reclaim unused or unauthorized licenses effectively.

    Entitlements

    Customers can create Citrix software entitlements within SAM to define license details that align with software models. Entitlements can be added individually or imported in bulk via spreadsheets, supporting streamlined license management.

    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.