Optimizing license consumption for Microsoft SQL Server databases and components

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Optimizing license consumption for Microsoft SQL Server databases and components

    This content explains how ServiceNow customers can optimize license consumption for Microsoft SQL Server databases and components using ITOM Discovery and Software Asset Management (SAM). By accurately identifying Microsoft SQL Server editions through discovery and associating components with the correct software models, customers can ensure efficient and compliant license usage.

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    Key Features

    • ITOM Discovery Edition Identification: Requires Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns application version 1.7.0 or later to detect Microsoft SQL Server component editions across your deployment.
    • Automatic Association: The ServiceNow Content Service team maps each SQL Server component to the appropriate edition (e.g., Standard or Enterprise) using predefined discovery maps (DMAPs) from the software library.
    • Software Installation Records: SAM creates records for both SQL Server databases and components based on discovered editions, enabling accurate license tracking.
    • License Consumption Rules:
      • If SQL Server databases and components reside on the same device, only one license is required per device.
      • If deployed on different devices, separate licenses must be consumed on each device.
    • Software Model Suites: SAM recognizes parent-child relationships between software models and components to ensure licenses are counted correctly for suites rather than individual components.
    • Reconciliation: License reconciliation runs automatically on a schedule but can also be triggered manually via the Software Asset Management classic application or workspace to maintain accurate license counts.

    Key Outcomes

    • Accurate identification of Microsoft SQL Server editions and components across your IT environment.
    • Optimized license consumption by associating components with correct software models and applying Microsoft licensing rules.
    • Improved compliance and cost control through precise license reconciliation and reporting.
    • Streamlined license management leveraging ServiceNow’s Content Service and software library for up-to-date mappings and software lifecycle management.

    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.