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Software Metering

  1. Software metering rules
  2. Software metering reports

Software metering allows you to monitor software usage in your client enterprises. It enables you to get the following information:

  • Statistics of software applications used in computers in your network

  • List of prohibited software applications in your network

  • Details of usage of software applications that help you plan your software application-related purchases

  • Status of the license compliance of software that helps you to plan for additional license purchases or cancel unused licenses

Software metering rules

Software metering rules are rules that you can define to enable easy collection of software usage data for the computers in your network.

The following details are to be taken into consideration while adding rules:

  1. File name * : This refers to the executable file name of a software application. You can get this information from the Version/Details tab in the Properties page of the executable file.

  2. Original file name : In most cases, the original file name is the same as the name of the executable file. If a user has renamed the executable file of a software application, you can track the usage of that software application, based on its original file name.You can get this information from the Version tab in the Properties page of the executable file. If this information is not available, you can leave the text field blank.

  3. Product name : This refers to the name of the product exclusive of the version number.

  4. File version : This refers to the version of the executable file of a software application. If you want the agent to gather details about specific file versions, use an asterisk in the File Version box. For example, if you want the agent to gather details about all file versions beginning with 9, enter 9.* in the File Version box. You can get this information from the Version tab in the Properties page of the executable file. If this information is not available, you can leave the text field blank. If the text field is left blank, the usage details of all the versions of a particular software used in the network will be metered.

To find information about the above mentioned details, follow the steps given below:

Assume that you want to find information about the details of Cliq software.
  1. Open the exe file location of the required software in windows explorer.

     

  2. For this, you will have to open the shortcut location of the software and right click on properties.

     

  3. Right click on the exe file to obtain details such as file version, original file name and product name.

     

Figure 1: Shortcut in Windows Explorer

Figure 2: File version

Figure 3: Original file name

Figure 4: Product name

You now have the required information to add rules.

Adding Rules

You are required to add rules to monitor the usage details of specific software applications. To add rules, follow the steps given below:

  1. Under Inventory tab, click on Software metering from the left tree.

     

  2. After clicking on Add Rules, provide mandatory details such as Software name, Rule name and File name.

     

The name you enter for the rule should be unique and descriptive. For example, if you have selected Adobe Flash Player, you can enter Monitoring Adobe Flash Player Usage as the name of the rule. Once you have used this name, you cannot use it as a name for any other rule.

You cannot add software metering rules for groups of software.

Software metering reports

There are three types of software metering reports that help you make an informed decision about buying software applications and renewing licenses for existing software applications. The reports are as follows:

  1. Software metering rules summary
  2. Computers with metered software
  3. Users with metered software

Software metering rules summary

Based on the rules added for metering of a particular software, this report provides the following details :

  1. Discovered count : Number of computers in the network which have the software application installed.
  2. Usage count : Number of times a software application is used in all the computers in the network.
  3. Usage duration : Information about how long a software application has been used.

Computers with metered software

  1. It provides the software usage details such as usage count and usage duration for a particular software application on each computer.
  2. In addition to this, the admin can view the reports for each computer during a stipulated time period.
  3. With the help of such usage details, the admin can choose to either retain or revoke the license for the software application used on each computer.

Users with metered software

  1. The usage details for every user specific software is provided in this report.
  2. This is helpful when the users logs into several computer but still the software usage details for that user-specific software needs to be metered.
  3. By gauging such usage details, the admin can choose to either retain or revoke the license for user-specific software.

 

Note : The last 90 days data from the current date is stored in the Endpoint Central report.