Software Catalog
Definition
The software catalog lists all software available in the IT infrastructure. This includes programs physically installed on a workstation (This is usually automatically identified by a discovery tool using a library that contains the signatures of the most representative market software), programs accessed by users via an application run using a thin client (e.g. Web client or Citrix client), printer drivers, ...
EndDefinition
- To simplify catalog management, entries are grouped by type.
- In the case of automatic discovery, software is automatically associated with the equipment and users who use them. If this is not the case, then this information should be manually added.
- An indicator is used to track software to be monitored by license.
- Software can contain different software belonging to a software package.
- A given software can cover several versions and/or other software based on usage rights.
Examples
- Package license: Microsoft Office 2010 is a software package that includes Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
- Create the Equipment form for the Office 2010 software.
- License Type= Package
- Enter the software included in the package in the Included Software tab, i.e. Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
- Software with usage rights: Microsoft Office 2010 covers the current version of Office 2010 as well as earlier versions such as Office 2007 and Office 2003.
- Create the Equipment form for the Office 2010 software.
- Current Version = 2010
- Enter the software covered in the Usage Rights tab, i.e. Office 2007 and 2003.
Notes
- Only software managed in the catalog whose Monitored box is checked can be associated with a license or application.
- Certain software information is inherited by the associated licenses.
- Detection of software by the automatic discovery tool:
- When data from a new discovery is integrated, software that was manually added will not be affected.
- The data collected by the automatic discovery tool cannot be deleted. Only manually added data can be deleted.
- Detection rules can be associated with each software. These are used by the automatic discovery tool to search for software on workstations based on a combination of executables and/or components such as registry keys. If there are no rules, then any software detected will automatically be created in the catalog.
- Software can also be imported using an integration model based on the Software connector.
- You can associate a software with an application in the Employee form.
Caution
- Detection rules are enabled when the Import Software from Discovery scheduled alert is enabled.
Best Practice
- By default, the catalog only displays managed software. Use the None filter to display all references.
- To ensure that the installation of the most recent versions is covered by a license, you should sort software usage rights in descending order based on version creation dates.
- To see the equipment where software is installed, use the Installed Software report by selecting Asset Management > Licenses > Potential Savings.
- To update software, you can use the Update/ wizard in List mode.
Characteristics specific to versions 2016 and earlier
- Graphic interface:
- General overview of the form.
See the Fundamentals - Screens in the Software Catalog form
- General overview of the form.
Menu access
References > Catalogs > Software Catalog
Description of tabs
TabUpdateRules_After2016Versions
Click to see the general principles for updating tabs.
| Create a new item | Delete an item or association with a related item |
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Run the New wizard at the top of the tab
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Move the cursor over the corresponding item and click
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Alphabetical order of the tabs
QuickAccess
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Details
Type
Type: Type (full path displayed) associated with the current object.
example CAD, Accounting
UNSPSCCode
UNSPSC Code: The code in the UNSPSC classification identifying the product, service or CI class associated with the model type.
Publisher: Company that developed the software.
Publisher Reference: Unique reference for the software in the publisher's catalog.
Software: Software name.
Discovery Reference: Name of the software in the Discovery module.
Manage Software:
Monitored: Used to indicate if the software should be managed by license and by catalog statistics (box is checked) or not (box is not checked). For freeware, the box should not be checked. Note: Only software managed in the catalog will appear in reports in the Potential Savings menu.
RegularSupplier
Regular Supplier: Name of the main supplier where the current object is available.
Enter the prices of other suppliers in the Potential Suppliers tab.
Current Version: Latest version of the software installed in the IT infrastructure. Except if otherwise indicated, all new software installations on workstations will be performed using this version.
Specify the other versions of the same software or other software covered by the current version in the Usage Rights tab. See the examples.
Minimal Version: Oldest version of the software that can be installed. The installation of earlier versions is not authorized because of compatibility issues.
AvailableForPurchase
Available For Purchase: Used to indicate if the current object can be ordered using the order management process (Operation > Logistics > Order menu) (box is checked) or not (box is not checked).
Start of Availability/End of Availability: Period of availability of the software in the catalog. Note: At the end of the period, the status of the software in the catalog is Archived. It can no longer be associated with a license.
Price per System/User: Unit price of the software.
Maximum Number of Installations: For software managed by license, this is the maximum number of installations authorized for each license.
License Type: For software managed by license, this indicates the type of license.
example OEM, Package
If it is a Package license, specify the software included in the Included Software tab except if it is automatically identified by the automatic discovery tool.
License Scheme: For software managed by license, this indicates the license scheme.
example By server or by site
License Program: For software managed by license, this software publisher program defines the license acquisition conditions and associated extensions, if any.
example Program proposing the license and technical support
Maintenance Costs (%): Percentage of the software purchase price used to calculate the yearly amount of the maintenance contract.
Market Price: Average software purchase price on the market.
Amount Charged Back: For software managed by license, this is the amount charged back every month to cost centers that are using one of the licenses associated with the software.
- By default, this amount is allocated to each new license associated with the software.
- The amount is allocated using the Amount Charged Back tab in the license inventory.
DepreciationRule
Depreciation Rule: Rule indicating the depreciation method of the current object, i.e. straight line or declining balance.
ResaleValue
Resale Value: Value used to calculate depreciation for the current object. Note: Only used in Anglo-Saxon accounting procedures.
Warranty Period Publisher (Months): Warranty period used to automatically calculate the warranty end date of the software based on its purchase date.
BuyBackValueLeasing
Buy Back Value (Leasing): When the current object is acquired through leasing, this is the buy back amount to be paid at the end of the contract to acquire the object.
Specify this value to draw up renewal budgets.
Note
Note: Comments on the form. You can also add images or tables in this field using HTML tags.
Required Configuration
List and values of the attributes required by any workstation before the software can be installed.
example Type of processor, memory size, disk space
Attributes
AttributeTab
List of attributes linked to the current object.
- Only attributes compatible with the software type can be added.
- Update: In this tab. You can also use an integration model based on the Attributes (Equipment, Contracts, Licenses) connector.
Licenses
List of licenses associated with the current object.
- Update: Via the License forms. You can also use an integration model based on the Relationships Equipment Licenses connector.
Equipment
List of equipment where the software is installed.
- Update: Automatically detected by the automatic discovery tool using rules defined for software or via the Installed Software tab in Equipment forms if the software cannot be detected, e.g. printer drivers. You can also use an integration model based on the Relationships Equipment Licenses connector.
Discussions
DiscussionTab
List of discussions associated with the current object.
- Users can access discussions based on their domain and the visibility of the discussion. Users must also belong to a group authorized to take part in discussions, i.e. in the Group form, the Discussion Enabled box must be selected.
- Enter the keywords you want in the Search field and press <Enter>.
*To cancel the search criteria and return to the complete list of discussions, provided you have the relevant rights, click within the box and then click
.
Attachments
AttachmentTab
List of documents associated with the current object.
- Update: In this tab - See the description
Potential Suppliers
Potential Suppliers
PotentialSupplierTab
List of suppliers who are able to provide the current object and their prices, in addition to the main supplier specified in the Details tab.
- PUE (Power Usage Effectiveness): This is the ratio of the total amount of energy used by a data center facility to the energy delivered to IT equipment, e.g. servers, storage, network. This metric is used by Green IT. The ideal PUE ratio is 1. If the ratio is greater than 1, this indicates that energy is being used by various electrical equipment other than the IT equipment deployed by the data center.
- Specify the suppliers whose prices you want to check when placing an order for the current object.
- The PUE field enables you to quickly identify the most eco-responsible suppliers (Green IT).
History of Changes
HistoryOfChangeTab
List of all modifications made to the form.
- The fields taken into account are defined using rules in the history of changes.
- This is the AM_ASSET table.
Included Software
For a licence Package, this is the list of software included in the package.
If you are using an automatic discovery tool, you should not specify the software manually. You should define a detection rule indicating the contents of the package in the Detection Rules tab.
Users
List of users with the software or with access to the software via an application.
Usage Rights
UsageRightTab
List of versions of a given software or other software covered by the last version of the software installed in the IT infrastructure.
- Usage rights are integrated in the Gap Analysis by Version report in the order in which versions appear in the table. This is used to count the number of software installed as compared with the number of authorized installations. See the examples
- Update: In this tab.
Detection Rules
List of rules used by the automatic discovery tool to detect software on workstations.
For a Package license, you should indicate the different software in the package. It will then appear in the Included Software tab.
Procedures and Wizards
How to create an entry in the catalog
Step 1: Creating the catalog entry.
1. Select References > Catalogs > Software Catalog in the menu.
2. Click + New.
3. Specify the information.
4. Click Finish.
The form will be created.
Step 2 (optional): Specifying the detection rules.
Note: The detection rules allow to search for the software on a workstation.
You have to specify them only for a software that is detected by an automatic discovery tool.
1. Go to the Detection Rules tab.
2. Click + New.
3. Define the detection rule.
- Specify the rule label.
- Click Next.
The list of the software managed in the catalog will appear.
Selecting the executables
- Tick the executables for detecting the software.
Note: You can run a search and filter the items in the catalog.
- Enter the criteria you want
- Click Search.
- Click Add.
The table of the items attached to the detection rule will be refreshed. - (optional) Add other executables via
.
Selecting the components
- Click Next.
- Repeat the same actions as for the executables to specifiy the components to take into account for the detection rule.
- Specifiy the reconciliation criteria.
- Click Finish.
4. Repeat these actions for all the detection rule to be added.
Step 3 (optional): Creating a Package license for a software that is not detected by an automatic discovery tool.
1. Go to the Included Software tab.
2. Click + New.
3. Select the software belonging to the package.
4. Repeat these actions for all the software to be added to the package.
Step 4 (optional): Specifying the software usage rights.
1. Go to the Details tab.
- Specify the latest version of the software in the Current Version field, e.g. Office 2010.
2. Go to the Usage Rights tab.
- Click + New.
- Select the software.
- Specify the version covered, e.g. Office 2007, Office 2003.
- Add the other versions or other software covered by the current version via .
- (optional) Modify the hierarchy of the versions via the
and 
arrows. - Click Finish.
- The table will be refreshed.
- The Hierarchy Level field will indicate the order in which the data is arranged.
Step 5 (optional): Associating software manually.
Attachment to an item of equipment
1. Go to the equipment inventory then open the form of the item of equipment.
2. Click the Installed Software tab.
3. Click + New.
4. Select the software to attach to the item of equipment.
The software will be added in the Equipment tab in the software catalog.
Attachment to a user, via an application
1. Go to the employee directory then open the form of the user.
2. Click the Applications tab.
3. Click + New.
4. Select the software to attach to the user.
The software will be added in the Users tab in the software catalog.