Deduplicating IBM software installations

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Deduplicating IBM software installations

    ServiceNow’s Software Asset Management (SAM) application helps customers track and manage IBM licenses by integrating with authorized Software Asset Management providers, IBM License Metric Tool (ILMT), or BigFix Inventory. When the same IBM software installation is discovered through multiple sources, duplicate installation records are created. Deduplication ensures accurate license reconciliation by consolidating these duplicates into a single active record.

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    Key Features

    • Integration options: Supports integration with authorized Software Asset Management providers, ILMT, and BigFix Inventory for discovering IBM software installations.
    • Duplicate detection: Identifies duplicate software installation records when the same IBM software is discovered via different sources but shares the same edition, version, and language.
    • Deduplication scheduled job: The SAM - Deduplicate Install Table scheduled job consolidates duplicates by marking only one record as active for reconciliation, while marking others as inactive.
    • Default prioritization: By default, installations discovered through ILMT or BigFix Inventory are prioritized and marked active over those from authorized Software Asset Management providers.
    • Configurable prioritization: Customers can switch the priority to favor authorized Software Asset Management provider discoveries by updating the Use Servicenow Software Asset Management and Discovery for IBM license compliance system property (com.snc.samp.ibm.usesampibmlicensing) to true. This reverses the default behavior during deduplication.
    • Domain separation support: The system property supports domain separation, enabling configuration in multi-domain environments.

    Practical Application for Customers

    When IBM software installations are discovered through different sources, duplicate records can cause inaccurate license compliance reporting. Running the SAM - Deduplicate Install Table job cleans up these duplicates, ensuring only one active record per installation is used in reconciliation. By configuring the system property, customers can control which data source is prioritized based on their environment and licensing strategy. This enables more accurate license tracking, reduces compliance risk, and supports efficient license management.

    To track and manage your IBM licenses, you can integrate the IBM publisher pack with an authorized Software Asset Management provider, IBM License Metric Tool (ILMT), or BigFix Inventory. If you are switching between an authorized Software Asset Management provider integration and either an ILMT or BigFix Inventory integration, you can deduplicate software installations that have the same edition, version, and language but are discovered through different sources.

    If you discover the same IBM software installation through multiple sources, such as Anglepoint and ILMT, the Software Asset Management application creates a separate software installation record for each discovery of that software installation. You can resolve these duplicate software installation records by running the SAM - Deduplicate Install Table scheduled job, which ensures that only one duplicate software installation record is marked as active and included in reconciliation. See Duplicate software installations in the Software Asset Management application for more information on deduplication.

    By default, the Software Asset Management application prioritizes IBM software installations that are discovered through ILMT or BigFix Inventory. When you run the SAM - Deduplicate Install Table scheduled job, records for all IBM software installations that are discovered through ILMT or BigFix Inventory are marked as active, while records for the same software installations that are discovered through an authorized Software Asset Management provider are marked as inactive. If an IBM software installation is discovered through an authorized Software Asset Management provider only, the corresponding record is marked as active.

    To prioritize IBM software installations that are discovered through authorized Software Asset Management providers instead, you can update the value of the Use Servicenow Software Asset Management and Discovery for IBM license compliance property (com.snc.samp.ibm.use_samp_ibm_licensing) by navigating to All > System Properties > All Properties. From the list of available system properties, search for and select the com.snc.samp.ibm.use_samp_ibm_licensing property. When the system property record opens, set the Value field to true and then select Update. Each time you subsequently run the SAM - Deduplicate Install Table scheduled job, records for all IBM software installations that are discovered through an authorized Software Asset Management provider are marked as active, while records for the same software installations that are discovered through ILMT or BigFix Inventory are marked as inactive. If an IBM software installation is discovered through ILMT or BigFix Inventory only, the corresponding record is marked as active.
    Note:
    The Use Servicenow Software Asset Management and Discovery for IBM license compliance property supports domain separation.