--- sourceDocument: Australia IT Service Management sourceDocumentLink: https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/r/it-service-management Release : - australia ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Australia IT Service Management ft:clusterId : - itsm bundleId : - itsm workflow : - Technology --- # Create a software counter for the legacy Software Asset Management plugin # Create a software counter for the legacy Software Asset Management plugin {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Australia Updated March 12, 2026 ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 4 minutes to read How to create a software counter for the legacy Software Asset Management (com.snc.software_asset_management) plugin. ## Before you begin Role required: sam ## About this task Depending on the [license type](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/PFkhiUki5fkgyu~0HCKKrg "Default license calculation types are available with the legacy Software Asset Management (com.snc.software_asset_management) plugin.") you select for a counter, multiple installations can count as a single license, such as when using the per user license type. This licensing concept is used on occasion by companies like Microsoft and Adobe. It grants users the right to install software on multiple machines if those users already have rights to install the software. Note: You can [create new counters](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/DNsc9mMxMRhp~YwlGgEoIg "If the automatically generated software model is not correct or if the system cannot find a match from existing models, you can create a new model using the legacy Software Asset Management (com.snc.software_asset_management) plugin.") from Discovery model records or from the list view. To manage multiple versions of software from a single licensing perspective for the parent software model: * The downgrade child software models that are licensed under the parent software model should all be related to a the single parent software model. * The downgrade child software models should not have any software counters associated with them. * The software counter should be associated only with the licensed parent software model, otherwise misleading results for the counter will be reported {#t_CreateASoftwareCounter__ul_ufc_5jv_25} To create a software counter: ## Procedure 1. Navigate to AllSoftware AssetReconciliationSoftware Counters. 2. Click New. 3. Fill in the fields on the Software Counter form (see table). 4. Click Submit. 5. Reopen the new counter and click Count Licenses. 6. Reload the form to view the [counter results](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/hU~CVLCG7JKtdJ9lOPoa~A "Software counter results provide detailed information about each grouping that is formed through the legacy Software Asset Management (com.snc.software_asset_management) plugin."). {#t_CreateASoftwareCounter__table_tsm_jmc_zq__entry__2} | Field | Description | |-|-| | Name | \[Required\] Enter the name of the software counter as it appears in record lists. | | Software model | \[Required\] Click the reference lookup icon and select the software model for which the counter will check compliance. | | Contract | Select the contract that you want to use to limit the license. Used for enterprise and subscription-based licenses. Also restricts how counters retrieve licenses for the given counter. If left empty, all licenses for the model are counted. | | Active | Select the check box to have the scheduler run the counter. | | Rights Owned | \[Read-Only\] Displays a summation if a contract is specified. The total sum is the license rights provided by all the licenses for the software model (of the counter) under the specified contract. If no contract is specified, this field is a count of all licenses of this model. | | Rights Used | \[Read-Only\] Displays the number of rights used by all installs, whether a contract is specified or not. | | Immediate compliance | \[Read-Only\] Displays the number of additional rights needed to achieve compliance based on installations. | | Parameters || | Grouping | Select the field for grouping data: * Location: group by the geographic location set in the license record. * Company: group by the company set in the license record. * Department: group by the department set in the license record. * Cost Center: group by the cost center set in the license record. * Entitlement (CPU): group by the condition defined in the Allocated condition field of the license record. * Entitlement (User): group by the condition defined in the Assigned condition field of the license record. {#t_CreateASoftwareCounter__ul_nyg_csc_zq} The software counter results also displays counts for licenses that do not match the grouping parameter. | | Enforce to | \[Required\] Select the level of adherence to the license: * License: counts all existing entitlements for the installations or usage you are analyzing regardless of the grouping parameter selected. * Strict: counts the license and entitlement as valid only if the license also matches the grouping category. For example, a license is assigned to a specific location, such as Americas. With strict enforcement enabled, the user and the machine on which the license is installed must be in the Americas group. If the person and their license assigned to the Americas group moves to the United Kingdom, the license is still valid, but strict enforcement flags the user as unauthorized to use that license. The license will be counted as valid, but will also show up as not entitled in the summary. {#t_CreateASoftwareCounter__ul_g4m_4sc_zq} | | Verify entitlements | Select the check box to view the software entitlement details for the software counter. Results include the number of installations of all types: not entitled, entitled in use, entitled not in use, and not allocated. For more information, see [Setting Up Quick Counters](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/70SpOlmOTf0YzXrfP7Kf6g "Quick counter settings can help speed up the software counting process that is used by the legacy Software Asset Management (com.snc.software_asset_management) plugin."). | | Generate details | Select the check box to generate the details of the entitlement records. For more information, see [Setting Up Quick Counters](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/70SpOlmOTf0YzXrfP7Kf6g "Quick counter settings can help speed up the software counting process that is used by the legacy Software Asset Management (com.snc.software_asset_management) plugin."). | | License type | \[Required\] Select the method for counting licenses. For example, Per named user or Per workstation. For more information, see [License Calculation Types](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/PFkhiUki5fkgyu~0HCKKrg "Default license calculation types are available with the legacy Software Asset Management (com.snc.software_asset_management) plugin."). | | Installs per license | Enter the number of installations allowed (one or more) per license for each user if the License type is set to By number of users. You can allow more than two installations per license. For all other license types this field is set to 1 install per license. | | Cached | \[Read-Only\] Shows whether this option is selected. If selected, only changed information is counted, reducing the amount of time it takes to count the licenses. | | License condition | Specify the condition a license should satisfy in order to be counted. | | Software install condition | Specify the condition an install record should satisfy in order to be counted. This field appears depending on the value of the License type field. | | Software usage condition | Specify the condition a usage record should satisfy in order to be counted. This field appears depending on the value of the License type field. | | Related Lists || | Software Counter Results | Displays all [results](https://servicenow-prod.fluidtopics.net/hU~CVLCG7JKtdJ9lOPoa~A "Software counter results provide detailed information about each grouping that is formed through the legacy Software Asset Management (com.snc.software_asset_management) plugin.") for this software counter. | | Software Counter Compliance Violations | Displays all records of compliance violations for this software counter. | | Software Counter Histories | Displays all software counter history records for this software counter. Each time a count is completed, the system automatically generates a software counter history record, which is a read-only copy of the software counter record. | [Table 1. Software counter form] {#t_CreateASoftwareCounter__table_tsm_jmc_zq} Note: A message is displayed at top of the software counter form indicating if a license count is in progress. Reload the form to view the counter results. *[\>]: and then