Discovery models and software installations

  • Release version: Washingtondc
  • Updated February 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Discovery Models and Software Installations

    Software discovery models are automatically generated during the discovery process to identify and normalize software installations within your environment. These models are stored in the Software Discovery Model table and help in managing software assets effectively.

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    Key Features

    • Automatic Creation: Discovery models are created automatically for newly discovered software, excluding those with names containing "Security Update."
    • Normalization Process: This process occurs automatically upon the creation of a discovery model, ensuring that the software inventory is accurate.
    • Primary Key for Matching: The combination of Publisher, Display Name, and Version fields serves as a primary key to link new installations to existing discovery models.
    • Version Handling: If an exact version match is not found, the system rounds down to the nearest major version.
    • Normalization Status: The status of normalization can change based on user input or if a normalization suggestion is accepted.

    Key Outcomes

    As a result of using discovery models, customers can expect accurate tracking of software installations, streamlined normalization processes, and better management of software assets. Additionally, the option to revert normalization allows for flexibility in managing software data. This system enhances overall IT asset management by ensuring that all software installations are properly cataloged and associated with their respective discovery models.

    Software discovery models are automatically created during discovery to identify and normalize the software installed in your environment.

    Software discovery models are stored in the Software Discovery Model [cmdb_sam_sw_discovery_model] table. The normalization process is automatically run when a new discovery model is created. Discovery models are not created for software installations that have a name containing Security Update.

    There is a difference between software models and software discovery models.
    • A software model is a specific version or configuration of software that is purchased and/or available to users.
    • A software discovery model is a model created when a version of software is discovered in a network environment.
    Multiple software discovery models can be associated to one software model. For example, a software model can be defined as follows:
    • Publisher = X
    • Product = Y
    • Version = Starts with 10

    If there are two separate installs of this product (version 10.1 and version 10.2), two discovery models are created. One of the discovery models has the discovered version set to 10.1, and the other discovery model has the discovered version set to 10.2. The reconciliation process associates both of these discovery models to the same software model since they both meet the version criterion of Starts with 10.

    Discovery Models

    Software discovery models cannot be created manually. The following field combination, called the primary key, is used to match new software installations to a new or existing software discovery model.

    Primary key: Publisher, Display Name, and Version
    Note:
    When analyzing version numbers, an exact match is always searched for first, but rounds down to a major version number when an exact match is not found.

    For example, if no match is found for version number 8.0.4, but version 8.0 is found, then version 8.0 is used in the Software model field.

    Note:
    If normalized field values differ from the values in the package or pattern, a caution icon is indicated next to the Normalization status field indicating that a normalization suggestion record has been created. Clicking the caution icon opens the Normalization Suggestion record for that discovery model.

    The differing values can be set by the user, or by accepting the normalization suggestion changes. Once a new value is set, the normalization status changes form Normalized to Manually Normalized.

    Under specific conditions, certain fields that are typically read-only can be edited. If edited, the status changes to Manually Normalized.

    Revert normalization

    You can revert normalization if you want to.

    Discovery models with a status of Normalized, Partially Normalized, orPublisher Normalized revert to the status of Match Not Found. Fields are reset to their original values, and any rules associated with the software discovery model are deactivated.

    Software Installations

    The Software Installations list contains the software installed in your organization and is populated by discovery.

    Installed software is placed in the Software Installation [cmdb_sam_sw_install] table by Discovery, and a primary key is built (using Publisher, Display Name, and Version fields).

    Discovery automatically matches the discovered software installation with a new or existing software discovery model using the primary key.