Deduplicating IBM software installations

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Deduplicating IBM Software Installations

    This guide provides instructions for deduplicating IBM software installations within the ServiceNow platform. It is essential for managing IBM licenses effectively by integrating with Software Asset Management providers, ILMT, or BigFix Inventory. The deduplication process helps eliminate duplicate records of software installations discovered through different sources.

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    Key Features

    • Integration with IBM publisher pack for license tracking.
    • Ability to deduplicate installations found through various discovery sources.
    • Scheduled job: SAM - Deduplicate Install Table, which marks active and inactive records based on discovery source.
    • Prioritization of installations discovered through ILMT or BigFix Inventory by default.
    • Customizable prioritization by modifying the 'Use Servicenow Software Asset Management and Discovery for IBM license compliance' property.

    Key Outcomes

    By implementing the deduplication process, ServiceNow customers can:

    • Maintain accurate records of IBM software installations.
    • Ensure only one record is active for each discovered installation, facilitating better license compliance.
    • Customize the prioritization of software installations based on their discovery source, enhancing management flexibility.

    For further details on deduplication, refer to the Software Asset Management application documentation.

    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.