Software reclamation rules

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 3 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of Software reclamation rules

    Software reclamation rules help ServiceNow customers optimize software license usage by identifying rights that are underutilized, unused, or not recently used. These rules aggregate software usage over time and specify minimum usage thresholds—such as hours used or latest usage date—before flagging software for reclamation. By reclaiming these unused licenses, you can reallocate rights efficiently and reduce unnecessary software purchases.

    Show full answer Show less

    Managing Reclamation Rules for Suites and Products

    When configuring reclamation rules for suite parent products, usage data from both the suite parent and its components is aggregated automatically. Adding a suite parent product to a reclamation rule will also add all its component products and associated product processes. Updates in the Software Asset Management Content Service, like changes in suite components, are reflected automatically in the reclamation rule’s product lists.

    Important management points include:

    • Suite components cannot be edited or deleted independently once added via a suite parent; any changes must be made at the suite parent level.
    • Deleting a suite parent removes all its components and related product processes from the reclamation rule.
    • Editing a suite parent updates the components and product processes to align with the new parent product.

    Filter Conditions

    Filter conditions can be applied to suite parent records and will automatically apply to all suite components, making the filter fields on components non-editable. Filters can also be specified at the reclamation rule level to apply across all associated products. Filter conditions are applicable only when the reclamation rule’s "Applies to" field is set to either Installed Software or Subscription Software.

    Reclamation Rules for SaaS and SSO Applications

    For SaaS applications and SSO integrations, ServiceNow automatically creates reclamation rules upon setting up direct integration profiles or connections. Customers should review these rules to ensure they meet organizational requirements and adjust them as necessary.

    Upgrading to the Xanadu Release

    When upgrading to the Xanadu release, existing reclamation rules do not automatically incorporate bulk reclamation features. Customers must manually update their existing rules by removing and re-adding suite parent products to trigger the inclusion of suite components and product processes under the new model.

    Practical Actions for ServiceNow Customers

    • Create and configure reclamation rules to monitor software usage and maximize license efficiency.
    • Manage suite parent products carefully to ensure accurate aggregation of usage data and product compositions.
    • Apply filter conditions thoughtfully to narrow reclamation scope and improve rule precision.
    • Review automatically created reclamation rules for SaaS and SSO applications to align with your policies.
    • After upgrading to Xanadu, verify and update reclamation rules to enable bulk reclamation capabilities.
    • Consider activating the Microsoft SCCM software usage plugin to integrate external usage data with ServiceNow’s AI platform for enhanced software usage insights.

    Reclamation rules aggregate usage over time and specify a minimum number of hours or the latest date that a software unit must be used before the software is flagged for reclamation.

    Overview of reclamation rules

    You can avoid purchasing more software rights for products by knowing which rights have already been allocated but are being used infrequently, haven't been used recently enough, or aren't being used at all. Reclamation rules reclaim those software rights so that these rights can be freed up and allocated elsewhere. Reclamation rules are configured to specify a period of time, amount of time, or most recent date that a software unit must be used before the software is flagged for reclamation.

    When a reclamation rule is created for a suite parent, the usage for the suite parent as well as that of the suite components are automatically pulled into the rule.

    When you create a reclamation rule, you can add software products associated to the reclamation rule. When you add a product, which is a suite parent, all the suite components automatically get added and appear in the Software Products related list in the Reclamation rule form. Similarly, the product processes for all the added software suite products and component products also get added and appear in the Product Processes related list.
    Note:
    The products in the Software Products related list are updated based on the content updates in the Software Asset Management Content Service. For example, if a suite component has been added or removed from a suite parent, the change is reflected in the Software Products related list.

    After a suite parent is added to a reclamation rule, you can't edit or delete any suite components, but you can edit or delete the suite parent. If you delete the suite parent, the suite components are also automatically deleted along with the product processes. If you edit a suite parent, then the changes of the edit are reflected for the suite components and the associated product processes. For example, if you change the suite parent from Microsoft Office 365 to Microsoft Word, all the suite components and product processes for Microsoft Office 365 get deleted. Microsoft Word becomes the new parent and all suite components and product processes for Microsoft Word are automatically added.

    Filter conditions

    You can add a filter condition on a suite parent record. The filter condition that you specify for a suite parent is automatically applied to all the suite components of the parent and the filter condition field on the suite component record is no longer editable. You can, however, edit the filter condition on the suite parent record. You can open a suite parent record from the Software Products related list and specify your filter condition in the record.

    You can also specify a filter condition at the reclamation rule level. The filter condition that you specify applies to all the products that belong to the reclamation rule. The filter condition can only be applied when the Applies to field in the Reclamation rule form has the value Installed Software or Subscription Software. For details, see Add a software reclamation rule.

    Reclamation rules for SaaS and SSO applications

    When you create a direct integration profile for a SaaS application or connect an SSO application, a reclamation rule is automatically created for the software product. It's important that you review the reclamation rule to verify that it meets your specifications. For more information, see Review a software reclamation rule.

    For more information about the reclamation rules for each application, see Reclamation rules.

    Upgrading to Xanadu

    If you’re upgrading to Xanadu from any past release, your existing reclamation rules do not automatically take bulk reclamation into account. You must manually set up your existing reclamation rules for bulk reclamation to take effect. For example, in an existing reclamation rule, you have Microsoft Office 365 listed in the Software Installations related list. When you upgrade to Xanadu, you must delete Microsoft Office 365 from the Software Product related list and re-add it to the same reclamation rule to trigger the automatic addition of suite components and their product processes.