Hardware Asset Management licensing

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 5 minutes to read
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    Summary of Hardware Asset Management licensing

    Hardware Asset Management (HAM) licensing allows ServiceNow customers to select specific hardware asset resource categories to use, enabling cost savings by paying only for opted-in categories. Only opted-in resource categories count toward Subscription Units, which are calculated based on the number of assets relative to the subscription unit ratio for each category.

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    By default, normalization functions and asset actions do not operate for resource categories unless they are opted in. Customers must choose the appropriate resource categories that match their assets to ensure proper licensing and functionality.

    Resource Categories and Subscription Units

    • HAM divides licenses into resource categories such as End User Computers, Servers, Network Gear, Mobile Devices, Telecom Network Inventory, Monitors, Storage, Printers, and Unclassified Hardware.
    • Each category has a subscription unit ratio (e.g., 4:1 for End User Computers means 4 assets consume 1 subscription unit).
    • Only assets in opted-in categories count toward Subscription Units, and entitlements must be managed accordingly.
    • For on-premise instances, entitlements are managed via the snhamactiveentitlements system property, which should list entitlements as comma separated values.

    Custom Model Categories

    HAM supports custom model categories that customers create beyond the out-of-the-box categories. From the Washington DC release onward:

    • Assets with custom model categories can access HAM features only if the custom category is within the hierarchy of an opted-in model category or its parent belongs to an opted-in licensable resource category.
    • The system property snhamp.enablecustomcategorylicensing controls this behavior and is false by default, meaning custom categories are excluded from HAM workflows unless associated with an opted-in parent.
    • Opting in a parent model category automatically includes its custom child categories for licensing and feature access; opting out excludes them.

    Important Notes and Version Considerations

    • Resource categories like Printers, Monitors, Storage, and Unclassified Hardware require HAM license version 5.0 and HAM version 10.1.0 or later, and must be explicitly opted in to access features.
    • Telecommunications Network Inventory requires installation of the Telecommunications Network Inventory application and opting in to its resource category.
    • Assets in model categories that are children of opted-out categories or certain categories like Printer and Storage are excluded from accessing HAM features, particularly from version 10.0.0 onward.
    • Upgrade scenarios require explicit opt-in of new resource categories to maintain feature access for existing assets in those categories.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    • Choose and opt in only the hardware resource categories relevant to your environment to optimize licensing cost and compliance.
    • Ensure entitlements are correctly configured, especially in on-premise instances, to reflect your licensed resource categories.
    • Understand how subscription unit ratios affect licensing costs based on your asset counts per category.
    • For custom model categories, verify their hierarchical relation to opted-in categories to enable HAM features and workflows appropriately.
    • Plan upgrades carefully to opt in new resource categories introduced in newer HAM versions to avoid loss of feature access.

    Hardware Asset Management (HAM) licensing enables you to choose the Hardware Asset Management resource categories that you want to use. You can save money by paying only for those categories that you use, and not for categories that you don't use.

    Only the resource categories that are opted in are counted toward the Subscription Units.
    Note:
    By default for a particular resource category, the normalization functions for its associated models and the asset actions for its associated assets don't work. If you want to use the normalization functions and asset actions, you have to opt in that resource category.
    For more information about opting in or out of the HAM license resource categories, see Opt-in or opt-out of HAM license resource categories.

    Based on the usage of model categories, the ServiceNow HAM license is divided into resource categories. There are different types of resource categories. Different assets fall under different categories as well. Make sure you opt in the correct and required categories. An asset represented in the Asset [alm_asset] table and which meets the criteria for each managed IT resource type such as Server, End User Computers, Network Gear, and Mobile Device, is counted toward a Subscription Unit based on the predefined ratio of number of assets to subscription units.

    Note:
    Resource categories in HAM are associated with certain entitlements. For example, the Computer resource category is shown only if the computer entitlement is available in the HAM license. On an on-premise ServiceNow instance, the entitlements aren’t downloaded. However, you can store your HAM entitlement details by using the sn_ham_active_entitlements system property. You can update this system property with a comma separated list of entitlements for which you have access.

    The comma separated entitlements should be updated in the following format:

    • End User Computers- ham_computer_license
    • Mobile Device- ham_mobiledevice_license
    • Servers- ham_server_license
    • Network Gear- ham_networkgear_license
    • Monitors- ham_monitor_license
    • Storage- ham_storage_license
    • Printer- ham_printer_license
    • Telecom Network Inventory- ham_tni_license
    Table 1. HAM license resource categoriesThe Subscription unit ratio is the ratio of the number of assets to the number of subscription units. For example, the subscription unit ratio of End User Computers is 4:1, where 4 assets require a single unit of license. If 1 license costs $100, then 4 computer assets cost $100 and 8 computer assets cost $200.
    Resource category Subscription unit ratio Model category
    End User Computers 4:1 Computer
    Servers 1:1 Any server such as the following:
    • AIX Server
    • ESX Server
    • HPUX Server
    • Linux server
    • Netware Server
    • OS/X Server
    • Server
    • Solaris Server
    • Unix Server
    • Windows Server
    Network Gear 5:1
    • Network gear
    • IP Switch
    • IP Router
    Mobile Device 10:1 Mobile Device
    Telecom Network Inventory 1:1
    • Card
    • Network Interface
    • Logical connection
    • Physical connection
    • Telco equipment
    Unclassified hardware 1:1 Hardware
    Monitors 15:1 Monitor
    Storage 3:1 Storage Device
    Printers 10:1 Printer
    Note:
    Unclassified hardware, Monitors, Storage, and Printers are available with Hardware Asset Management version 10.1.0 and later only when you upgrade to HAM license version 5.0.

    To access Hardware Asset Management features for Telecommunications Network Inventory, you should install the Telecommunications Network Inventory application and opt-in to the Telecom Network Inventory resource category. For more information, see Telecommunications Network Inventory integration with Hardware Asset Management.

    HAM Licensing for custom model categories

    HAM provides some model categories out-of-the-box. Any model category that you create is considered as custom model category. When you upgrade to the Hardware Asset Management license released in Washington DC and later releases, any asset with a custom model category can access the Hardware Asset Management features and workflows only if any of the following conditions hold good:
    • The custom model category of the asset belongs to the hierarchy of opted-in model categories.
    • The parent model category of a custom model category is associated with a licensable and opted-in resource category.
    Note:
    If you are on any HAM license version released before Hardware Asset Management license version 4, by default, the assets with custom model categories can access Hardware Asset Management features and workflows even if they aren't associated with an opted-in and licensable resource category. Also, the custom model categories aren't counted toward a Subscription Unit.

    You can enable HAM licensing for custom model categories by using the sn_hamp.enable_custom_category_licensing system property. By default, the value of this system property is set to false. When you set the sn_hamp.enable_custom_category_licensing system property to true, custom model category assets are excluded from HAM workflows unless the parent of the custom model category is an opted-in and licensable category.

    Figure 1. Example for hierarchy of model categories
    Model category hierarchy
    In the example, the Computer model category is associated with the custom model categories Laptop and Tablet. Note the following about the custom model categories:
    • When you opt in Computers, both Laptop and Tablet are also counted toward a Subscription Unit under the End User Computers resource category. Also, these custom model categories can access Hardware Asset Management features and workflows.
    • When you opt out Computers, both Laptop and Tablet are also opted-out and these custom model categories can’t access Hardware Asset Management features and workflows.
    Note:
    A model category that belongs to a licensable resource category and has a parent model category is licensed only under its associated resource category. For example, the Monitor model category that's associated with the licensable Monitors resource category and that has Computer as its parent, is licensed only under Monitors.
    Assets with the following model categories are excluded from accessing Hardware Asset Management features and workflows:
    • Any model category that is a child of an opted-out resource category.
    • Any model category that is a child of model categories such as printer and storage device. This exclusion is only in Hardware Asset Management version 10.0.0.
      Note:
      In Hardware Asset Management version 10.0.0 and earlier, assets with model categories such as Printer, Consumables, and Storage Device retain access to Hardware Asset Management features without opting in a resource category.

      From Hardware Asset Management version 10.1.0 onward, the resource categories like Printers, Monitors, Storage, and Unclassified hardware are licensed and available only when you upgrade to HAM license version 5.0. You must opt in these resource categories to access the Hardware Asset Management features. When you opt in these resource categories, all their child model categories can also access the HAM features and workflows.

      After you upgrade to HAM license version 5.0, the printers, monitors, storage devices, and Unclassified hardware assets that were created in the earlier versions wouldn't be able to access the Hardware Asset Management features by default. You should explicitly opt in these resource categories.

    • Any other custom model category without a parent category.