component

A component (in FlexNet Manager Suite) has its natural meaning: it is a part of something. We may have:

• A component of an application, such as the dictionary within Microsoft Word. Originally separately developed by Houghton Mifflin, this is now a component of Word and not available separately. A component performs a specialized function (such as spell checking) within the overall application purpose (such as word processing).

• A component of a suite, such as Adobe Version Cue. This is included with many editions of Adobe Creative Suite, but it is not available for separate sale, and cannot be licensed separately.

  So we use the term component to mean a part of an application or suite that is not available separately, and cannot be licensed separately (apart from its parent application or suite). Some components, of course, might be supplied as elements of several different applications or suites (for example, Adobe Bridge is supplied within Creative Suite but is also included with several design applications when those are purchased separately).

For applications, you’ll mainly choose to ignore components, since they rarely affect licensing. Unfortunately, components leave file evidence (and sometimes installer or WMI evidence). For these cases, FlexNet Manager Suite provides a classification of Component. Once you have these items correctly classified, you can filter them from view to help you focus on other applications that are more important to your compliance position.

For suites, a component can sometimes be useful in distinguishing between the installation of a suite and the coincidental installation of several free-standing applications that are also available within the suite. However, taking this approach requires a detailed understanding of the publisher’s product structure. For example:

• Adobe Version Cue is a component of Creative Suite, but cannot be used as Required application evidence of the suite. This is because the Suite license allows for Version Cue to be installed separately on its own server; and you do not want to trigger another installation count for that separate server. Therefore Adobe Version Cue should be an ‘optional’ member of Creative Suite (that is, marked Not for recognition ).

• Adobe Bridge is another component of Creative Suite, but also cannot be used as Required application evidence of the suite. This is because Adobe Bridge is also supplied with (for example) Adobe Photoshop when this is sold as a stand-alone application, and it would be an error to trigger consumption of a Creative Suite entitlement for the stand-alone Photoshop installation. This component should also be an ‘optional’ (Not for recognition) member of Creative Suite.