Application Usage Files (.mmi)

FlexNet Manager Suite 2020 R1 (On-Premises)

The application usage component is a long-running service on both Windows and UNIX-like operating systems. It queries the current set of running processes (by default) every minute, and tracks all process creation and termination over a period of time. The process execution is summarized for each user of the inventory device. Initially, the data is held in memory, and is subsequently written to a usage file on the local hard drive. On a specified cycle, by default once every 24 hours, the saved usage files are processed and written into an XML file with the extension .mmi. By default, a gzip archive is created for each .mmi file, so that it becomes a .mmi.gz file.

Details for usage (.mmi) files

Server location

On each inventory device where the FlexNet inventory agent is locally installed, and tracking of application usage is enabled.

Folder
The .mmi files are saved (and by default archived) in:
  • On Windows devices: C:\ProgramData\ManageSoft Corp\ManageSoft\Common\Uploads\UsageData
  • On UNIX-like devices: /var/opt/managesoft/uploads/UsageData.
As soon as the .mmi (or .mmi.gz) files are prepared, the application usage component invokes the upload component (uploading usage tracking files does not follow the upload schedule set on the inventory device). Files that have been uploaded successfully to an inventory beacon are then removed from these locations. These behaviors mean that the .mmi[.gz] files may be quite transient in the above folders.

Updated

The application usage files for upload are generated after each time interval specified in the UploadPeriod preference (by default, 24 hours), collecting the usage data that has been archived during the day. A weekly usage summary is also uploaded.

File name format

deviceName at timestamp.mmi (with trailing .gz when archived)

Example: meldskasherlok at 20200310T172738.mmi

Format

XML (text).

Sample file

In the following sample, line numbers have been added for reference only; only a single application usage record is included; and some lines have been wrapped for presentation.
(1) <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
(2) <!DOCTYPE USAGE PUBLIC "USAGE" "http://www.managesoft.com/usagelog.dtd">

(3) <USAGE VERSION="1.00" USAGEAGENT="14.2">
(4)     <MD NAME="meldskasherlok" DOMAIN="example.com" 
            GUID="{3165052f-d755-478a-8981-9bc72f20e9bf}">
(5)		<USAGE USER="asherlok" DOMAIN="example.com" 
                    TYPE="WeeklySummary" STARTDATE="20200309T000000" 
                    GUID="{43210673-a7e8-494a-a767-4ac2f61c81fb}">
(6)			<APPUSAGE NAME="Adobe Reader XI (11.0.10)" 
                           VERSION="11.0.10" FILENAME="AcroRd32.exe" 
                           FILECOMPANY="Adobe Systems Incorporated" 
                           FILEDESCRIPTION="Adobe Reader " 
                           FILEPRODUCTNAME="Adobe Reader" 
                           FILEPRODUCTVERSION="11.0.10.32" 
                           FILEVERSION="11.0.10.32" 
                           LONG_FILENAME="C:\Program Files (x86)\Adobe\Reader 
                               11.0\Reader\AcroRd32.exe" 
                           TOTALRUNTIME="298374" 
                           TOTALACTIVE="0" 
                           SESSIONS="2" 
                           DAYS="1"/>
(7)              </USAGE>
(8)    </MD>
(9) </USAGE>
The components in the catalog file, line by line, are:
  • (1) and (2): The XML header. The FlexNet inventory agent has built-in knowledge of the usage file structure, and does not use the DTD reference.
  • (3) and (9): Version information for the file format, and the version of the application usage component that collected the data.
  • (4) and (8): Enclosing tags and identifier for the managed device (a historical name for the inventory device) sending the reported usage. The GUID attribute is the Active Directory GUID of the computer (inventory device) in the domain, and may be null if the device is not joined to a domain (such as a UNIX-like platform).
  • (5) and (7): The enclosing tags for the set of usage records. This set is unique to the end-user, and covers the period shown. Notice that there may be multiple USAGE sets if different users work on this inventory device, and these may include service accounts such as LOCAL SERVICE. The GUID attribute is the Active Directory GUID of the end-user executing the application, where available.
  • (6): A record of application usage. Normally an .mmi file contains several of these, all of the same format. See the table below for details of the attributes included in this record.
Attribute Description Example
NAME

The application name identified in the installer evidence.

 VMware Workstation
VERSION

The application version identified in the installer evidence.

 8.0.3.29699
FILENAME

The name of the executable being monitored for usage.

 vmware-vmx.exe
FILECOMPANY

The company name appearing in the executable file header.

 VMware, Inc.
FILEDESCRIPTION

The description of the software taken from the executable file header.

 VMware Workstation VMX
FILEPRODUCTNAME

The product named in the executable file header.

 VMware Workstation
FILEPRODUCTVERSION

The product version identified in the executable file header.

 8.0.4 build-744019
FILEVERSION

The executable file version identified in its file header.

 8.0.4 build-744019
LONG_FILENAME

The full path to the executable file.

 C:\Program Files (x86)\VMware\VMware Workstation\x64\vmware-vmx.exe
TOTALRUNTIME

Total time in seconds that the application was running within the sample period. This time may be accumulated over one or more sessions in the period.

482486
SESSIONS

Number of times the application has started (and stopped) within the sample period.

 4
TOTALACTIVE

Total time in seconds the application was active in the foreground within the sample period, over one or more sessions.

 1
DAYS

The number of distinct days within the sample period when the application was used.

3
The uploaded data is imported into the inventory database in the following tables, all of which are detailed in the FlexNet Manager Suite Schema Reference, available through the title page of online help:
  • ComputerUsage table
  • SoftwareFileUsage table
  • SoftwareUsagePerWeek table.

FlexNet Manager Suite (On-Premises)

2020 R1