Imported Installer Evidence

FlexNet Manager Suite 2020 R1 (On-Premises)

The ImportedInstallerEvidence table is a staging table used for input of records about installation evidence. From here, de-duplicated and normalized records are merged into the InstallerEvidence table.

InstallerEvidence typically lists installer evidence left behind after a particular item of software has been installed on a computer. In the case of imports from Data Platform v5, applications identified there are first imported as installer evidence. As always, this installer evidence is tested against rules saved in the Application Recognition Library (ARL), and when matched, the appropriate application record is added to the InstalledApplications table (if it does not already exist there), and is linked to the installer evidence. This application record is then visible in the Installed Applications page of the web interface for FlexNet Manager Suite. A record of installer evidence that cannot be matched by the ARL appears in the web interface on the Unrecognized Evidence page.

This process means there are three cases to consider, any of which may produce inventory gaps that can impact compliance calculations:
  1. For applications recognized within Data Platform, and for which the normalized installer evidence has been mapped to an entry in the Application Recognition Library (ARL): there is no inventory gap as such, since at a minimum all these items are recognized within FlexNet Manager Suite; but in a few cases, some application variants (such as interface language, hotfix number, or platform) may be recognized by either tool but not the other.
  2. For applications recognized within Data Platform, for which there is as yet no mapping to the ARL: the unrecognized evidence in FlexNet Manager Suite may mean that license consumption is under-counted because the applications have not been recognized within FlexNet Manager Suite, and therefore the licenses cannot measure consumption against the 'missing' applications.
  3. For applications not recognized within Data Platform, but which could have been recognized by the ARL from other inventory sources: where Data Platform is your only data source, the unrecognized application may result in under-counting of license consumption.

There are two listings below. The first maps what is imported from Data Platform v5. The second lists values that FlexNet Manager Suite expects to load into the ImportedInstallerEvidence table, that are not available from Data Platform v5.

Data mapping for imported installer evidence

The following listing matches the source data from Data Platform v5 with the equivalent column in the ImportedInstallerEvidence table. Other columns from the ImportedInstallerEvidence table cannot be populated from Data Platform v5, and so are omitted here (and shown below). For more details on the database tables and columns within FlexNet Manager Suite, please see the FlexNet Manager Suite Schema Reference PDF, available through the title page of online help.

Data Platform (Table)/Column FNMS (Table)/Column Notes

(MATCH_HOST_SW_PROD) / CAT_SW_UUID

 (ImportedInstallerEvidence) / ExternalInstallerID

The identifier used in Data Platform for the installer evidence.
(MATCH_HOST_SW_PROD) / CAT_PRODUCT_NAME or the Flexera ID for the application if available in ARL_ID
Tip: A prefix of arl:// is prepended to the ARL_ID on import.
 (ImportedInstallerEvidence) / DisplayName

The display name of the software recorded in Data Platform, which is imported only when there is no Flexera ID available. When the Flexera ID is returned instead, this allows matching in the ARL, which then supplies its standard display name for the application instead.
(MATCH_HOST_SW_PROD) / CAT_VERSION or an empty string when the Flexera ID for the application is available (InstallerEvidence) / Version

When the Flexera ID is known, the value is left empty for later supply from the ARL. For applications unknown in the ARL, the version value is imported from Data Platform.
(MATCH_HOST_SW_PROD) / CAT_MANUFACTURER or an empty string when the Flexera ID for the application is available (ImportedInstallerEvidence) / Publisher

When the Flexera ID is known, the value is left empty for later supply from the ARL. For applications unknown in the ARL, the publisher's name is imported from Data Platform.
Hard-coded values:
  • FlexeraID when it is available in (CAT_FLEXERA_ARL) / ARL_ID
  • BDNA when the Flexera ID for the application is not available.
 (ImportedInstallerEvidence) / Evidence
When the Flexera ID is known, the evidence type FlexeraID reflects this. Otherwise, when Data Platform is unaware of any matching entry in the ARL, it is identified as the evidence type.
Tip: The internal database value BDNA is replaced with Data Platform for presentation in the web interface.
(CAT_FLEXERA_ARL) / ARL_ID when the Flexera ID is available, or an empty string (ImportedInstallerEvidence) / ProductCode

The Flexera ID (without the arl:// prefix) is used when available. Otherwise an empty string.

Data not imported from Data Platform v5

These columns in the ImportedInstallerEvidence table cannot be populated by inventory imports from Data Platform v5. These missing data points do not impact license compliance calculations. For further details about these columns, please see the schema reference.
  • ComplianceConnectionID — internally generated
  • AccessModeID (relevant only to file evidence, whereas this import is of installer evidence).

FlexNet Manager Suite (On-Premises)

2020 R1