Unlicensed CAL Usage

FlexNet Manager Suite 2020 R2 (On-Premises)
The License Compliance > Unlicensed CAL Usage page (in the Compliance group) lists the usage records of supported server applications that, within the last ninety days, have been accessed without an associated Client Access License (CAL). This page can help you identify which unlicensed users or devices are accessing server applications that require a CAL.
Important: Device access evidence that lists only an IPv6 address cannot be included in this page. CAL access evidence supports only IPv4 address family data.
The information on this page reflects the latest license compliance calculation (and the page remains blank if no compliance calculations have been performed).
Note: Tracking CAL inventory (and in particular, access evidence) requires use of the installed FlexNet inventory agents for 2016 R1 or later (version 12.0.0 or later). For more information, see the topic Configure Updates to Inventory Agents in the Upgrading FlexNet Manager Suite to 2020 R2 On-Premises PDF file, available through the title page of online help.

For more information about CALs, CAL types, and how FlexNet Manager Suite can help you manage CALs, see the Managing Client Access Licenses chapter in the FlexNet Manager Suite System Reference PDF, available from the title page of the online help.

Using the information on this page

Observation Symptom Suggested action
There is no license created to cover the access to an application of this name, version, and edition. Every reported access to this application is unlicensed. The Related licenses column is blank.
Choose whether this application is of the kind you wish to process now:
  • No — Create a filter (or an advanced filter) to hide the applications that don't need attention now. For example, while preparing for a Microsoft audit, you might create an advanced filter where "Publisher Equals Microsoft" AND "Classification Equals Commercial". (Alternatively. you can manage your to-do list through the Unmanaged Applications and Deferred Applications lists. Applications with a Deferred status do not appear in this list.)
  • Yes — Find the purchase records relating to this software, and import the purchase order details to create an appropriate license matching your purchase(s).
There is a CAL for the accessed application, but for some reason some access(es) cannot be covered by that license. The Related licenses column is not blank.
Investigate the reason for exclusion, such as the CAL may have a restricted scope (shown in the Restriction tab of the license properties). You may need to follow an investigative trail:
  • Drill through from this page to the application's properties.
  • From the application properties, use the Licenses tab to click through to the properties of the relevant CAL(s).

    You may need to create additional CALs to suit the different conditions.

Having an unlicensed CAL usage may be valid in some cases such as the following:
  • The IP address of the accessing device does not match the one recorded for any inventory device
  • The accessing user does not match a compliance user.
    Tip: You can click the number mentioned in the Accessing devices or Accessing users column to access the CAL Usage Inventory report and view the related access evidence records. It is important to note that the numbers indicate the distinct users and devices, but the report displays all access evidence records.
Important: Some unlicensed accesses records may not show in the list. Applications are excluded from this list if they have a Status value of:
  • Ignored (these appear in the License Compliance > Ignored Applications page)
  • Deferred (these appear in the License Compliance > Deferred Applications page).

Properties displayed on this page

This page displays the following columns (listed alphabetically). Some columns are displayed by default and others can be displayed through the column chooser. To manage columns and other UI options, see the topics under Managing Columns in a Table.

The Save view as feature of FlexNet Manager Suite enables you to create customized management views of a page by saving the applied user interface settings. For more information, see Creating Management Views.

Column name Description
Accessing devices The total number of distinct accessing devices through which this server application has been accessed. You can click this number to access the CAL Usage Inventory Report and view the related access evidence records.
Important: Devices for which the access evidence reports IP addresses only in the IPv6 address family are excluded.
Accessing users The total number of distinct users who accessed this server application. You can click this number to access the CAL Usage Inventory Report and view the related access evidence records.
Classification

The type of software, especially as it relates to licensing (freeware, commercial, component, and so on).

Edition
The edition of an application, as specified by the publisher of this application.
Note: Many applications do not specify an edition.

Visible on the General tab of the application properties. It is editable only for applications with a Source value of Local.

Name
The application's name, which may be:
  • Set by the Application Recognition Library, and not editable (for applications with Source: Flexera)
  • Derived from the evidence values for Product, Version, and Edition properties (when generated by FlexNet Manager Suite), and editable to suit your corporate standards.

You can edit this on the General tab of the application properties when Local is displayed in the Source column (which means the application was added manually by an operator).

Product

The basic name of the application, excluding the publisher and references to versions or editions. This field displays the value Multiple products for multi-product licenses that have multiple primary products. See Multi-Product License.

Publisher

The name of the publisher of this software, responsible for its development and distribution.

Status Indicates your assessment and processing of an application. It can have any of the following values:
  • Authorized
  • Deferred
  • Ignored
  • Inactive
  • Unmanaged.
Version

The release number (or release identifier) of an application.

FlexNet Manager Suite (On-Premises)

2020 R2