Introduction to License Rules

FlexNet Manager for SAP Applications enables you to define license rules that are used in the license optimization process. These rules help you to identify the most appropriate license type for users. License rules are based on the user data and monthly consumption data that is imported from the SAP systems into FlexNet Manager Suite. (Note that consumption data is imported only for completed months.) License rules can be applied to SAP systems and non-SAP systems.

You define the license rules in FlexNet Manager Suite in SAP mode under Optimization > License Assignment Rules. To configure a rule, you need to specify the rule criteria as well as a license type. If the criteria of the rule are met (they usually resolve to true or false), the specified license type will be recommended. To make recommendations usable, they need to be released in FlexNet Manager Suite and imported into the SAP Admin module, where an SAP administrator can accept or reject them and update the user primary records accordingly. Only recommendations for SAP systems can be released to the SAP Admin module.

Each predefined license rule has a Recommended license type list from which you select the license type that should be recommended if the rule criteria are met. To make the full range of license types available in this list, you need to set up the license-type hierarchy before configuring license rules. For more information, see License-Type Hierarchy.

You can tie individual license rules to systems, or alternatively, you can assign license rules grouped together in a license rule set to one or more systems. For information on assigning individual license rules or entire license rule sets to systems, see Assigning Rules and Rule Sets to Systems.

FlexNet Manager for SAP Applications automatically recalculates the current baseline and optimal license position on a regular basis, using all active rule sets. This helps to ensure that license managers always have an accurate and up-to-date view of their optimal SAP license position, including how the position has changed over time.

The running of rules is managed by the Microsoft Windows Task Scheduler and can be configured to meet your needs. To do this, open the Task Scheduler and configure the task Import SAP user and activity information. For information about the Task Scheduler, see http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/library/dd363654(v=ws.10).

As a first step, you would usually create a license rule set and then, in a second step, add rules to your set. Both processes are explained in more detail in the following sections.