Exemptions for Embedded Products

FlexNet Manager Suite 2022 R2 (On-Premises)

Some applications are licensed to include another embedded piece of software that provides required functionality. An example of this is the license for Oracle SQL Developer, which also covers installation of the embedded Oracle Java SE application.

In such cases, the license terms often impose conditions such as:

• The embedded application must be installed on the same file system of the same device where the primary product is installed
• The embedded application must be installed in a folder which is a child of the folder where the primary product is installed
• The embedded application must be a specific version that is distributed with the primary product.

FlexNet Manager Suite allows you to manage these exemptions by declaring one (or more) file paths for the embedded application (in this example, Java) on the license for the same embedded application.

Remember: If you have multiple licenses from which the embedded application could consume, you may need to declare the same file path exemption on each of the licenses, or perhaps use an allocation to force the embedded application to link to a specific choice of license.

Installations found in an exempted file path on a linked license do not consume from the license for the embedded application, and instead are assumed to be covered by your license attached to the parent product (in this example, Oracle SQL Developer).

Tip: During license reconciliation, FlexNet Manager Suite matches the exempt paths you declare here against detailed information that is kept for exempted applications. (In order to reduce disk space and improve processing times, the additional detail is not saved for applications that do not require this kind of exemption.) So, before declaring the exempt installation paths here, you must:

1. Set the General properties of the exempted application to Import detailed evidence (for details, see General Tab of the application properties)
2. Ensure that the application with updated properties is linked to this license.

When these preparations are completed, the Exemption by file path controls become available on the appropriate license types.

Notice that for reliable operation of this exemption, the file evidence must be the only kind of evidence used for application recognition of the exempted application (because an application that is recognized by installer evidence or WMI evidence cannot be exempted by file paths). There are alternative ways to guarantee this:

• If you are creating your own application record, link only file evidence to the application record.
• If using an existing application record (such as from the Application Recognition Library) that already has other evidence attached, you can:
  1. Navigate to the appropriate evidence tab in the application properties, where you can click the Name of the evidence to open the evidence properties.
  2. In the General tab of the evidence properties, select Yes from the Ignored drop-down list, and save your changes. Evidence that is ignored plays no part in application recognition.

Restriction: The controls for license exemptions by installation file paths are available only on Oracle Processor and User license types:

• For an Oracle Processor license, if a linked device has more than one installation of the embedded software (for example, multiple versions of Java), the device is only exempt from consumption if all of those installations are identified only by file evidence for which the installation paths have been exempted
• For a User license, all devices for which either the user is identified as the primary user, or on which there is usage of the application recorded against the same user, are assessed; and in all cases the embedded product must be identified only by file evidence for which the installation paths have been exempted – and only then is the exemption applied to the user.

To specify a license exemption by installation file paths:

1. Ensure that the application record for the embedded application meets the required conditions:
   • In the General tab of its properties, Import detailed evidence is checked
   • In the Evidence tab, only file evidence is linked to the application
   • The application record is linked to the Applications tab of the properties of this license.
2. If necessary, in the Use Rights & Rules tab of this license, click the Exemptions fold of the accordion control to open this section.
3. In the Exemption by file path listing, click the + icon in the Actions column to add a new exempted installation path.
   Tip: Alternatively, you may edit or remove exemption paths previously created. If necessary, expand the set of Paths with the + icon on the left end of the first row, locate the exempt path of interest in the listing, and in its Actions column, click either the trash can icon to remove the old setting, or the pencil icon to edit it.
4. In the new row, click in the Path column, and enter the details of the installation folder for the embedded application.
   Tip: It may be convenient to run the Application Transparency report at this stage, and observe the Raw file path returned from various inventory devices where the application is installed. This path value must be exactly matched to create an exemption for an installation on a particular device.

   • Maximum length is 400 characters
   • Your path definition may include SQL-style wildcards (for examples, see the latter part of https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/sql/t-sql/language-elements/like-transact-sql?view=sql-server-ver15), with the % wildcard being particularly helpful
   • You may use the smallest common segment of the path that applies exclusively to the embedded application, provided that you include wildcards to match parts of the path missing on either side of your chosen segment.

   For example:

   • Raw file path = D:\oracle\product\11.2.0\client_1\jdk\jre\bin\
   • String that matches using wildcards: %\oracle\product%
5. In the Exemption Reason column for the row, create a meaningful entry (up to 256 characters) explaining why this exemption is being created.
   Tip: This is a free text field, and not to be confused with the standard set of reasons why a device may be exempted from consuming a license entitlement. For example, you might enter something like: Installed by OrSQLDev.
6. In the Version column, enter a string (of up to 100 characters) that matches the version number of the exempted application (as visible in the Raw evidence version column of the Application Transparency report).
   Your entry is tested against the detailed inventory returned for this application, and a match is required before the license exemption is granted. As in the Path definition, you may use SQL-style wildcards; and in addition, a period (or full stop) also matches either a period or a comma.
7. When you changes are complete, click the save icon at the right end of the row.
8. If necessary, you may repeat the process to add another row recording a distinct path and/or version for installations on various devices visible in your Application Transparency report.

To validate that the new setting is working correctly, wait until after the next license reconciliation and then check consumption on this license. Any device where the installation of the embedded software installation matches the path and version details you created here does not consume from this license, and instead shows Exempted by file path.