Create Connections for Data Upload

FlexNet Manager Suite 2024 R1 (On-Premises)

The XenApp server agent gathers inventory information from your XenApp server, and does either of two things with the collected data:

• It saves it in a separate staging database. In this case, the XenApp server adapter (running on the inventory beacon) takes over, and is responsible for collecting the staged data, de-duplicating and normalizing the data, and uploading it to a set of Imported* tables in the central compliance database. The adapter requires a connection to the staging database, and a schedule to trigger collection of inventory data from the staging database.
• The XenApp server agent transfers collected data directly to an inventory beacon. In this case, the inventory beacon uploads the data to pre-staging tables in the central compliance database. Thereafter, the XenApp server adapter must be triggered to de-duplicate and normalize the data, loading results into the Imported* staging tables in the same compliance database. The adapter requires a connection to the compliance database, and a schedule to trigger processing of inventory data from the pre-staging tables to the Imported* staging tables.

In addition, with the exception of XenApp version 7.5, a connection to the appropriate database is strongly recommended, as this allows tracking who is actually using applications:

• If you are using XenApp 6.0 or 6.5, the connection is to your EdgeSight server database
• If you are using XenApp 7.6 (or later) or Citrix Virtual Apps 7.1808 (or later), the connection is to the XenDesktop database included with Citrix Virtual Apps (formerly Citrix XenApp).

Perform this process on the inventory beacon.

To create connections for data upload:

1. Log in to your selected inventory beacon.
   Tip: Starting the FlexNet Beacon interface requires that you are logged in with administrator privileges.
2. If you have not already specified a schedule (or two) that can be linked to the connection(s) you are about to create, it's convenient to do so now.
   There are two connections for each version of Citrix Virtual Apps (formerly XenApp) except version 7.5, which needs only one. Remember that you already decided on the schedule for data collection on the XenApp server (see Create a Scheduled Task), and the schedules on the inventory beacon need to tie in with that plan. For example, you might schedule the connection to the staging database at midnight, and the secondary connection for usage data at 12:15am. For details about creating a schedule on the inventory beacon, see FlexNet Manager Suite Help > Inventory Beacons > Scheduling Page > Creating a Data Gathering Schedule.
3. In the navigation pane on the left, select the Inventory systems page, and towards the bottom of the page, click New....
   The Create SQL Source Connection dialog opens.

   Tip: The New... button defaults to creating a connection for Microsoft SQL Server. If you use the down arrow on the split button, you can choose between SQL Server, Spreadsheet, PowerShell, and Other connections. However, while you are creating a connection to a Microsoft SQL Server database (regardless of the Source Type of the connection), use only the SQL Server option.
4. Complete the values in the dialog, as follows:

   Connection Name

   A descriptive name for this connection, such as Citrix Virtual Apps ServerName Staging DB (or, if you are using the inventory beacon upload process, perhaps something like Citrix Virtual Apps Data Normalization).

   Source Type

   Select Citrix XenApp (Server Agent). (Don't be confused by Citrix XenApp (EdgeSight), which you may use shortly.)

   Server

   Type the server name or IP address where the database is hosted. Use the special value (localhost) if the database is installed on this same inventory beacon server. If the database instance you need is not the default one on the server you identify, add the instance name, separated with a backslash character. Example:

   (localhost)\myInstance

   Note: If you are using the inventory beacon upload process, so that the collected data has already been uploaded to the pre-staging tables in the central compliance database, this connection is to your central database server running that compliance database.

   Authentication

   Select one of:

   • Windows Authentication — Select this option to use standard Windows authentication to access the database server. The credentials of the account (on the inventory beacon) running the scheduled task for importing inventory are used to access the SQL Server database. This account must be added to an Active Directory security group that has access to the database.
   • Windows (specific account) — Use the following two fields (enabled when you make this choice) to specify an account on the inventory beacon that can make a connection to the SQL database.
   • SQL Authentication — Use the following two fields to specify an account and password registered as a user with database access on SQL Server . This account is used to access the database, regardless of the local account running the scheduled task on the inventory beacon server.

   Tip: The account used needs read-only privileges.

   Username

   The account name used for SQL authentication, or Windows (specific account). (Not required for Windows Authentication.)

   Password

   The password for the account name required for SQL authentication, or Windows (specific account). (Not required for Windows Authentication.)

   Database

   Enter the name of the database, or use the pull-down list to select from database names automatically detected on your specified server. For example, for a connection to Technopedia, select BDNA_Publish from the drop-down list.

   Connection is in test mode (do not import results)

   For inventory beacons that are free-standing (and not co-located with your application server, or in larger implementations your inventory server), this controls the upload of data collected from this connection and its import to FlexNet Manager Suite:

   • When this check box is clear, the connection is in production mode, and data collected through this adapter is uploaded to the central server and (in due course) imported into the database there.
   • When the check box is set:
     • The adapter for this connection is exercised, with data written to the intermediate file in the staging folder on the inventory beacon (%CommonAppData%\Flexera Software\Beacon\IntermediateData)
     • The immediate upload that normally follows data collection is suppressed, so that you can inspect the contents of the file
     • The catch-up process that retries stalled uploads, normally scheduled overnight, runs as usual and uploads the file to the central server
     • At the central server, the file contents are discarded (and not imported into the central database).

   Tip: When an inventory beacon is co-located with your application server, data from the connection is read directly into staging tables in the database, and no intermediate file is saved.

   Overlapping Inventory Filter

   This control does not apply to Citrix Virtual Apps inventory records, and you may leave it at the default setting.
5. Click Test Connection.
   • If the inventory beacon can successfully connect to the nominated database using the details supplied, a Database connection succeeded message displays. Click OK to close the message. Click Save to complete the addition. The connection is added to (or updated in) the list.
   • If the inventory beacon cannot connect, a Database connection failed message is displayed, with information about why that connection could not be made. Click OK to close the message. Edit the connection details and retest the connection.
   You cannot save the connection details if the connection test fails. If you cannot get the connection test to succeed, click Cancel to cancel the addition of these connection details.
6. When the first connection to the database is successful, and if you are using any Citrix Virtual Apps (XenApp) version other than 7.5, repeat the steps above to define a second connection to the usage database (EdgeSight database for version 6.x, and Citrix Virtual Desktops (XenDesktop) database for version 7.5 and later). This time through, for all these versions set the Source Type control to Citrix XenApp (EdgeSight) (including for Citrix Virtual Apps (XenApp) version 7.5 and later).
7. On the Inventory systems page, from the list of connections select the one to the staging database you created first in this process, and below the list, click Schedule....
8. In the resulting dialog, choose the schedule you wish to use for this connection, and then click OK to close the dialog, and Save to apply the selected schedule to your connection.
9. For any Citrix Virtual Apps (XenApp) version other than 7.5, on the Inventory systems page, from the list of connections select the EdgeSight connection, and repeat the scheduling process, choosing the second schedule you created.

Don't forget, as you move this Citrix XenApp server adapter into production, to ensure that Connection is in test mode (do not import results) is clear (not checked).