Manage SaaS Web Metering

The following sections describe how to set up and manage agent-based browser extensions using the SaaS Web Metering feature.

Set up SaaS Web Metering

Before setting up the SaaS Web Metering feature, make sure that the prerequisites are fulfilled, and that you have decided which installation option to use for each browser.

To set up SaaS Web Metering:

1. From the Data Collection menu, under Common Inventory Tasks, select SaaS Web Metering Settings.

2. To enable the collection of web metering data, select the Collect SaaS Web Metering Data checkbox.

3. For each of the listed browsers, select one of the installation options User Managed, Fully Installed, or Prerequisites Only. If you do not want to use the web metering functionality for a specific browser, you should leave the default selection (User Managed) as is, and not take any further action for that browser

4. Select Save.

5. Depending on the installation option selected in step 3, continue with one of the following:

   • For Fully Installed, no further action is needed for Chrome, Edge, and Firefox. For Safari, see Manage Apple Safari browser extension.
   • For Prerequisites Only, see Install browser extensions using a management tool.
   • For User Managed, see Install Web Metering manually.

Disable SaaS Web Metering

To disable the SaaS Web Metering feature:

1. From the Data Collection menu, under Common Inventory Tasks, select SaaS Web Metering Settings.

2. Clear the Collect SaaS Web Metering Data checkbox.

   The system will stop collecting and sending SaaS usage data.

To re-enable the feature later, simply select the Collect SaaS Web Metering Data checkbox again.

Note that clearing the checkbox will revert the installations made by the system according to the selected installation option. Any installations not performed by the system will be left untouched. For example, if Prerequisites Only has been selected for a browser, the system will not remove the extension from the browser. Therefore, if you want to permanently disable the feature, you should, in addition to clearing the Collect SaaS Web Metering Data checkbox, revert the installations you completed during the set-up depending on the selected installation option, as specified in step 5 of Set up SaaS Web Metering.

Manage Apple Safari browser extension

The Apple Safari browser extension must be installed manually. After enabling the SaaS Web Metering feature, as described in Set up SaaS Web Metering, you must install the extension on the target computer and then enable it in the browser.

To install the extension:

1. Download the installation package (.pkg) attached to this Flexera Community article: https://community.flexera.com/s/article/Cloud-Application-Metering-extension-for-Safari.

   Make sure you are using the required versions of browser, operating system, and products listed in the article.

2. Run the installation package and follow the steps of the installation wizard.

   Note that you must authenticate yourself as an Administrator user during the installation process.

3. On the Safari Preferences page that opens after the package has been installed, turn on the Snow Web Application Metering extension.

   If the page does not open automatically, go to the Apple Safari browser and open it.

To uninstall the extension:

• In the Apple Safari browser on the computer, uninstall the Snow Web Application Metering extension by selecting the Uninstall button for the extension.

For detailed instructions, refer to Apple's documentation: Use Safari Extensions on your Mac.

Install browser extensions using a management tool

If you have selected the installation option Prerequisites only for a browser when setting up the SaaS Web Metering feature as described in Set up SaaS Web Metering, the system will install all related files and configuration for the browser, but it will not install the browser extension. Instead, you can deploy it by your management tool or policy of choice according to the instructions below.

The instructions are also applicable when you have selected to install web metering manually, as described in Install Web Metering manually.

Note that the Safari extension must be installed manually, as described in Manage Apple Safari browser extension.

Google Chrome

Refer to chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/snow-web-application-mete/blojlgglhfcmpigjbkllcgjmhincdjhb.

Microsoft Edge

Refer to microsoftedge.microsoft.com/addons/detail/fmammgdlmljodabkafnkpagekcigmabk.

Mozilla Firefox

The browser extension for Mozilla Firefox is hosted by Flexera. To deploy it via your management tool or policy, you must go to the public GitHub repository where the extension resides and check the current version of it, so that you can extend your policies.json file with the correct and necessary information. Note that, once the browser extension is installed, Mozilla Firefox will automatically upgrade it when new versions are released.

1. Go to https://github.com/SnowSoftware/agent-firefox-extension/ and check the current version (x.y.z) of the cloudmetering-vx.y.z.xpi file.

2. Extend your policies.json file with the values shown below. Make sure to replace x.y.z in the install_url field with the current version of the cloudmetering-vx.y.z.xpi file.

   Copy

   {
       "policies": {
           "3rdparty": {
               "Extensions": {
                   cloudmetering@snowsoftware.com: {
                       "consentgiven": true
                   }
               }
           },
           "ExtensionSettings": {
               cloudmetering@snowsoftware.com : {
                   "install_url" : https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SnowSoftware/agent-firefox-extension/refs/heads/main/cloudmetering-vx.y.z.xpi,
                   "installation_mode" : "force_installed"
               }
           }
       }
   }
   

Install Web Metering manually

If you select the installation option User Managed for a browser when setting up the SaaS Web Metering feature, as described in Set up SaaS Web Metering, the system will not perform any installations related to web metering. Instead, you must manually perform the installations that the system would otherwise carry out automatically, that is, creating manifest or policy files, writing to the Windows Registry, and deploying the browser extensions.

Note that the User Managed option is not available for the Safari extension, since it must always be installed manually, as described in Manage Apple Safari browser extension.

1. For each browser on the Data Collection > Common Inventory Tasks > SaaS Web Metering Settings page in Flexera One, make sure that the installation option User Managed has been selected.

   This prevents the system from performing any installations related to web metering.

2. Create the manifest or policy files required for each browser and platform and place them in a suitable location on the computer. The default locations and files used by the agent are specified in macOS manifest and policy files and Windows manifest files and Registry Keys.

3. For Windows, create a Windows Registry key for each manifest file location. The default keys used by the system are specified in Windows manifest files and Registry keys.

4. Deploy the browser extensions using your preferred management tool or policy, see the methods referred to in Install browser extensions using a management tool.

macOs manifest and policy files

When the system manages the installation of browser extensions on macOS, it uses the files and locations specified here.

{
    "allowed_extensions" :
    [
        "cloudmetering@snowsoftware.com"
    ],
    "description" : "This extension tracks web application use for the purpose of license compliance and cost optimization.",
    "name" : "com.snowsoftware.cloudmetering",
    "path" : "[INSTALLATION_PATH]/webmetering",
    "type" : "stdio"
}

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
    <dict>
        <key>ExtensionInstallForcelist</key>
        <array>
            <string>blojlgglhfcmpigjbkllcgjmhincdjhb</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
</plist>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
    <dict>
        <key>ExtensionInstallForcelist</key>
        <array>
            <string>fmammgdlmljodabkafnkpagekcigmabk</string>
        </array>
    </dict>
</plist>

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
    <dict>
        <key>EnterprisePoliciesEnabled</key>
        <true />
        <key>ExtensionSettings</key>
        <dict>
            <key>cloudmetering@snowsoftware.com</key>
            <dict>
                <key>install_url</key>
                <string>https://raw.githubusercontent.com/SnowSoftware/agent-firefox-extension/refs/heads/main/cloudmetering-v1.2.3.xpi</string>
                <key>installation_mode</key>
                <string>force_installed</string>
            </dict>
        </dict>
    </dict>
</plist>

{
    "allowed_extensions" :
    [
        "cloudmetering@snowsoftware.com"
    ],
    "description" : "This extension tracks web application use for the purpose of license compliance and cost optimization.",
    "name" : "com.snowsoftware.cloudmetering",
    "path" : "Install Dir/webmetering",
    "type" : "stdio"
}

{
    "data" :
    {
        "consentgiven" : true
    },
    "description" : "ignored",
    "name" : "cloudmetering@snowsoftware.com",
    "type" : "storage"
}

Windows manifest files and Registry Keys

When the system manages the installation of browser extensions on Windows, it uses the files, locations, and Registry Keys specified here.

{
    "allowed_origins" :
    [
        "chrome-extension://blojlgglhfcmpigjbkllcgjmhincdjhb/"
    ],
    "description" : "Snow Software Cloud Application Metering Native Host",
    "name" : "com.snowsoftware.cloudmetering",
    "path" : "[INSTALLATION_PATH]\\webmetering.exe",
    "type" : "stdio"
}

{
    "allowed_origins" :
    [
        "chrome-extension://fmammgdlmljodabkafnkpagekcigmabk/"
    ],
    "description" : "Snow Software Cloud Application Metering Native Host",
    "name" : "com.snowsoftware.cloudmetering",
    "path" : "[INSTALLATION_PATH]\\webmetering.exe",
    "type" : "stdio"
}

{
    "allowed_extensions" :
    [
        "cloudmetering@snowsoftware.com"
    ],
    "description" : "This extension tracks web application use for the purpose of license compliance and cost optimization.",
    "name" : "com.snowsoftware.cloudmetering",
    "path" : "[INSTALLATION_PATH]\\webmetering.exe",
    "type" : "stdio"
}

{
    "data" :
    {
        "consentgiven" : true
    },
    "description" : "ignored",
    "name" : "cloudmetering@snowsoftware.com",
    "type" : "storage"
}