Improved inventory for IBM DB2 databases and add-ons

Note:This feature is available with IT Asset Management.

Inventory gathering by the inventory agent (whether locally-installed or running on an inventory beacon in Zero-footprint mode to take inventory “remotely”) has been improved for IBM Db2 Database and its add-ons. On both Microsoft Windows and UNIX-like platforms, the inventory agent now makes use of commands built into Db2 to identify the version, edition, IBM license type, and any licensed/used add-ons, and presents the resulting inventory in a separate IBM Db2 Database and Add-Ons report. This inventory is quite separate from other inventory (like file evidence or MSI installer evidence) that the inventory agent may collect, even from the same servers or VMs—the report excludes all the previously-available inventory types, and shows exclusively the results of the DB2 commands as used by the inventory agent (no other inventory sources can contribute to this report). It shows both the raw information returned by the Db2 commands, and the applications recognized when this raw inventory is processed in the nightly license reconciliation.

The defaults have been arranged so that the updated inventory agent automatically collects this special inventory on any device where it finds IBM Db2 Database installed, and they also include a 120-second timeout so that a failure of a Db2 command to respond does not permanently block other inventory gathering. On any individual target device, you can turn off this specialized inventory gathering, or change the timeout setting, with new preferences.

Recognition of IBM Db2 versions and editions is also being improved in the Application Recognition Library. In November 2020, the following versions are automatically recognized: 9.1, 9.5, 10.1, 10.5, 11.1, 11.5. In addition, if unrecognized application names appear in the raw imports, application records are automatically created in your compliance database to allow for matching. And because Db2 add-ons are now recognized, you can assign licenses in IT Asset Management to manage coverage of that software as well. The improvements in both inventory gathering and the Application Recognition Library may result in some small variations in license consumption with this release.

Full details are available in the Flexera One Help, with (as always) details of the new agent settings/preferences included in the Gathering FlexNet Inventory reference.