Deciding When to Add Additional Licenses

By analyzing the output from a combination of reports, you can determine if you have enough licenses for the users in your enterprise. The first step is to determine if all users can gain access to software when they need it. The following scenario demonstrates a method for making this determination.

1. Generate a Usage Over Time report, sorted by feature.

This report shows the actual number of licenses in use for each feature specified in the configuration during any given period of time versus the total available number of licenses. The granularity of this report is controlled by the Summary Period setting in the configuration. Note any peaks in usage when all available licenses are in use. This may indicate the possibility that some users were denied a license.

2. Generate a Usage Summary report, sorted by feature and then user.

This report breaks down the usage for each feature so you can see who is using the licenses. Locate data for the feature in question from Step 1. Review the usage statistics for each user to determine the quantity of license request denials. If any users show denials, you should investigate further; see License Denials for further information.

3. Generate a Usage Efficiency report, sorted by feature.

This report shows the hours each available license was used for each feature specified in the configuration. Locate the graph for the feature in question. Look for trends such as the number of licenses used to their full capacity and the overall number of licenses used.

Next, use these statistics to make decisions about the number of licenses you need. If the reports indicate daily maximum usage peaks combined with full-capacity efficiency, consider obtaining more licenses from your vendor.

In addition, you should consider the following:

• Your enterprise’s present and future staffing requirements, including whether your enterprise may merge with or acquire another organization.
• The duration for which each license is needed. Fewer licenses are needed if they are checked out for a short amount of time.
• Requirements for specific users. If one or two users need dedicated licenses with the balance shared among the rest of the users, consider reserving licenses for the dedicated users and re-evaluating the number you need for the rest of the enterprise.