Connecting to External Inventory Systems

IT Asset Management (Cloud)

FlexNet Manager Suite integrates with other, external inventory-gathering tools to give you a single cohesive view of your license compliance. For each such external system, you need to define a connection to allow data collection.

Note: Inventory from FlexNet Manager for SAP Applications (see SAP Systems Tab) is managed on a separate page, and connections for this do not appear here.

Supported data import/export connections for inventory data include the following (listed alphabetically):

• Citrix Virtual Apps and application tracking

  The list of applications available through Citrix Virtual Apps can be gathered by a simple agent (XenApp server agent) installed on each XenApp server, or application usage records can be imported from an associated EdgeSite server. Use the process for setting up a Microsoft SQL Server connection for either of these options.

• Data Platform v5

  The Data Platform product (originally from BDNA and now from Flexera) includes both Normalize v5 and Technopedia. For version 5, inventory import uses a connection to the Normalize database, using the techniques described in Managing Microsoft SQL Server Database Connections.

• ILMT or TAD4D from IBM

  Connection to the DB2 database underlying these tools is managed using the techniques described below.

• Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync

  This provides a method of importing inventory from mobile devices such as tablets and smart phones. This integration involves setting up a temporary staging database, and then establishing the connection to that intermediary.

• Microsoft Office 365 Online Account

  For more information on creating an Office 365 connection, refer to Managing PowerShell Connections as well as Creating Connections to Microsoft 365.

• Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager or SMS

  IT Asset Management is automatically configured to integrate with this inventory tool’s underlying Microsoft SQL Server database. You may manage these database connections using the techniques for Microsoft SQL Server (see Managing Microsoft SQL Server Database Connections).

• Salesforce

  For more information on creating a connection to Salesforce, refer to Managing PowerShell Connections, as well as the Managing Connections to Salesforce.com topic in the IT Asset Management Inventory Adapters and Connectors Reference..

• SAP from SAP AG

  SAP inventory gathering relies on a web service. Once configured, inventory collection is automatic.

• Spreadsheets (.csv and .xlsx file formats)
  This allows for the regular import of inventory data in predefined (fixed format) spreadsheets.

  Tip: Importing .xlsx files requires that you have installed a 32-bit version of Microsoft Access Database Engine on the inventory beacon server that is performing the import.
• Tanium

  For more information on creating a connection to Tanium Asset, refer to Managing PowerShell Connections as well as Managing Tanium Connections.

To enable IT Asset Management to interpret the inventory data being imported from a source database, the inventory beacon needs to know:

• The type of database in which the data is stored
• The name of the database
• The location of the database
• The security permissions required to access the database
• When (if ever) the data from this database should be considered stale.

Note: You must create the appropriate connection using the FlexNet Beacon interface on the inventory beacon server, as described in the following topics. The new connection is not immediately communicated to the central application server. Instead, the first upload of inventory from the new connection causes the automatic addition of the connection details to the Inventory Data tab of the Data Inputs page in the web interface for IT Asset Management.