Assigning a Multi-Install Key to an Installation

IT Asset Management (Cloud)

This option covers multiple installations with a single key. This happens, for example, when a publisher provides a single key for each purchase, and a purchase may be for several installations. Your first purchase of 10 copies of a software application is covered by the license key 1234 that may be assigned to all 10 installations. Later, if you purchase an additional 15 copies, this purchase could be covered, for example, by the license key 9876, applied to each of the resulting 15 installations.

With this rule (called One (multi-install) key per installation), key values are managed on the Consumption tab. If you have only a few license key values, you may enter them directly; or if you have many, you may import them in a .csv file to create a pool of license keys from which to make assignments. Both approaches are described below.

Tip: When you assign a license key, you automatically set the Allocation type column to Allocated. This means the installation (or user) has top priority to consume from this license, and may not consume from another, when inventory evidence shows the application is present. This maintains the relationship between the installation/user and this license that is established through the license key.

To assign multi-install keys to installations:

1. In the license properties, click the Identification tab.
2. In the License keys area, click Change.
   The Change license key rule dialog box displays. If you already have an active rule, this includes a reminder that a change includes removing all previously-defined license keys.
3. From the License key rule drop-down list, select the One (multi-install) key per installation option, and click Save.
   Your license is saved with this new rule, and a new column is made available on the Consumption tab.
4. Click the Consumption tab, and from the Choose columns dialog box, drag and drop the License keys column on to the table.
   You may either import a .csv file of license key values, or enter them individually directly in the consumption listing. Skip to the appropriate step below.
5. To import a license key file:
   1. Prepare a spreadsheet as follows:
      • Only the first column may contain data.
      • The first row must contain the literal text LicenseKeyValue.
      • Other rows may each contain a single license key value, which may contain both letters and numbers.
      • Do not leave any blank rows.
      • Save as a comma-separated value file, with the mandatory file extension .csv.
   2. On the Consumption tab of the license properties, click Import keys.
      Tip: If you import another .csv file, its keys are added to the list of available license keys.
   3. Click Browse, and select the .csv file that contains license keys applicable to the license.
   4. Click Import.
      The Import succeeded message displays. You can now click Close to clear the import area. Your license key values may now be selected individually by clicking in the License keys column for the appropriate row.
6. To enter an individual license key directly:
   1. Click in the License keys column.
   2. Click Add/Edit license keys.
      Tip: Notice that you can also edit an imported license key by first clicking its value to populate the License key field, and then editing as follows.
   3. In the License key field, enter a new key, and click Save.
      You new (or changed) value is saved into the list of available keys, but is not yet assigned to the device/user in this row.
   4. Still in the License keys column, click again, and select the new key you added in the previous step.
      Because the license key rule is One (multi-install) key per installation, you may assign the same key on other rows of this Consumption tab.

      Tip: If the software publisher imposed a limit on the number of installations covered by each license key, you must track these manually. IT Asset Management does not count the number of times you have assigned an individual key.
7. On the web page, click Save.
   Your license was saved successfully message is displayed.

Tip: To delete a license key, both from a particular row in the Consumption tab and from the pool of available license keys:

1. Click in the License keys column in the row with the value to delete.
2. Click Add/Edit license keys.
3. Select the offending key from the list, and click Delete.
4. For the confirmation message, again click Delete.

The license key is removed from all devices where it was previously assigned, and that value is no longer available in the pool of license keys.