Access Evidence

IT Asset Management (Cloud)

To detect an installation of a server application such as Microsoft SharePoint Server on an inventory device, IT Asset Management uses evidence (any combination of installer evidence, file evidence, or WMI evidence). During license reconciliation, the Application Recognition Library (ARL) matches these kinds of evidence to identify an application installation. The evidence is then linked to the installation record of the recognized application; and the application record is linked to an appropriate license.

An additional evidence type called "access evidence" is separately used to measure client access to the server application, as access is often separately licensable with CALs (Client Access Licenses, most commonly from Microsoft).

Tip: Access evidence is used exclusively for recording access to known applications. It does not contribute to application recognition — the installed server software must be separately recognized in the usual way.

Like other kinds of evidence, client access evidence is also linked to the appropriate application record; and then the application record is linked to (another) license, this time a CAL. When the application record is linked to a Device license, consumption on the Device license counts the number of software installations. In contrast, with the linked CAL, consumption counts how many clients accessed the server application. As with other software licenses, if there are several CALs linked to an application, license priorities are used to determine the appropriate license from which an access evidence record should consume.

Prerequisites

Collecting client access evidence through FlexNet inventory requires all of the following:

• The access by a client device is to one of these supported server products:
  • Windows Server
  • SharePoint Server
  • SQL Server
  • Exchange Server
  • Microsoft Skype for Business (previously Lync Server).
• The supported product is installed and running on Windows Server 2012 or later
• Microsoft’s User Access Logging (UAL) capability has been enabled on the server.

In addition, CALs for Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (previously Microsoft SCCM) may be imported as part of the Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager inventory import.

Collection and upload

Access evidence is collected as part of inventory gathered by any of:

• The locally-installed FlexNet Inventory Agent
• Zero-footprint inventory collection through inventory beacon(s)
• Inventory uploads from Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (only for CALs related to the Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager server)
• Manual upload of access evidence through the Inventory Data One-Off Upload page.

FlexNet inventory (the first two of these sources) may collect access evidence through User Access Logging (UAL), or for some products through PowerShell scripts. An individual access evidence record is created each time a client accesses the server application, and each one records the accessed application, accessing user, and accessing device. The access evidence is collected in a separate file (.swacc), and uploaded through the inventory beacon hierarchy as a part of the normal inventory process. The collected access evidence records are visible on the All Evidence > Access evidence page.

Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager inventory is collected through the SCCM connector linking an inventory beacon to each instance of Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager. For CALs, this includes only the Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager CALs needed to cover the relationship between the Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager server and all the devices that it manages.

For more information about CALs, CAL types, and how IT Asset Management can help you manage CALs, see the Managing Client Access Licenses chapter in the IT Asset Management System Reference PDF, available from the title page of the online help.