LicenseWatch Framework

The framework is the foundation in the LicenseWatch suite of products. LicenseWatch FrameWork ensures that the IT- organization has the complete overview of all software and hardware assets in the organization. With LicenseWatch FrameWork, the basic knowledge of software, hardware and infrastructure is centralized within a single management console. This will free up resources for other projects and save money at the same time.

Software Inventory

The LicenseWatch FrameWork delivers out-of-the-box information’s about the whole software installation in the organization. The Software inventory data can be collected within preset time intervals or anytime a user logs on. All data are collected in real-time, which enable the administrator to search for relevant software installation on the fly.

LicenseWatch FrameWork software inventory benefits:

• Software and software version installed on every single desktop or server – Advanced hyper features for scanning software which are installed in Windows Registry, on CD-ROM drive, floppy drive  and on the harddisc or any applications running as a process.
• Configurable file scanning – Scanning for all types of files (by name, extension, date, time, size and attributes).
• Patch level on every desktops or servers.
• Supports ITIL based software groups
• Difference between installed software and the actual purchase – Compliance (See LicenseWatch Software License Manager)
• Advanced alias rules to secure that the company only pays for the installed amount of software licenses.
• Multi segmentation of all software on organizational level, geographical level and by Active Directory (See LicenseWatch Integration for Active Directory).
• Recognizes more than 200.000 applications.
• Advanced software inventory reporting.
• See LicenseWatch integration with Microsoft System Management Server 2003 – LicenseWatch SMS Option.

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Basic Hardware Inventory

Hardware information will be collected from all desktops, servers, printers and other peripheral equipment in your organization. This information is very useful when the company is upgrading/migrating desktops or servers with new software and wants to ensure that all necessary hardware requirements are met. The information can also be of great help in the daily support where LicenseWatch FrameWork is an effective support tool for quick diagnostics of all desktops or servers. LicenseWatch FrameWork integrates with most of the industry leading remote control solutions. 

All hardware can be assigned to segments; this will help the administrator to organize desktops and servers into groups. This ensures that the actual installation can be displayed on a divisional/departmental or geographical level. By using these advanced features the organization gains an effective administration of department divided budgets. LicenseWatch FrameWork reporting facilities will quickly show the complete overview of the organizations hardware configuration.

LicenseWatch FrameWork hardware inventory benefits:

• Configurable and 100% adjustable hardware inventory - full-blown Microsoft WMI support – Information about all workstations in your organization (Processor/CPU type, clock frequencies, memory, graphics cards, free space on hard drives, network cards, BIOS, PC name/hostnames, models/manufacturers, serial numbers, etc.) More than 70 predefined hardware information.
• User defined fields – Enables complete customization of input fields for matching the organizations needs.
• Hardware segmentation on divisional level, geographical level or by Active Directory.
• In combination with the module LicenseWatch IT Asset Manager registration of any type of IT assets (handheld devices, local printers, monitors, ect).
• Advanced security and scanning options for all organizational levels.
• Effective tool for migration and upgrade projects.
• Advanced hardware inventory reporting.
• See LicenseWatch integration with Microsoft System Management Server 2003 – LicenseWatch SMS Option. 

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Segmentation

LicenseWatch FrameWork comes with an industry leading method of visualizing complex segmentation structures. Many organizations use Active Directory for grouping desktops into structures for easy access to data (desktops, users, departments, ect.). The LicenseWatch segmentation structure supports Active Directory, but the LicenseWatch does not limit the administrator to only work with one segmentation structure. LicenseWatch support multi segmentation structures for easy access to software and hardware information on fx. organizational levels, geographical levels or any other way the administrator whish to group desktops and users.

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Reporting

LicenseWatch FrameWork includes 100’s of reports for software and hardware analysis.

LicenseWatch advanced reporting capabilities includes:

• Hardware reports – 100’s of reports
• Software reports – Software compliance on any level in the organization
• Software reports – Software usage (Metering Passive)
• Software reports – Software – Concurrent usage (Metering Active)

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Exporting

All reports and data including software, hardware and workstations can be exported for further manipulation in other solutions including:

• Data warehouses
• Configuration Management Database (CMDB)
• Enterprise Resource Planning systems
• Microsoft Excel
• Other database types Oracle, DB2, etc.

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Administrative Users and Configuration

LicenseWatch configuration engine controls more than 3000 different ways to manipulate the complete LicenseWatch suite (The LicenseWatch FrameWork and all 8 LicenseWatch modules). From the configuration engine the administrator may control:

• Access rights for all administrative LicenseWatch users
• System Settings
  • Controlling the LicenseWatch agent
  • Definition schemes for software and hardware
  • General overall system settings
  • Software License administration
  • IT Assets administration
  • WEB interface administration
  • Compliance configuration
  • Alarm and email configuration – See LicenseWatch Notification
• Packages handling (Collected data)
• Error log

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LicenseWatch Agent

The LicenseWatch agent is the smallest on the marked with a size of less than 180K of memory and the overhead is 3-5% when scanning hardware and software. The agent is installed on all desktops and servers or can work as an agent less technology without implementing the agent.

LicenseWatch FrameWork integrates with Microsoft System Management Server 2003. When integrating with SMS 2003, LicenseWatch FrameWork will use Microsoft SMS agent, but also supports multi agent collectors in the same enterprise environment (SMS agents and LicenseWatch agents).

 

Read more: Software License Manager