Provance IT Asset Management Pack licensing is based on Service Manager licensing. You require one Provance management license for each corresponding Service Manager management license. Like Service Manager, there are two types of Provance management licenses: client management licenses (client MLs) for non-server devices and server management licenses (server MLs) for server devices. Regardless of the criteria used to determine your Service Manager licensing, you require one Provance client license for each System Center Service Manager client ML, and one Provance server license for each System Center Service Manager server ML.
There are two types of Provance server licenses and three types of client licenses. Together they help us tailor a license to your environment and your specific needs:
server device (a Windows computer CI with a server operating system)
server hardware asset (a hardware asset that is linked to a Windows computer CI server)
client device license (a Windows computer CI)
client hardware asset license (a hardware asset)
client user license (a Service Manager user)
A server license can either be based on a Windows computer CI server or a hardware asset that is linked to at least one Windows computer CI server. One server license is good for up to 2 processors. When calculating your required server licenses, each server and its processors is counted as a unit and applied to the license, before continuing to the next server and applying it to the license. For example, if you have 3 processors on a server, you need two server licenses.
A client license can be based on one of the following: a hardware asset, a Windows computer CI (that is not a server), or a user in Service Manager. A client license can have one of two behaviors:
you may not create any servers as Windows computer CIs within the management pack. In this case the Provance Product Licensing Status section will read ‘Licensed for 0’.
you may create servers as Windows computer CIs within the management pack. In this case the Provance Product Licensing Status section will read ‘Licensed for None’.
When you receive a license it allows you to manage a certain number of servers and clients (devices/assets/users). The exact combination depends on your environment and on the number of server MLs and client MLs you have.
For more details about Microsoft System Center Service Manager licensing, please visit http://www.microsoft.com/licensing/about-licensing/product-licensing.aspx.
License enforcement in the IT Asset Management Pack is based on the number of devices and users that you are managing. The type of device that you are licensed for—server or client—defines what device is being managed.
A product title, which is similar to a software title, is used to monitor your compliance with the license for a particular product. Like a software title, a product title monitors software. Unlike a software title, the product title only monitors Provance software. Regardless of how many licenses you may have for the software, there is only one product title per software, such as one for the IT Asset Management Pack and one for the Data Management Pack. Each product title monitors both the server and the client portions of the license.
A workflow links the Provance Product Title to all the devices and/or users that are applicable to your license. If you have an IT Asset Management Pack license for 400 server devices and 1000 client hardware assets, then its product title would be linked to all those devices. Any devices, assets, or users outside of that license affects your ability to manage hardware assets. For more details, see What happens when I reach my license limit?.
Product titles appear in the Administration workspace in their own view called Provance Product Titles. Use the view and the form for a product title to help you compare your managed devices with your licensed devices.
An activation key, once entered, allows you to manage a certain number of devices, hardware assets, or users. Activation keys are cumulative; for example, you may purchase a license for 500 server devices. If you later decide that you need to manage additional servers, you can purchase a license to accommodate them. Your first license and each additional license you purchase will be added together to provide a cumulative total number of devices/assets/users that can be managed.
The activation key(s) for your license can be managed from the Administration workspace, Provance Product Licensing view.
When you have exceeded the maximum number of server and client devices your license permits you to manage, you will be unable to create more hardware assets. If you attempt to create more assets, a message opens indicating that you have exceeded your license. The following table describes specific examples where the license has expired and what to expect when you perform an action.
If your license has expired or you have more server or client devices than permitted, contact Provance to purchase a license for the additional devices. Consult the IT Asset Management Overview page, Licensing Status section, to determine how many additional devices you need to be licensed for. The additional devices, whether they be server, client or both, will be the difference between the number you are licensed for and the number you are managing, as stated on the overview page. For example, if you are licensed for 500 servers, but you are managing 1000, then you need a license for 500 server devices. If you wish to continue without immediately purchasing an additional license, delete the devices that you no longer need to manage. Otherwise, the IT Asset Management Pack will prevent you from creating any additional hardware assets, until you purchase a new license.
In some situations, as with importing through csv or using the Data Management pack, assets that are created outside of your license are automatically deleted. In actuality, they are moved to the Deleted Items folder (in the Administration workspace). Deleted assets will remain in the folder indefinitely unless you permanently remove them. You cannot perform any other action on deleted assets. Use Deleted Items as a temporary holding place for assets until you upgrade your license. Once you are licensed for those assets, you can move them out of Deleted Items and begin managing them.