Snow Inventory Agent

Need to Know: Web Metering 2.0

Release Date

Web Metering 2.0 will be released as part of the FlexNet Inventory Agent 25.5.0 (2025 R2.5) on May 13 for Europe and APAC, and May 20 for the Americas.

For the Snow Inventory Agent, it will be available in version 26.1.1 on June 10.

What is it

Web Metering 2.0 is an enhanced capability within Flexera that enables tracking of web application usage through browser extensions integrated with both the FlexNet and Snow agents.

At its core, it introduces a new shared web metering module that operates across both agents, enabling direct communication between the browser extensions and the agent. This modern architecture replaces the previous file-based approach, resulting in a more secure and efficient data collection process.

How it works

Web Metering 2.0 improves the data flow by redefining how browser activity is captured and processed:

• Browser extensions capture URLs visited by users
• Data is sent directly to a local agent API over HTTP or HTTPS
• The module filters and processes URLs using Allow List rules
• Only relevant and sanitized data is retained and passed to the agent
• The agent consolidates the processed data and sends it upstream for SaaS usage recognition

What has changed

No raw browsing data stored on disk

URLs are now processed before being stored. Previously, raw browsing activity was cached on disk before being processed by the agent.

Stronger protection of sensitive data

Query parameters are removed from URLs by default. Enhanced Allow List rules control what data is retained and apply masking when Personal Information is detected.

Direct communication between extension and agent

The new web metering module introduces a write-only, machine-local API endpoint running on 127.0.0.1:40400, which is not externally accessible. TLS can be configured to encrypt communication between the browser extension and the agent.

Improved troubleshooting

The new module allows testing of URL matching and sensitive data removal directly from the command line.

Improved browser coverage

This design restores support for Apple Safari following previous limitations on extension-generated data.

The Firefox extension is now available in the Mozilla store, improving the installation and update experiences.

Consistent implementation across agents

A single, shared web metering module is used across both FlexNet and Snow agents, helping standardize behaviour and simplify deployment.

Security considerations

Web Metering 2.0 is designed with a strong security-first approach to ensure customer environments remain protected while delivering accurate SaaS usage insights.

The solution uses a machine-local, non-externally accessible communication mechanism, ensuring no additional external services or attack surfaces are introduced. TLS can be enabled to further secure communication between browser extensions and the agent.

Sensitive data exposure is minimized through filtering, masking, and by avoiding unnecessary data storage.

Importantly, the feature is fully customer-controlled and opt-in, preserving existing trust boundaries and ensuring organizations maintain complete control over their data and deployment.

Introducing Web Metering 2.0

Re‑architected for Security, Enhanced Privacy, and Safari Support Is Back

We’re pleased to announce Web Metering 2.0, a significant enhancement to web application metering for FlexNet and Snow agents. This release introduces a newly re‑architected browser data ingestion pipeline, delivering stronger security, improved privacy protections, and expanded browser support—including the return of Apple Safari.

What’s New in Web Metering 2.0

Web Metering 2.0 has been redesigned from the ground up to provide a more secure and privacy‑focused experience while maintaining reliable usage insights.

Key benefits include:

• 🔐 Enhanced Security
• Improved protections across browser data collection and ingestion.
• 🛡️ Reduced PII Collection
• Optimized data handling to minimise the capture of Personally Identifiable Information (PII).
• 🌍 Expanded Browser Support
• Full support for Apple Safari, alongside Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Mozilla Firefox.

What You Need to Know

To use Web Metering 2.0, customers must deploy both a new agent version and the new Web Metering browser extensions.

Required Agent Versions

• FlexNet Agent: Available in v25.5.0 (scheduled for May release)
• Snow Agent: Available in v26.1.1 (scheduled for June release)

Important:

Existing agent versions are only compatible with the current browser extensions.

The new extensions labelled “Flexera Web Metering” will work only with the agent versions listed above and later.

🌐 Current Browser Extension Downloads

Please continue using the following extensions until the new version of the agents are released.

• Google Chrome
• https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/snow-web-application-mete/blojlgglhfcmpigjbkllcgjmhincdjhb
• Microsoft Edge
• Snow Web Application Metering - Microsoft Edge Addons
• Mozilla Firefox
• https://github.com/SnowSoftware/agent-firefox-extension/

ANNOUNCEMENT: Updates to Versioning for Snow Inventory Agents

We want to inform you that the Snow Inventory Agents will move to a new version, to better align with the recent changes to Snow License Manager and Snow Inventory Server.

This will also bring the End-of-Life (EOL) to earlier versions of the agent. Please consider upgrading to a newer version if this affects your environment.

As Semptember 30, 2026, the following products will reach End-of-Life (EOL):

• Snow Inventory Agent for Windows v6.x
• Snow Inventory Agent for MacOS v6.x
• Snow Inventory Agent for Linux v6.x
• Snow Inventory Agent for Unix v7.x

 End-of-Support (EOS) for these versions will follow on December 31, 2026. After this date, Flexera will no longer provide technical support, updates, or patches for these versions, regardless of whether they are hosted by Flexera, a partner, or within your own infrastructure.  

What’s Coming Next 

We are excited to share that we are targeting the release of the following products by the end of Q2 2026: 

• Snow Inventory Agent for Windows 26.1.0
• Snow Inventory Agent for MacOS 26.1.0
• Snow Inventory Agent for Linux 26.1.0
• Snow Inventory Agent for Unix 26.1.0

These upcoming versions will include improvements to web metering designed to address the recent breakage with the browser extension on Apple Safari, as well as other improvements designed to help you get even more value from your Flexera investment.  

Note:  These new versions are a change to the naming and support cycle rather than a major feature with architectural changes.

What You Should Do 

To ensure continued support and access to the latest features, we recommend: 

• Upgrading to a newer version of Snow Inventory Agent, or.
• Wait for the new release, if you are using web metering on Apple Safari.  

If you have questions, please contact your Flexera Support team. 

Official release of Snow Inventory Agent for Windows 7.5.0

We are pleased to announce the release of the Snow Inventory Agent for Windows 7.5.0.

Release Date: 2025-12-03

This release includes:

• OneDrive on-demand files exclusion from scan
• Correction for temp folder creation
• Correction to Google Cloud virtual machines model
• Third-party libraries updated

Customer Impact:

• The agent now excludes files that exist only in the cloud and are not stored locally from the scanning process. This improvement prevents unnecessary downloads during scans and enhances overall system performance.
• The agent no longer creates a folder named “%TEMP%“ when the Windows %TEMP% environment variable is not present or set and the system setting "env.temp_dir" in the snowagent.config is set to an invalid folder. Now it will exit with an error code.
• The agent now correctly reports "Google Compute Engine" as the model for Google Cloud virtual machines, instead of "Google Compute". With this correction, Google Cloud virtual machines will now correctly be displayed in the "All cloud servers" report.
• Third-party libraries for curl, libxml2, nlohmann-json, openssl and sqlite3, used by the agent, have been updated for increased security.

Product Documentation: Agent Documentation 

Please find more about the content of this release in the Release Notes.

Official release of Snow Inventory Agent for MacOS 7.3.0

We are pleased to announce the release of the Snow Inventory Agent for MacOS 7.3.0.

Release Date: 2025-12-03

This release includes:

• OneDrive on-demand files exclusion from scan
• Java scanner orchestration via agent
• Correction for temp folder usage when it is not available
• Third-party libraries updated

Customer Impact:

• The agent now excludes files that exist only in the cloud and are not stored locally from the scanning process. This improvement prevents unnecessary downloads during scans and enhances overall system performance.
• The agent will now execute the Snow Inventory Java Scanner during a scan. This enhancement eliminates the need to configure separate SIJS.
• The agent now exits with an error code when no temp system variable is present or set, and the system setting env.temp_dir in the snowagent.config is set to an invalid folder.
• Third-party libraries for curl, libxml2, nlohmann-json, openssl and sqlite3, used by the agent, have been updated for increased security.

Product Documentation: Agent Documentation 

Please find more about the content of this release in the Release Notes.

Official release of Snow Inventory Agent for Linux 7.4.1

We are pleased to announce the release of the Snow Inventory Agent for Linux 7.4.1.

Release Date: 2025-12-03

This release includes:

• Correction to Google Cloud virtual machines model
• Correction for temp folder usage when it is not available
• Third-party libraries updated

Customer Impact:

• The agent now correctly reports "Google Compute Engine" as the model for Google Cloud virtual machines, instead of "Google Compute". With this correction, Google Cloud virtual machines will now correctly be displayed in the "All cloud servers" report.
• The agent now exits with an error code when no temp system variable is present or set, and the system setting env.temp_dir in the snowagent.config is set to an invalid folder.
• Third-party libraries for curl, libxml2, nlohmann-json, openssl and sqlite3, used by the agent, have been updated for increased security.

Product Documentation: Agent Documentation 

Please find more about the content of this release in the Release Notes.

Official release of Snow Inventory Agent for Unix 8.3.1

We are pleased to announce the release of the Snow Inventory Agent for Unix 8.3.1.

Release Date: 2025-12-03

This release includes:

• Correction for crashes when reading DropLocations in the snowagent.config file

Customer Impact:

• The agent now correctly reads the DropLocation address and no longer crashes with error "SEVERE: Could not initialize snowagent config: Cannot invoke "java.util.List.add(Object)" because "this.dropLocationServerEndpoints" is null".

Product Documentation: Agent Documentation 

Please find more about the content of this release in the Release Notes.

Official release of Snow Inventory Agent for Unix 8.3.0

We are pleased to announce the release of the Snow Inventory Agent for Unix 8.3.0

This release includes:

• The agent now adds the Cloud Instance Id as part of the main inventory in the snowpack.
• The agent now includes the Oracle scanners log files into the snowpack.
• The agent will now execute all Oracle Scanners during a scan.
• The agent now caches the file scan into a file to avoid duplicate file scans for the Oracle Scanners.

Customer Impact:

• The agent now adds the Cloud Instance Id under the <SystemIdentifier> tag inside the inv3x.xml file. The Id can now be visualized in the web interface.
• Note: To view Cloud Instance Ids in Snow License Manager, version 25.1.0 or later is required.
• The agent now includes the Oracle scanners log files into the snowpack. This will help with troubleshooting.
• The agent will now execute all Oracle Scanners during a scan. This enhancement eliminates the need to configure separate schedules for each scanner, improving customer experience.
• The agent now caches the file scan into a file oracle_filesearch_results.out to avoid duplicate file scans for the Oracle Scanners.

Release information

Product: Snow Inventory Agent for Unix

Release Version: 8.3.0

Release Date: 25th of August 2025

Product Documentation: Agent Documentation

Current status: Released

Please find more about the content of this release in the Release Notes.