ARL changes to commercial products - how can I determine when this will happen?

[kfindlay]

We're currently reviewing a particular product "WS_FTP" and noticed that recently WS_FTP as a product has been removed, and now only "WS_FTP Client" remains.  From data in November 2020, we could see that both these products existed in the ARL.

We had licenses linked to "WS_FTP" and not "WS_FTP Client" - so now our licenses are impacted and we need to relink them.   

The note on the ARL Clean-up is that "No commercial applications or applications linked to SKU, PURL, or bundle content will be deleted as part of this alignment and refocus." so not sure if its part of that piece of work.

How can we, as customers, ensure that when a product is removed due to an ARL clean-up, we know about it and we can check we have no license impacts?  Is it published anywhere?  I didn't see any reference to this product in the 2581 ARL changes.

https://download.flexnetoperations.com/439214/1169/67/17726067/Application%20Recognition%20Library%20-%20List%20of%20Applications%20Updated%20ARL2581.pdf?ftpRequestID=8412229357&server=download.flexnetoperations.com&dtm=DTM20210202065056NDgwMjM0MTkx&authparam=1612277456_977909b92d52fe357425795339115...

https://download.flexnetoperations.com/439214/1169/107/17726107/Application%20Recognition%20Library%20-%20List%20of%20Versions%20ARL2581.pdf?ftpRequestID=8412230087&server=download.flexnetoperations.com&dtm=DTM20210202065102NzkxMzM3NDky&authparam=1612277462_419a0b9aa0b4654fcbe0ae6f6e89fbd0&ext=.pdf

https://download.flexnetoperations.com/439214/1169/77/17726077/Application%20Recognition%20Library%20-%20List%20of%20New%20Applications%20ARL2581.pdf?ftpRequestID=8412230267&server=download.flexnetoperations.com&dtm=DTM20210202065103NTgzMjExMDc5&authparam=1612277463_18be43fed41418b5af91e2a780a32141&...

Note: In our History, we are seeing "WS_FTP" unlinked from the license on the 31st January at 2am, so it matched the time of our ARL update to 2581.

[SherylSikora]

One of the resources for ARL releases we have available here on the Community is the FlexNet Manager Content Blog  that has regular posts about updates. So if you haven't seen that, check out the information there. Of particular interest for you would be the ARL #2581 update post that I have also linked below. There are some links provided in the "Details of changes in the ARL" section that gives some notice of changes that went into that release.

Content Blog: FlexNet Manager Content Blog 

ARL #2581 update information: FlexNet Manager Update: Application Recognition Library #2581 and Service Life Data Pack #426 are available 

[kfindlay]

Thanks Sheryl, that's what I was looking at, but what you will notice is that the product "WS_FTP" is not listed in your applications that are changed and there is no list of applications deleted.  This is what I need to see.

[Natalie]

Hi @kfindlay , 

To be clear, it was our intent to exclude any commercial product or product linked to SKU/PURL/bundle from ARL cleanup. We were alerted that a few bundled titles were affected, which we are restoring in the next ARL release - but if WS_FTP wasn't in the published list, I wouldn't expect that to be related. 

We will take this question to our Content team and see if we can understand what's happened here. 

[shuduguru]

Hi @kfindlay ,

With our recent investigation, it was decided to create two separate applications for WS_FTP Client and WS_FTP Server based on the evidence information.

As per the vendor website, Progress software has WS_FTP Client and WS_FTP Server . There is no product called 'WS_FTP'.

 Referred link:

https://www.ipswitch.com/ftp-client

https://www.ipswitch.com/ftp-server

To maintain consistency in ARL library, we have changed from WS_FTP to WS_FTP Client.

Thanks, 
Srivatsa HS

[kfindlay]

Thanks Srivatsa, whilst I agree that this change was the correct action for the ARL, I think its a MUST that Flexera are publishing the detail of this.  There is nothing on the 2581 ARL update to call out the WS_FTP was removed from the ARL and replaced with WS_FTP Client and WS_FTP Server.  These are called out that those two products changed, but I did not have those two products linked to licenses in my system.  

My recommendation would  be that Flexera includes in their ARL advice when these types of changes occur (particularly ARL Commercial product deletions), including what happened so that your customers can take the appropriate action in their systems.  Something like: WS_FTP removed from ARL, WS_FTP Client and WS_FTP Server have been modified.  This would allow us to know that we need to go an update our license and link the appropriate product.

[Natalie]

Hi @kfindlay ,

We completely agree that the change details that we publish in each week's ARL release should include deletions as well as additions. This will be a standard inclusion in our ARL release notes going forward. 

@Hanumanthagowda, @Resnofendri FYI (as discussed). 

[kfindlay]

Thanks Natalie, that's great.  The inclusion of the Flexera ID or in a excel/table format would also make a compare in excel much easier (I might be pushing my luck though  ^_.^   ).