Improved application usage require the Latest Flexera Agent

[chirag_sharma2]

Is it required to use 2020 R2 latest agent (Ver 16.0) to get Improved application usage? or it would support all versions ?

[ChrisG]

From What are key recommendations for deploying and configuring FlexNet Manager Suite to get best usage metering results?:

General recommendations are:

1. Use the FlexNet inventory agent version 14.2 (from release 2019 R2.2) or later. This version contains latest improvements available for metering usage, as referenced elsewhere in this post.

2. For FlexNet Manager Suite On-premises deployments, use release 2020 R1 or later on your servers. This release contains an improvement to be able to import additional usage data based on file evidence compared to earlier releases (see item IOJ-2114072 under "What limitations are there related to usage metering?" [on the page linked above]).

3. Set the following application usage component configuration settings (as described under "How can the value of configuration settings be changed?" [on the page linked above]):
   • Disabled=FALSE
   • UseAddRemove=TRUE

[chirag_sharma2]

Hi @ChrisG 

Thanks for sharing that information!

In mgssetup file, Only Disabled option is available, so it means we can't make changes for UseAddRemove at the time of deployment?

Moreover, I want to know with 2020 R2; Do we need to install 16.0 to get improved Usage or older agent like  v14.2 and v15.2 will also support improved usage?

Thanks again!

Best,
Chirag

[ChrisG · Accepted solution]

The "How can the values of configuration settings be changed?" question in the blog post I linked to in my previous comment illustrates how to configure the UseAddRemove preference (and the Disabled preference) in the mgssetup.ini file. Here's the example:

[Usage Agent]
desc0 = Disabled
val0 = False

desc1 = UseAddRemove
val1 = True​

I can't think of any particular changes related to usage metering between the 14.2 agent version mentioned in my last comment and newer versions. If you already have the 14.2 agent version or newer deployed you will have the latest and greatest available usage capabilities in your agents.

NB. More information about changes in various releases of the agent can be found in the FlexNet Inventory Agent Change Log. This change log does currently list the change "Enables usage tracking based on Add/Remove programs evidence when "Enable usage tracking" setting is selected" in the 16.0 agent version - however that is slightly misleading as that change is actually a server-side change in the 2020 R2 release, and is not a change in the agent.