Lots of SQL Server installations detected without edition

[Povilas]

After latest ARL update a couple of SQL Server applications appeared on installed applications list. In most cases they are detected on the same devices with "normal" SQL Server applications, where edition is specified. However, significant amount of installations is detected on end user devices where SQL Server is not expected.  These applications are classified as commercial, but since edition is not present, it's impossible to assign them to proper licenses. Is this an expected behaviour or a an error in ARL?

[cdubs76]

What is your data source on these installations?   It has been my experience that specific editions are reported by only the FlexNet Agent installed on these systems.   Sources like MECM will show you the product, but not edition, therefore can't be tied to specific licensing.

[Povilas]

It's a mix of data from FNMS Agent and SCCM. Applications are discovered via installer evidences. I can see that they were in ARL since Februray, but all installations were detected on 2022-10-16, so I assume it has something to do with the latest ARL update.

[WStephans]

I am seeing the same situation. Also a mix of inventory between SCCM and agent. 

I also am noticing a big change in SQL Server Integration Services 2019 with a massive increase in devices now reporting this product as installed. Since SSIS is a licensable SQL service, I have it as a primary app on my SQL licenses which have in turn had their consumption spike.

Any update from Flexera on this? 

[shuduguru]

Hello,

We are looking into this and update you here with our findings. 

Thank you, 

Team Content

[PrasadAmin · Accepted solution]

Hello,

We should map evidence that doesn't carry information about the edition to SQL Server (Unknown component) and so did the same as part of this week's release and ignored the SQL Server without edition.

As part of SQL Server Integration Services, we removed suspicious evidence which is causing wrong recognition of the same product. It will be rectified in this week's release.

Thanks,
Team Content

[WStephans]

I still see many installs of SQL Server Unspecified Edition. Is this being addressed by a future ARL update?

[rudi_bissels]

Unfortunately this behavior is still applicable after installing ARL v2711. In fact, this is now also occurring for version 2017 (besides 2016 and 2019).  I also noticed that the app shows als "local "source but I cannot change the app so this is also not correct and on top op of this we see overlapping evidence.

Can you take a look again in order to mitigate this.

[WStephans]

In my opinion, this should not be marked as 'Solved'. This portion still remains open:

"We should map evidence that doesn't carry information about the edition to SQL Server (Unknown component) and so did the same as part of this week's release and ignored the SQL Server without edition."

[Steffen]

Dear Rudi,

we have also seen that behaviour even daily updating libraries.

I have solved this by removing all "Local" and "Flexera extended" Evidences from "All Evicences".

Of course only related to Name like "sql" and Pubslisher = "Microsoft".

A reconciliation is also required after that.

Disclaimer: if you have customised Evidences / Applications for sql set up, they will be deleted as well and you will be running kind of like Out Of The Box loosing any customisation you might have done for SQL recognition.

[sissonr]

We are seeing a similar issue, specific to two appliations showing up in Installed Applications:

* Microsoft SQL Server 2016 (no edition specified)

* Microsoft sQL Server 2019 (no edition specified)

...In the case of the the 2016 application above, all of its Installer Evidence overlaps with SQL Server Management Studio.

In the case of the 2019 application above, part of the Installer evidence overlaps with Management Studio, and part overlaps with SQL Server Unknown Component.

Thoughts?

[WStephans]

I submitted a ticket to Flexera on this. This is the response I received: 

"The source of the application SQL server 2016 and 2019 is 'local' in the screenshots shared, so you can go ahead and delete those titles, this will resolve the problem.
From the October 21st ARL release onward (Build no # 2710), any application deleted in the ARL (apart from the exclusion list mentioned in the community page Re: https://community.flexera.com/t5/FlexNet-Manager-Content-Blog/Content-Change-Notification-ARL-Applications-Removal-list/bc-p/250902#M501) that has evidence/license mapped to it in the customer environment will have the source of the application changed from Flexera to Local. This makes sure that you do not lose any license consumption because of this change"

I don't fully understand this logic so I've asked them to confirm. In my experience, a source of 'Local' means that an end user has manually adjusted the application or mapped evidence from the default state that comes from the ARL. But that is not the case here as this was triggered by a Flexera change and is impacting all Flexera customers.

[sissonr]

Thanx for the info! I'm confused by the response you received, too. By 'delete those titles', do they mean the applications? Let me know what kind of clarification you get.

Also, for whatever it's worth, our evidence source is not showing as Local, but instead as Flexere (Extended). Maybe I need my own support case?

[WStephans]

Latest from Flexera:

From ARL 2710, we have mapped evidence that doesn't carry edition information to SQL Server (Unknown component) and ignored the SQL Server without edition.

We have marked this as  'Local' so that it does not affect your license consumption. Local evidence is evidence that is not a part of the ARL but found in your environment.

So you can go ahead and remove these applications in order to resolve the extra installations appearing on your device.

I am going to delete the applications themselves and see what happens. Fingers crossed.