Usage Field under All Applications

[deannag]

The Usage field is not capturing information.  Any suggestions how to address this?  

[mfranz]

Hi,

Have you checked the "Raw software usage" view?

Best regards,

Markward

[deannag]

Many thanks for your response.  I am sure that separate report will be helpful in other situations.  However, I need to pull the Usage field into my reports  and have it include populated information.  The field is offered, therefore should capture information.  I'm trying to ascertain if there is something simple I am missing or Flexera that would remedy this issue. 

[ChrisG]

If you are seeing no usage at all shown under the All Applications grid then that suggests the inventory source(s) you are importing from are not providing any metering data.

Looking at the "Raw software usage" view that @mfranz mentioned would give an indication of whether any usage data from installed FlexNet inventory agents are being gathered. If you have other inventory source(s) then check in those systems to ensure they have been configured to gather usage.

The following blog posting is a good place to start if you want to understand more about usage metering with the FlexNet inventory agent: Application usage metering using the FlexNet inventory agent.

[deannag]

I viewed Raw Software Usage page and no data is populated there either.  I then view info on Raw Software Usage data and instruction say to target IPs.  This isn't feasible for our entire EUD environment.  Please advise and thank you! 

DeAnna

[ChrisG]

After looking at the question "How can the values of configuration settings be changed?" in the post I linked to in my previous response, take a look at the following comment on that post for a tip on how to configure a target that covers all devices/IP addresses in your organization: https://community.flexera.com/t5/FlexNet-Manager-Blog/Application-usage-metering-using-the-FlexNet-inventory-agent/bc-p/149432/highlight/true#M219

(I'm assuming that you have the FlexNet inventory agent deployed to your computers. If you aren't using the FlexNet inventory agent then this advice won't help.)

[kclausen]

You may also want to keep in mind where it makes sense to track software usage.

On a server, there is typically not a human interacting with the OS manually launching and closing applications that would generate useful Software Usage data.  Applications on a server are typically running as a service and are launched during system boot up and then run all of the time.

Meaningful Software Usage data is typically found on your devices running Windows Desktop, as well as your Mac computers.

[deannag]

Good reminder, thank you.  Is the "Usage" field in FNMS of no use then?  Just trying to understand, as I would like to view usage of a given product to evaluate from several different SAM perspectives. 

Again, thanks to all who have replied!

[ChrisG]

The usage field that you're looking at is only of some use if you are gathering and importing usage metering data from computers into the FlexNet Manager Suite system. If you do not have anything gathering this type of data from your computers then the field will not be useful for you.

[deannag]

Thank you Chris. What would gather that data and feed into FNMS please? 

Thank you.

[mfranz]

Hi,

Some 3rd party inventory systems can collect and provide usage data (e.g. SCCM) and, of course, the FNMS Inventory Agent.

Best regards,

Markward

[deannag]

So we replaced our SCCM with InTune.  Does it then become settings on that tool or agents?

[deannag]

In earlier responses, you assume we have FNMS and we do, along with InTune

[kclausen]

@deannag  - Then you need to target and deploy the FlexNet Manager Usage Agent to your computers by creating appropriate Targets, Actions and Rules.  There was a discussion on this topic earlier in this thread.

Unless you configured the MGSSETUP.INI during your initial installation of the agent to also install the Usage Agent, then by default the FlexNet Usage Agent is not installed.

[deannag]

Excellent.  This is the answer I was searching for.  Many thanks!

[deannag]

And this solution requires IP addresses from all our devices which seems infeasible.   If we turn on usage in mgssetup.ini, what is the next step?  

[deannag]

Can you provide or direct me where to get all the steps so we can test?   I came into the tool after deployment and pretty sure those targets, actions and rules were not identified and listing all the device details is not feasible.  We have agents on every machine and using InTune and need to reset one or both to capture usage data.   

Thank you very much for your help. 

[kclausen]

You don't need to list each individual IP Address when creating a Target.

You can create Targets using IP Subnets and also the Site Names that you have imported from Active Directory.

[deannag]

Thank you again.  Can you provide all steps required or a link to documentation providing the same and we will do our best to spare you of unnecessary pinging :).  

[kclausen · Accepted solution]

This Community Post should provide the guidance that you need.

https://community.flexera.com/t5/FlexNet-Manager-Forum/How-to-enable-Software-Metering-on-existing-FNMS-agent/td-p/104745

[deannag]

Thank you again.  Have a great day.