SKU automation thinks Microsoft E5 SKU is related to IBM SKU

[jq3i4h9u]

We currently have a Microsoft E3 license that was built by SKU automation via AAA-10756. This license configuration has worked well for us. It's Named User, subscription, and properly formed.

We are upgrading to E5 subscriptions; those new purchases are sitting in Unprocessed. They have a clean SKU. AAD-33196

The SKU is correctly cataloged as an E5 step-up from E3.

When we process, the wizard suggests that we upgrade an IBM Security Guardium Standard Activity Monitor for Databases PVU license- which itself was built with SKU automation via D0TIHLL/E0ELTLL.

Obviously, I don't want to do that. So I try to search for the E3 license I want to upgrade manually. But the wizard won't give it to me in the search results.

Confusing.

[ChrisG]

It sounds like somehow the system has some data in there which makes it think that the IBM license may be related in some way to the Microsoft SKU, but you should be able to simply ignore that suggestion without any ill effect.

The core question for your situation seems to be why you can choose the E3 license to be upgraded. A possible reason for that is that the quantity on the upgrade purchase record (that is, the purchase record with SKU AAD-33196) is greater than the currently licensed quantity on the E3 license. A purchase can't upgrade an existing license with a smaller quantity than the upgrade quantity.

[jq3i4h9u]

Thanks Chris. Agreed on your summary. The quantities between the two match exactly, however.

Our current E3 license is made up of a number of smaller quantity purchases. But in total, the total number of entitlements when added up equal the total qty in the E5 step up purchase line items.

Since the quantities match, I'm still confused. 

What I did notice was that the ARL describes the E5 sku as the following:
"Microsoft Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5 Step Up from Secure Productive Enterprise E3 multilanguage 1 Month Subscription-VolumeLicense Enterprise Agreement (per User) (Unified)"

We've never heard of this "Secure Productive Enterprise" E3 license type. Our current E3 is SKU AAA-10756 which seems to be described as a standard E3 license, not this "Secure Productive" edition. Could this be the disconnect?

[ChrisG]

I'm not entirely sure if there is a way to check this in the Flexera One UI (i.e. without reaching out to Flexera Support to check), but I wonder whether different application bundles are associated in the Product Use Rights Library with the base SKU (AAA-10756) and the upgrade SKU (AAD-33196), and whether that might stop the system from recommending the upgrade you want to do.

Does anybody else have thoughts?