INTRODUCTION TO

FLEXNET MANAGER
SUITE

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Flexera IT Spend Optimization Landscape

ADD-ON ADDITIONAL STAND-ALONE

SAM SaaS
APPLICATIONS
Cloud
APPLICATIONS

Flexera SaaS Manager Optima

FlexNet Manager for
Clients

FlexNet Manager for

Data Centers

FlexNet Manager for

SAP

FlexNet Manager for

Engineering
Applications

© Flexera / Company Confidential

FlexNet Manager Cloud vs. On-Premises
On-Premises and Cloud versions share
the same code base and use the same UI
but do have subtle differences

FLEXNET MANAGER FLEXNET MANAGER

SUITE ON-PREMISES SUITE CLOUD

© Flexera / Company Confidential

 Reporting & Governance
Establish Measurable Establish Governance
Objectives & Metrics Processes
Process Purchases to Create Licenses
Collect Purchases

Process Purchases to Analyze & Optimize

Create License Position License Position

Discovery & Inventory

Install a Beacon Expand Inventory

Import Initial Inventory Install Extra Beacons

Plan & Implement

Plan Initial Set Up Accounts & Roles
Scope
Expand Scope
Implement Become Familiar & Repeat
With FlexNet Manager

Project Timeline
© Flexera / Company Confidential
 Establish Measurable Establish Governance
Objectives & Metrics Reporting & Governance Processes
Common Reports
FlexNet Analytics

Collect Purchases

Understanding Licensing Process Purchases to Analyze & Optimize

Process Purchases to Create Licenses Create License Position License Position
Optimize Licenses
Manage Contracts

Install a Beacon Expand Inventory

Import Initial Inventory Collect Inventory

Install Extra Beacons
Normalize Inventory
Rationalize Software
Application Recognition

Plan Initial Set Up Accounts & Roles

Scope
Expand Scope
Implement Become Familiar SLO Practice Guide
& Repeat
Online Help
With FlexNet Manager
Intro to FlexNet Manager
Implementation Guide

Project Timeline
© Flexera / Company Confidential
Road Map to Success
Workstreams and Milestones Covered in SLO Practice Guide

• Initial Setup • License Management

• Install FlexNet Manager (On Prem only) • Process Software Purchases
• Obtain FNMS-Cloud Logon (Cloud Only) • Process Upgrade Purchases
• Set up initial accounts & roles • Process Maintenance Purchases
• Download, Install and Configure Inventory Beacon(s)

• Import Data
• Import Inventory Data
• For External Inventory Sources
• Establish Inventory Data Connections
• For Flexera Software Inventory/Discovery
• Manage Subnets and Sites
• Create Discovery/Inventory Rules
• Import Additional Business Data
• Purchases
• Enterprise Data (Organizational Structure) • Ongoing Management
• User Data • Inventory Normalization
• Organizational Assignment • Maintain License Position
• License Analysis & Optimization

© Flexera / Company Confidential

 FNMS
ARCHITECTURE

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Cloud Component Architecture
Components of FlexNet Manager Cloud and their Communication Paths

Port 443 FLEXNET MANAGER

CLOUD

Various Ports
ADDITIONAL
INVENTORY
SOURCES http 80 (default)
or https 443
BEACONS ORACLE
Oracle Port 1521 (default) IMPORT

EDGESIGH T INVENTORY
THIRD-PART Y AGENTS
INVENTORY SQL Port 1433 (default)
ILM T TNSNAM ES .OR A
ORACLE LDAP

SQL Port 1433 (default) SQL Port 1433 (default) BUSINESS

CITRIX STAGING DATA
SERVER SOURCES
AGENTS

Pr ocu r em en t &
STAGING DB
B u sin ess Data
(PO baseline and Contract)
Enterprise Group Data HR
Details and assignment

© Flexera / Company Confidential

 FNMS Cloud Data Centers
Flexera can also provide cloud customers with a UAT environment for testing. This
UAT environment will be limited to only 1,000 inventory devices.

Fail-Over
Dublin, Ireland

Frankfurt, Germany
Fail-Over
Elk Grove, IL

Santa Clara, CA

© Flexera / Company Confidential

 https 443

On-premises Architecture INTERNET

*.FLEXERA.COM
Components of FlexNet Manager On-premises and their Communication Paths

https 443

FLEXNET
ADDITIONAL Various Ports MANAGER
INVENTORY APP/DATA
SOURCES SERVER
http 80 (default)
or https 443
BEACONS ORACLE
EDGESIGH T
Oracle Port 1521 IMPORT
(default)
THIRD-PART Y
INVENTORY INVENTORY
AGENTS
ILM T
SQL Port 1433
(default) TNSNAM ES .OR A
ORACLE LDAP

ACTIVE SQL Port 1433

DIRECTORY LDAP 389 (default) (default) BUSINESS
LDAP 636 (secured LDAP) DATA
STAGING
SOURCES

SQL Port 1433 Pr ocu r em en t &

(default) STAGING DB
CITRIX B u sin ess Data
SERVER (PO baseline and Contract)
AGENTS Enterprise Group Data HR
Details and assignment

© Flexera / Company Confidential

You can Install a Combined Application Server
• Web Application Server All three components can be combined into
one “Application Server”
NOTE
• Batch Server
• Inventory Server
Combined Application Server
Component
To Install

Web Application Server

Batch Scheduling Server

Inventory Server

Inventory Beacon
Database Server

© Flexera / Company Confidential

You can Install Separate Application Servers
Web Application Server The Reconciliation and Inventory Servers
can be combined into one “Processing
NOTE Server”

Combined Processing Server

Database Server Batch Scheduling Server

Inventory Server

Inventory Beacon
© Flexera / Company Confidential
You can Install Separate Application Servers

Web Application Server Batch Scheduling Server Inventory Server

FNMS FNMS FNMS

Component Component Component
To Install To Install To Install

Database Server Inventory Beacon

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Dispersed Beacons Cloud customers are required to have at
least one Inventory Beacon. On Premises
Customers need at least one beacon as well,
FLEXNET but it can be installed on the Application
MANAGER
Server for smaller test environments.

14
© Flexera / Company Confidential
 DATA MANAGED
IN FNMS

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Procurement vs. IT We manage 500
applications
We manage 1000
applications

PROCUREMENT IT

• Procurement Inventory
Data Sources Data Sources
– Purchase Database – Hardware Inventory
– Excel and CSV Files – Software Inventory
– Contracts – Software Usage

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Procurement vs. IT License
Entitlement
Position
PROCUREMENT IT

PURCHASE SOFTWARE
D E TA I L S USAGE

FNMS APP
SERVER

SOFTWARE
INVENTORY

CONTRACT HARDWARE
INVENTORY
D E TA I L S

Reconciliation Engine

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Procurement vs. IT
PROCUREMENT

Import Purchases

PURCHASE
D E TA I L S

FNMS APP
SERVER

CONTRACT
D E TA I L S
Import Contracts
Reconciliation Engine

© Flexera / Company Confidential

 SKU provides license
Procurement vs. IT type & application

License Expert provides

PROCUREMENT custom license configurations

PURL provides license model

SKU & product use rights
LIBRARY

LICENSE
PURCHASE EXPERT
D E TA I L S PURL
LIBRARY

FNMS APP
SERVER

CONTRACT
D E TA I L S
Reconciled
Entitlements
Reconciliation Engine

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Procurement vs. IT
PROCUREMENT IT

Software Usage

PURCHASE SOFTWARE
D E TA I L S USAGE

FNMS APP
SERVER

SOFTWARE
INVENTORY

CONTRACT HARDWARE
INVENTORY
D E TA I L S
Reconciled Software Import
Entitlements
Reconciliation Engine Hardware Import

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Procurement vs. IT
PROCUREMENT IT

PURCHASE SOFTWARE
D E TA I L S USAGE

FNMS APP
SERVER

SOFTWARE
INVENTORY

CONTRACT HARDWARE
INVENTORY
D E TA I L S
Reconciled Normalized
Entitlements Inventory
Reconciliation Engine

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Procurement vs. IT Application Recognition
Library provides normalized
software inventory across
hardware and software
PROCUREMENT usage inventory IT

ARL LIBRARY
PURCHASE SOFTWARE
D E TA I L S USAGE

FNMS APP
SERVER

SOFTWARE
INVENTORY

CONTRACT HARDWARE
INVENTORY
D E TA I L S
Reconciled Normalized
Entitlements Inventory
Reconciliation Engine

© Flexera / Company Confidential

 SKU provides license
Application Recognition Library provides
Procurement vs. IT type & application
License Expert provides
normalized software inventory across
hardware and software usage inventory
custom license configurations

PROCUREMENT PURL provides license model IT

& product use rights

SKU
LIBRARY

LICENSE ARL LIBRARY

PURCHASE EXPERT SOFTWARE
D E TA I L S PURL USAGE
LIBRARY

FNMS APP
SERVER

SOFTWARE
INVENTORY

CONTRACT HARDWARE
INVENTORY
D E TA I L S
Reconciled Normalized
Entitlements Inventory
Reconciliation Engine

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Total Reconciliation
Complete reconciliation
Import computer hardware Automated processing of results in a license entitlement
information and associated purchases to associate to position allowing you to
software evidence license entitlements achieve license compliance

HARDWARE APPLICATION PURCHASE LICENSE LICENSE

RECOGNITION RECOGNITION PROCESSING RECONCILIATION COMPLIANCE

Resolve software evidence from Resolve application installations

computers with applications with License Records to provide
license compliance position

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Measuring License Consumption

APPLIANCE LICENSE
RECOGNITION R E C O N C I L I AT I O N

11 applications installed When Use Rights are

applied results in 8 licenses
consumed

Right of multiple use Right of 2nd use

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Sample Data Points Used in Reconciliation
KEY LICENSE CONFIGURATION OPTIONS APPLICATION RECOGNITION/
• Applications Assigned to the license KEY SOFTWARE INVENTORY DATA
• License Type or license metric • MSI Installer evidence
• License Scope • Add/Remove installer evidence
• Purchase data associated with a License (it will consume a • File evidence
license with purchases over one without) • WMI evidence
• Vendor Specific info (Named User counts on Oracle named • Registry evidence
user for example) • Usage data (Citrix info for example)
• Exemption Reasons on License

KEY HARDWARE INVENTORY DATA

MULTIPLE LICENSES AGAINST MULTIPLE APPLICATIONS • Processor information
• License Priority (system default priority between license types) • Chassis type
• Application Priority (on the license tab of the application) • Virtual machine associations and info
• License Allocation • User associated with the computer
• License in Group Breach Assignment

ORGANIZATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS
LICENSE RULES/PRODUCT USAGE RIGHTS • User assigned to systems
• Right of second use • Calculated User Changes with no Assigned User
• Right of Multiple Use • Enterprise group associated to computers/users
• Virtual Rights
• Downgrade Rights
• Upgrade Rights
KEY ASSET CONFIGURATION DATA
• Ignored Computers
• Asset Status

© Flexera / Company Confidential

What Are We Managing

FlexNet Manager
Suite provides a
Repository and
Interface

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Business Process,
• Data Entry Affects Data Output
Data & Tools Integration

1 DEFINE BUSINESS
OUTCOMES
Contract License Audits Re-harvest Compliancy Payment Usage
Renewals Entitlements Schedules Analysis

ARL

2 IDENTIFY DATA
SOURCES Purchases Organization Citrix SCCM ILMT Flexera
PURL
SKU
Contracts Text Files

FlexNet Manager Suite

3 IDENTIFY BUSINESS
PROCESS GAPS
Acquisition Deployment Break Fix Retirement

© Flexera / Company Confidential

 A License Position Starts with Purchase & Contracts

PURCHASE

CONTRACT

PURCHASE

© Flexera / Company Confidential

 GOOD PRACTICE

If a purchase represents a purchase under a contract,

it’s best to create the contract when the purchases are
imported and link the purchase to the contract.

© Flexera / Company Confidential

 A License Position Starts with Purchase & Contracts

PURCHASE

CONTRACT

PURCHASE

LICENSE
ENTITLEMENT

# PURCHASED
PUR

PUR

PUR

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Records in FNMS – Licenses Consumed

PURCHASE

CONTRACT

PURCHASE

# CONSUMED
LICENSE
ENTITLEMENT
Inventory
# PURCHASED
PUR Application Inventory

PUR Application Inventory

PUR Application Inventory

# I N S TA L L E D

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Different Roles for Different Data & Disciplines

SOFTWARE
CONTRACT

USERS
Application
Recognition
Library
PUR
PUR

LICENSE EVIDENCE INVENTORY HARDWARE

ASSET

Product
Use Rights
Library
PUR
PUR
PURCHASES HARDWARE
Purchases CONTRACT

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Your Team

PROJECT& SOFTWARE
PORTFOLIO ASSET
MANAGEMENT MANAGEMENT

IT FINANCIAL
SECURITY MANAGEMENT PROCUREMENT

ENTERPRISE IT SERVICE
ARCHITECTURE MANAGEMENT

© Flexera / Company Confidential

 KEY RESOURCES
IN FNMS

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Online Help
• Content organized by table of
contents
• Search capabilities via the Index
• Additional documentation in PDFs

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Flexera Product Documentation
• Our full library of PDF documents
for a majority of our products
• Links to publically accessible
versions of our Online Help
http://docs.flexera.com

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Flexera Community Resources
• Flexera Community Logon
• FlexNet Manager Community Forum
• Learning Center Paths
• Knowledge Base
• Access to Support

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Key Implementation Documents
• R E L E A S E N O T E S I N S TA L L AT I O N D O C U M E N T S
• English • Enterprise Product Integration
• French • Installing FlexNet Manager Suite
• German • Migrating FlexNet Manager Suite on Premises
• Japanese
• Upgrading FlexNet Manager Suite on Premises
•
P R O D U C T D O C U M E N TAT I O N
• FlexNet Manager Suite Adapters Reference
• FlexNet Manager Suite Schema Reference
• FlexNet Manager Suite System Reference
• Gathering FlexNet Inventory
• Non-Commercial Software Disclosures
• Using FlexNet Business Importer

© Flexera / Company Confidential

System Reference
• Adding Custom Properties
• Inventory Beacon Credentials for Other Computers
• Customizing Dashboard for FlexNet Manager Suite
• Importing Inventory via Spreadsheets and CSV
• Sub-Capacity Licensing with IBM PVU
• Introduction to Client Access License
• Introduction to Microsoft Office 365
• Oracle Discovery and Inventory
• Server Scheduling
• The Inventory Adapter Studio
• The Business Adapter Studio
• Flexera Analytics
• Authentication
• Overview of Inventory Export Tool

© Flexera / Company Confidential

Gathering FlexNet Inventory
• Understanding What, Where, How and Why
• Adopted: Details
• Agent third-party deployment: Details
• Zero footprint: Details
• FlexNet Inventory Scanner: Details
• Core deployment: Details
• Common: Details
• Command Lines
• Preferences
• File Formats

© Flexera / Company Confidential

 Learning Center
Learning with a Purpose

• Searchable
• By Course Level
• By Product
• By Role
• Short targeted demos
• Quizzes to test your knowledge
• Downloadable PDFs

© Flexera / Company Confidential