Why does SIM and Licensing web part in Symantec Management Console show two Symantec ServiceDesk Solution licenses?

Products

• ServiceDesk

Issue/Introduction

 

Resolution

In both Symantec Installation Manager and in Licencing webpart in Symantec Management Console there are two ServiceDesk Solution licenses listed, possibly with one being expired.

Note the double entries on this example screenshot:

 

Let us start with what kind of licenses are there and how they work on technical side.

Looking from ServiceDesk (or Workflow, if you will, as the licensing is actually Workflow functionality) side, there are two kinds of ServiceDesk licenses:

1. Application License: 'General License Availability' in License Status Manager. Defines that ServiceDesk is licensed and can be used.
2. User Licenses: 'License Count' in License Status Manager. Defines the number of licensed users in ServiceDesk.

Looking from SMP side, there are again two kinds of ServiceDesk licenses, but this time different two:

1. ServiceDesk Solution License: Contains Application License plus a few user Licenses. The number of user licenses that can be included in this one is limited. This license is required as this enables ServiceDesk functionality in the first place (See: Application license above).
2. ServiceDesk Technician License: Additional user licenses that could not be provided within the Solution License. These are not required and are used only if you have additional user licenses purchased. Unless you have bought licenses for this extra amount of users, you should not have any of these.

There is an unfortunate issue with the name being displayed - In SMP (and SIM), both licenses are titled ServiceDesk / Symantec ServiceDesk Solution. In most cases there are no technical issues with licensing, simply confusion due to naming. Usually the license showing Expired is ServiceDesk Technician License that is not required.

To make sure that licensing for ServiceDesk is correct on SMP side, you can use the RemoveLicenses SMP tool (that displays the full names for licenses) for ServiceDesk Core License being installed and not expired. Having ServiceDesk Technician License not listed at all in RemoveLicenses tool or listed as expired will not cause any functional issues. It gets listed in SIM and web part because a short built-in trial license is applied at install and because this is not a usual license, it cannot be removed.

For more details on Licence Removal Tool or troubleshooting technical issues with Licenses, please check the Related Articles.