Combining software products of different versions or names into one software product

Products

• Asset Management Solution
• Inventory Solution for Network Devices
• Software Management Solution

Issue/Introduction

 Can software products of different versions or names be combined into one software product?

Environment

ITMS 7.x, 8.x

Resolution

There is no simple out of box method for software products to include different versions or names into one software product. This can be accomplished, however, by manually "grouping" multiple versions or names through detection rules defined in a single software product. The following instructions demonstrate how to do this. Note: These instructions are not all inclusive and assume that the customer is familiar with how to use and manage the Software Catalog, detection rules and run policies.
 

1. In the Symantec Management Platform Console, click on Manage > Software Catalog.
2. Click on the Add button > Software Release.
3. Enter a name for the new software release, such as Microsoft SQL Server 2012 - Applicable Versions.
4. Click on the Rules tab.
5. Click on the New button for the Detection rule.
6. Enter a name the rule.
7. Add logic (which is not further elaborated in this article) for all applicable versions, for example:
   
   SQL Server 2012 R2 OR SQL Server 2016 OR SQL Server 2022 (etc.)
    
8. Create a Targeted Software Inventory policy that includes the above software that applies to a target, such as All Windows Servers.
9. Make the new software release a managed software product in the Software Catalog.
10. Continue managing the new software release as any other software product is.
11. If Asset Management is used for license compliancy, associate the new software release in a Master Lease Agreement. Once the association is made, it will appear then as a single line item with a summed total that represents all versions that were inventoried. Normally a license only works with a single software product, but this process enables it to work with "groups" of products.

Related Articles

Software Licensing reports don't differentiate between paid and free software versions
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=TECH224788

How to use Asset Management's Software Product License Compliance
http://www.symantec.com/business/support/index?page=content&id=HOWTO95003