What are the relationships between those two fields: [Last Start] and [Last Usage Detection] in the Inv_Monthly_Summary table, and what to use when both are populated?
Article ID: 201163
Updated On:
Products
Issue/Introduction
Question 1:
What are the relationships between those two fields: [Last Start] and [Last Usage Detection] in the Inv_Monthly_Summary table, and what to use when both are populated?
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On the table below, As you can see, [Last Start] of the Reflection is stuck at Aug 17th , but the latest [Last Usage Detection] is Oct 5th.
| Last Start | Month Year | Last Usage Detection |
| 4/30/18 1:51 PM | Apr-18 | __ |
| 5/29/18 1:46 PM | May-18 | __ |
| 6/29/18 1:59 PM | Jun-18 | __ |
| 7/31/18 1:56 PM | Jul-18 | __ |
| 8/31/18 1:59 PM | Aug-18 | __ |
| 9/28/18 1:57 PM | Sep-18 | __ |
| 10/31/18 1:59 PM | Oct-18 | __ |
| 11/19/18 2:56 PM | Nov-18 | __ |
| 12/31/18 2:58 PM | Dec-18 | __ |
| 1/31/19 4:04 PM | Jan-19 | __ |
| 2/26/19 2:57 PM | Feb-19 | __ |
| 3/29/19 1:52 PM | Mar-19 | __ |
| 4/30/19 1:48 PM | Apr-19 | __ |
| 5/28/19 2:07 PM | May-19 | __ |
| 6/28/19 1:48 PM | Jun-19 | __ |
| 7/31/19 1:49 PM | Jul-19 | __ |
| 8/30/19 7:43 PM | Aug-19 | __ |
| 9/30/19 1:47 PM | Sep-19 | __ |
| 10/31/19 12:56 PM | Oct-19 | __ |
| 11/29/19 2:55 PM | Nov-19 | __ |
| 1/2/20 1:58 PM | Dec-19 | __ |
| 1/30/20 3:13 PM | Jan-20 | 2/1/20 5:20 PM |
| 2/26/20 2:53 PM | Feb-20 | 3/2/20 1:57 PM |
| 3/31/20 1:55 PM | Mar-20 | 4/1/20 1:40 PM |
| 4/30/20 1:55 PM | Apr-20 | 5/1/20 1:58 PM |
| 5/29/20 1:46 PM | May-20 | 6/1/20 1:36 PM |
| 6/30/20 2:00 PM | Jun-20 | 7/1/20 1:55 PM |
| 7/10/20 2:00 PM | Jul-20 | 8/1/20 6:45 PM |
| 8/17/20 2:28 PM | Aug-20 | 9/1/20 2:01 PM |
| 8/17/20 2:28 PM | Sep-20 | 10/1/20 2:04 PM |
| 8/17/20 2:28 PM | Oct-20 | 10/5/20 2:04 PM |
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Question 2:
Also, second related question is how the [Month Year] field is populated?
As you can see in our example, from Jan 2020 till Aug 2020 the month there is corresponding with the month in [Last Start] when two last records look totally weird.
Also, if I go with [Last Usage Detected], the last usage in Jan-20 was on 02/01/20, the last usage in Feb-20 was on 03/02/20, etc.
Environment
ITMS 8.5 RU2
Resolution
A. First of all "Inv_Monthly_Summary" table is no longer used for Software Product metering starting with Application Metering Agent 8.5 RU3.
In Application Metering Agent 8.5 RU3 and greater, "Inv_Monthly_Summary" table is populated only for executable files metered using legacy Application Metering policies.
Starting from 8.5 RU3, we simplified metering of software products and send only information related to Software Product, but not Executable files - this info is send to another table 'Inv_Product_Monthly_Summary'
B. How it worked before 8.5 RU3 release:
1) Application Metering Agent populates "Inv_Monthly_Summary" once a day, sending summary of all metered executable files, that were executed during current month.
"Last Start" is timestamp when Application Metering agent detects last start of metered process. This is one-time event that is captured and its timestamp is saved; however, it may be that started process runs for a long time(or even months), so when Application Metering Agent starts or sends monthly summary, it checks if metered process is running - if Application Metering Agent finds that metered process is running it updates [Last Usage Detection] to current timestamp.
so:
[Last Start] - is real last start time for process in current month
[Last Usage Detection] - is last time AM Agent detected that process was running
"Last Usage Detection" column was added in 8.5 RU2 release.
So, using the example table above, if "last start" stacked at 8/17/20 2:28 PM, and "Last Usage" detection is some recent date, it may be that some process started month ago and still running.
2) when "month" is changed on client side, next sending of summary data is last one for previous month. After it is sent [Month Year] is incremented and all summary data is reset, so that it will be send as new summary for next month. However it may be that month changed, but next sending of summary appears already in next month after some executable have started, so they will be send with last start date in September 2020, but with [Month Year] = August 2020
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