Implementing Software Normalization in ITMS 8.x

Products

• IT Management Suite

Issue/Introduction

Administrators frequently encounter "messy" software inventory data where the same application is reported with multiple variations of names, versions, or publishers (e.g., "Adobe Systems," "Adobe Inc.," and "Adobe"). This inconsistency makes license compliance and reporting difficult.

Software Normalization is the process of standardizing this discovered software data against a definitive library to ensure consistency. This article clarifies how this is achieved within ITMS (IT Management Suite) 8.7.x and 8.8.

Environment

ITMS 8.7.x, 8.8.x

Cause

In ITMS 8.8 (or earlier), while there is no "one-click" automated normalization engine or centralized, cloud-synced "Normalization Map" (like those found in dedicated Asset Management tools), ITMS provides a robust foundational framework for normalization.

By grouping discovered software components into "Software Products," ITMS effectively normalizes disparate inventory entries into a single manageable entity for reporting and licensing. Normalization in ITMS is a functional process performed by the administrator rather than an automated background service.

Raw vs. Normalized Data

The discrepancy in software naming convention stems from how data is collected and stored:

• Raw Data: Collected directly from "Add/Remove Programs," file headers, or registry keys. This data is often inconsistent because different software versions or installers use different metadata strings.

• Normalized Data: Created only when an administrator uses the ITMS framework to associate multiple "Software Components" with a single, standardized "Software Product."

Resolution

1. The ITMS Normalization Framework

ITMS uses a framework-based approach. Instead of attempting to cover every possible application globally, it allows customers to focus on the applications that matter most from a licensing or cost perspective.

Concept	Description
Software Component	The "Raw" data entry discovered on an endpoint (e.g., Adobe Acrobat v11.1).
Software Product	The "Normalized" container created by the admin (e.g., Adobe Acrobat).
Identification Rules	Logic used to automatically associate new components with a Product.

2. Implementation Steps (Manual Normalization)

To normalize your software data, follow these steps to consolidate raw entries into a managed product. Note that depending on your view, "Unmanaged" or "Undefined" software represents your raw, unnormalized data.

Step A: Identify Raw Data

1. On the SMP Console, navigate to Manage > Software.

2. Expand Software Catalog.

3. Click on Undefined Software (or Unmanaged Software) to view the list of discovered components that haven't been normalized yet. You can use "Notepad" or "Adobe" as example.
   
   

4. Identify the variations of the application you wish to normalize.

Step B: Manage the Software Resource

1. Right-click the desired software component in the results list.

2. Select Actions > Edit Software Resource. 
   
   

3. In the Software Resource window, ensure the Name, Company, and Version are correct.

4. Click OK

5. n the right-hand Software Component Summary pane, click the Manage this software button. to move it from "Undefined" to the "Managed" catalog.

6. In the "Manage Software Component" dialog, select Create new product for this software component (or associate it with an existing one) and click Next.
   
   

7. Complete the Define Product Properties window by entering your standardized Name and Company, then click Next.
   
   
   

8. If everything is OK, click on Create. 
   
   

9. Now this Software Product is "Managed"
   
   

Step C: Consolidate into a Software Product
To consolidate other variations into the same standardized product:

1. Navigate to Manage > Software > All Software > All Software Products.
2. Select your newly created product in the results list. 
3. In the right-hand pane, click the Product Summary dropdown arrow and select Inventory.
   
   
   
   
4. In the Inventory view, you will see fields for Software name, Company, and Version
   
   
   
   

5. To normalize multiple variations, use wildcards (*) in these fields.

   • Example: Changing the Company from "Adobe Systems" to "Adobe*" will normalize all components where the publisher starts with "Adobe" into this one product.

6. Review the list of "Matches Criteria" at the bottom to ensure the correct components are being captured.

7. Click Save changes to finalize the normalization grouping.

3. Important Position Clarification

• Not a Full SAM Solution: ITMS is not designed to be a full Software Asset Management (SAM) solution like Snow or Flexera. It does not provide vendor-maintained, out-of-the-box normalization across all applications.

• Selective Normalization: Organizations should use ITMS to normalize data selectively for high-priority applications.

• Flexible Frameworks: The platform is built around flexible frameworks, allowing customers to define which data and applications matter most, rather than providing universal, vendor-maintained software normalization.

• Patch Management: While Patch Management includes predefined detection logic, this is limited to patch applicability and is not a replacement for a full normalization solution.

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Verification

To confirm normalization is successful:

1. Navigate to Reports > All Reports > Discovery and Inventory > Inventory > Windows > Software/Applications > Software > Installed Software or Installed Software by Computer.

2. The report should now show the consolidated count of installations under your single, standardized Software Product name rather than multiple fragmented entries.