SAM tool
Software Asset Management (SAM) Framework Overview

SAM Framework

Effective SAM programs feature the following characteristics:

  1. People
    • SAM​ governance works through existing groups and committees, which constitute the Leadership Team, oversee the program at a high level, and facilitate its adoption to other business units. Some of these groups and committees include the Buyer’s Council, Technology Council, and Steering Committee.
    • The Core Team ​primarily consists of the SAM team, who is responsible for Software Purchase and Software Deployment, as well as individuals from each business unit who help with compliance resolution and other tasks.
    • Procurement ​plays an important role in the purchasing of new software licenses, software redeployment, and contract management. It is a vital member of the Core Team.
    • The Support Team ​reinforces the SAM program and software lifecycle by offering data and process support.
  2. Process
    • Standardized, enterprise-wide integrated functions.
    • Standardized asset lifecycle processes.
    • Invoice verification (more than Purchase Order validation).
    • IT & SAM toolkit: Contract checklists, templates (e.g., business case), procedure/policy manual.
    • Usage monitoring and analysis to avoid over/under buying.
    • Product rationalization and replacement strategies.
  3. Technology
    • The SAM Tool automates operational tasks, such as deployment and discovery, and asset lifecycle workflow.

SAM Tool

SAM tools are software programs that facilitate the software licensing process. They offer inventory and discovery services, monitoring accounts for both passive and active use, usage statistics, datacenter management, and virtual environment management.

Key Features of SAM Tool:

  • Contract Management.
  • Software Inventory.
  • Compliance Reporting.

SAM Tool Features

  1. Entitlements & Contracts:
    • Metadata upload: ​Populate the tool’s standard templates with entitlement data and upload everything at once into the tool.
    • Manual data upload:​ Manually register each entitlement into the tool.
    • Publisher specific upload: Upload the license overviews that the publisher provided. The Microsoft License Statement (MLS) is a good example. It assesses the information in the MLS and creates Microsoft purchase/license records in the tool.
  2. Hardware Discovery:
    Hardware Discovery finds all of the devices/Servers connected to the network such as Window PCs and laptops, as well as Linux, Unix servers and other platforms. It guarantees that there are no blind spots in the network.
  3. Software Inventory
    Software Inventory gathers and reports information about the software installed on the discovered hardware. This only happens when the device is found. The information that is collected and inventoried refers to the device’s configuration (class, make, model, memory, disk, processor etc.), the individual using it, its location, and what software it has.
    Software Inventory Types:
    • Agent Based – Agent based inventory tools are installed on the discovered devices. The information that is collected and stored in the software library/database is normalized and standardized, and then reported to you in the user interface (UI) view.
    • Agentless Inventory Scan Feature – Agentless solutions are not required to be installed on the devices. They gather information from the devices remotely as long as the devices are IP addressable. That information is then processed and reported in the UI view.
    • Third-Party Inventory Sources – Third-party agents import data from systems that were previously installed on the devices, such as SCCM and LanDesk. The collected information typically must be normalized in various ways, mapped to the data fields within the SAM’s tool database, and then reported to you in the UI.
  4. Normalization
    Normalization uses the information stored in the software library and classifies the every software evidence as freeware or a commercial software product, edition, or version.
  5. Software Recognition Libraries
    Software Recognition Libraries contain information about publishers, products, versions, editions, metrics, metric definitions, usage rights, recognition rules, etc. All discovered applications are normalized according to the information in the library. Additionally, registered license records in the SAM tool are mapped with an existing product and its associated usage rights and conditions, which are also contained in the library.
  6. Compliance Reporting
    SAM tools automatically produce software compliance reports for the majority of the desktop products after hardware and software discovery are finished. A metric recognized by the tool licenses most of your products as well.

Disclaimer: The information is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. The use or reliance of any information contained on this site is solely at your own risk. ​All information has been provided in good faith, however we make no representation or warranty of any kind, express or implied, regarding the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of any information, as the information provided does not contain software licensing advice.

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