FlexNet Manager Platform

Discovery and Inventory

FlexNet Manager Platform automates discovery and inventory of software and hardware assets in the enterprise across a wide range of platforms, including Windows, Windows Server, Linux, UNIX and MAC OS, from desktops to datacenter servers. It also offers discovery and inventory of virtual servers for VMware vSphere, ESX and Microsoft Hyper-V environments. The Platform integrates with third party configuration management and inventory tools to allow importing of inventory data from your existing systems, leveraging your prior investments. Out-of-the-box support for SCCM 2012 and Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync allows the importing of mobile device inventory data for hardware asset management of these devices. It consolidates multiple sources of inventory data to achieve the highest possible coverage across your IT environment.

FlexNet Manager Platform provides out-of-the-box Integration with:

Other available inventory adapters include Blackberry Server, CA Inventory, Casper, LANDesk, SoftGrid and uCMDB. For inventory systems without an adapter, the Platform includes the Inventory Adapter Studio, a graphical design tool that enables new adapters to be easily created.

FlexNet Manager Platform is also integrated with Flexera Software App Portal our enterprise application store product. This brings together the software request and approval processes, with license availability check in the Platform, to proactively maintain license compliance and avoid over-spending on software. (To learn more, see App Portal Integration on the Features page).

Automated License Reconciliation and Software License Compliance

With its Application Recognition and Stock Keeping Unit (SKU) libraries, and support for many complex license models, FlexNet Manager Platform automates the identification of software titles, versions and editions, and accurately reconciles software inventory and purchases. Purchase order processing is fully automated such that imported purchase orders ('POs') can update existing licenses or generate new licenses in the asset management repository, as necessary, without any operator interaction. It uses the SKU library or relationships between existing licenses and POs in the repository to automate the process.

The Platform also delivers robust contract management capabilities including document management, email alerts and contract scoping. Its common Dashboard provides comprehensive reporting capabilities that allow users to identify and evaluate areas of license compliance concern and make informed decisions to reduce software license and maintenance costs. The FlexNet Manager Platform allows organizations to quickly achieve Level 3—Continuous License Compliance, in the Software License Optimization Maturity Model.

Oracle Discovery, Inventory & License Management

The Platform incorporates discovery, inventory and license management capabilities for Oracle database products. Oracle deployment and usage information from FlexNet Manager Platform has been verified by Oracle as being "detailed and accurate", and will be accepted by Oracle License Management Services (LMS) during a license audit.

The Platform has extensive support for complex license models, including Oracle's processor-core and named user plus (NUP) models. It automatically calculates the core factor points for Oracle processor licenses based on the hardware inventory data, and calculates NUP user minimums per core. The Platform also discovers and identifies a number of BEA Systems products (BEA was acquired by Oracle), including WebLogic and Tuxedo.

'What If' Analysis

The FlexNet Manager Platform provides industry-first 'What If' Analysis capabilities that allow organizations to see the impact of hardware and software changes on their license position, before the changes are actually made. This simulation capability supports Oracle Processor, IBM PVU (in conjunction with FlexNet Manager for IBM), and Microsoft Server Processor and Microsoft Server Core (in conjunction with FlexNet Manager for Microsoft) licenses, as well as the general purpose Processor Points and Core Points licenses. Actions such as modifying hardware properties, moving virtual machines across hosts or installation of a new software title can be simulated, providing an estimated license position and financial impact that reflects these changes. This 'What If' analysis capability allows organizations to proactively maintain license compliance, reducing software cost and license liability risk in today's dynamic IT environments.

Integration with Existing IT Systems

The Platform seamlessly integrates with many other Inventory, Procurement, Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) and Human Resources systems to collect the necessary inventory, purchase order, user, computer and organizational data. It provides out-of-the-box integration with Microsoft System Center Configuration Manager (SCCM) for inventory and application usage (metering) data, for example.

FlexNet Manager Platform is the foundation of the FlexNet Manager Suite for Enterprises used by hundreds of enterprises to gain control of and optimize spend across their hardware and software estate.