IBM BigFix Inventory: Content Release: Application Update 9.2.7 published 2017-03-28

Product:
IBM BigFix Inventory application update 9.2.7

Features:
This update contains features that extend software discovery and enhance license reporting as well as facilitate software classification to help you manage and reduce software costs. The key features include:

  • Enhanced reporting of the Microsoft Software Assurance licensing model with focus on Microsoft SQL Server
    The All Metrics report is extended with information about the utilization of core-based metrics for Microsoft SQL Server. The feature is supported for Microsoft SQL Server 2012, 2014, and 2016 (Standard and Enterprise edition) on condition that the product is licensed according to the Microsoft Software Assurance licensing model. Physical and virtual core-based licensing is supported.
    Benefits: You can calculate the demand for Microsoft SQL Server licenses.

  • Reporting license utilization of VMware vCenter and vSphere
    The Resource Utilization report is extended to support reporting of license utilization for VMware vCenter and vSphere products deployed in your infrastructure.
    Benefits: It is now easier to manage and control license demand for VMware.

  • Enhanced discovery of SAP components and products
    This is the first step in expanding the capability to support the SAP portfolio. Discovery of SAP products and business application components is extended to support SAP NetWeaver 7.x. The discovery is supported on Linux and AIX.
    Benefits: Enhanced visibility and detailed inventory of SAP components installed on Linux and AIX.

  • Stand-alone scanner for monitoring isolated computers
    If some of your Windows or Linux computers cannot be managed from a central location due to security reasons, you can discover software and hardware inventory by using disconnected scans. Scan results are placed in files that can be later on used to import the collected data to the BigFix Inventory or License Metric Tool server.
    Benefits: You can collect software and hardware inventory data from computers that cannot have the BigFixclient installed.

  • New management of software classification across vendors and enhancements of the related panels
    A new Software Classification panel is added to improve user experience and provide more flexibility in managing the software inventory and relationships between components and licensable products.
    The panel allows for assigning products to specific license metrics. It also allows for creating software classification rules based on predefined filtering criteria that are later on used to automate software classification tasks.
    NOTE: The existing IBM Software Classification panel continues to be available but is planned to be deprecated and fully substituted by the new Software Classification panel.

  • Additionally, the Software Catalog report is enhanced to allow adding part numbers (for IBM products) or SKUs (for non-IBM products) to the product in the catalog on top of information that is already available. For IBM products, these additional part numbers are matched against the part numbers that you obtain from Passport Advantage to improve the accuracy of automated bundling. You can check which of your uploaded part numbers were matched against the catalog part numbers or additional part numbers on the Software Catalog report.
    Benefits: You can easily manage relations between discovered components and licensable products to ensure that your software inventory reflects your actual purchases.

  • Overall enhanced reporting of IBM products
    The All Metrics report is extended to aggregate license utilization of IBM products licensed based on the number of installed instances regardless of whether the instances are installed on one or many computers.
    Benefits: You can see the current number of installed product instances and view how that number changed over time. You can also set a threshold to easily monitor when the number of installed instances exceeds your expectations.

  • The All Metrics report also shows all IBM products with related license metric. For products that went through the license management readiness with ILMT, you can see the utilization of the metric.
    Benefits: You can see all IBM products with related license metric information and verify whether you have the required licenses.

  • Discovery of new components from Microsoft, SAP, and Oracle
    The software catalog is extended to discover a number of new components from Microsoft, SAP, and Oracle. To discover the components, ensure that you upload the software catalog published in March 2017, and upgrade BigFix Inventory to version 9.2.7.

Published site:
IBM BigFix Inventory - version 86.

Action to take:

  • To learn how to get the application update and deploy it as well as to view the full list of new features and APARs that were fixed in this application update, see the following link: http://ibm.biz/bfi_update_927

  • During the upgrade, new versions of the software catalog and PVU table are uploaded. The versions that are uploaded are the newest ones that were available during the release of the application update to which you are upgrading.

BigFix Inventory Team