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Analyzer simplifies licensing chores

The ScanWorks Hosted License Server was developed to ensure the agility and efficient deployment of ScanWorks capabilities across far flung operations. (For a recent Connect article on how Nortel Networks is capitalizing on the Hosted License Server, click here.) A new feature of the hosted license server service, the Activity Analyzer, automatically monitors and compiles a concise and informative report on how ScanWorks licenses are deployed anywhere in the world. The report is provided to users of the service every quarter.

So, for example, the organization’s ScanWorks manager or administrator would be well aware of usage patterns long before a contract manufacturer in Asia might be denied access to ScanWorks’ debugging capabilities because there was a limited number of licenses available on the server. From the information provided by the Hosted License Server’s Activity Analyzer, the person responsible for deploying ScanWorks capabilities could see that the combination of licenses available on the server might be better optimized to meet the needs of the entire operation.

Shown below is a sample report from the Activity Analyzer. The Analyzer extracts detailed data from the server’s logs and codifies this into a cogent and informative report. In the case of the report below, a user (number 48) at a factory (number 2) has accessed several ScanWorks licenses over the course of the report’s quarterly time period, including debug (DBUG), pin-level diagnostics (IPLD), in-system programming of logic devices (PLDP) and others. Information on the frequency of a particular license’s usage, total duration of usage and average duration of each individual usage is provided. From this information, usage patterns begin to emerge.

In addition, the Analyzer reports when a user requests access to a license and the request is denied, for whatever reason. In the report below, for instance, user 48 was denied access to an Interconnect Test Development license (INTC) because he or she was not designated when the Hosted License Server was configured as a test developer. Towards the bottom on the sample report, developer number 4 was denied access to a debug license because all of the debug licenses available on the server were currently deployed.

This type of information from the Activity Analyzer not only helps the manager fine-tine the configuration and contents of the Hosted License Server, but, more importantly, it helps the organization optimize its access to ScanWorks capabilities to ensure efficient operations throughout the organization’s network of internal and external facilities, service providers and suppliers.

Sample Report:

Summary of license usage between 10/1/2007 and 11/30/2007 inclusive:

user_48@factory_2
• DBUG was checked out a total of 152 times.
  • - total time checked out was 41 hrs, 54 mins, and 3 secs.
  • - average time for each checkout was 0 hrs, 16 mins, and 32 secs.
• IPLD was checked out a total of 51 times.
  • - total time checked out was 16 hrs, 33 mins, and 56 secs.
  • - average time for each checkout was 0 hrs, 19 mins, and 29 secs.
• PLDP was checked out a total of 3 times.
  • - total time checked out was 0 hrs, 52 mins, and 13 secs.
  • - average time for each checkout was 0 hrs, 17 mins, and 24 secs.
• GRHI was checked out a total of 1 times.
  • - total time checked out was 0 hrs, 1 mins, and 43 secs.
  • - average time for each checkout was 0 hrs, 1 mins, and 43 secs.
• INTC was denied 1 times.
  • (User/host not on INCLUDE list for feature (-39,349))

developer_03@HQ_bldg_3
• DBUG was checked out a total of 12 times.
  • - total time checked out was 3 hrs, 36 mins, and 8 secs.
  • - average time for each checkout was 0 hrs, 18 mins, and 1 secs.
• INTC was checked out a total of 3 times.
  • - total time checked out was 0 hrs, 10 mins, and 51 secs.
  • - average time for each checkout was 0 hrs, 3 mins, and 37 secs.

developer_02@HQ_bldg_3
• DBUG was checked out a total of 3 times.
  • - total time checked out was 0 hrs, 3 mins, and 39 secs.
  • - average time for each checkout was 0 hrs, 1 mins, and 13 secs.

developer_04@HQ_bldg_3
• DBUG was checked out a total of 2 times.
  • - total time checked out was 0 hrs, 4 mins, and 51 secs.
  • - average time for each checkout was 0 hrs, 2 mins, and 26 secs.
  • access was denied to DBUG 1 times. (Checkout exceeds MAX specified in options file (-87,353))

user_37@factory_3
• DBUG was denied 1 times.
  • (User/host not on INCLUDE list for feature (-39,349))