This glossary lists terms that are specific to License Statistics and license usage monitoring.
Query Interval - value used to determine how often Monitored License Server should be asked for data about Features usage.
| Borrow | A type of license usage that allows a user to use a network license without being connected to the license server. Borrowing is commonly used in cases such as taking a laptop computer home for the weekend or for traveling off-site, giving a user access to the software when a connection to the network is not possible. |
| Client application | A software program that requests or receives a license from a license server. |
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| Configuration file | The License Statistics configuration file, xflicstat.cfg, which specifies settings such as License Statistics output file paths, update intervals, and the host server information of the applications for which License Statistics will gather statistics. |
| Denial | The denial of a request for a license. |
| Host | The computer on which a user is accessing a license. |
| Feature | The definition of any functionality of an application that is licensed. A feature has a name and one or more versions and license types. The definition of a feature depends on how the software vendor distributes an application, but might include (for example):
The parts of a feature are as follows:
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| Feature name | The name of a software feature; for example, Windows. |
| Floating license | A license that runs an application for users on a network. A license server is required to manage a floating license. With this type of license, the number of concurrent users is counted, with the licensed application usable by only a specified number of users at any time. Also referred to as network license or shared license. |
| Feature version | The version of a feature; for example, for Windows, versions include XP, Vista, 7, 8 and so on. |
| Gathering Type | The type of data collection for a license server in License Statistics, which determines the license server type (Realtime or Imported) |
| Imported license server | A license server that is being monitored using existing data in one or more license server logs. |
| Importing | Gathering information from a license server log file about license usage details. |
| Node-locked license | A license that runs on a single specific machine, as opposed to being on a network. Node-locked licenses do not require a license server because they are uncounted. |
| Log file | One or more ASCII text files written by a license server. Log files contain information that can be imported into License Statistics and used to track license usage. (See Imported license server.) |
| License file | A text file shipped to an end user, which provides one or more features. |
| License manager | A solution that provides the ability to manage licenses. (See also license server.) |
| License request | A request made by a user to obtain a license for particular application. |
| License server | A license server is defined as a software application hosting licenses for a single software vendor (e.g. vendor daemon), and not a physical machine. A license server is required to manage a floating license. |
| License server group | Two or more license servers that are treated as one by License Statistics. |
| License type | The type of licensing used for a feature, which can be floating, node-locked, or token. |
| Linux system | Refers to Linux, Solaris, HP-UX, AIX, Mac OS X and FreeBSD platforms. |
| Monitored License Server | Realtime license server that is being monitored by License Statistics. |
| Monitoring | Gathering realtime information from a particular license manager about license usage details. |
| Query Interval | A value (number of minutes) specified for how often License Statistics will gather feature usage data for a monitored license server. |
| Realtime license server | A license server that is being monitored at specified intervals to gather data about usage as it occurs. |
| Software | An application. |
| Token license | A license whose usage is calculated using tokens instead of an actual number of licenses. |
| Usage | Refers to the use of a license, which means that the license is taken from a pool of available licenses. |
| User | An application or person that requests a license. |
| Vendor | The developer/distributor of a software application using a particular license manager. |
| Windows system | Refers to Win32 or Win64 platform. |
Diagrams
A feature and its parts
This diagram shows a software feature and its parts. A feature consists of a name and has one or more versions and types associated with it.
Example of a feature and its parts
This diagram shows an example of a software feature and its parts. This feature has three different versions of the software (Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7), which each have one or more types of licensing (floating, node-locked, or token).
Example of a feature on license servers
This diagram depicts a feature being hosted by a license server. This feature has two versions (Windows Vista and Windows 7), each with one or more types that run on one or more license servers.
User on Hosts report
This diagram shows how License Statistics gathers information for the User Using Feature report. A user can use a feature on more than one host, and a host can be used by more than one user.
User Using Feature report
This diagram shows how License Statistics gathers information for the User Using Feature report. As shown in this diagram, a user can use a feature on more than one host, each getting their license from the same license server.
