License Reporting
Manual Licenses
The first method for managing software licenses is to manually create the query to search inventory. You select New License from the toolbar and give it a name. Then you set the license expression to be based on managing an application or a font. You can choose to manage items installed in all three of the operating systems FileWave supports from a "computer" point of view. (Android, due to its FileWave client, is managed as a hybrid between computer and mobile. Next, you create the inventory search; e.g. the Chrome browser.
Now, gather a count of the licenses you have. This can be done by entering purchase order information, or just using whatever accounting method you have to create a pseudo-purchase order. You can enter multiple license purchases here. It will give you an accounting history as well as let you manage multiple licenses in one location.
Then add a trigger value to warn when you are running out of licenses.
That will complete our license query. Looking at the result in the License Management pane yields:
When you double-click on the license, you will see the details of the query displayed. The window will actually display a significant amount of information about your search results, including detailed device info.
Font Licenses
Many institutions or departments have purchased commercial fonts for use in their design, graphics, or marketing Groups. FileWave provides you with the ability to track and manage the use of license fonts. The workflow for setting up a font license is roughly the same as that for applications. First, you create and name the license; but this time, designate the expressions based on "font."
As with application licenses, when your licenses are in compliance, you will see a green "jelly" in the main License Management window. When you have crossed the watermark trigger point, the "jelly" turns yellow. Finally, when you are out of compliance, you will see red.
Creating Licenses from Filesets
Since the FileWave Client can deep scan your Client systems, it can find any file that meets the criteria you wish to be aware of. This functionality also exists in the primary Inventory pane in FileWave Admin; but the License Management section allows you to tag the query with the watermark triggers.
For example, you might have purchased or just deployed a few systems running an application that is being tested for later widespread deployment. You want to keep an eye on that application to make sure unauthorized copies of it don't leak out. Since you created a Fileset for the application to deploy it, you can easily create a license to track it.
Instead of having to create any criteria for locating the applications, FileWave uses the Fileset definition. At the same time, it will key in on any copies of that specific package, should it show up on more devices than specified.