Importing data
Before you can use the tools and features of License Optimizer, you need to input all your relevant data. You typically import this data from a number of different data sources.
Best practice:
Three methods for getting inventory data into License Optimizer, and the best strategy to use:
Watch the video (4:46)
Some of the data import methods involve importing data from the Ivanti Neurons platform, for which you need to log in to your Ivanti Neurons account and then create suitable connectors. For information about setting up connectors in the Ivanti Neurons platform, see Setting up connectors in the Ivanti Neurons help.
Best practice
A summary of the high-level strategy that has given the best results when importing data from the Ivanti Neurons platform:
Watch the video (2:48)
Click Data Import under Data Management on the menu bar to display the Data Import page, where you can manage your data sources and imports. To help you to estimate how quickly your imports will take to run, the current total number of pending and scheduled data imports appears in a banner at the top of the page.
Import Types – enables you to create different types of data imports, such as inventory and license
The Import Types section has a several tiles, corresponding to different types of data import:
•Inventory – ADDM (Oracle), General, Ivanti Data Services, SCCM
•License – Contract, General, MLS License Summary, MLS Transaction Data
•Virtualization – Virtual Relationship Template
•User List – Ivanti Discovery User, Software Metering Data, User List
•Batch Processing – Business Unit to OSI Mapping, License Update
•Price List – Price List
•Azure Billing
•AWS Billing
•Organisational Data – Business Units, Locations
Each of these tiles includes an i icon. Hovering over the i displays the number of imports configured for that data type. The current number of pending and scheduled data imports for each Import Type is shown as an icon on its tile, with the number of pending imports displayed on a red circle, and the number of scheduled imports shown on a blue circle:
two imports are pending, and one import is scheduled
Data Import data grids
Clicking an Import Type tile displays the list of imports configured for that data type in a data grid. For information about using data grids, see Viewing pages of data.
To return to the Data Import page from a Data Import data grid, click 
.
The Data Import data grids for each of the data types are the same, except for the Inventory data type, which has an extra column for Hardware Change. For more information, see Hardware Change.
To see details of the import records for a data source, click 
to the left of the required data source to see the Imports Expansion pane. Two of these fields can help you to determine how long an import is likely to take. The Import Started value shows the time when the import started, and the Time Taken shows how long it took to complete.
Expand to see the Data Import data grid columns
•Data Source – the name defined for the data source when it was created.
•Import Type – the type of data that the data source has been created to import.
•Last Import Date – the date and time of the most recent data import for this data source.
•Imported By – the user that ran the most recent data import against this data source. For automated imports, the property value is set to SYSTEM.
•Import Status – indicates the current status of the import: gray = import is initiating, amber = the import is in progress, green = the import has completed successfully, red = the import has failed to complete. A comment appears alongside the graphic.
•Log File – if a log file is available for the most recent import, an icon appears. Click the icon to download the log file. You can access log files for previous imports from the child records pane, by clicking the Expand arrow to the left of the data source entry in the data grid.
In the log file, toggle buttons enable you to show or hide Info, Warning, or Error messages. You can search the log files by clicking the header of the column that you want to search, and then using the Search box.
•Exception File – if an exception file is available for the most recent import, an icon appears. Click the icon to download the exception file. You can access exception files for previous imports from the child records pane, by clicking the Expand arrow to the left of the data source entry in the data grid.
•Hardware Change – for Inventory data sources only, this column displays a graphic detailing the percentage increase and/or decrease in hardware for the associated data source. For more information, see Hardware Change.
•Re-Run Import – restarts the import process.
•Options – provides a menu of actions for the row, including Edit, Delete, and the ability to download the relevant Log File or Exception File if they are available. If you delete a row from the Data Import data grid, you are given the choice of deleting the connected OSIs and all their children, or of deleting all OSIs except those that have had children added manually. Note that this also deletes OSIs where you have cleared the Lock To Audit Tool check box.
Downloading an import template
A convenient method for creating an import data file is to download a template from an existing data source of the same type. This spreadsheet has the appropriate columns along with an indication of the data type required in each column.
To download an import template:
1.From the Data Import page, click the required tile under Import Types.
A Data Import data grid appears.
2.In the Options column for a record with the same Import Type that you want to use, click 
, then click Download Template.
The Download Template dialog appears.
3.Select the required type of file you want to download, then click Download Template.
A Microsoft Excel file containing the required columns is downloaded.
Alternatively, when you create a data source, a Download Template becomes available on the Data Source page when you have chosen the type of import.
Some columns in your data import correspond to lookup values that accept only specific allowed values, otherwise the associated record is not imported. For this reason, it is very important that you take care when entering values into these lookup columns. To help with this, the Data Import page enables you to copy the accepted lookup values for a data source to your computer's clipboard, so that you can paste these values into your source file. For more information, see Data Import lookup values.
For the Contract and the General license templates, columns that require specific allowed values have those values in drop-downs in the first data row of the spreadsheet. Drag the bottom right corner of the cell down the column to copy the drop-down to your other rows, then use the drop-down control to select the required value. The spreadsheets that are the Contract and General license templates also include tooltips that describe what is required in each column, which you can display by hovering your mouse pointer over the column heading.
For the Valid For Names column of the General license template, you can enter multiple values that are separated by commas.
Expand to see the tooltips for the columns in the Contract template
Contract Description – Brief description of the contract or the contract title
Contract Number – The contract or agreement policy number
Contract Type – The contract type: AGREEMENT, MAINTENANCE, PAAS, or SAAS
Cost Per Year – The yearly cost of the contract; if the contract is spread over a number of years, divide the total cost by the number of years
Currency Code – The currency code
Parent Contract – If this is a child contract or an amendment to a previous contract in License Optimizer, enter the name of the original contract
Purchased By – The business unit code of the business unit that purchased the contract
Reference – Free Text to help with filtering data in License Optimizer
Supplier – The supplier of the contract e.g. Microsoft, CDW, Oracle
Termination Clause – If the contract has a termination clause, specify the number of days of notice you have to give to cancel the contract
Valid For – The name of the business unit that can use this contract
Valid From – The start date of the contract
Valid To – The end date of the contract
Expand to see the tooltips for the columns in the General license template
AvailableStartDate – The date that the license is available from (DD/MM/YYYY), if perpetual leave blank
Business Owner – The business unit that purchased the license
Contract Description – The source of the entitlement e.g. OEM/FPP, Oracle ULA, Microsoft ELA, IBM Passport Advantage
Contract Number – The contract/agreement policy number
Cost – The cost of a single license
Cost Per Year – If subscription/term/maintenance-based, enter the total yearly cost
Currency Code – The currency code
Downgradable – Does the license have rights to cover older versions?
Email Ids for Reminder – Provide the email addresses for the persons you wish to be notified with the reminder
EntitlementType – The type of entitlement: Base = License Only, Maintenance = see Maintenance Type, Upgrade = for an upgrade from an earlier version
ExpiryDate – The date that the license is no longer available to use (DD/MM/YYYY), if perpetual leave blank
Is Level License – The license can be applied only to a parent Business Unit and cannot be used by any subsequent child business unit
License Location – The Business Unit that can use the license; if global enter the company name as shown in License Optimizer, otherwise enter the Business Unit(s) separated with ';'
MaintenanceEndDate – If the Entitlement Type is Maintenance, enter when the maintenance/support expires (DD/MM/YYYY)
MaintenanceStartDate – If the Entitlement Type is Maintenance, enter when the maintenance/support starts (DD/MM/YYYY)
MaintenanceType – Base = license with maintenance, Renewal = maintenance/support only renewed, qualifying maintenance base must be in License Optimizer for a renewal to be applied
Metric – Select the metric that the license is calculated on e.g. Microsoft - Per Core
MS Software Assurance – Is this license is covered with Microsoft Software Assurance?
PO Number – The purchase order number for this license
PurchaseDate – The date the license was purchased
PurchaseDescription – Free text describing the license purchased e.g. Office 2016 Professional Plus
PurchaseQty – The number of licenses purchased, if unlimited leave blank and complete the column Unlimited Qty
Renewal Event Reminder – State when you would like to be reminded that the license is due to expire and may require renewal
SKU – If available, enter the SKU or Part Number for this product
Supplier – The supplier of the license e.g. Microsoft, IBM, Adobe
Total Cost – Cost multiplied by Purchase Quantity
Unique ID – Free text field, give the license(s) a unique ID to enable you to search and perform batch processing in the future
Unlimited Qty – Do you have an unlimited quantity of this license?
Valid For – Who has the right to use the license(s): BusinessUnit, User, OSI
Valid For Names – User = User names, OSI = Device names, BusinessUnit = Business Unit names