Modules > Asset Management > Software License Management > Authorizing Software

Bulk authorization allows MSL items to be authorized en masse. This is generally used when a mass upgrade or roll-out is planned, and it would be cumbersome to run all targeted assets through the Software Request Portal.

Bulk authorization mimics the behavior of the Software Request Portal, except that it does not instantiate any workflow (meaning no requests are emailed and therefore no approvals are received and processed.) Instead, any records found by Consolidate in the Bulk Authorization table, that have not already been processed, will be processed as approvals. For each record defined in the Bulk Authorization table, a software order will be created with one or more order items. This order can be looked up and viewed using the standard order status Catch Point screen(s).

The Bulk Authorization table also allows settings for automatically pushing the software (if it is to be remotely and automatically installed), and another setting to extend grace (to refrain from staging charges in the event that charging will be handled in another fashion)

Bulk Authorization records may be entered using the User Interface. Given sufficient access, choose the Authorizations child menu from the Managed Software left menu item. Enter as many records as needed.

Bulk Authorization records may also be imported. This allows you to form the bulk authorization via a spreadsheet tool, and then import into the MIE for processing.

When a Bulk Authorization record has been completed, it will be assigned a software order number by the MIE.

If a Bulk Authorization record has been marked as requiring a software package push, and if the delivery system has been defined as Agent-based, then a Run-Once task will be created to cause the software package to be pushed to the asset and installed.

If any MSL items in the Bulk Authorization have associated optional entitlements that have been marked as being force-selected (for going through the Software Request Portal), then those titles will have the specified optional entitlement added to the authorization record created.

Bulk Authorization will ask for the appropriate entity to which to assign the authorization (asset number, user name, or group name), based on how the chosen MSL title has been set.

Notes:

1.Any form of authorization will stage a charge, based on the current settings. Bulk Authorization does stage a charge for the MSL item if the extend grace flag is set to No or 0 or False.

2.Authorization will only occur if the MSL item isn't already authorized to be on the asset (and hence only one charge will be staged).

3.Bulk Authorization will not be performed for MSL titles that have been defined to assign authorization to the device on any asset whose status is currently one of the status values defined to trigger a status-harvest. This is because the asset status will trigger the status-harvest mechanism, which will immediately harvest the authorization. The underlying asset status must be changed before Bulk Authorization will proceed. Simply changing the underlying asset status is sufficient to cause Bulk Authorization to succeed, as it will continue to check each time Consolidate runs.