Introduction to Software Metering in Configuration Manager

 

Updated: May 14, 2015

Applies To: System Center 2012 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP1, System Center 2012 Configuration Manager SP2, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager, System Center 2012 R2 Configuration Manager SP1

Use software metering in System Center 2012 Configuration Manager to monitor and collect software usage data from Configuration Manager clients.

To collect this usage data, configure software metering rules or use the Configuration Manager inventory to generate these rules automatically. Client computers evaluate these rules and collect metering data to send to the site. The Configuration Manager client continues to collect usage data when there is no connection to the Configuration Manager site and sends this information when the connection is re-established.

After you collect usage data from Configuration Manager clients, you can view the data in different ways, which includes using collections, queries, and reporting. This data, combined with data from software inventory, can help your organization to determine the following:

  • How many copies of a particular software program have been deployed to the computers in your organization. Among those computers, you can determine how many users actually run the program.

  • How many licenses of a particular software program you have to purchase when you renew your license agreement with the software vendor.

  • Whether users are still running a particular software program. If the program is not being used, you might retire the program.

  • Which times of the day a software program is most frequently used.

For an example scenario that shows how you might use software metering in your environment, see Example Scenario for Software Metering in Configuration Manager.

What’s New in Configuration Manager

Note

The information in this section also appears in the Getting Started with System Center 2012 Configuration Manager guide.

There are no significant changes for software metering in Configuration Manager since Configuration Manager 2007.