Since Oracle changed their Java licensing rules and customers might be obliged to purchase a commercial license for their Java installations, ...
BLOG - February 2019:
... it becomes a real challenge to detect and correctly interpret all Oracle Java software present on the infrastructure of your organisation and determine your actual Java license need.
Determining the correct update level for your Java installations might be on top of your list. It is also important to determine whether an installation is covered by other Oracle Software installations or even by third-party software installations. Next to that, Oracle’s license metric definitions need to be applied to the software that has been discovered. Meaning all processors or users need to be identified and counted against Oracle’s licensing conditions. This means keeping in mind all Oracle’s licensing rules including Oracle’s Partitioning Policy.
Extended Java detection with ServiceNow
If you are already a ServiceNow customer, you might have ServiceNow Discovery up and running within the organisation. If so, detection and interpretation of Oracle Java software on Windows-based platforms is available as out-of-the-box functionality.
On top of that, Softline Solutions has developed a new probe and sensor functionality to be added to ServiceNow Discovery, enabling you to determine Java installations on Linux-based platforms as well. By doing so, complete coverage of your infrastructure can be established for all Java installations. Some characteristics of the functionality this added probe and sensor will provide:
- Oracle Java Detection on update patch level, enabling you to differentiate between paid versions of Oracle Java and free/open versions;
- Oracle Java Detection results are added to existing ServiceNow CMDB installation tables, provided Discovery is up and running;
- Oracle Java Installation records can be identified by their source and patch-level as well, while this information is also being stored in added columns within ServiceNow;
- No extra authorisations or privileges are necessary to execute the additional functionality.
An example on what can be expected of how different Java related installation records will look once the additional functionality is in place.
Determining Java Compliance and Security risks
When your Oracle Java detection is successful, you are now facing another challenge: determining your license need and choosing the most applicable metric for your organisation accordingly. By enabling the SAM Pro module within ServiceNow it is also possible to execute reconciliation jobs and apply Oracle’s licensing rules to the Java software that has been detected. Softline Solutions can assist in creating basic or extended Oracle Java License Position Reports within ServiceNow. Depending on your needs, these reports can encompass:
- Normalisation of the data;
- Exclusion of servers that contain Java software but are covered by a different Oracle software installation;
- Identification and exclusion of servers that contain embedded Java software and are covered by a third-party software license;
- Oracle’s core factor rules, including partitioning rules, therefore taking into account virtual machines, hosts and cluster information;
- Calculate a break-even point regarding the Oracle License metrics (either Processor or NUP) that can be chosen to cover your Oracle Java installations;
- Identify Java installations that might imply security risks (CVSS rated).
Take the next step!
Softline Solutions is ServiceNow’s global Software Asset Management implementation partner and helps organisations to get the most value out of their SAM Professional module. If you want to learn more about detecting Oracle Java with ServiceNow, and the Softline Solutions probe and sensor functionality, contact us now.