Reporting on different app versions in Application Metering
Let's say, for example, that I need to report on usage for WinZip v8 and WinZip v9. I create policies in App Metering to monitor Start events based on a combo of Product Name and Version. Because both versions of the app use the same executable name (winzip32.exe), by default the "Installed vs. Used" report is going to combine the usage numbers for both of these policies and stick it across from WinZip32.exe (the ProductName coming from the Inventory Solution software audit table), right? If that's the case, I need to differentiate these somehow within Inventory Solution so that they show up separately in the report. What is the best practice to accomplish this? My thought is to edit the auditpls.ini Override Properties section.
If that Is the best solution, does it accept wildcards? While I want to see usage for version 8, I certainly don't want to have to create overrides for every patch version number (e.g., 8.1.1, 8.1.23, 8.2.03, etc...). I'm hoping I can just do something like 8*.
Comments
You could just add the version to the report
Maybe it would be easier to just add the version to the App Metering report? Just clone the existing and add something like (I don't have the exact table alias or column names...so bear with me):
SELECT blah blah, blah, App_Metering.[Product Version], blah blah
FROM ....
Then you don't need to mess with Overrides in AuditPls.ini.
Thanks,
Kyle
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Wouldn't I have to create specific AM policies for each version?
If I were to do that, I'm thinking my usage numbers would be off. Wouldn't I need to define an App Metering policy to monitor each of the potential versions to get it to match up correctly in the report? All I really want to match on is major version number.
For example, I don't want to end up with this...
App Name Version Installed Used
--------------- ------------ ------------- ----------
winzip32.exe 8.1 10 5
winzip32.exe 8.1.13 20 5
winzip32.exe 9.1 10 5
winzip32.exe 9.1.13 20 5
I really want to see...
App Name Version Installed Used
--------------- ------------ ------------- ----------
winzip32.exe 8 30 10
winzip32.exe 9 30 10
Tried your suggestion, and it
Tried your suggestion, and it did indeed give odd results. If I run the default report without Version info and compare that to the modified report, Used Counts are getting duplicated for different versions of the same app.
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Hmm maybe a case statement
I know what you mean. In one report I created to "normalize" Office version usage and make it more friendly, so that instead of Word 11.0.xxxx it shows "Word 2003". In the SQL, add:
CASE (LEFT(app.[Product Version], 2)
WHEN '9.' THEN ' 2000'
WHEN '10' THEN ' XP'
WHEN '11' THEN ' 2003'
WHEN '12' THEN ' 2007'
ELSE app.[Product Version] END AS [Version]
You'll have to put that in both the SELECT and GROUP BY (if there is a GROUP BY) statements.
Thanks,
Kyle
Symantec Trusted Advisor
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