License measurement tips & tricks

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This blog will give you tips & tricks for the SAP license measurement.

Questions that will be answered are:

  • How to deal with license classification for background users?
  • How to deal with license classification for standard SAP users?
  • How to deal with license classification for SAP support and fire-call users?
  • How to deal with multiple logon?
  • How to deal with developer licenses?
  • What does Confusopoly mean?

Background users

According to OSS note 32326 – System measurement : Technical users all background users are free of charge. Classify them as type 91 Test users. This rule is valid for:

  • Batch users to run background jobs
  • SAP to SAP system connection users
  • Interface batch users
Be careful with the interface users. If an external system posts data into SAP system with a single background user, but it is clear that in the source system multiple real users doing the actions, SAP might want to charge you for 'indirect use'.

System dialog users

SAP standard dialog users are excluded from system license measurement. See OSS note 1402837 – Info USMM/LAW: Excluded SAP users in the measurement for a full list.

SAP support users and fire-call users

For live support of an SAP system you typically will have 2 types of support users:

  1. Users for SAP themselves to logon to your system and provide support to you
  2. Fire-call users with elevated authorizations to solve time critical incidents

Both type of users have no direct business goal, but have only support usage. You can mark them as type 91 Test user, as long as you have a clear naming convention for these users and a general rule that they are locked unless they are needed.

User deletion as regular activity

The user measurement program (both USMM and USMM2) checks for deletion of users in the last three months. To avoid discussions on user deletion it is best practice to delete monthly, or bi-monthly, all persons which have left your company.

End validity date

Users who don’t have a current validity date are not counted in the user measurement program. You might want to schedule program RSUSR_LOCK_USERS in a regular batch job to end the validity of users that did not log on for long time automatically. See this blog for more details.

Multiple logon

SAP does measure how many times a user has a double, triple, etc logon. The results are stored in table USR41_MLD. SAP might argue that the same user is used by multiple persons. You can use the contents of table USR41_MLD to prove if this was a mistake only. If the are too many multiple logons you might need to go back to the business to change their behavior.

You can also forbid the multiple logons at system level. SAP system parameter login/disable_multi_gui_login can be set in RZ11 to forbid multiple logons. For some users (like DDIC) you do want to keep multiple logons. These users must be set into system parameter login/multi_login_users=username1,username2,username3,etc.

Proper consolidation

Use the SLAW or SLAW2 tool to execute a proper consolidation of your measured users. This process will de-duplicate your counted users.

License validation program

Read this dedicated blog to know more about license vailidation program RSUVM080.

LUI License utilization information

The LUI (license utilization information) tool is an online SAP tool that has all the information on your on premise and cloud licenses information combined. For cloud the usage is automatically visible. For on premise systems you can upload the usage via the SLAW files. This can give you insights into under-consumption and over-consumption of licenses. Read more in this blog.

Check for bug fix notes in your advantage

SAP might give you a list of OSS notes to apply in your system before the measurement. These notes normally benefit SAP. You can also check for OSS notes that benefit you.

Example:

3017067 – USMM2: Korrektur Klassifizierungshilfe Anwender Prof/Ltd.Prof.

FIORI gateway usage

For FIORI gateway usage, read this dedicated blog.

Developer licenses

SAP has made the developer license measurement messy with the move to S4HANA by removing the simple DEVACCESS measurement. Read more in this blog.

Confusopoly

If you think you know all about SAP licenses, SAP will change everything again. Dilbert has a nice word for it: confusopoly:

Confusopoly

Sometime people on sales/buying SAP joke about the SAP abbreviation being Shut-up And Pay.

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