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Enable Usage Metering

Usage metering allows you to track Reflection sessions and determine how many client workstations use the product.

When a user starts the Windows-based client session, the session notifies the Metering server, which begins logging the product usage. The session then sends updates to the Metering server at regular intervals until the user shuts down the client.

How can you use metering

  • License Pool Configuration A license pool comprises the licenses for a given product, type (production, evaluation, pre-release), and VPA number. When the server receives a metering message from a new product/type/VPA, a license pool is automatically created in the server's list of license pools.

  • Usage Logging Connection activity is recorded in daily log files. You can specify the number of days the log files are stored before they are automatically deleted. The centralized management server uses the log data to generate reports summarizing usage information, such as connection activity, hourly usage levels, and connections from a specific client or to a specific host. You can use the Metering Reports page to create a variety of reports that use the logged data.

  • Connection Monitoring When the client and server are configured for metering, you can monitor the number of user workstations connecting to host computers. You can also choose to receive e-mail notification when the concurrent number of workstations using metered clients increases beyond a specified limit. This notification feature also allows you to monitor concurrent product usage without enforcing a license limit.

  • Concurrent License Enforcement The concurrent license enforcement feature allows you to control the total number of user workstations using Reflection to make host connections at the same time. When you configure metering, you can enter the maximum number of computers allowed to concurrently run Reflection; all attempted license use beyond this number can be blocked.

Setting up Metering

To enable metering, you must configure client workstations to report to the Metering server. You can do this by configuring metering with a transform as part of the initial installation or by setting group policy after Reflection is installed.

  • Rocket Software Management and Security Server (MSS) with a Metering server must be installed and configured for Reflection as shown in the Management and Security Server Installation Guide, available in the Host Access Management and Security Server Documentation.

  • You must know the complete URL for the Metering server. The syntax is: http://<servername:port>/meter/meter.do. (If you used the default port, you can omit the colon and port number.)

    For example:

    https://<servername:port>/meter/meter.do

Note

HTTP has been disabled in the Host Access Management and Security Server for versions 12.8.0, and all subsequent versions.

In upgrades, where clients had been configured to access Metering over HTTP, those clients must be updated to use the HTTPS port. The MSS Certificate also needs to be imported to the appropriate certificate/trust store, if not already done.

To enable metering with a transform

  1. From your administrative installation point, open the Installation Customization Tool from a shortcut or by typing the following command line:

    path_to_setup\setup.exe /admin

  2. In the Select Customization dialog box, select Create a new Setup customization file for the following product.

  3. On the left panel, select Licensing and session metering.

  4. Select to accept the terms of the license agreement on behalf of users.

  5. In the Meter As list, select the product you want to meter.

  6. In the Metering URL box, enter the URL of your metering server.

    Syntax:

    https://<servername:port>/meter/meter.do

    For example:

    https://Myserver.com:80/meter/meter.do

    Note

    If you use the default port, you can omit the colon and port number.

  7. If you want to prevent users from launching Reflection when the metering server is not available, Select Require metering. (Enabling this setting can be useful when you are creating a trial installation and want to test to see if the metering server is running and available.)

  8. If you are going to deploy using the setup.exe file in your administrative installation point, click User Interface in the left pane, and then select Use this customization with interactive installs using setup.exe.

  9. Save your transform as an .mst file.

    When you deploy this transform with your installation, the Reflection client is configured to use metering.

    Note

    Rocket Software recommends that you save transform files in the same folder as the Reflection base installation package .msi file.

To enable metering via group policy

  1. Download and install the administrative template file for Reflection.

  2. Open the Windows Group Policy Editor (gpedit.msc).

  3. Under Computer Configuration, right-click on Administrative Templates and select Add/Remove Templates.

  4. Click Add, select the Reflection.adm file you need to add, and then click Open. The added ADM file is listed in the Add/Remove Templates dialog box, in the Current Policy Templates list.

  5. Open Computer Configuration > Administrative Templates > Classic Administrative Templates ( ADM ) > Reflection Settings > Client Metering.

  6. Select the Configure Client Metering policy setting and then select to edit this setting.

  7. In the Configure Client Metering dialog box, select Enabled.

  8. In the Metering web server box, enter the URL of your metering server.

    Syntax:

    https://<servername:port>/meter/meter.do

    For example:

    https://Myserver.com:80/meter/meter.do

    Note

    If you use the default port, you can omit the colon and port number.

  9. Select Require connection to metering server only if you want to prevent users from launching Reflection when the metering server is not available. (Enabling this setting can be useful when you are creating a trial installation and want to test to see if the metering server is running and available.)