BigFix subcapacity regions

9.2.2 Available from 9.2.2. BigFix subcapacity licensing rules define three regions. To properly calculate subcapacity values for products that are installed in multiple regions, generate the audit snapshot for each region. Then, for every product, sum up the subcapacity values from all regions. The value that you obtain is the overall subcapacity usage for the particular product.

BigFix subcapacity regions

Regions that are defined by BigFix subcapacity licensing rules include:
  • Region 1: North America and South America
  • Region 2: Europe and Africa
  • Region 3: Asia and Australia
For more information, see: Virtualization Capacity License Counting Rules.

Steps to calculate subcapacity values

To properly calculate subcapacity values in an environment that spans over multiple BigFix subcapacity regions, perform the following steps:
  1. Divide the computers in your infrastructure into groups that reflect BigFix subcapacity regions. Ensure that each group contains only computers that are located in one region. Do not create computer groups that overlap as it might distort the obtained results.
  2. Optional: If software in each region is managed by a different person, create dedicated BigFix Inventory users, each with access only to computers in one region.
  3. Import part numbers for each computer group and bundle software within each region.
  4. Generate audit snapshots for each region. Ensure that the snapshots cover the same or approximately the same period.
  5. For every product, sum up the subcapacity values from all regions. The value that you obtain is the overall subcapacity usage for the particular product.
    Important: If you generate the audit snapshot for the All Computers group, the PVU usage might differ from the value that you obtain by summing up PVU values from snapshots generated for each region. PVU usage for the All Computers group is measured at the time when the sum of PVU values from all regions is the highest. However, this value might not reflect the highest PVU usage in each region. To comply with the subcapacity licensing rules, you must know what is the highest PVU usage in each region, and then sum up these values to obtain the overall PVU usage for a product. To better understand the logic, see the example below.
For detailed instructions, see: Tutorial: Reporting subcapacity usage per computer group.

Example

A large international company has offices in Australia, Europe, and North America. To fulfill the subcapacity licensing requirements, computers in this company are divided into three groups. The computer group hierarchy looks as follows.
  • All Computers
    • Region 1: North America
    • Region 2: Europe
    • Region 3: Australia
Product A is installed on computers in all regions. To obtain information about the highest PVU usage in each region, the Software Asset Manager generates the audit snapshot for each region. The highest PVU usage for Product A in each region. is a visualization of PVU usage for Product A. The highest PVU usage for each region is marked in blue.
Figure 1. The highest PVU usage for Product A in each region.

The highest PVU usage for Product A in each region.
According to the generated snapshots, the highest PVU values are:
  • 140 PVUs in Region 1
  • 200 PVUs in Region 2
  • 140 PVUs in Region 3
To obtain the overall PVU usage for Product A, the Software Asset Manager sums up the highest PVU values from each region.
  • 140 + 200 + 140 = 480 PVUs
The total PVU usage for Product A is 480 PVUs. If the Software Asset Manager generated a single audit snapshot for the All Computers group, the reported PVU usage would be 340 PVUs. The highest PVU usage for Product A in the All Computers group. is a visualization of PVU usage for Product A calculated on the level of the All Computers group. The highest PVU usage is marked in blue.
Figure 2. The highest PVU usage for Product A in the All Computers group.

Highest PVU usage in the All Computers group
The correct PVU value for Product A is the value obtained by summing up the PVU values from three regions, namely 480 PVUs.

Possible setup of the BigFix infrastructure

To facilitate infrastructure management and the creation of computer groups, you can set up the BigFix infrastructure in one of the following ways.
Important: These setups are provided as examples only. You can set up the BigFix infrastructure in any way that suits your needs.

One BigFix server with three relays

In this case, one BigFix server monitors all computers in your infrastructure. You set up three relays, each dedicated to handling the traffic from computers in one BigFix subcapacity region. Then, in the BigFix console, you create computer groups that reflect the BigFix subcapacity regions. You can later on use these groups to easily create computer groups in BigFix Inventory.
Note: Computer groups created in the BigFix console are used to manage the infrastructure, and run Fixlets against selected computers. They are not automatically copied to BigFix Inventory. However, they can be used as the basis for creating computer groups that define the scope of reports in BigFix Inventory.

One BigFix server with three relays.

Three BigFix servers

In this case, you set up an infrastructure with three BigFix servers. Each server is dedicated to one BigFix subcapacity region and collects data only from the computers in that region. Data from all BigFix servers is imported to one instance of BigFix Inventory in which you create three computer groups. Each computer group reflects one BigFix server.


Three BigFix servers.