Cloud licensing allows end-users to check out licenses from a cloud-based license manager, which can distribute named, and single-use licenses to any assigned user. However, obtaining consumption reports from cloud-based managers is often problematic.
This is because cloud-based license managers keep most of their information online, preventing administrators from accessing usage logs, advanced user interfaces, or even any useful license activity information.
OpenLM aims to remedy this issue by reporting on license usage and allocations in the OpenLM User Interface just like with any other on-premise license manager.
Administrators can now chart license usage, license activity, license utilization, live activity, and basically any report in OpenLM, as this solution allows to incorporate data into the OpenLM database like with an on-premise server.
OpenLM currently supports several types of cloud-based license managers, including Office 365 Cloud.
Below you can see instructions on how to obtain usage and allocation data. For more info about other license managers, please check out our supported license managers page.
Note: To grant tenant-wide admin consent, you need:
- An Azure account with one of the following roles: Global Administrator, Privileged Role Administrator, Cloud Application Administrator, or Application Administrator.
- A user can also be authorized to grant tenant-wide consent if they are assigned a custom directory role that includes permission to grant permissions to applications.
Note* The Two-factor Authentication must be turned off in order to achieve the connection.
The permissions required by OpenLM in order to interface with Office365 Cloud:
- Read all users’ basic profiles
Allows the app to read a basic set of profile properties of other users in your organization on behalf of the signed-in user. This includes display name, first and last name, email address, and photo.
- Read all users’ full profiles
Allows the app to read user profiles without a signed-in user.
- Read all usage reports
Allows an app to read all service usage reports without a signed-in user. Services that provide usage reports include Office 365 and Azure Active Directory.
- Read directory data
Allows the app to read data in your organization’s directory, such as users, groups, and apps, without a signed-in user.
Monitoring the “Office 365 Cloud” License Manager
For monitoring the “Office 365 Cloud” license manager, there are several components that need to be implemented. In order to get license allocation information, the OpenLM Server needs to be connected to the “Office 365 Cloud” admin portal. The license usage itself is gathered by the OpenLM Agent, which communicates with the OpenLM Applications Manager.
One key difference is the fact that in order to monitor the “Office 365 Cloud” License Manager, direct communication between the “Office 365 Cloud” license manager and the OpenLM Server also has to be established.
The following steps will demonstrate how to configure the “Office 365 Cloud” license manager to get license allocations:
1. Open up EasyAdmin.
2. Click Start→Administration→License Manager Servers→Add LM to add a new server to be monitored.
3. Give the license manager a descriptive name under the Display name.
4. Select the “Office365Cloud” license manager type from the dropdown menu. The LM address field will be populated by default.
5. Click the SET ACCESS PERMISSION button. You will be redirected to the Microsoft Azure portal login page and informed about the permissions that need to be granted in order to achieve a successful connection. Read them carefully and If you agree, click Accept.
6. Browse to https://portal.office.com/adminportal#/Domains and find a domain the one that ends in .onmicrosoft.com, for example, openlmsoftware.onmicrosoft.com. Copy this address.
7. Go back to EasyAdmin and paste the data you have copied in step 6 in the Tenant/Domain field. Click Save.
8. Open up the OpenLM User Interface in order to see the new license server which contains licensing data.
