OpenLM Connector – User Guide

Target audience:

Organizations that are utilizing OpenLM in order to manage and optimize their software license assets. The organization might have an on-premises or OpenLM Cloud deployment.

Description:

OpenLM Connector is an application that allows Zoho users to visualize OpenLM reporting data in Zoho Creator and Zoho Analytics. It gathers and synchronizes special structured reporting data from OpenLM Reporting Service, storing it as Zoho Creator reports to OpenLM Connector, after that exposing it to Zoho Analytics that presents that data as tables and charts. Special structured reporting data include following OpenLM services data: License Usage, Session Details, License Denials, Dongle Monitoring, Touchpoint Details and Project Data.

What it does:

OpenLM Connector gathers and synchronizes special structured reporting data from OpenLM Reporting Service. Scheduled job is running after user is filling Start Reporting Process” form and click submit:

Limitations:

1. Synchronization occurs only once every 24 hours and cannot be set to a shorter interval.
2. The maximum timeout for synchronization is 5 minutes. All reporting data must be collected from the OpenLM Reporting Service service within this period.
3. The customer’s IT team must provide access to the OpenLM Reporting Service service host and port via domain name or IP, with or without OpenLM Support assistance.
4. OpenLM Connector is developed by requirements of Zoho platform developing limitations:
   1. https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/zoho-crm-platform/deluge-guide-for-zoho-creator/overview-and-basics/articles/deluge-limitations#Statement_Limitation
   2. https://help.zoho.com/portal/en/kb/creator/developer-guide/others/known-issues-and-limitations/articles/known-issues-and-limitations#Data_center_specific_feature_limitations\
   3. https://www.zoho.com/creator/help/api/v2.1/bulk-api/limitations.html

How to use:

It is required following steps to start gathering and synchronizing special structured reporting data from OpenLM Reporting Service:

1. Before starting using the application please make sure that Zoho Creator Connections are installed or configured by default. Should be created connection with the name:

“openlm_connector_oauth_connection” of type Zoho OAuth:

With following permissions for Zoho Creator and Zoho Analytics:

After that, run the application and do the next steps.

2. Insert “Reporting Service URL” in the following field:

This is the URL of OpenLM Reporting Service installed on your server or OpenLM Cloud service. The IT team of your company should expose access to it.

3. Insert “Identity Service URL” in the following field:

This is the URL of OpenLM Identity installed on your server or OpenLM Cloud service. The IT team of your company should expose access to it. 

4. Set “Start Scheduler Date Time” in the following field:

This is the datetime when a 24 hours scheduled job starts gathering and synchronizing special structured reporting data from OpenLM Reporting Service. By default on Zoho Creator rules set, it is starting after 10 minutes of  “Start Scheduler Date Time” set.

5. Set “Start Reporting Date Time” in the following field:

This is the start datetime when OpenLM Reporting Service starts gathering the reporting data from the database. It is a database start datetime for all types of reporting data.

6. Set “Reporting Data Type” in the following field:

This field is used to set what type of reports users need to gather and synchronize from OpenLM Reporting Service. It can be choosed just few of reports from the start, after that this choice can be changed on “Start Reporting Process Report” page using “Edit” action:

7. Click “Submit” button to start process of 24 hours scheduled job:

8. After special structured reporting data is gathered and synchronized automatically on a certain day, that data is stored as Zoho Creator reports to OpenLM Connector:

Sample of report with gathered and synchronized data:

9. After special structured reporting data is gathered and synchronized automatically on a certain day and stored as Zoho Creator reports to OpenLM Connector, that data is exposed and synchronized to Zoho Analytics that presents that data as tables and charts:

10. Presenting of data in Zoho Analytics or in any other way using Zoho Creator reports is fully responsibility and by custom preference of the user, but OpenLM Support can help with Zoho Analytics in case if the user has this request. Please contact OpenLM Support to get help on how to configure Zoho Analytics for Zoho Creator OpenLM Connector reports.