What Collector does and when to use it
Licenseware Collector is a free agent for servers and client PCs (laptops, desktops, VDI and Docker containers). It sends consistent, structured hardware and software inventory into the project, and that inventory shows up on Assets with the source Licenseware Collector. It is there for license compliance and consumption analysis.
Licenseware recommends it for every project, alongside an API integration. Its main use is software metering: every 60 minutes it records running processes, services and logged-in users, and every 240 minutes it reads execution history, so Licenseware knows when each product was last used. It also covers machines no integration sees, and adds server-level detail a discovery tool may not collect.
The agent is installed on the machine and runs as a background service. After it is registered it collects on a schedule and uploads on its own. It also updates its own collection definitions, so you do not normally edit them by hand. What it collects includes software execution and usage indicators, and runtime state such as active processes and sessions. The data points and the interval come from centrally managed catalogs. Architectures, versions and prerequisites are documented and can change. The API interactions are documented, including endpoints, authentication and firewall requirements, on the installation guide.
Open it from Apps, then Licenseware Collector. Agents is the first tab. API Keys and Reports sit beside it. The report card is Collector Inventory.
The agent needs outbound HTTPS only. It does not open an inbound port. Packages, tokens, updates and removal are summarized on Install Collector agents. The full steps are the installation guide.
Where to go next
Section titled “Where to go next”| Question | Page |
|---|---|
| Which systems can run it, and how does it enroll? | Install Collector agents |
| What state is a machine in? | Manage Collector agents |
| Where is the enrollment token? | Collector API keys |
| What did the agents report? | Collector Inventory |
| Where does that data land in the project? | See Collector data on Assets |
| What is nobody using? | Find unused software to reclaim |
To hash columns in a spreadsheet before you upload it, use the Licenseware Encryptor.
Other products in the catalog also use the word collector. Oracle Database, Java, and Red Hat are separate collection scripts.
Start, or talk to us
Section titled “Start, or talk to us”Start free creates your account on the EU instance. For the US or AU instance, sign up at us.licenseware.io or au.licenseware.io. See pricing.