In ServiceNow Software Asset Management, these tables are generated by the reconciliation process.

1. The Software Model Result is the primary output for a specific licensable model after reconciliation runs.
2. The Product Result aggregates the data (including total rights owned and rights used) from one or more Software Model Results. This aggregated view is used to determine the overall compliance position and decide on remediation options for the product.
3. The License Metric Result stores the specific calculation (e.g., "Per User") for a model. This calculation is dictated by the metric on the entitlement (license) record; therefore, this result is only created if an entitlement exists to define the metric.

Source 1: ServiceNow Product Documentation. (2024). Software asset management tables.

Reference 1.1 (for Software Model Result): Table "Software Model Result [sam_sw_model_result]". States it "Stores the compliance result for a specific software model... This result is generated when a software model is licensable and reconciliation is run."

Reference 1.2 (for Product Result): Table "Product Result [sam_product_result]". States it "Stores the aggregated compliance results from all software models that are associated with a product... Use the product result to view the compliance position of a product and determine remediation options."

Reference 1.3 (for License Metric Result): Table "License Metric Result [sam_license_metric_result]". States it "Stores the result of the license metric calculation for a software model." This calculation is inherently tied to an entitlement, as the entitlement defines the license metric to be calculated.

Best practices for data ingestion and table creation vary based on data volume to balance performance and convenience:

• Large amount of data requires a Manual approach. Manually defining the schema (e.g., using CREATE TABLE DDL) is critical to precisely optimize data types, partitioning, distribution, and indexing. This level of control is essential for ensuring query performance and storage efficiency at scale.
• Small amount of data is best handled using Import data wizards. Tools like the "Get Data" experience in Microsoft Fabric provide maximum convenience by automatically inferring the schema and loading the data, which is ideal for quick, ad-hoc analysis where performance is not the primary concern.
• Medium amount of data benefits from a Discovery process. This implies a hybrid approach. You use schema discovery or profiling tools to inspect the data's structure first, then refine the suggested schema before a full import. This balances the convenience of inference with the need for better-than-default performance.

Manual (Large data): Microsoft Learn. "Guidance for designing distributed tables in Azure Synapse Analytics." This documentation details the importance of manually selecting table distribution methods (e.g., hash, round-robin) and column data types, which are fundamental Manual design decisions required for optimizing large-scale data warehouses.

Manual (Large data): Microsoft Learn. "Data types for tables in Azure Synapse Analytics." This guide emphasizes that "Minimizing row size by using the smallest data type that works" is a key principle for improving query performance. This optimization is only possible through a Manual DDL approach, not automated inference.

Import data (Small data): Microsoft Learn. "Get data from a file into a KQL database." This document describes the wizard-based "Get Data" experience in Microsoft Fabric, which "guides you through the process... [including] creating a new table, mapping the data, and ingesting the data." This automated flow is the definition of the Import data method, perfect for small, simple ingestion tasks.

Discovery (Medium data): Microsoft Learn. "Schema drift in mapping data flow." (Azure Data Factory documentation). This document discusses the feature of "schema discovery," which allows a developer to "discover the schema of your data source on the fly" and "see the changing columns." This concept of inspecting and adapting to a schema, rather than just blindly importing or fully manually creating it, aligns with the Discovery approach for medium-sized or evolving datasets.

Downgrade/Upgrade: These are specific software entitlement rights. Downgrade rights permit a user to run a previous version of the software, while upgrade rights (often included in maintenance or subscription) entitle a user to future versions as they are released.

Software Subscription: This is a licensing model where the right to use the software is granted for a finite, recurring period (e.g., monthly or yearly). Use is contingent on payment, fitting the definition of "a limited amount of time."

Client Access: A Client Access License (CAL) is a common license type in server environments. It grants a specific user (User CAL) or device (Device CAL) the legal right to access and utilize the services of a server product.

Publisher Pack: In Software Asset Management (SAM) tools, a Publisher Pack is a data add-on that provides publisher-specific licensing rules, product use rights, and reporting templates. These are used to populate and run compliance dashboards.

Downgrade/Upgrade (Downgrade Rights):

Source: Microsoft Product Terms

Reference: In the "Universal License Terms" section, under "Software," the "Downgrade Rights" subsection details the specific entitlements for using prior versions of software for which a customer is licensed.

Software Subscription:

Source: Microsoft Licensing Documentation

Reference: The "Subscription licensing" overview explains that subscriptions provide "rights to use software products... for a defined period." This contrasts with perpetual licenses, which grant rights "in perpetuity."

Client Access:

Source: Microsoft Licensing Documentation

Reference: The "Client Access Licenses (CAL) & Management Licenses" guide defines a CAL as a license "that gives a user or device the right to access the services of a server."

Publisher Pack:

Source: Flexera (Official Vendor Documentation for SAM tools)

Reference: The "FlexNet Manager Platform" documentation describes the "Application Recognition Library and Publisher Packs" as containing the necessary data (SKUs, use rights, rules) "to build reports and dashboards" for managing software compliance and optimization.

The statement is false. Modifying the core logic of the ServiceNow Software Asset Management (SAM) reconciliation engine, which includes its script includes, business rules, and other logic, is a violation of ServiceNow best practices. The reconciliation engine is intentionally designed as a non-customizable "black box." This design ensures the integrity, accuracy, and audit-readiness of the compliance calculations. Direct modifications can lead to inaccurate licensing results, will be overwritten or skipped during platform upgrades causing technical debt, and will render the instance unsupported by ServiceNow for any issues related to the customized reconciliation process.

The "True" option is incorrect because it advocates for a practice that introduces significant risk to the platform's stability, upgradeability, and the core function of the SAM application. While the ServiceNow platform is highly configurable, the certified logic within the SAM reconciliation engine is not intended to be altered. Business requirements should be met through supported configuration options, not by changing the fundamental calculation scripts.

1. ServiceNow Product Documentation: The official documentation describes the reconciliation process in detail but provides no mechanism or recommendation for altering its core scripts. The process is presented as a fixed, reliable engine. The documentation states, "Software reconciliation runs automatically on a scheduled basis to calculate a publisher's compliance position." The lack of any developer guidance on modifying the engine's scripts underscores its intended "black box" nature.

Source: ServiceNow Product Documentation, Quebec Release, "Software reconciliation". (Note: This principle is consistent across all modern releases).

2. ServiceNow Now Learning Courseware: The "Software Asset Management (SAM) Professional Fundamentals" course explicitly teaches that the SAM reconciliation engine is a "black box" and must not be modified. This is a foundational concept for certified implementers. The course materials emphasize that customization can invalidate the results and cause support and upgrade issues.

Source: ServiceNow Now Learning, Software Asset Management (SAM) Professional Fundamentals, Module: "Software Reconciliation".

3. ServiceNow Developer Documentation (Best Practices): General platform best practices strongly advise against modifying baseline (out-of-the-box) application artifacts. The guidance is to use configuration options, scoped applications, and designated extension points rather than altering the original code. This principle applies directly to the protected logic within the SAM application.

Source: ServiceNow Developer Portal, Technical Best Practices, Section: "Avoid changing baseline artifacts".

The statement is correct. Within the ServiceNow platform, the Import Set framework is fundamentally designed for repeatable and standardized data ingestion. A core component of this framework is the Transform Map, which serves as a reusable template. It defines the specific field mappings and data transformations from a source staging table to a final target table. Once this configuration is saved, it can be executed repeatedly for subsequent data loads, which facilitates future imports by eliminating the need to re-configure the process each time.

The "False" option is incorrect because the primary purpose of creating and configuring Data Sources and Transform Maps in ServiceNow is to establish a repeatable, reusable process. Disregarding this functionality would be inefficient and contrary to the platform's intended design for managing recurring data imports, which are common in Software Asset Management for ingesting entitlement, discovery, and usage data.

1. ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Transform Maps": The official documentation states, "A transform map is a set of field maps that determine the relationships between fields in an import set and fields in an existing ServiceNow table... After creating a transform map, you can reuse it to map data from another import set to the same ServiceNow table." This directly confirms that the configuration is a reusable template.

2. ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Import Sets": The overview of Import Sets describes a structured, multi-step process (load data, create transform map, run transform) that is inherently designed for consistency and reuse. The documentation notes, "The Import Set process provides a mechanism to pull data into ServiceNow and transform it before it is loaded into a production table," highlighting a standardized, and therefore reusable, workflow.

3. ServiceNow Developer Documentation, "Import Sets Technical Best Practices": This guide emphasizes the importance of creating robust and reusable import processes. It states, "Transform Maps are reusable entities that can be used by Scheduled Imports or other scripts to process incoming data." This explicitly frames Transform Maps as reusable components for facilitating data imports.

The statement provides an inaccurate and incomplete definition. Client access, often governed by a Client Access License (CAL), is the right for a client (a user or a device) to connect to and use the services of a server software. The duration of this right is a separate attribute of the license agreement. It can be perpetual, meaning the right to use a specific version of the software is indefinite, or it can be for a specific amount of time, as in a subscription or term-based license. The statement incorrectly defines all client access as being time-limited, which is not the case.

The statement is not "True" because it conflates the type of right (client access) with the duration of the right (subscription/term). It excludes the common scenario of perpetual Client Access Licenses, thereby presenting a definition that is too narrow and factually incorrect within the context of software asset management.

1. ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Software model fields": The official documentation for the Software Model [sampsoftwaremodel] table in ServiceNow clearly distinguishes between the license's metric and its duration. The form includes separate fields for License metric (e.g., Per User, Per Device, which are common for client access) and License type (e.g., Perpetual, Subscription). This separation in the platform's data model confirms that the nature of the access right is distinct from its time limitation.

2. ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Create software entitlements": The procedure for creating a software entitlement record in ServiceNow requires the user to specify both the license metric and the license duration. An asset manager must select if the entitlement is Perpetual (a checkbox) or define a Start date and End date for a subscription. This procedural distinction reinforces that client access is not inherently time-limited.

3. ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Software Asset Management fundamentals": The core concepts of SAM within ServiceNow differentiate between what is being licensed (the metric) and the terms of the license agreement (the entitlement). An entitlement captures the purchased rights, which include the metric, quantity, and duration (perpetual or term-based). This foundational principle shows that a specific duration is a condition of an entitlement, not part of the definition of the access metric itself.

The Software Asset Management (SAM) Content Service is enabled by default when the SAM Professional plugin is activated. However, it is not mandatory and can be disabled. ServiceNow provides a specific configuration module where an administrator can explicitly opt out of the service.

The statement "True" is incorrect because it makes the false claim that the service "cannot be opted out." While the service is automatically enabled to provide immediate value, organizations retain full control and can disable it if their policies or operational needs require it.

1. ServiceNow Product Documentation - Software Asset Management: The official documentation explicitly describes the procedure to disable the service. On the "Opt out of the Software Asset Management Content Service" page, it states, "You can opt out of the Software Asset Management Content Service at any time." It then provides the navigation path: All > Software Asset > Administration > Content Service Setup and instructs the user to deselect the Opt-in check box.

Source: ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Opt out of the Software Asset Management Content Service," Washington D.C. Release.

2. ServiceNow Product Documentation - Content Service Setup: The "Content Service Setup" page within the product documentation details the configuration options. It describes the "Opt-in" field as the mechanism to "Select the check box to opt in to the Content Service. Clear the check box to opt out." This confirms that opting out is a designed feature.

Source: ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Content Service Setup," Washington D.C. Release.

3. ServiceNow Now Learning - Software Asset Management (SAM) Fundamentals On Demand: The official training courseware covers the initial setup and configuration of the SAM Professional application. In the modules discussing implementation and administration, it is explained that the Content Service is a key feature that is on by default but can be managed via the Content Service Setup module, which includes the option to opt-out.

Source: ServiceNow Now Learning, Course: "Software Asset Management (SAM) Fundamentals On Demand," Module: SAM Professional Implementation.

The statement is false. While ServiceNow Software Asset Management (SAM) can automatically populate lifecycle data from the publisher via the Content Library, it also provides the functionality to create custom, internally-defined software model lifecycles. An organization can define its own lifecycle dates for software models based on internal policies, such as a decision to retire a specific version of software earlier than the publisher's official end-of-life date. When a lifecycle is created manually, its type is set to 'Custom', distinguishing it from the 'Publisher defined' lifecycles that are sourced externally.

The statement is incorrect because of the restrictive term "only". This incorrectly implies that the sole source for lifecycle data is external publisher information. The ServiceNow platform is designed to be flexible, allowing asset managers to define their own lifecycle phases and dates to align with internal business and IT strategies, which is a core feature of managing the software asset lifecycle effectively.

1. ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Software model lifecycles": This document explicitly states, "You can view publisher life-cycle dates for your software models, or create your own custom life-cycle dates." It further clarifies the distinction: "The Type field is automatically set to Publisher defined when the life-cycle data is pulled from the content library. When you create a custom life cycle, the Type field is automatically set to Custom."

2. ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Create a software model lifecycle": This guide provides the step-by-step procedure for manually creating a software model lifecycle. The process involves a user selecting a software model, a lifecycle phase (e.g., End of life, End of support), and manually entering a "Phase start date". This procedure confirms that dates are not restricted to external publisher data.

The ServiceNow Software Asset Management (SAM) Professional application includes built-in, out-of-the-box capabilities to manage complex license metrics for top-tier software publishers as part of its standard features. This core functionality, often referred to as publisher packs, specifically provides support for managing licenses from IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, and VMware without requiring additional installations or separate subscriptions beyond SAM Professional.

The statement would be false if these capabilities required a separate purchase or were not part of the baseline SAM Professional product. However, managing these specific high-value publishers is a primary feature and value proposition of the SAM Professional offering, and thus is included in its standard configuration.

1. ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Software Asset Management": The overview for the Software Asset Management application explicitly details its core function to manage complex licenses. It states, "Get a comprehensive and accurate view of your software assets from publishers like Microsoft, Oracle, VMWare, and IBM." This confirms that support for these publishers is a fundamental, baseline feature. (Source: ServiceNow Product Documentation, Washington D.C. Release, "Software Asset Management," Section: "Benefits").

2. ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Publisher packs for Software Asset Management": This section details the specific, out-of-the-box support for major publishers. It lists Microsoft, Oracle, IBM, and VMware among the publishers with dedicated license management capabilities included within SAM Professional. For example, it describes, "The Software Asset Management Professional application supports Oracle Database and its associated options and management packs," and "The Software Asset Management application enables you to track and manage your VMware product licenses." (Source: ServiceNow Product Documentation, Washington D.C. Release, "Publisher packs for Software Asset Management").

3. ServiceNow Product Documentation, "IBM license management": The documentation confirms that specific metrics like Processor Value Unit (PVU) and Resource Value Unit (RVU) are managed within the baseline SAM Professional application. It states, "With the Software Asset Management application, you can track and manage your IBM licenses to determine license compliance." (Source: ServiceNow Product Documentation, Washington D.C. Release, "IBM license management," Section: "Overview").

The statement accurately describes the core function of the ServiceNow Software Asset Management (SAM) reconciliation process. This process is designed to compare software installation data, gathered through discovery, against the software rights (entitlements) that an organization has purchased. The output of this reconciliation run is a list of "Product Results," which provides a detailed compliance status for each software model, taking into account specific versions and editions as defined by the license agreements.

The alternative, "False," is incorrect because the statement is a precise and factual description of the purpose and output of the SAM reconciliation feature within ServiceNow. The process fundamentally revolves around comparing discovered installations with entitlements to produce a compliance status, which is displayed in the product results list.

1. ServiceNow Product Documentation - Run software reconciliation: "Software reconciliation compares the number of software rights that you own against the number of software installations that are discovered in your environment to determine your license compliance position." This document confirms that reconciliation compares discovered data against owned rights (entitlements) to determine compliance.

Source: ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Run software reconciliation," Washington DC release.

2. ServiceNow Product Documentation - Software product results: "After running reconciliation, you can view the compliance status of your software products in the Software Product Results list. The compliance status can be Compliant, Not compliant, Not licensed, or Publisher not licensed." This source directly validates that the output is called "Software Product Results" and that it displays the "compliance status."

Source: ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Software product results," Washington DC release.

3. ServiceNow Product Documentation - Software reconciliation process: The documentation on the reconciliation process details how it uses discovery models, which contain information about software versions and editions, and compares them against entitlements that are also often specific to versions or editions. This confirms that versions and editions are key components of the calculation.

Source: ServiceNow Product Documentation, "Software reconciliation," Washington DC release.