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Content security and anonymous user data

To comply with privacy laws or internal policies, certain inventory data can be anonymized in Snow Inventory and Snow License Manager. In both applications, user data, including software metering (usage) information can be hidden. As the data carrier for the system, IP addresses can be hidden through configuration in Snow Inventory.

Data anonymization is managed in Snow License Manager through a system setting in the Snow Management and Configuration Center, and in Snow Inventory through data settings in the client configuration file.

Anonymous user data​

The user information displayed in Snow License Manager varies, depending on the anonymization and metering settings configured for SLM and Inventory.

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Default settings: Snow Inventory and Snow License Manager are set to normal, metering of usage is on, and user information is shown.

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Anonymized settings: Snow License Manager is set to anonymous and Snow Inventory anonymous or normal, user information is not shown.

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User anonymous: Snow License Manager normal with Snow Inventory anonymous – the collected information is connected to a unique hash string instead of a user.

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Metering off: when metering is turned off, usage information will be empty.

Disabling software metering limits the ability of the system to optimize license usage and reduce costs. The identification of unused resources is a key element of efficient software asset management, as it enables organizations to uninstall software that is no longer needed. As such, turning off metering is not recommended.

Anonymous IP address​

If the anonymous IP address function in the Snow Inventory client is turned on, IP addresses are not displayed in Snow Inventory or in Snow License Manager.

This setting results in some functionality of Snow License Manager no longer being supported; such as the auto-connect rules based on IP address (which automatically maps a device based on its IP address to an organizational department, such as finance or HR).