Glossary

This glossary defines key terms, acronyms, and phrases used throughout OpenLM documentation.

Term	Definition
Alerts	OpenLM Alerts allow license managers to define conditions and receive notifications when these conditions are met, ensuring license system stability.
Annapurna	The latest version of the OpenLM Platform, providing enhanced license management and monitoring capabilities.
API	Application Programming Interface.
Broker	An intermediary software component that facilitates communication between OpenLM and license managers, converting license usage data into a standardized format.
Component (OpenLM)	A software module deployed separately from the core OpenLM Platform to extend functionality. Examples include the OpenLM License Server Broker, Workstation Agent, and Directory Sync Agent.
Concurrent usage	The number of licenses in use at any given moment.
Denied usage	Instances where license access is blocked because all available licenses are in use.
Feature	A specific functionality, module, or component of a licensed software application tracked by OpenLM.
Historical reports	Reports that analyze license usage over a past period, useful for identifying trends and forecasting demand.
Idle time	The time a license is checked out but not actively used.
License file	A digital document with licensing information such as license count, activated features, expiration date, and usage restrictions.
License manager	Software that controls license distribution and usage, ensuring limits aren’t exceeded. Examples: FlexNet, IBM LUM, Sentinel RMS.
License server	A server that hosts the license manager software and handles license distribution and authentication across a network.
License utilization	A metric showing how many of the available licenses are in use over time, helping assess software usage efficiency.
Microservice	An independent software service performing a specific task, often forming part of a larger microservices-based architecture.
On-premises	Refers to OpenLM software hosted on the organization's own infrastructure, either physical or private cloud.
OpenLM Platform	The core system encompassing OpenLM’s services and products for Engineering Licensing, SAM, and SaaS Management.
OpenLM token	OpenLM tokens are a form of license entitlement used within the OpenLM software license management system. They function as a flexible, reusable unit of measure for accessing and utilizing specific OpenLM features or functionalities.
Platform	The central platform for license management and monitoring within the OpenLM suite, built on microservices.
Options file	A FlexNet configuration file used to control license access policies, such as user or group restrictions and borrowing settings.
Perpetual licensing	A model where software is licensed for indefinite use, typically with an upfront fee and annual maintenance. Available for on-premises deployments only.
Product (OpenLM)	A distinct OpenLM offering, either core or optional, which might consume system resources when activated. Examples: Dongle Monitoring, Software License Management.
Project	A categorization method in OpenLM for organizing license usage data by teams, departments, or projects for tracking and reporting.
Real-time reports	Reports that provide up-to-date views of current license usage, availability, and denials.
Role	Defines the permissions and access levels assigned to users within the OpenLM system.
Session	A user’s active instance of software use, tracked by OpenLM with details such as start/end time, application, and workstation.
User	An individual using licensed applications tracked by OpenLM. Attributes such as name, team, and workstations are recorded.
Usage monitoring	The process of tracking and recording software usage to analyze and optimize license consumption.
Workstation	The computer or device from which a user accesses licensed software, tracked by OpenLM to map license usage across the organization.
Workstation Agent	A compact software program installed on end-user workstations to gather software license usage data and transmit it to OpenLM Platform through Agents Hub.