The import entitlements feature from Software Asset Management allows you import a batch of entitlements from a Microsoft excel spreadsheet and view error results in a separate list or either fix or ignore.

Before ServiceNow introduced this functionality, we were building import sets and elaborate transform maps to import entitlement data. This new import feature is a welcome improvement.

Here are the steps I follow when importing software entitlements

INstructions

Import Software Installations

You can import software installations from applications like ServiceNow Discovery and Microsoft SCCM Integration.

Normalize DATA

Running the Guided Setup for Normalization Data Services also helps maintain consistency for table fields that refer to a company name. This step may be optional, but I always do this.

GATHER Entitlement data

This is often the most difficult part. Trying to gather what entitlement data you own. It can be scattered in various documents, hidden in Sharepoint directories, etc. Sometimes you do find luck and are able to find a beautiful spreadsheet containing the data needed.

Download Template File

1. Navigate to Software Asset > Licensing > Import Entitlements

2. Click Download Template File

Merge Entitlement Data into Template file

Take the entitlement data you gathered earlier and try to place it into the template file.

1. The first tab of the template contains the Quick Start Guide on how to import entitlement data.

2. All cells in an entitlement row must contain a value, including cells with a drop-down list.

3. Each entitlement row must be unique.

4. Don’t change the column headers. Column names must be exact. I think extra columns and mixing up the columns also causes it to fail. That might be my superstition however

5. You’ll have to look at an entitlement in ServiceNow to decide what is the correct data for certain columns in the template

It the document is not formatted correctly, it will not import.

Import Data

1. Navigate to Software Asset > Licensing > Import Entitlements

2. Drag your template file into the form

3. Click Upload

Entitlement Import Errors

An Entitlement Import Error record is created when there are errors using the Import Entitlements feature. You will likely receive some Entitlement Import Errors when importing a large file.

When an Entitlement Import Error record is updated to resolve the error, the entitlement is created and the error status is changed to Fixed. All fields are read-only when the error status changes to Fixed or Ignored.

More information on ServiceNow Docs

These are my notes on fixing these import errors

Publisher Part Number not found

1. Click “Create Part Number”

2. Select Product.  After you click the search button, you can also filter by publisher

3. Click Submit

4. Entitlement is created and Entitlement Import Error is fixed

5. Related Entitlement Import Errors may also be automatically fixed after this if they use the same publisher part number

Product not available

1. Left Navigator Bar > Custom Products > New

2. Add data

3. Click Update

Publisher Not Found

1. Left Navigator Bar > Software Asset > Custom Software Product

2. Add data

   • Publisher

   • Product

   • Product type: Licensable

3. Click Update

Import template customized resulting in one or many fields being invalid

Don’t customize the import template

Purchased rights should be greater than 0

There is an issue with the import spreadsheet

Duplicate entry

Click Create Entitlement if not a duplicate