A software audit notice arrives. The vendor wants proof that every installation is covered by a valid license. The IT team opens a spreadsheet, discovers it was last updated eight months ago, and spends three panicked days cross-referencing purchase orders with installed software. GLPI's license management module exists specifically to prevent this scenario.
License types and how to configure them
GLPI supports multiple license models, each configured differently:
- OEM licenses -- tied to a specific piece of hardware. In GLPI, link the license directly to the computer asset. When the hardware is decommissioned, the license goes with it
- Volume licenses -- a pool of seats (e.g., 50 licenses for Microsoft Office). Set the total count in GLPI and track installations against the pool. When installation 51 is added, GLPI flags the overage
- Subscription licenses -- time-bound (annual or monthly). Set expiration dates and use GLPI's alerts to get notified before renewal deadlines
- Per-user licenses -- assigned to individuals rather than devices. The user can install the software on multiple devices, but only one license is consumed
- Per-device licenses -- assigned to specific machines regardless of who uses them
- Site licenses -- unlimited installations within a defined scope (single site, entire organization). Set the license count to unlimited in GLPI
Linking licenses to installations
GLPI maintains two separate views: what is licensed (the license records) and what is installed (data from GLPI Agent or manual inventory). The compliance picture emerges from comparing these two datasets.
For each software title, GLPI shows: total licenses owned, total installations detected, and the difference. A positive number means unused licenses (potential cost savings). A negative number means more installations than licenses (audit risk).
To link them: create the software entry, create the license under that software, specify the license type and count, then associate installations (either manually or let GLPI Agent do it automatically during inventory scans).
The compliance view
Under Software > Licenses, GLPI provides a dashboard that highlights:
- Over-licensed software -- you own more licenses than you use. This represents money spent on unused assets. Review annually and downsize where possible
- Under-licensed software -- more installations than licenses. This is the audit risk category. Either purchase additional licenses or uninstall the excess
- Expiring licenses -- subscriptions approaching their renewal date. Set alerts 30, 60, and 90 days before expiration
Contract association
Licenses rarely exist in isolation. They come with vendor contracts that define terms, renewal dates, support levels, and pricing. In GLPI, link licenses to contracts (Management > Contracts). Each contract tracks:
- Vendor name and contact
- Contract start and end dates
- Renewal type (automatic, manual, notification required)
- Associated costs
This creates a single point of reference: from a license record, you can trace back to the contract, the vendor, the cost, and the renewal date.
Practical workflow: new software request
A department requests a new application. The process through GLPI:
- User submits a ticket: "Need AutoCAD for the engineering team (3 seats)"
- Technician checks GLPI: do existing AutoCAD licenses have unused seats?
- If yes: assign the existing licenses to the requesting users and deploy the software
- If no: create a purchase request (linked to the ticket), obtain approval, purchase the licenses, add them to GLPI, then deploy
- GLPI Agent picks up the new installations during the next inventory scan and confirms the link between license and installation
This workflow turns license management from a reactive scramble into a tracked, auditable process.