- MathWorks license usage becomes difficult to track when organizations manage many MATLAB licenses and toolboxes.
- A good MathWorks dashboard should show server issues, denials, usage trends, unused licenses, checked-out licenses, users, and checkout duration.
- Alerts and user-level reports help stakeholders support MathWorks users, reduce denials, understand concurrent license usage, and improve training.
A research lead managing MATLAB licenses across a multi-toolbox environment finds the questions piling up faster than the answers. Server issues, denial patterns, usage trends, unused licenses, checked-out licenses, who is using what, and for how long — the picture needs to live on a single dashboard, not in five separate utilities. Alerts and user-level reports on top of that view help stakeholders support MATLAB users directly, reduce denials before they happen, understand the concurrent license picture, and route the right people to the right training.
There are a wide variety of licenses that MathWorks provides for small to large enterprises. At a certain point, typically over 50 MATLAB licenses and several toolboxes (version R2020a has as many as 110 toolboxes), it becomes difficult to keep track of who is using what, and for how long. At that point, finding the right balance between having concurrent licenses or individual licenses can become tricky. However, with an effective software usage metering tool, a comprehensive look at your true license usage can be at your fingertips at a moment’s notice.
Dashboard
The foremost task that a software asset management (SAM) solution must provide is visibility of information to enable you to make smart decisions about software. A common approach is to have a dashboard that answers key questions like: Are there any license servers that are down? Are there any denials? Is there an increase or decrease in license usage across the organization? Are there licenses that are not being used and can be cut? Which licenses have been checked out by which user? How long have they had those licenses? A good dashboard would provide an all-inclusive snapshot of current MathWorks usage.
Alerts
An effective usage metering solution should be able to send configurable alerts, based on collected usage data, to key stakeholder to ensure an optimal support of the MathWorks tools. Alerts are triggered when the license pool is getting low, license servers are not working, or renewal time is approaching. This ultimately frees up lT staff to focus on other critical tasks because if they have a tool that is constantly watching the organization’s license usage, they shouldn’t have to.
User-Level Reports
Many organizations choose concurrent licenses, even if it comes at a cost, because the usage is easier to measure. However, since concurrent licenses are multiple times more expensive than an individual license, it becomes essential to understand how concurrent licenses are used. The ability to monitor how licenses are used on the user level would empower your organization the possibility to further optimize costs and reduce denials. By drilling license usage down to departments, projects, and individual users, you can get a much better view of MathWorks tool usage. Furthermore, User-Level Reports can help drive user behavior. I can also help determine which users are improperly trained in the efficient use of MathWorks tools.
With over 20 years of experience in supporting Fortune 500 companies in metering and optimizing engineering tools, Open iT has come to the conclusion that having a solution that monitors MathWorks tools alone is invaluable for organizations.
Learn more about how Open iT® Analyzer for MathWorks® Licensing can provide an in-depth analysis of your organization’s MathWorks license usage and how to effectively manage the usage of MathWorks software licenses. Let us guide you through your software asset management and optimization journey.
*Please speak to one of our Open iT representatives for alternative solutions as there are current limitations in supporting the metering of MathWorks standalone toolboxes.
