Information About Software License Management for Carleton IT Users

If you work on a Carleton computer, you should know that your use of software, including your ability to update that software, is logged by a software license management system at ITS. 

Why do we need license management?

  • It is a legal requirement of some software license agreements. As the owner of the hardware, the College is required by software publishers to maintain a system of monitoring copyright compliance.
  • Automating software license-management using KeyServer (the software currently employed) streamlines the process, allowing ITS to better serve faculty. For example:
  • KeyServer allows us to better plan software upgrades, thus enabling ITS to negotiate better deals on new software, as well as existing site-licenses and packs of software.
  • License-management software can reduce staff time spent managing software. 

What is being logged?

  • KeyServer records the existence of all software (applications and executables) on your machine; it logs usage only on software that ITS staff program it to record.
  • The process also records basic computer hardware information.
  • Document content, websites visited, keystrokes, or data files are NOT logged. 

Who has access to your software usage data?

  • Only the KeyServer keeps track of licenses checked out and software used. Software-license management data is stored on the KeyServer and is accessible only by ITS system administrators (Troy Barkmeier, Rebecca Barkmeier, and Sande Nissen).
  • Privacy is respected by ITS staff. No person is monitoring your software usage. 

What happens to this data?

  • The usage data stays on the KeyServer. Aggregate data is periodically reviewed by ITS staff and campus advisory committees, with faculty consultation, to determine general software usage and to guide software purchasing decisions. 

What if I prefer not to have my software use logged?

  • Use a non-Carleton computer and software not owned by the College. 

What do I need to do?

  • In most cases, nothing, if you are using a College-owned computer
  • Keep receipts if you are installing your own software on a College-owned computer
  • If you have questions about installing software, College-owned or other, on your computer, consult with your Academic Technologies Consultant.

If you have questions about what software is licensed and managed by KeyServer, please contact Rebecca Barkmeier or Joel Cooper.

ITS 5/09

Members of the Advisory Committee on Academic Computing:

Stephen Mohring, Chair
Nathan Grawe
Laura Chihara
Diane Nemec-Ignashev (off-campus studies, spring 2009)

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Update: Jan, 2010

KeyServer Upgrade

Sassafras K2 KeyServer is the primary tool on campus for software asset management, as described above. 

The College is responsible for adhering to the license requirements of hundreds of software applications, and these requirements differ from application to application.  

Over winter break, 2009, Carleton’s Desktop Systems team upgraded the campus KeyServer, the primary software that manages concurrent licensing.  The upgraded software offers a number of new configuration options and settings.  We’ll be continuing to explore and utilize these features in order to increase software availability to our users while reducing the overall cost of software to the College. 

Rebecca Barkmeier
D Foxgrover

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