Linking an item to a software product

Use the Software Catalog application to link existing item master records with the currently displayed software catalog record.

About this task

Such linkage is desirable when you want to ensure that some particular action (like obtaining a license) gets done as part of another process not directly linked to that action (like procuring a new software item defined in the Item Master application).

For example, by linking a software catalog record to an authorized item in the Item Master application, the item is flagged in Item Master to indicate whether a license is required if the authorized item comes up for procurement.

When a linked item is displayed on the Item tab in Item Master, the Software Name field is filled in, indicating that the item is linked to a software catalog record with that name.

The linkage of a software catalog record with a software item in Item Master offers the following additional benefits:

When you receive purchased software in the Receiving application, you can automatically create a default install license. Creating a default license requires that the software item be associated with the corresponding software record in the software catalog, so the proper license can in turn be associated with the newly purchased software item.
When you associate a software item with a record in the Software Catalog application, procurement applications (such as Purchase Orders and Purchase Requisitions) display the licenses associated with the software items in Select Value windows. This enables you to associate the correct license with line items.

The steps for linking an item to a software product follow.

Procedure

On the navigation bar, click Go To > Administration > Deployed Assets > Software Catalog.
On the toolbar, display all records for software products, or use the table filter or Advanced Search to filter the records that you want to display.
In the Software section, click the record that you want to work with. The catalog record is displayed on the Software tab.
In the Associated Items section, click Link to Item Master. In the Select Items to link window, note that by default the Software field for authorized items is set to Y, and the Already Linked field is set to N. To refine your search for Item Master items to select from, you can use the table filter to find the records that you want to display.
To display items that are already linked, clear the Already Linked field and press Enter.

To display nonsoftware authorized items, set the Software field to N and press Enter. If you select one of these nonsoftware items and click OK, in the Item Master application the Software check box is marked automatically for that authorized item.
In the Select items to link window, select one or more items from the list. To specify values, select the check box on the rows containing the values. To select all values, select the check box on the header row.
If the list is empty, there are currently no software items available to link to. In this case, you can refine your search to find an item to link to. Or you can cancel this task and go back to the Associated Items section, click Create Item Master, and create a new software item in the Item Master application that you can link to. Then return to step 4 and follow the instructions to link to the item.
Attention: By default, the Select Items to link window does not show authorized items that are already linked to a software catalog record. If in step 4 you changed the default setting from N to Y in the Already Linked field, and you select an authorized item that is already linked to a software catalog record, that link will be lost and cannot be recovered. The lost link is replaced with your new link to the current record, because an authorized item can refer to only one software catalog record at a time.
Click OK to complete the linking. Any newly linked items are listed in the Associated Items section on the Software tab.
Note: To unlink an item listed in the Associated Items section, you can click the Mark Row for Delete (trash can) icon at the end of the row and then click Save. This action will delete the row but will not delete the Item Master record itself.

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