Computer reconciliation mode

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9.2.23 Available from 9.2.23.
Computer reconciliation mode helps to avoid duplicating computers in License Metric Tool. Duplicated computers can be created when you are migrating License Metric Tool between data sources or when the BigFix client is reinstalled or restored from a snapshot.

Important:
  • 9.2.33 Starting from application update 9.2.33, computer reconciliation mode is enabled by default for all new installations of the License Metric Tool server.
  • For application updates 9.2.23 and 9.2.24, computer reconciliation applies only to computers that are managed by BigFix. Starting from application update 9.2.25, it applies also to computers from disconnected data sources.
Computer reconciliation mode is a way to avoid duplication of computers in License Metric Tool. Two computers are considered duplicates when they have the same values in the Computer Name and IP Address columns. If multiple entries exist in the IP Address column, all addresses must match for the computers to be considered duplicates. The most common sources of computer duplicates include:
  • Migration of License Metric Tool between data sources
  • Reinstallation of the BigFix client
  • Restoring the BigFix client from a snapshot
  • Reinstallation of the disconnected scanner

When computer reconciliation mode is enabled, a new computer that has the same host name and IP addresses as a computer that already exists in License Metric Tool is treated as the same computer even if its old and new BigFix IDs or endpoint IDs differ. If computers with the same IP addresses and host names are expected in your environment, disable computer reconciliation mode. For more information, see the description of the computer_reconciliation_mode parameter.

Enabling computer reconciliation mode does not resolve existing duplicates. It prevents from creating new ones. You still need to manually remove duplicates that already exist.

Checking whether duplicates exist

You can check whether computer duplicates exist in the user interface or in the tema.log file.
9.2.40 User interface
Information about duplicates is available on the Computers report in the Duplicated column. The column is not displayed by default. To show the column, perform the following steps.
  1. In the top navigation bar, hover over Configure and click Configure View.
  2. In the list of available columns, select Duplicated, and click Submit.
The column can have the following values:
  • No duplicates
  • Yes - Latest. It refers to the computer with the latest value in the Last Seen column.
  • Yest - Older. It refers to the computer with the value in the Last Seen column that is earlier than the value for the computer that is marked as Yes - Latest.
tema.log file
Information about duplicates from before computer reconciliation enablement is presented in the tema.log file. For example: 
2024-01-01 00:00:00 (+0:00:00.000) INFO: Computer Reconciliation: Start
2024-01-01 00:00:00 (+0:00:00.000) WARN: (Importcom.ibm.license.mgmt.etl.core.actions.ComputerReconciliationImportStep) 3 duplicate computers found.
These computers will not be taken to reconciliation processs. More details on debug level.
2024-01-01 00:00:00 (+0:00:00.000) INFO: Computer Reconciliation: Success
After you enable DEBUG logging level, the information is presented the following way:
2024-01-01 00:00:00 (+0:00:00.000) INFO: Computer Reconciliation: Start
2024-01-01 00:00:00 (+0:00:00.000) WARN: (Importcom.ibm.license.mgmt.etl.core.actions.ComputerReconciliationImportStep) 3 duplicate computers found. These computers will not be taken to reconciliation processs. More details on debug level.
(...)
2024-01-01 00:00:00 (+0:00:00.000) DEBUG:  (Importcom.ibm.license.mgmt.etl.core.actions.ComputerReconciliationImportStep) Duplicated computer found: DuplicatedComputer [datasourceName=Data Source, remoteId=123, ipAddress=##.##.###.##
,  name=ComputerHostname]
2024-01-01 00:00:00 (+0:00:00.000) DEBUG:  (Importcom.ibm.license.mgmt.etl.core.actions.ComputerReconciliationImportStep) Duplicated computer found: DuplicatedComputer [datasourceName=Data Source, remoteId=456, ipAddress=##.##.###.##
,  name=ComputerHostname]
2024-01-01 00:00:00 (+0:00:00.000) DEBUG:  (Importcom.ibm.license.mgmt.etl.core.actions.ComputerReconciliationImportStep) Duplicated computer found: DuplicatedComputer [datasourceName=Data Source, remoteId=789, ipAddress=##.##.###.##
,  name=ComputerHostname]
(...)
2024-01-01 00:00:00 (+0:00:00.000) INFO: Computer Reconciliation: Success