Exam 70-673 TS: Designing, Assessing, and Optimizing Software Asset Management (SAM)

Published: November 4, 2008
Languages: English
Audiences: IT professionals
Technology: Windows Server 2008
Credit toward certification: MCTS

Skills measured
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Assess software asset management (SAM) programs by using the SAM Optimization Model (18%)
Define the scope of a SAM program assessment
Identify infrastructure groups and locations, estimated quantity of hardware and software assets, functional descriptions for each group, and key points of contact
Assess SAM processes throughout an organization
Assess infrastructure groups for the existence of documented SAM procedures, roles, and responsibilities
Assign maturity levels according to the 10 components of the SAM Optimization Model
Assign one of four maturity levels to each component
Perform a gap analysis between the current maturity level and the desired maturity level
Review assigned maturity levels, compare assigned maturity levels with desired maturity levels

Preparation resources
Software Asset Management Assessment
Microsoft inventory and assessment tools
SAM Assessment report workbook

Perform software license reviews (21%)

Collect and manage complete hardware and software inventories
Review an organization’s hardware and software inventory collection processes and data to ensure completeness
Validate inventory accuracy
Normalize software inventories and reconcile them against other data sources to verify the accuracy of specified license metrics, such as user counts based on HR employee records
Collect, validate, and manage license entitlement records
Gather, store, normalize, and validate license entitlement records; provide reports as needed
Perform a periodic reconciliation of software inventories and license entitlements
Reconcile software inventory data against software license entitlements data to determine and report license compliance status

Preparation resources
SAM and licensing
Taking inventory
Software and hardware spreadsheet template

Coordinate data collection technologies (21%)
Manage data collection
Identify machine type, agent installation requirements, collection schedules, and discrepancies between inventories; define data schemas; identify data storage locations; normalize the collected data
Coordinate data collection between operations groups
Facilitate data transfer and synchronization between various IT groups, validate data between these groups, and ensure that overall SAM processes are being followed
Manage data interfaces between disparate data sources
Identify the process of matching common fields, cross-referencing, determine whether an individual record in one data source requires the updating of other data sources by using manual or automated techniques; manage the data transfer process
Manage reporting
Gather requirements for general user and executive reports, generate and maintain periodic reports, maintain the infrastructure necessary for ad-hoc reporting requests

Preparation resources
Managing your data-collection packages

Design and manage a SAM program (19%)
Secure executive sponsorship
Identify stakeholders, create proposal materials, and obtain explicit executive authorization
Secure funding
Estimate operational costs in both consulting hours and employee time, create a project plan and budget, and obtain from each infrastructure group funding for each task that is associated with managing a SAM program
Design a SAM program
Identify resources and objectives for a SAM program, align resources with customer requirements and schedules, and coordinate acquisition strategies that may include optimization methods, such as software as a service (SaaS) and application virtualization
Implement a SAM program
Create a SAM stakeholder group to oversee the project; assess and benchmark the current state of SAM; implement technologies to support asset discovery; enhance purchasing processes to include storage and retrieval of license entitlement information; perform an initial license reconciliation; create policies, processes, and procedures to support SAM efforts; secure support from all associated departments; educate employees
Maintain a SAM program
Monitor adherence to the policies, processes, and procedures of an organization’s SAM life cycle; standardize SAM processes across all domains and organizational units; perform periodic license reconciliation; and provide ongoing SAM awareness training
Create and manage a SAM program improvement plan
Incorporate SAM analytical data into strategic IT and business unit planning; create detailed metrics and reports to measure SAM adoption, maturity, and adherence to plan; report return on investment (ROI), cost avoidance, and end-user satisfaction to all stakeholders; evangelize SAM maturity benefits

Preparation resources
Creating policies and procedures
Microsoft Licensing suggestions table
Maintaining SAM

Manage the software asset life cycle (21%)
Manage the acquisition process
Identify and manage approved and unapproved purchasing processes within an organization, identify suppliers, and manage software approval and receiving processes
Manage the deployment process
Validate the availability of software and licenses, select the correct media, specify the software identification characteristics, and track the deployment of software
Maintain assets
Manage software and hardware during the install, move, add, change (IMAC) processes throughout the software asset life cycle
Manage the retirement process
Identify hardware for retirement, retire software, harvest software licenses, decommissioning or destruction of storage media

Preparation resources
SAM Optimization Model
Software acquisition policy
Software use policy

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QUESTION 1
How many years of experience do you have designing, assessing, and optimizing Software Asset Management (SAM)?

A. I have not done this yet.
B. Less than 3 months
C. 3-6 months
D. More than 6 months but less than 1 year
E. 1-2 years
F. 2-3 years
G. 3 or more years

Answer: A

Explanation:

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QUESTION 2
Rate your level of proficiency with assessing SAM programs by using the SAM Optimization Model, including defining scope, assessing SAM processes throughout an organization, assigning maturity levels according to the 10 components of the SAM Optimization Model, and performing gap analysis between current and desired maturity levels.

A. Very High
B. High
C. Moderate
D. Low
E. Very Low

Answer: A

Explanation:

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QUESTION 3
Rate your level of proficiency with performing software license reviews, including conducting inventories, validating and managing license entitlement records, and reconciling software inventories and report license compliance status.

A. Very High
B. High
C. Moderate
D. Low
E. Very Low

Answer: A

Explanation:

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QUESTION 4
Rate your level of proficiency with coordinating technologies, including managing data collection, data interfaces between disparate data sources, and reporting.

A. Very High
B. High
C. Moderate
D. Low
E. Very Low

Answer: A

Explanation:

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QUESTION 5
Rate your level of proficiency with designing, implementing, and managing a SAM program, including securing executive sponsorship and funding.

A. Very High
B. High
C. Moderate
D. Low
E. Very Low

Answer: A

Explanation:

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