Associating a Configuration Manager application or package with a product (Vendor, Title, Version and Edition)

After syncing a connector with Configuration Manager, the Inventory→Manage Associations->CM to Product tab on the Manage Associations page lists the applications and packages found in Configuration Manager.

For any Configuration Manager applications/packages, where there are any product associations present, the application/package name in the Name column is a link that displays a pop up that shows the existing association.

After selecting a single application/package from the table the Add/Edit Associations button is enabled. If the application/package already has an association you get to edit the association, if any other application/package is selected you get to create a new association for it.

The picture opposite shows an unassociated application/package for Microsoft Visio.

To set a new association you must specify the VTVE in the top Vendor, Title, Version and Edition drop downs to search for a product.

After clicking the Save button, just below the VTVE fields, the association is saved.

Now when you navigate back to the CM to Product screen, the Visio application/package name is a link indicating that it has an association.

Associating one or more products (Vendor, Title, Version and Edition) with a Configuration Manager application or package

Navigate to the Inventory->Manage Associations→Product to CM page.

The products which are installed in the selected inventory are listed in the table.

For any product, where there are any associations present, the version number in the Specific Version column is a link that displays a pop up that shows the existing association.

You can set associations for more than one version of a product at a time. The picture opposite shows three versions of Microsoft Project selected.

Clicking the Add Association button displays the Add Associations page with the selected products added, as shown in the picture opposite.

You can search Configuration Manager for a specific application or legacy package by typing into the search field at the top of the page. The picture opposite shows a search for Microsoft project and the selection of a specific legacy package option called NAGK0 - Uninstall Microsoft Project.

If you select a legacy package the listed selected products change appearance slightly to allow you to select any associated install and uninstall programs, as shown in the picture opposite.

If you select an application there is no option to select the Install/Uninstall Program as that is not necessary for applications.

In our example we will apply the selected CM Application/Package to all the selected products and then set their Uninstall Program items to Uninstall Microsoft Project, as shown in the picture opposite.

Click the Save button to save the associations.

Now when you navigate back to the Product to CM page you'll see that your selected products now have associations added. You can see this in the picture opposite where the three Microsoft Project versions now have links.

The Reclaimable toggle

You will also notice that there is a toggle button just above the table on the Product to CM tab. When this is turned on the table will be filtered to only display the products that have a reclaim policy associated with them in AppClarity. This can be useful after having defined reclaim policies for installed products in AppClarity to then easily associate them with Configuration Manager applications or programs.

Editing associations

The steps for editing associations are different depending on which page the association was created.

Editing CM to Product associations

You can edit an existing CM to Product association by selecting it from the CM to Product associations list and then clicking on the Add/Edit Association button. The picture opposite shows the previously created Microsoft Visio association selected.

On the Add/Edit Associations page subsequently displayed you can save new associations in the top part of the page and edit or delete existing ones on the lower part. The picture opposite shows the previously added Microsoft Visio association being edited.

Modifications are stored whenever you click on Save or Delete. Once you've finished making the changes you need you can navigate back to the main CM to Product page by clicking on the < CM to Product link at the top of the page or using the navigation tree on the left.

Editing Product to CM associations

You can edit an existing CM to Product association by selecting it from the Product to CM associations list and then clicking on the Edit Association button. The picture opposite shows one of the previously created Microsoft Project associations selected. 

On the Edit Associations page subsequently displayed you can select a new Configuration Manager application or legacy package in the top part of the page and edit the specific product association on the lower part, including setting the Install Program and Uninstall Program for legacy packages. The picture opposite shows the previously added Microsoft Project association being edited.

To select another Configuration Manager application or legacy package you search for it using the search field at the top of the page, in the same way as you would if you were creating a completely new Product to CM association. In the picture opposite we've changed the original NAGK0 - Uninstall Microsoft Project CM legacy package to the Microsoft Project Standard 2016 x86 EN application.

Once you've made this change you'll need to select the product in the Selected Products list and then click on Save to commit any changes made to the listed product.

Deleting associations

The steps for deleting associations are different depending on which page the association was created.

Deleting CM to Product associations

You delete a CM to Product association by deleting all the product associations it holds. This is done via the Add/Edit Associations page. First select the association you want to delete from the CM to Product associations list and then click on the Add/Edit Association button. The picture opposite shows the previously created Microsoft Visio association selected.

When the Add/Edit Associations page is displayed select all the associations by clicking on the selection field at the left-hand end of the products table. Then click on the Delete button, as shown in the picture opposite.

A popup will be displayed asking whether you want to delete the association(s). Click on delete to remove all the products from the association.

Subsequently when you navigate back to the CM to Product page you will see that the association has been deleted as a result of all the products having been deleted from the association.

Removing Product to CM associations

You can remove one or more Product to CM associations in a single operation on the Product to CM page. To do this you select all the associations you want to remove and then click on the Remove Association button. The picture opposite shows the Microsoft Project associations selected that we created earlier, with the Remove Association button highlighted.

Clicking on the button displays a notification popup asking if you want to continue with the process of removing the selected associations, as shown in the picture opposite. Click delete to continue and remove all the selected associations. At this point the associations will be removed and no longer appear in the console.