When a hardware asset is retired, what happens to any existing software allocations on that asset?

The ServiceNow platform provides configurable automation for asset lifecycle processes. When a hardware asset is retired, the system's behavior regarding associated software allocations is determined by the system property glide.ham.retiresw.reclaim. Administrators can set this property to automatically reclaim the software, making the license available for reallocation, or to take no action, requiring a manual reclamation process. This flexibility allows organizations to align the process with their specific governance policies for software asset management.

B. This describes a flawed process that would lead to lost or untracked licenses, which contradicts the goal of asset management.
C. This is only one possible outcome; the behavior is configurable via a system property and is not always automatic.
D. This is another possible outcome, but it is also a configurable option, not the default or only behavior.

1. ServiceNow Product Documentation. (2023). Hardware Asset Management properties. "Property: Reclaim software allocations when a hardware asset is retired (glide.ham.retiresw.reclaim). Description: If true, when a hardware asset is retired, any software that is allocated to the asset is automatically reclaimed." This directly confirms the property and its function. Retrieved from the ServiceNow Product Documentation site for the Washington DC release.