Frequently Asked Questions

Octopus Cloud is a software asset management (SAM) platform purpose-built for cloud providers, managed service providers (MSPs), and independent software vendors (ISVs). Its flagship capability is automating Microsoft SPLA (Service Provider License Agreement) license reporting, compliance monitoring, and cost optimisation across complex, multi-tenant or hybrid IT environments.

Rather than relying on manual spreadsheets or disconnected tools, Octopus Cloud collects infrastructure data automatically, converts it into compliant licensing reports, and provides continuous compliance intelligence — all from a single platform.

Octopus Cloud is built for medium to large cloud infrastructure providers and service providers who want to create an IT Inventory and manage Microsoft-licensed workloads on behalf of end customers. You are a strong fit if you:

• Hold a Microsoft SPLA, CSP Hoster, or Flexible Virtualization Benefit agreement
• Operate multi-tenant private or public cloud environments
• Manage 50 to multiple thousand licensed assets across customer environments
• Face regular or anticipated Microsoft compliance audits
• Need to automate billing-relevant license data into downstream systems

Our customers typically come to us with one or more of these challenges:

• Manual, error-prone monthly license tracking that consumes significant staff time
• Under-reporting risk and exposure to costly Microsoft audit penalties
• No centralised visibility across customer environments or licensing programs
• Complex multi-tenant infrastructures where each customer’s licenses must stay isolated
• Difficulty connecting license data to billing and invoicing workflows
• Migration between hypervisor platforms with no disruption to compliance reporting

The Microsoft Service Provider License Agreement (SPLA) requires you to report and pay for every Microsoft product used by your customers on a monthly basis. This includes Windows Server, SQL Server, Remote Desktop Services (RDS/CAL), System Center, and all other products listed on the SPUR price list.

Octopus Cloud automates the entire SPLA workflow: it scans your infrastructure to discover installed Microsoft software, counts licenses accurately (including complex rules like RDS user-based SALs and nested Active Directory groups), and generates compliant monthly reports ready for your SPLA reseller.

Yes. The CSP Hoster module monitors and manages Cloud Solution Provider hoster licenses, tracks usage and allocation per customer tenant, and provides the visibility needed to bill customers accurately. This is particularly valuable for providers who are expanding from SPLA into CSP programs or who operate both programs in parallel.

Octopus Cloud includes a dedicated module for managing Microsoft’s Flexible Virtualization Benefit. This allows you to correctly track which workloads are covered under FVB, distinguish them from standard SPLA workloads, and prevent double-licensing — a common issue for providers transitioning workloads to Azure Arc or hybrid cloud architectures.

Yes. A single Octopus Cloud instance can manage SPLA, CSP Hoster, and Flexible Virtualization Benefit licenses simultaneously. The platform clearly segregates each program, ensuring that the right workloads are reported under the right agreement and that shared infrastructure costs are attributed correctly.

Multi-tenancy is a core design principle of Octopus Cloud, not an add-on. The platform allows you to:

• Onboard and manage any number of customer organisations from a single central dashboard
• Isolate each customer’s devices, users, and license data so there is no cross-contamination
• Give individual customers or internal teams their own scoped view and self-service reporting
• Separate shared infrastructure licensing (your responsibility) from customer-billable licensing

Customers such as Schuberg Philis, Blue Bridge MSP, Logicalis, ICT Elmo, and Fraidei Oy all use Octopus Cloud to manage dozens to hundreds of isolated customer environments from one platform.

Octopus Cloud supports a broad range of hypervisor and cloud platforms, including:

• VMware (vCenter and ESXi Host scan)
•  Hyper-V
•  Nutanix (AHV)
•  Apache CloudStack
•  Citrix Hypervisor
•   KVM
•   OpenNebula
•   OpenStack
•   Proxmox Virtual Environment (PVE)
•   Scale Computing
•   Virtuozzo OnApp Cloud Platform
•   XenOrchesta (XCP-ng single-node approach is also supported)
•   ZStack Cloud
•   HPE Morpheus (testing phase completed)
•   Red Hat OpenShift (in development)

This makes Octopus Cloud platform-agnostic and particularly valuable for providers who are migrating between hypervisors (for example, VMware to Proxmox or KVM) and need continuity in compliance reporting throughout the transition.

The platform automatically detects and tracks:

• Windows Server (Standard, Datacenter) — including core-based licensing
• SQL Server (all editions: Standard, Enterprise, Web, Express, Developer)
• Remote Desktop Services (RDS) SALs — user-based, including nested Active Directory groups
• System Center products
• Azure Arc-enabled server configurations
• License Mobility and BYOL (Bring Your Own License) scenarios

All products listed on the Microsoft SPUR price list are supported.

Octopus Cloud uses a lightweight Data Collector component that you deploy within your environment. Collectors support both agent-based and agentless scanning:

Agent-based: A small agent is installed on each Windows server. Agents report directly to the central OC View server over HTTPS (port 443), requiring no open inbound ports in customer networks.

Agentless: Collectors connect to VMware vCenter, Hyper-V hosts, Active Directory domains, standalone Windows servers, Windows workgroups, workstations or other infrastructure APIs to enumerate virtual machines and installed software without installing anything on each VM.

Most deployments use a combination of both methods. Scheduled scans run automatically (typically daily), and collectors self-update from the central server — so ongoing maintenance is minimal.

Octopus Cloud is designed with real-world network constraints in mind. Each customer site can have its own dedicated collector that communicates outbound to the central OC View server over HTTPS (port 443) only. There is no requirement for inbound connections from the internet, and no need for proxy servers. For fully air-gapped or restricted environments, jump-box deployment patterns are also supported.

Yes. The platform supports a self-service model where individual customer teams can configure their own collectors and scanning targets, while your central IT team retains oversight. This model — used by customers like Schuberg Philis — allows you to provide the platform as a service without needing to manage every customer’s configuration yourself.

Octopus Cloud provides several layers of audit protection:

• Continuous, automated asset discovery eliminates the under-reporting risk that comes from manual processes
• Historical data is retained for up to 36 months, covering the full audit lookback period Microsoft typically requests
• Month-to-month comparison reports show changes over time, which auditors often require
• Detailed audit trails explain exactly why each license is assigned to each user or device
• Compliance alerts notify you of licensing violations before they become audit findings

Multiple customers have adopted Octopus Cloud specifically after receiving or anticipating a Microsoft audit (including Logicalis, ICT Elmo, and Elisa), and have used it to correct gaps proactively, avoiding significant penalties.

Yes. You can configure flexible exclusion rules based on conditions such as:

• User Groups
• AD Organizational Units
• Active Directory groups, users, and OUs
• Server name patterns or operating system type (e.g., exclude domain controllers)
• Software edition (e.g., exclude SQL Express from SQL Server counts)
• User account types (e.g., exclude MSP administrative accounts from RDS CAL counts)
• Active Directory group membership

These rules are applied automatically during each scan and reflected immediately in reports, removing the need for manual adjustments.

Both options are available. Octopus Cloud is offered as:

On-premises: You deploy OC View on your own Linux server (Ubuntu or Debian, Docker-based). This is preferred by customers with strict data residency requirements or who need the platform entirely within their own network perimeter. Several customers — including Conova (Austria’s first on-premises OC3 deployment) and SLTN — have deployed this way.

The Octopus Cloud REST API allows you to embed licensing management into your existing IT and business workflows. Common use cases include:

• Automatically importing license data into billing or invoicing systems (ERP, CRM, custom billing platforms)
• Programmatic configuration and deployment of collectors at scale (using tools like Chef, Ansible, or custom scripts)
• Exporting monthly SPLA reports directly to your reseller’s portal
• Integrating with CMDBs for automated customer provisioning
• Building customer-facing portals where end customers can access their own license reports

Full API documentation is available to customers and prospects on request.

Yes. OC View supports Microsoft Entra ID integration for user authentication, enabling role-based access control through your existing identity provider. This means your team and your customers’ teams can log in with their Microsoft credentials, and you can define granular permissions at the organisation, device, user, and software level.

Octopus Cloud uses a subscription model based on the number of managed assets (servers/VMs). Pricing tiers accommodate environments from around 50 assets up to several thousand. Two billing structures are available:

Pay-as-you-go (monthly): Ideal for growing environments or when you are still assessing your asset count. You pay for what you use each month with no long-term commitment.

Committed subscription: An annual or multi-year commitment at a lower per-asset rate. Recommended once your environment has reached a stable size.

Technical support is included in all subscription tiers. Contact us to discuss pricing for your specific environment size and requirements.

Yes. We offer a structured proof of concept process to help you validate that Octopus Cloud fits your environment before subscribing. During a POC you can connect your own infrastructure, verify that the scanner correctly detects your licensed software, and review the reports with your team. We provide onboarding support throughout. Please get in touch to arrange a POC.

On-premises deployments typically take one to two weeks depending on infrastructure readiness and the number of customer environments to onboard. We provide implementation guidance and onboarding support as part of your subscription. Customers migrating from an existing tool (such as a previous version of OC or a third-party scanner) can import historical configurations to minimise disruption.

Security is built into the platform architecture. Key protections include:

• All communication between collectors and the OC View server is encrypted over HTTPS (TLS)
• Credentials used by collectors are stored encrypted on the central server — never in plain text
• On-premises deployments support customer-owned encryption keys for inventory databases
• Role-based access control ensures each user or customer can only see data they are authorised to access
• Data isolation between tenants is enforced at the platform level — one customer cannot see another’s data
• No data is sent to external cloud services unless you are using the SaaS deployment

Yes. Octopus Cloud supports granular, scoped access at the organisation level. You can create customer-specific login accounts or portal views that show only the data belonging to that customer. This is used by several customers — including Elisa and ZenZero — to offer licensing transparency as a value-added service to their end customers.

Yes. Older versions of the tool will continue to receive periodic bug fixes and security patches, while our latest version will be reserved for all new features and functionalities.