Managing software licenses in the cloud era has become increasingly complex for organizations of all sizes. As businesses scale their cloud operations, keeping track of multiple software subscriptions, usage patterns, and compliance requirements can quickly become overwhelming. IT teams often struggle with scattered license data, manual tracking processes, and the constant risk of over-or under-provisioning software licenses.
We’ll demonstrate how to consolidate your AWS Marketplace license and audit data into an S3 data lake, creating a foundation for advanced analytics. You can connect this centralized repository of data to your preferred business intelligence tools and use it to build custom visualizations and reports that meet your organization’s specific needs. This data lake approach provides the flexibility and scalability you need. It works whether you’re managing just a few licenses or hundreds of software subscriptions. The solution supports both single-account procurement and decentralized purchasing through AWS Organizations.
By implementing this solution, you achieve the following:
This solution primarily uses AWS License Manager and AWS CloudTrail, with optional integration of AWS Cost and Usage Reports (AWS CUR) for a more complete financial insight.
AWS License Manager gives you centralized visibility into your software licenses in AWS. By systematically collecting and analyzing this data, it helps you optimize costs, verify compliance, and maintain accurate license inventory. CloudTrail logs API activity in AWS, including license-related actions. This audit data provides context to complement your License Manager datasets
The Cost and Usage Report is available through the AWS Billing and Cost Management console Data Exports page. With AWS CUR 2.0, you can create detailed exports that provide comprehensive information about your AWS cost and usage, including purchases in AWS Marketplace.
Managing third-party software licenses in cloud environments can be complex. License Manager helps you track license usage, compliance status, and entitlements.
License Manager works with CloudTrail to capture every API interaction related to licensing, from initial agreement acceptances to modification events.
By integrating License Manager and CloudTrail data into a centralized Amazon S3 data lake, you can build a consolidated view of license management in AWS Marketplace. This consolidated perspective can be seamlessly integrated into your chosen data pipeline for analysis, whether through the native querying capabilities of Amazon Athena or your preferred business intelligence visualization tools. Organizations that have AWS CUR enabled can merge that dataset into the same data lake to add AWS Marketplace cost visibility.
Figure 1: AWS License Management Architecture – A solution leveraging AWS Lambda, CloudTrail, and License Manager to centralize license data using Amazon S3 data lake.
As shown in the preceding diagram, the AWS license management solution uses Amazon S3 as the foundation for the centralized license data lake. AWS Lambda functions orchestrate automated data collection from License Manager and CloudTrail. One Lambda function queries License Manager APIs for license status, entitlements, usage metrics, and compliance data. Another extracts API events from CloudTrail logs for auditing. All collected data is encrypted and stored in Amazon S3 for retention and secure analysis.
If AWS CUR is enabled in your environment, its exports can be stored in the same data lake and correlated with license and audit data. AWS CUR is not deployed by this solution’s CloudFormation template but is shown in the architecture as an optional integration for a more complete AWS Marketplace cost and license management view.
The automated data collection process runs daily using Amazon EventBridge schedules. The system collects license status, entitlements, usage metrics, and compliance data from License Manager, and license-related activities, timestamps, user identities, and agreement details from CloudTrail. When AWS CUR is enabled separately, AWS Marketplace spend data can also be ingested. All datasets are transformed, validated, and stored securely in the data lake powered by Amazon S3, so that they are ready for analysis at any time.
This integrated approach helps you maintain audit readiness through logs and supports procurement with accurate, up-to-date information. A consolidated view for AWS Marketplace license management can reduce operational overhead and support informed decision-making.
The Amazon S3 based data lake supports SQL querying including Athena and visualization through business intelligence tools. If AWS CUR data is included, cost analytics can be added alongside compliance and usage views.
Deploying the solution requires a single CloudFormation template that configures Amazon S3 data lake infrastructure, AWS Identity and Access Management (IAM) roles, License Manager integration, CloudTrail logging, Lambda functions, and EventBridge scheduling. After deployment, the system begins collecting and processing license data. You can customize retention policies, dashboard integrations, and schedules to meet your needs.
This approach helps you manage licenses through data-driven operation. By combining AWS License Manager and AWS CloudTrail audit logs—and optionally AWS CUR cost data—into a centralized data lake, you can build a consolidated view of your third-party software portfolio in AWS Marketplace. This solution works independently but can be enhanced with AWS CUR for financial insights.
To get started, clone the sample repository and review the implementation guide. For more information, visit the AWS License Manager and AWS CloudTrail documentation.
Looking for additional support? AWS Marketplace offers various third-party solutions that can enhance your license management capabilities. From automated compliance tools to advanced analytics platforms, find the right tools to complement your implementation.
Contact your AWS account team or visit AWS Marketplace to begin optimizing your software license management today.
Sirisha Pinninti is a Partner Solutions Architect at AWS. With a background in analytics, she helps AWS partners innovate and transform their businesses through cloud-native architectures and solutions. Outside of work, Sirisha enjoys singing, storytelling to children.
Soumya Vanga is a solutions architect with expertise in designing and implementing scalable solutions for complex business problems. Outside of work, she enjoys audiobooks, building Legos, and road trips with her family.
