Expert Series FAQ

Floating licenses

  1. How does the floating license system work ?
  2. What Windows versions are supported by the floating license system ?
  3. How can I get the host ID of the license server machine ?
  4. How is the floating license installed ?
  5. What parts of the license file can be edited without invalidating the license ?
  6. Are there any tools available for checking the license server status ?
  7. How can I make the license server to survive closing the command prompt and the user logout ?

1. Question: How does the floating license system work ?
Answer:
In the floating license system the client programs are not tied to any specific machine, only the number of concurrently running programs is controlled. There is a separate license server program running on one machine in the network, controlling the use of the licenses.

At their startup the client programs contact the server and ask for a license to run. If the maximum number of concurrently running programs, defined in the license file, would be exceeded, the server denies the license from the client. Otherwise the license is permitted and the number of the running programs is incremented by one. When the client programs exit, they inform the server so that it can decrement the number of the running programs accordingly.

Because the license control is centralized to one license server machine in the floating license system, all the machines where the program is run, must be connected to the same network. For the Reprise floating license system, used by the DeskArtes Expert Series 8.0, there has to be TCP/IP connection between the machines where the license server and the client programs run.

2. Question: What Windows versions are supported by the floating license system ?
Answer:
The Reprise license system can be run on all the Windows versions supported by the Expert Series 8.0 (Windows 2000 / Windows XP / Windows Vista).

3. Question: How can I get the host ID of the license server machine ?
Answer:
To get the host ID number of the license server machine, you have to first install the DeskArtes license server files from the installation package "DALicenseServer.msi" to the license server machine.

Then open a Windows Command Prompt in the license server installation directory and run the command "rlmhostid" there.

4. Question: How is the floating license installed ?
Answer:
When you receive a Reprise license for Expert Series programs from DeskArtes, you can install it in the license server machine as follows:
  1. Start Windows Notepad editor and copy the license lines (HOST, ISV, LICENSE) from the email message there.
  2. Check that the hostname in the HOST line is correct, and change it if needed.
  3. Save the license into a file with name "deskartes.lic" in the installation directory of the DeskArtes license server files, using the "File->SaveAs"-command in the Notepad.
After that you can try to start the license server. Open a Windows Command Prompt in the license server installation directory and run the command ".\rlm" there.

For more information about the floating license installation for Expert Series programs, see a separate document: "Floating license system installation for DeskArtes Expert Series 8.0 programs".

5. Question: What parts of the license file can be edited without invalidating the license ?
Answer:
In the Reprise license file for the Expert Series 8.0 programs you can edit the hostname and the IP port number on the HOST line and the possible path of the dalicd program on the ISV line. The hostname and IP port number are the second and fourth fields on the HOST line. The dalicd path is the third field on the ISV line. Editing those fields doesn't make the license invalid.

6. Question: Are there any tools available for checking the license server status ?
Answer:
The Reprise license system server has an internal www-server waiting connections at IP port 9000. So you can view the license server status information by connecting to that server with any web-browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera etc.). If running the browser locally at the license server machine, the correct URL for the license server is "http://localhost:9000".

7. Question: How can I make the license server to survive closing the command prompt and the user logout ?
Answer:
You need to configure the license server to be run as a Windows service.

See further information about how the configuration is done in a separate document: "Floating license system installation for DeskArtes Expert Series 8.0 programs".


DESKARTES and the DA symbol are trademarks of DeskArtes Oy.
Copyright 1996-2008 DeskArtes Oy.