Configuring the License Server
To use an Advanced Installer floating license you first need to install and configure the License Server. A running License Server is required when registering your copy of Advanced Installer.
- 1. Install the license server
- 2. Launch the configuration wizard
- 3. Set a port number
- 4. Specify your license key
- 5. Configuring the License Server from Command Line
- 5.1 The syntax for configuring the License Server is:
- 5.2 The syntax for restarting the License Server is:
- 5.3 The Syntax for uninstalling the License Server is:
1. Install the license server
The license server is part of Advanced Installer. You must download and install the entire application on your server machine. Just copying the license server files over is not enough.
2. Launch the configuration wizard
Launch advinstlicenseserver.exe from the /bin/x86 subfolder of the Advanced Installer install directory.
The license server configuration process requires Administrator privileges.
3. Set a port number
The first setting is the license server port number. It will be used by client Advanced Installer instances to connect to the server.
Set an unused port number in the appropriate field and press [ Next ] button.
The License Server Wizard will automatically check if the specified port is open. It will also configure the Windows Firewall to allow access to this port. If the port is blocked by an external firewall, an error message will be shown.
4. Specify your license key
If your server machine has an active Internet connection, you can enter your License Key and press [ Next ] . The wizard will automatically download the license file and finish the configuration.
If no Internet connection is available, you can use the “I would like to register by email” option. We will require your Computer ID along with the License Key to generate and return you a license file.
5. Configuring the License Server from Command Line
The License Server could be also configured using Command Line, by calling our tool advinstlicenseservercli.exe from the /bin/x86 subfolder of the Advanced Installer install directory.
advinstlicenseservercli.exe requires Administrator privileges so it must be run from an Administrator Command Prompt
5.1 The syntax for configuring the License Server is:
advinstlicenseservercli.exe /ConfigureLicenseServer
- — The License key
- — The License Server port number
5.2 The syntax for restarting the License Server is:
advinstlicenseservercli.exe /RestartLicenseServer [-stoppreviousservice]
- -stoppreviousservice — Use this parameter if you have a License Server of an older version of Advanced Installer running on your machine. This will stop the service associated with the old version of the License Server and will start the new version.
5.3 The Syntax for uninstalling the License Server is:
advinstlicenseservercli.exe /UninstallLicenseServer
6. Configure the license server page
Access the license server page by going to http://[servername]:[port]/admin in your web browser.
Check the available registered licenses, add the computers that use them, and set the priority level of each computer.
Check «Log license incidents» to enable logging the license server. The log is created in %ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Caphyon\License Server\licenseincidents.json on your license server computer.
If one of your computers is a Build Server, or you just want to give priority to a certain computer in case of a simultaneous request to use the license. you could set its Priority Level to Build Server.
7. Limit access to the license server page
Limiting access to the license server page can be done by following these steps:
1. Create an empty JSON file in C:\ProgramData\Caphyon\License Server and name it accesslist.json .
2. Copy and paste the code below into the new JSON.
3. Add the IPs of the computers that are allowed access to the license server page; if left empty anyone from your network can access the page.
"Allow":["11.0.0.1" , "11.0.0.2"]
To deny access to a few specific computers, add their IPs to Deny and leave Allow empty.
FQDN (fully qualified domain name) is supported in Allow and Deny list. To obtain the FQDN of a computer use ping -a command line.
Using FQDN can delay license acquiring from the server even when the access list is not used. The FQDN resolve can be disabled from Admin panel ( http://[servername]:[port]/admin ) by uncheking Resolve IP to fully qualified domain name (FQDN) option.
8. Register using the license server
With a running license server, you can now register any Advanced Installer instance. Start Advanced Installer, access the “Help > Register” menu inside the application and select the “by using a license server” option.
After specifying the license server host name and port number, you can click [ Next ] to finish the registration. Your current Advanced Installer instance will use one of the available license slots.
Once an Advanced Installer copy is registered with a license server, it stays permanently registered. You don’t need to re-register every time you edit a project.
License Remote Desktop session hosts
You can use the information in this article to configure licensing for session hosts on your Remote Desktop Services (RDS) deployments. The process will be slightly different depending on which roles you’ve assigned to the session host you’re licensing.
Prerequisites
In order to install licenses for your session hosts, you’ll need a Remote Desktop license server with per-user or per-device client access licenses (CALs) activated.
Configure licensing for an RDS deployment that includes the RD Connection Broker role
If you need to license session hosts where your RDS deployment doesn’t include the connection broker role, you’ll need to specify a license server by using group policy either centrally from your Active Directory domain or locally on each session host. You’ll also need to do specify a license server when using Windows Server with Azure Virtual Desktop.
To specify a license server:
- On the RD Connection Broker computer, open Server Manager.
- In Server Manager, select Remote Desktop Services >Overview >Edit Deployment Properties >RD Licensing.
- Select the Remote Desktop licensing mode (either Per User or Per Device, as appropriate for your deployment).
Note If you use domain-joined servers for your RDS deployment, you can use both Per User and Per Device CALs. If you use workgroup servers for your RDS deployment, you have to use Per Device CALs In that case, Per User CALs are not permitted.
- Specify a license server, and then select Add.
- Depending on whether you want to configure Group Policy centrally from your domain or locally on each session host:
- Open the Group Policy Management Console (GPMC) and create or edit a policy that targets your session hosts.
- Open the Local Group Policy Editor on the session host.
- Go to Computer Configuration >Administrative Templates >Windows Components >Remote Desktop Services >Remote Desktop Session Host >Licensing.
- In the policy list, right-click Use the specified Remote Desktop license servers, and then select Properties.
- Select Enabled, and then enter the name of the license server under License servers to use. If you have more than one license server, use commas to separate their names.
- Select OK.
- In the policy list, right-click Set the Remote Desktop licensing mode, and then select Properties.
- Select Enabled.
- Under Specify the licensing mode for the Remote Desktop Session Host server, select Per Device or Per User, as appropriate for your deployment.
- Create a subfolder named Logs under the folder in which you installed NLM.
- Use a text editor to create a text file in the Logs subfolder.
- Give the text file any name you like, but be sure to change the filename extension from .txt to .log.
- Open the LMTOOLS utility. In Windows, click Start > Autodesk > LMTOOLS Utility.
- From the Service/License File tab, verify that the Configuration Using Services option is selected.
- Select the checkbox LMTOOLS Ignores License File Path Environment Variables.
- From the Config Services tab, use the Service Name drop-down menu to specify a name.
- Specify paths for these three files:
- Path to the lmgrd.exe file: Browse to select the file in your NLM folder.
- Path to the license file: Browse to select the license file you obtained from Autodesk.
- Path to the debug log file: Browse to select the debug log file you created earlier.
Note: Be sure that users and services have write access to the debug log file or folder.
- Select Use Services. Then select Start Server At Power Up. This setting ensures that the license server starts automatically after maintenance or a power outage.
- Click Save Service and confirm.
- Save your license .lic file to the desktop.
- Move the license file from the desktop to this hidden folder:
- For macOS: /usr/local/flexnetserver
- For Linux: /opt/flexnetserver
- From the Start/Stop/Reread tab, verify that the correct server name is highlighted. Then click Start Server.
- Verify that the license server has started (within 30 seconds). You should see the message «Server Start Successful» at the bottom of the dialog.
- To get to the directory, enter the following commands:
- For macOS:
cd /usr/local/flexnetserver - For Linux:
cd /opt/flexnetserver
- For macOS:
- To list the directory contents, enter this command:
- ls
- To start the license server, enter this command:
- For macOS:
sudo ./lmgrd -c /usr/local/flexnetserver/adsk_server.lic -l/usr/local/flexnetserver/adsk_serverLog.log - For Linux:
sudo ./lmgrd -c /opt/flexnetserver/adsk_server.lic -l/opt/adsk_serverLog.log
- For macOS:
Configure licensing for an RDS deployment that includes only the RD Session Host role and the RD Licensing role
Next steps
Learn how to create reports to track RDS per-user CALs issued by a Remote Desktop license server at Track your Remote Desktop Services client access licenses (RDS CALs).
Configure and start your network license server
Create a debug log file, configure your network license server, start it, and confirm that it’s running.
Create a debug log file
Debug log files contain Network License Manager (NLM) history that you can review to troubleshoot problems with your license servers.
Configure the license server
Configuration methods differ according to your operating system. For Windows network servers, use the LMTOOLS utility provided with Network License Manager (NLM).
To configure a Windows server
To configure a macOS or Linux server
Start the license server
After configuration, you can start the license server.
To start the license server on Windows
Use the LMTOOLS utility:
To start the license server on macOS or Linux
Precedence for determining the Autodesk license server
This document notes these methods, and clarifies their respective precedence:
1. ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE environment variable
When running an Autodesk software product that uses the FLEXlm based version of the Autodesk License Manager (AdLM), it first reads the environment variable ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE to determine where to look for its network license.
2. ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE registry key
If the servers specified by ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE are not available, or are out of concurrent licenses, the client reads a registry key to determine where to look next.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESOFTWAREFLEXlm License ManagerADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE
From our experience, the registry key is:
HKEY_CURRENT_USERSoftwareFLEXlm License ManagerADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE
3. LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable
Similar to the ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE environment variable, the LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable also points to a specific FlexLM license server. This variable It is common to all Flex enabled applications, so it is not recommended for use on a multi vendor environment.
4. licpath.lic file
The network installation creates a licpath.lic file. It is created on the client workstation for a client installation, and created in the run-tree folder on the server for a network heavy installation. The licpath.lic file must contain the following lines:
SERVER USE_SERVER
What is LICPATH.lic
The Autodesk LICPATH.lic file is created on client workstations during an Autodesk network installation. This file specifies the license server and lmgrd port number from which the client will try to obtain a license.
File format
According to Autodesk’s knowledge center, the format of that file should be:
SERVER server_name 000000000000 USE_SERVER
According to our experience, this format does not always work:
- The actual MAC address needs to be specified,
- The lmgrd port numbers is sometimes required, and
- server_name could be either the name or IP of the license server.
So, a working format on our client machine is:
SERVER My_Autodesk_Server_IP My_Autodesk_Server_MAC My_lmgrd_Port_Number USE_SERVER
SERVER server2012_autodesk 005056012345 27000 USE_SERVER
LICPATH.lic location
The LICPATH.lic file is located adjacent the Autodesk run file, one per licensed feature. I.e. there may be several such files located on the client machine in folders such as:
- C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Autodesk AutoCAD Map 3D 2022
- C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD Map 3D 2013
- C:\Program Files\Autodesk\AutoCAD Map 3D 2012
LICPATH.lic precedence
As listed on this document, there are a few parameters that take precedence over the LICPATH.lic file. These are the
- ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE environment variable
- ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE registry key, and
- LM_LICENSE_FILE variable
In order to make sure the LICPATH.lic file takes effect, the parameters above need to be deleted or nullified.
5. License Finder dialog box
If upon application bring-up all the above methods have failed to determine the location of the Autodesk license manager, The “FLEXlm License Finder” dialog box appears and states that:
“Your application was not able to obtain a license because the FLEXnet license server manager could not determine where to find the licensing data it needs”
Autodesk requires the user to either “Specify the License Server System” or “Specify the License File”. Select “Specify the License Server System” and click Next. The UI will prompt you to type in the Autodesk license manager location.
Notes
1. The dialog box configuration changes the ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE registry key, so it will take precedence over licpath.lic and LM_LICENSE_FILE. In order to return to those methods the ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE key would have to be deleted from the registry.
2. OpenLM interfaces the Autodesk FlexLM based license manager to provide real-time application usage metering and license usage statistics. It automatically optimizes license utilization for the benefit of users and license administrators alike.
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