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Floating License Server Operation Manual - On-premise version

The following is explained about the on-premise version of floating licenses.

  • Setup
  • Operation
  • Checking license usage status
  • Updating licenses
  • Uninstallation
  • Troubleshooting

Setup​

This explains how a system administrator can set up a floating license server for Next Design. The steps to set up a floating license server are as follows.

  1. Download
  2. Installation
  3. Configuration
  4. License activation
  5. Server auto-start registration
  6. Change firewall settings
  7. Create license configuration file
  8. Operation check
Note

If you use multiple editions with floating licenses, you need to prepare a different license server for each edition.

info

Administrative privileges are required to execute the commands described in the following steps. For Windows, run the command prompt as an administrator. For Linux, use the sudo or su command in conjunction with the commands.

1. Download​

Download the files required to build a floating license server from the Next Design support page.
The required files are as follows.

  • LexFloatServer-Win.zip
  • NextDesignProduct.dat
Caution

After downloading the zip file, disable security protection as follows before extracting the file.

  1. Right-click the zip file to display [Properties].
  2. Read the [Security] explanation displayed at the bottom of the [General] tab, check the [Allow] check box on the right, and press the [OK] button.

2. Installation​

Extract the downloaded zip file and store it in the installation folder of your choice.

  • LexFloatServer.exe ･･･ License server executable file
  • config.yml ･･･ Configuration file
  • NextDesignProduct.dat ･･･ Next Design product identification data file
info

The Visual Studio 2015 redistributable package is required to run the floating license server. If it is not installed, download it from the Microsoft site and install it.

3. Configuration​

Configure the information required to operate the floating license server.

Open the "config.yml" stored in the folder in a text editor and edit it as follows.

server:
port: { Port number used by the floating license server }
licenseKey: { License key of the issued floating license }
productFilePath: NextDesignProduct.dat
auth:
admins:
  - username: { User name to sign in to the license management screen }
password: { Password to sign in to the license management screen }
note

If the Next Design product identification data file: "NextDesignProduct.dat" is stored in a folder different from the license server executable file, specify the relative path from the license server executable file in the above productFilePath:.

4. Activating the license​

License activation is performed from the command line. This section explains how to activate online and how to activate offline.

note
  • Activation can also be performed from the license management screen accessed from a browser, but the procedure is simpler when using the command line, so the procedure for command line is explained below.
Operation procedure

Execute the following command.

lexfloatserver -a

5. Registering the server for automatic startup​

To start the floating license server, you need to register the service. By executing the following command, it will be registered as a service, and the floating license server will automatically start when the server starts.

lexfloatserver -i --service-name {service name to register} --service-display-name {service name to display in management tool}

6. Change firewall settings​

Configure the firewall to allow access to the floating license server.

  1. Open [Network and Internet] from [Windows Settings].
  2. Open [Windows Firewall].
  3. Open [Allow an application through the firewall].
  4. Click [Allow another app] to open the [Add app] dialog.
  5. Click the [Reference] button and select [LexFloatServer.exe].
  6. Check [Private] and [Public] for [Floating license server] in the [Allowed apps and features] list.
  7. Click the [OK] button to close the dialog.

7. Create a license configuration file​

Use the license configuration file creation tool to create a license configuration file.
For information about the license configuration file creation tool, see License configuration file creation tool.

8. Operation check​

The following explains the procedure to check if the floating license server is working properly.

You can check if it is working properly by starting Next Design on a machine other than the server and actually authenticating the license.

  1. Start Next Design.
  2. If you have not registered the Next Design license, the [License registration] dialog will be displayed.
    (If the license is already registered, please deactivate the license by following the license deactivation procedure described below before starting the program.)
  3. Select [Floating license] from the [License type] options.
  4. Select [On-premise] from the [License server] options.
  5. In [License setting file], specify the path to the license setting file created with the license setting file creation tool.
  6. If necessary, change the system proxy settings so that you can connect to the license server. For details, please contact your network administrator.
  7. Press the [Register] button.
  8. If the license server is working properly and the license is authenticated, Next Design will start.
Procedure for releasing a license
  1. Select [Help] > [License Management] to display the [License Management] dialog.
  2. Click the [Release License] button and click OK in the confirmation dialog that appears.
  3. The license will be released and Next Design will close.

Operation​

Check license usage status​

System administrators can check license usage status from a browser. The information that system administrators can check is as follows.

  • Number of licenses currently in use/Maximum number available
  • License activation status
  • Information on users currently using licenses
  • Machine name
Operation procedure
  1. Start a browser.
  2. Enter [http://floating license server host name:port number to be used] in the address bar.
  3. Sign in with the configured username and password.

Updating a license​

To update a license, such as extending the license period or increasing the maximum number of available licenses, you must follow the steps below.

Procedure
  1. Execute the following command on the command line to reactivate.
lexfloatserver -a
  1. Execute the following command on the command line to restart the service.
sc stop {registered service name}
sc start {registered service name}

Uninstallation​

The service registration can be cancelled by following the steps below.

Operation procedure
  1. Execute the following command on the command line.
lexfloatserver -u --service-name {registered service name}
lexfloatserver -d

Troubleshooting​

This explains the causes and solutions for license authentication failures.

  1. Unable to connect to the floating license server.

Cause

  • Either the server address or the port is incorrect

  • The floating license server is not running

  • The floating server's firewall is preventing license authentication

  • The proxy server is preventing license authentication

Condition

  • [Server Address] is different from [http://floating license server host name], or [Port] is different from the port number specified in the configuration

  • The floating license server is not running

  • The floating license service is not excluded in the server's firewall settings

  • The floating license server address is not excluded in the client's proxy settings

Solution

  • Enter the correct server address and port.

  • Start the floating license server. Follow the procedure explained in Service registration.

  • Allow the floating license service in the firewall application permission. Follow the firewall procedure in the configuration.

  • Do not use a proxy server for local addresses or exclude the floating license server address. Follow step 5 in the operation check.

  1. The license is not registered on the floating license server.

Cause

  • The license is not registered on the floating license server.

  • The registered license key is incorrect.

Condition

  • The procedure (-a) for registering the license on the floating license server has not been performed.

  • The registered license key is incorrect, and an error occurs when executing -a.

  • The license key has been unregistered.

Solution

  • Check the floating license key and perform the activation procedure.
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