Using the License Manager

With a floating or server-based node-locked license, you need to start the License Manager before IDL or ENVI can access a network license and run in licensed mode. You can also set up your system so that the License Manager automatically starts when you boot your system.

You only need to start the License Manager on the designated license server, not on separate license client machines accessing the licenses from the network. However, you do need to set up client machines to access IDL/ENVI and the license server machine.

Carefully consider the machine you have chosen as your license server before saving your license file and starting the License Manager. Since "client" machines will be sending requests for licenses to the "server" machine, the ability of client machines to access the License Manager software depends on the reliability of the server machine and the network connection to that machine. Therefore, the machine chosen as the server must be one that has a history of reliable operation and one that is running most of the time.

Jump to the following topics for more information:

Installing the License Manager

The License Wizard allows you the option to install the License Manager to run at boot time if your license requires it. If your license type changes — for example if you change from an evaluation license to an activated license — you may need to install the License Manager after you have already installed IDL or ENVI. To run the License Wizard on a computer with an IDL or ENVI installation, but without running the IDL or ENVI installer, see Running the License Wizard after Installation.

You can install the License Manager on a computer that does not have an IDL or ENVI installation. The License Manager installer is located in the flexlm subdirectory of your IDL or ENVI installation disk. See the Readme file in that directory for instructions on running the stand-alone License Manager installer.

Configuring Client Access to the License Manager

The License Wizard provides an easy way to configure access to the License Manager. In most cases, working through the License Wizard will correctly configure IDL or ENVI to communicate with the License Manager by placing a copy of the license.dat file in the correct location.

If your site uses the same License Manager to license multiple products, or if IDL or ENVI is not properly licensed after using the License Wizard, refer to the following sections.

Manually Copying the license.dat File

The License Wizard can place a copy of your site's license.dat file in the correct place on your local machine. If you choose to manually copy the license.dat file instead, place it in the license subdirectory of your ITT product directory. If the license directory does not already exist, you can create it. If your ITT product is installed in the default location, the license directory would be:

Windows: 

C:\Program Files\ITT\License

UNIX: 

/usr/local/itt/license

Macintosh: 

/Applications/itt/license

Setting the LM_LICENSE_FILE Environment Variable

If your site has a License Manager running on a server machine, you can configure your client machine to ask for licenses from the server by setting the LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable.

Windows

To define the LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable, do the following:

  1. Open the System control panel.
  2. Click the Advanced tab, and click the Environment Variables button. Click the New button below the System Variables box and enter the following information:
    1. In the Variable Name field, type LM_LICENSE_FILE in uppercase letters.
    2. In the Variable Value field, enter your server's port@host value: for example, 1700@hal. This information is in your license file. The port number is the last number on the SERVER line. The host name immediately follows the word SERVER.

      3. If LM_LICENSE_FILE has already been defined for another software product, the definition of this license file can be appended using a semi-colon (;) as the delimiter. For example:

      C:\Program Files\ITT\License\mylicense.dat;1700@hal
  3. Save the settings.

UNIX and Macintosh OS X

To define the LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variable, do the following:

  1. Modify your .cshrc, .profile, or .bashrc file using any text editor. You must define the UNIX environment variable for LM_LICENSE_FILE to point to the server and port of the machine running the License Manager. The syntax for defining the environment variable is:
    2. port@host 
 
    For example, if you are running the License Manager on a machine named "hal" with a port of 1700, then enter the following:
     
    For C shell: setenv LM_LICENSE_FILE 1700@hal
     
    For Korn or Bash shell: export LM_LICENSE_FILE=1700@hal
     
    If LM_LICENSE_FILE has already been defined for another software product, the definition of this license file can be appended using a colon (:) as the delimiter. For example:
    /usr/local/myapplication/license.dat:1700@hal 
 
    Or,
    $LM_LICENSE_FILE:1700@hal
  2. Log out and log back in to execute the .cshrc, .profile, or .bashrc file, or execute the file from the home directory using one of the following commands.

    3. For C shell: source .cshrc

    For Korn shell: . .profile

    For Bash shell: . .bashrc

Configuring FLEXnet Licensing Through a Firewall

Some firewalls require the system administrator to specify which ports are available outside the firewall. If this is the case, the administrator should define the TCP port that both lmgrd and the vendor daemon idl_lmgrd will use. Explicitly specify the vendor daemon port in your license file as follows (using the server above). This is an example only; these are not absolute values: 

SERVER myserver 00aabb11ccdd 1700 
USE_SERVER 
DAEMON idl_lmgrd PORT=1701

The "PORT=" entry on the DAEMON line allows explicit selection of both externally available ports. You can use any open, unused port numbers. 1700 is the TCP port reserved for use by the lmgrd process, while 1701 is the port used by the vendor daemon process idl_lmgrd. Neither port number should be used by other processes.

The LMGRD port number can also be any open, unused port number, although this and the DAEMON port number must be different.

Accessing the licenses should not be any different than it would be in the absence of a firewall, except that the license.dat and LM_LICENSE_FILE system variables may need to use the server's fully qualified domain name or IP address. IDL license clients must be able to connect to both ports, regardless of whether the clients are inside or outside the firewall.

Please consult your system administrator for details about configuring and opening TCP ports in a firewall. This discussion also pertains to personal firewalls, including the Windows firewall.