network licence

central server dynamically and instantaneously allocates network licenses from a pool of licenses when an MNJ Software® product is opened on your network. When the product is closed, the server returns the network license to the pool. Network licenses are not tied to a particular workstation or installation, so this method provides a flexible and efficient approach if users run more than one MNJ Software product, run MNJ Software products intermittently, or change physical location frequently, or when administrators need centralized reporting and tracking tools.

 

Users can borrow network licenses for remote use for periods of up to 180 days (6 months). This time period can be reduced by your administrator.  After the license expires, the server automatically returns it to the main license pool. Remote users who log in to your network over a Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection are issued licenses in the same way as perpetually connected users.

 

The network license server is based on Macrovision Corporation’s FLEXlm® server, the de facto industry-standard license management technology. Included with the software, SAMreport-Lite tracking reports let administrators monitor total licenses used per department, hours of usage per week, number of license requests denied, and more—important data for license administration, budgeting, and forecasting.

 

Network licensing also gives administrators control over software access. Licenses can be moved between users without having to install or uninstall software, and individuals can be guaranteed or denied access to licenses. In addition, the network administrator can set up specific network license features, such as borrowing a license from the network.

 

Registration and Activation

 

The network administrator registers and activates the network license using the Network License Activation utility which enables the on-line activation of a server.  It also enables registration and activation by email. Once this step is complete, the license server dynamically allocates licenses using the FLEXlm server.

 

Activation and registration for network licenses depend on the deployment model chosen by the network administrator. There are three network license deployment models: the single license server, distributed license server, and redundant license server. No matter which model is selected, the network administrator registers and activates the network licenses, making the process transparent to the user.

 

Installation and Deployment

 

A number of utilities must be installed in order for the network license to work:

  • The Deployment wizard—this enables the administrator to create an installation image for deployment
  • The Network License Activation utiility—this is used to register and activate the license
  • The Network License Manager—this is the software that manages the licenses and enables configuration of the network.

The single license server provides one central license server that allocates licenses throughout the network. This configuration requires a reliable, low-latency network connection to maintain the link between the client and server. The FLEXlm server allows for brief periods of downtime, typically less than 120 minutes (2 hours), after which the client is warned that contact with the network has been lost. The network administrator registers and activates the server one time to obtain the pool of authorized network licenses.

 

The distributed license server configuration allows a computer to work through a list of network license servers to obtain a network license. Each workstation stores the location of some or all of the available network license servers. This configuration allows for communication over wide-area networks and offers protection against network failures. In this deployment model, a separate license must be created for each seat in the pool.

 

The redundant license server configuration provides protection against network failure by sharing a single pool of network licenses among three servers, which must be in constant communication across a high-availability, low-latency network. The network administrator registers and activates one server one time to obtain the pool of authorized network licenses. This master license is backed up on each of the redundant servers.