Q100027: How to install a floating/server license

Iulia

Updated : November 24, 2023 02:53

Created : February 15, 2016 22:36

SUMMARY

A floating/server license enables any machine on the same network as a license server to run an application.  Floating licenses only need to be installed on the server machine.

We recommend using the Foundry Licensing Utility (FLU) to install floating licenses as it will put the license in the correct file for you and allow you to install and/or restart the license server tools to make the licenses available on your network.

NOTE: The instructions below are for installing licenses with FLU version 8 on Windows, macOS and Linux (CentOS 7) machines with a GUI.  If you are installing licenses on a headless license server machine, please see Q100534: How to use Foundry Licensing Utility (FLU) 8 on a headless machine

If you are running on either Mac or Linux, we would advise downloading and installing the FLU version 8.1.3 found in this article: Q100630: Unable to install license server via FLU 8.1.6 on Mac/Linux

MORE INFORMATION

In order for a floating license to work it needs to be active, valid for your server machine and in a location on the machine where the server tools can find it.  The Foundry Licensing Utility (FLU) checks that a license is valid before installing it to the correct location on your machine.  If the license is invalid for any reason, the FLU will provide feedback on why it couldn't install the license.

The FLU will also help you install and/or restart the RLM server tools to make the floating license available from the server.

Foundry Licensing Utility (FLU) 8

You can download FLU 8.0 from https://www.foundry.com/licensing/tools and install it on your machine by following the steps in Learn Licensing - Installing the FLU

For Mac and and Linux users, please download and install FLU version 8.1.3 here to avoid a known bug:

Mac 

Linux (.deb) 

Linux (.rpm) 

To install a floating/server license with the FLU, do the following:

Step 1. Install the License

1. Open the FLU
2. Click Licenses > Install
   
3. Either
   
   • Click Select File and browse to the location where you saved the license key file
   • Click Into Text Field and copy and paste the full license key text into the window
4. Click Install
5. Restart the server by following the instructions in Step 2

The FLU will then show info about the license(s) it has installed.  The FLU can show you a summary of all the licenses on the machine, more information is available in Q100522: How to view the licenses installed on your machine using the Foundry Licensing Utility (FLU) 8

If there are any problems with the license you tried to install the FLU will tell you why the license was invalid.  The following article has more info: Q100525: Foundry Licensing Utility (FLU) license install errors

NOTE: The FLU will automatically fill out the <servername> part of the license, this does not need to be manually edited. If you want to manually install the license you can do so by following the steps outlined in the documentation here.

NOTE: If you have a mixture of collective and non-collective licenses, please ensure that you place the collective licenses at the end of the license file before installing this.

Step 2. Restart or install the Server Tools

In order for a floating license to work it needs to be picked up by the RLM server on the machine.  After successfully installing a license the FLU will tell you if you need to install server tools or if they already installed then they need to be restarted.

Please follow the prompts in the FLU to install or restart the server tools.

Above: Installing a floating license without server tools installed

Bellow: Installing a floating license with server tools installed

Step 3. Tell the client machines where to find the licenses

Your floating licenses are now available from the server machine.  In order to use the floating licenses you need to tell the other machines on your network (referred to as client machines in licensing terminology) how to connect to the license server.

1. Please make a note of the server details displayed License Server page of the FLU on the Connecting to this License Server panel.
2. Follow the instructions in Q100264: How to point a machine to your License Server

Tutorial