Q100129: How do RLM failover servers work?

SUMMARY

This article explains how RLM Failover servers work and how to get one up and running.  This is RLM's equivalent of a redundant server configuration.

MORE INFORMATION

RLM Licensing offers the capability of a license server to take over the license compliment of another server which has gone down.  This means you can have an additional license server (the failover server) to act as a back up to your original license server (the primary server).

 

NOTE: Failover license servers will not work if there is a firewall between the primary and failover server.

 

 

1. Install the Foundry Licensing Utility (FLU) and floating license(s) for the primary server in the standard way.
   Q100027: How to install a floating/server license
2. Start up the RLM server.
   Q100532: How to manage your License Server using the Foundry Licensing Utility (FLU)
   
   

The floating licenses are then available on your network.

 

On the Failover server:

1. Install the Foundry Licensing Utility (FLU)
2. Manually edit the failover licence as follows:
   
   Edit the_primary_server=4101@primaryservername line in the failover license from 'primaryservername' to the hostname of your primary server:
   
   HOST <server_name> 123456a78b90 4101
   ISV foundry
   LICENSE foundry rlm_failover_server 1.0 permanent 1
   hostid=234567c89d90 share=h min_timeout=30 max_roam=-1
   start=17-jan-2021 issuer=Support issued=17-jan-2021 options=c18
   _primary_server=4101@primaryservername _ck=5898ab840d sig="60P04514G22W0WK6
   W7JVFSH800N42108N5FGJWR22H7VK7XBGVED5KHNV3E3XVDTURBW92JY54"
   
   Also edit the HOST <server_name> line of the failover server from <server_name> to the hostname of the failover server.
   
   
3. Place both the failover license file (foundry_failover.lic) and the primary machine's licence file (foundry_float.lic) into the following RLM license directory.
   
   OSX:/Library/Application Support/TheFoundry/RLM
   Linux: /usr/local/foundry/RLM
   Windows: "C:\Program Files\The Foundry\RLM" and "C:\ProgramData\The Foundry\RLM"
   
   NOTE: The primary machine's licence file should be lifted directly from the primary server so should begin with HOST<primary_server_name> where <primary_server_name> is the hostname of your primary server.
   
   
4. Start up the RLM server on the Failover machine. 
   
   

The RLM server will run on the failover machine and monitor the RLM server process on the primary machine. If it sees primary RLM server go down then it will spring in to action and make the licences available on the network. Please note that it can take up to around 2 minutes for this to kick in.

 

 

 

In order to get licences from either the primary server or the failover server you need to point your workstations (client machines in licensing terminology) at both servers by doing either of the following:

 

1. Create separate client licence files for the primary and the failover server
   Q100264: How to point a machine to your license server
   
   
2. Set the foundry_LICENSE environment variable to 4101@primaryHostName:4101@failoverHostName
   Q100015: How to set environment variables
   
   
   NOTE: The colon character ( : ) is to be used on Linux or macOS systems, for Windows this character should be changed to a semicolon ( ; ) e.g.
   4101@primaryHostName;4101@failoverHostName

 

 

 

If you need to run a Failover License then please contact our Sales team (sales@foundry.com) to request this.  Please send us both the SystemID and the hostname of the failover server.  They will then be able to generate a failover licence for you.
Q100002: What is the System ID and how do I find it?