License Server Administration

To use the JCMsuite floating licensing system you have to start a central license server JCMlicenseServer on a machine reachable to all JCMsuite clients. The executable JCMlicenseServer is placed within in the license folder of your JCMsuite installation or can be downloaded here:

As a stand-alone command line tool you can copy the executable to the computer hosting the license server.

The license server itself requires a node-locked license for the computer running the server. The granted licensed instances are than distributed by the license server to the clients. Please see the command line help documentation of JCMlicenseServer for instructions on how to register the server hardware identification, to install the license and how to start and stop the server:

>> JCMlicenseServer start --license_file <Path to license file> --port <serverPort>
    , or
>> JCMlicenseServer start --activation_key <key> --port <serverPort>
     (starts license server on local machine running on TCP/IP port <serverPort>)
>> JCMlicenseServer stop [--wait]
     (shutdowns server running at <host:port>, waits for unfinished jobs if --wait is given)
>> JCMlicenseServer renew --license_file <Path to license file>
   , or
>> JCMlicenseServer renew --activation_key <key>
     (renews license file, pass either activation key or license file)
>> JCMlicenseServer free --url <host:port> --license_number <float id>
     (free blocked license instance. The owner process will stop running)

The following commands can also be called from a remote client computer
>> JCMlicenseServer status --url <host:port>
     (prints license server status and information))
>> JCMlicenseServer list --url <host:port> [--host <hostname>] [--user <username>]
    (lists currently checked out licenses, if hostname or username is given the output is restricted to matching instances)

Use the following command to create the hardware identification of the license server as used to apply for a license:
>> JCMlicenseServer hwid [--out <outputfile>]
    (writes the hardware identification to a file)
>> JCMlicenseServer register --email <your e-mail address>
    (registers the server hardware identification together with your e-mail address at JCMwave.)

If you have created a hardware identification file please follow the instructions in Offline application to apply for a license. JCMlicenseServer runs as a service in the background. We recommend to include the JCMlicenseServer start commands within the startup scripts of your system.

Using the OLicense server (Deprecated)

Warning

The support for the OLicense server infrastructure will be removed in a future version and completely replaced by the JCMlicenseServer.

JCMsuite uses the network license software package OLicense. A central license manager (olicenseserver) have to be started on a server reachable for all JCMsuite clients. For a full documentation of the olicenseserver and its functionality see olicenseserver_en.pdf. Here we give quick instructions to start and stop the olicense server and how to import licenses:

Note

Root privileges are not necessarily required to start the license server.

Installing the OLicense server

To run a license server you need not to install the complete JCMsuite package on the license server computer. You can download the license server software from here:

Extracting the archive files will create a sub-folder olicense.x.x.x (x.x.x stands for a version number) containing the following tools:

  • olicenseserver, the server executable
  • olixtool, a command line tool to administrate the license server, i.e. to import license files.
  • hw_explorer, a command line tool to determine the hardware identification of the license server (needed for us to create a license file dedicated to your license server).

If you have installed JCMsuite you will find the license server tools also in the sub-folder license/olicense and hw_explorer in the bin-folder within your JCMsuite installation.

Applying for a server license file

A server license file is explicitly dedicated to the computer running the license service. Hence you must provide us with the hardware information of your license server computer. For doing this use the tool hw_explorer included in the above standalone license server packages,

>> ./olicense.x.x.x/hw_explorer

(Replace path name separators ‘/’ by ‘\’ on windows). A hardware identification file will be created (hw_explorer informs you about its file name).

Send the created hardware identification file (.jcm) to us via e-mail. After processing a license file (suffix .olixml)_ will be sent to you via e-mail.

Starting the OLicense server

Please change into the extracted folder containing the license server executable olicenseserver (this is <JCMROOT>/license/olicense within your JCMsuite installation) and start the license server:

>> ./olicenseserver.lin -noAutoBoot

On Linux, the option -noAutoBoot suppresses an automatic creation of autoboot-scripts in /etc/init.d. Otherwise root privileges are required. Further options can be set by editing the script olicenseserver.ini placed in the same directory. For example you can set the -port=8080 to use the TCP/IP port 8080.

Warning

The selected port must be open for all clients connecting the server. Make sure that the port is not blocked by your firewall!

Importing JCMsuite license files and administrating the license server

Comfortably, you can administrate the license server from any remote machine which can connect to the license server within your network either by your web-browser or with the command line tool olixtool. Also a user without an account on the license server machine is allowed to import license files.

Once the license server is running you can connect the server for administration from any other computer via your internet browser by using the URL <server>:<port>, or, when you are still on the license server machine by the URL localhost:<port>. This will give the following website:

_images/OptimumWebInterface.png

This web interface allows you to import license files dedicated to your license server, to configure the license server and to check the license status (e.g. who is using currently which license).

Alternatively, you can use the command line tool olixtool. Use

>> ./olixtool.lin -h

to get help (for details see again olicenseserver_en.pdf). Again, you can use the command line tool olixtool from any computer which can connect to the license server and with JCMsuite installed. For example any user can import a license file by

>> <JCMROOT>/license/olicense/olixtool.lin -sv <server url>:<port> -imp <license filename>

Stopping the OLicense server

To shutdown the olicense server use the command

>> ./olicenseserver.lin -stopService