INI FILES & FLEXNET

Jarrad Michna
Customer Service Manager – Tekla Inc.
From .bat files to .ini files
2008 North America User Meeting - Milwa
ukee, Wisconsin
2008 North America User Meeting - Milwa
ukee, Wisconsin
2008 North America User Meeting - Milwa
ukee, Wisconsin
From Dongles to FLEXnet
Why change?
• Dongles
• Restrictive
• Less Secure
• Slow turn around time
• Growing needs
• More flexibility
• Configuration control
• Configuration sharing
• Distance sharing

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Why FLEXnet?
• No more hardware locks
• Efficient license handling
• Easy to upgrade and renew licenses
• Centralized and flexible license administration
• Options for out of office use
• Different license access right for different user groups
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FLEXnet – benefits
• Centralized license administration
• License pool on server
• Tekla doesn’t need to know anything
about your hardware
• No IP address
• No MAC address
• Activation service works 24/7
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What is FLEXnet?
• FLEXnet is foundation for the new Tekla
Structures licensing system
• Floating = hardware locks and MAC addresses are not
needed
• Activation based = you need to activate licenses before
you can use them
• New technology
• Different from traditional license file based system
• Enhances security

• The same technology works for big and small

customers
• Install on any server/computer you choose
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Development & Planning
• Versions Used Survey (August 2007)
• Majority use lasted versions
• Decision made to go back to v12.0
• All versions down to 12.0, including Service &
Progress Releases.

• EDU & DEV only v14 onwards

• DFT only v13 onwards

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How do I get it?
• TS 14 CD
• Extranet
• TSLS v1.11 installation

• Available Documentation
• FLEXnet_FAQ_public.pdf
• QuickGuideToTeklaStructuresFLEXnetLicensing
_enu.pdf
• TS_FLEXnet_User_Guide.pdf
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What all do I need?
• TSLS v1.11 installation
• Server/Computer
• Office plan
• Entitlement

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 FLEXnet
One technology,
multiple ways to implement
Handling licenses

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How do I decide?
• How do you use dongles now?
• Do you have multi user server installed?
• Do some of your people travel?
• Are your people all in the same location?
• Are your people located on different offices
or floors?

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I have decided, what next?
• Contact your Tekla office or Reseller and
let them know of your decision and they
will order Entitlements for you and send
you a pre-labeled, pre-stamped
envelope for the return of the dongles.
• Within a day or 2 you will receive
temporary entitlements.
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Setup for one license
1. Install license service
2. Activate license
3. Start Tekla Structures 14
License service
Tekla Structures
Activate
license

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Setup for several licenses
1. Install and configure license server
2. Activate licenses
3. Point the license server on TS
License service Tekla
Structures

Activate
licenses

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Installing the license server
TS license service and other
FLEXnet/FLEXlm services
• Can be run on the same computer
• Different TCP/IP port
• Other services need to be stopped
during installation
• We don’t recommend combining license
files
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Installing FLEXnet
• License server installation on server
computer
• Tools for activating licenses
• Tools for managing license service
• Tekla Structures 14 installation on client
computer
• (Tools for borrowing a license)
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Installing the license server
• Note! Other license services on the
same computer needs to be stopped
during the installation!

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What happens in installing?
• License and Server
directories are created
• License software and
files are installed
• License service is pre-
configured
• License service is
started
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Activating license
Internet connection on server
• Direct communication from license
server to internet allowed
• SOAP protocol over HTTP protocol
• TCP/IP port 80
• If proxy server is used
• Proxy server address and port
• Username and password if required
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Needed in the activation
• Internet connection
• Entitlement Certificate
• Html attachment
• Save in C:\TeklaStructures\License\Server

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Activating license
• Start
> All programs
> Tekla Structures Licensing
> TS License Administration Tool

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Activating license

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Configuring license server ports
• C:\TeklaStructures\License\Server\
tekla.lic
• localhost > Your server host name
• Define free TCP/IP ports
• Save changes

=> Firewall and

antivirus settings
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Updating license service
• Start
> All programs
> Tekla Structures Licensing
> LMTOOLS

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Updating license service

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What happens in activation?
2. Your computer
contacts activation
server at Tekla

1. Read in
the license 3. License information
information is written into Trusted
Storage
License service
requires
4. License rights are transferred
update
from Tekla to customer
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Notes about activation
• Partial activation is supported
• You don’t have to activate all licenses in
one entitlement on the same computer
• Activation over internet works 24/7
• Manual activation is a workaround if
you don’t have internet connection

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Starting TS 14 and pointing the
license server
Pointing license server to TS
• Start TS 14

• Saved in registry
• No need to modify user.ini
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Starting TS 12.0 thru TS 13.1
using FLEXnet not a dongle
Pointing the license server to TS
• Install the latest SR or PR
• C:\TeklaStructures\13.1\nt\bin\user.ini
• set XS_LICENSE_SERVER_HOST=
27001@myserver.mycompany.com

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FLEXnet is up and running, now what?
1. Return dongles to area Tekla office or
Reseller in pre-labeled, pre-stamped
envelope.
2. Continue using temporary entitlement
while we work to get you your permanant
entitlement.

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I’ve received permanent entitlement,
how do I replace the temporary one?
• When we receive your dongles we will deliver
your permanent Entitlement.
• Permanent entitlements are linked to Temporary
entitlement so you must deactivate temporary
entitlements before you can activate permanent
entitlement.
• After activating permanent entitlement, the old
temporary entitlements can no longer be
activated.
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Results thus far
• We have received over ~5000 dongles
globally, >700 in the USA.

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Deactivating licenses
What is deactivation?
• Contrary to activation
• Returning the activated licenses from
your license server to Tekla’s activation
server

Renewing a temporary license and upgrading for

example from STDL to STD requires deactivation.
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When do you need to deactivate?
Before
• Changing the license server
• Changing the hardware of server
• Licenses are ”anchored” to hardware
• Reformatting server
• Reinstalling Windows
• Licenses are OS installation dependent
• Preforming a System Restore
Please note that you can’t deactivate a license if it’s borrowed
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What is needed in deactivation?
• All TS sessions are closed
• No licenses borrowed out
• License server stopped
• Internet connection for license server
• Access to proxy (if proxy exists)

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Deactivating licenses

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Options file
What is options file?
• Tool for defining user groups of different
access rights for licenses
• File tekla.opt in Server directory

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Basic idea
• Define user, user group or host
• Allow (INCLUDE) or deny (EXCLUDE)
configurations or actions
• If someone is excluded, then others are
automatically included – and vice versa
• If no rules exist, everyone is included
• EXCLUDE is checked before INCLUDE
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Example of tekla.opt
GROUP steel john1 paul2 ringo1 george1
GROUP admin simon2 garfunk1
INCLUDE STD-C GROUP steel
INCLUDE FUD-C GROUP admin
EXCLUDE SDE-C GROUP steel

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Company internal TS policy
Handling licenses

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Using TS out-of-office
• Activating a license on the computer
which is used out of office
• VPN connection to license server
• Borrowing a license into laptop
Deactivating and reactivating is limited, therefore it
shouldn’t be used as a workaround for VPN
connection or borrowing functionality
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Borrow policy
• Taking the license from server into
laptop for offline use
• For limited time, max. 1 month
• Without installing license server on laptop
• Who is allowed to borrow a license?
• Defined in tekla.opt
• Borrow affects to deactivation
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What happens in borrowing?
4. Number of You need to be connected to
available 2. Laptop contacts
license
licenseserver
serverwhen you 3. Information
licenses on borrow a license
server is about borrowed
reduced license is written
into your laptop

After you have

borrowed a
1. Read in the license license you can
information plug off your
with tpi-file laptop
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What is needed in borrow?
• Connection to license server
• Tekla Structures License Borrow Tool
• Pointing the license server
• Product identification file
• List of activated licenses on the server
• Standard.tpi
• Exported on the server computer
• Copy-pasted to TS workstation:
C:\TeklaStructures\14.0\nt\license
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Returning borrowed license
on the client computer
Returning borrowed license
• Early return • Expiration
• Before expiry • Automatically
• Back in the network • At the expiry
• License Borrow Tool • Offline or online

License is available on the license server again

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Notes about borrowing
• License administrator can’t force the
borrowed license back into server
• The one who borrowed the license needs to
return it

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Administering your licenses
Task list for license administrator
• Maintaining the license server(s)
• Keeping track about activated licenses
• Options file usage
• License usage status
• Informing users about
• Which license server and port to use
• Company borrow policy
• Maintenance breaks, etc.
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Centralized license pool
• Centralized maintaining & administration
• One or two ”main users” per company
• Rules or company internal policy must exist
• Utilization rate of licenses may get higher
• Taking advantage of Options file
• Out-of-office
• Borrow
• VPN-connection
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Spread license handling
• Each user activates on own workstation
• Spread administration & maintaining
• No worries about out-of-office usage (if
laptops are used)
• No borrow policy needed
• No need for tekla.opt
• Note: License is reserved for one laptop
only => utilization rate lower?
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Hints & tips
Monitoring license usage

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LMTOOLS status enquiry
• License information listed per TS
configurations
• How many licenses activated on server?
• How many licenses currently in use?
• Who is using license?
• Which version is he using?
• Who has borrowed a license?
• When has he borrowed a license?
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Preferred license server

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Starting TS 14 faster
• Define port@host on Connect to License
Server dialog

• Use tekla.opt to assign only one

configuration for each user
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For tight internal firewall settings
• Allow lmgrd.exe
• Using port@host of your license service
• Allow tekla.exe
• Takes a random port in each start-up
• Port can be fixed

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Troubleshooting hints & tips
• Perform Status Enquiry in LMTOOLS
• What do you receive?
• Stop & Start the server in LMTOOLS
• tekla_debug.log in Server directory

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FAQs
FAQs
• If I decide to keep a dongle or 2...
• What do I do if my dongle breaks?
• Broken (and returned) dongles can still be replaced

• I purchased a new PC for my dongle base license, can I replace my LPT dongle
with a USB dongle?
• LPT dongles can still be replaced with USB dongles

• What if I lose my dongle?

• A lost dongle can still be replaced

• If a borrowed license is lost, can it be replaced?

• No, the borrowed license will appear on the license server after the
expiration date

• If an entitlement is lost, broken or stolen, can it replaced?

• Yes, contact your Account Manager for steps to take in such situations.

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FLEXnet Licensing
Technical Roadmap
Content
• FLEXnet Publisher Releases
• FLEXnet Operations Releases

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FLEXnet Publisher Releases
• TS 14 is utilizing FLEXnet Publisher
License Management (FNPLM) v11.4.1
• Acresso Software (formerly Macrovision)
new releases
• FNPLM v11.5
• FNPLM v11.6

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FNPLM v11.5 improvements includes
• Ability to capture Unique Machine
Number automatically
• Ability to add business reason for
activation/return transactions
• Proxy server and SSL improvements
• Support for IPv6 Addresses
• Enhanced Support for Vista
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FNPLM v11.6 improvements includes
• New GUI-based License Server
Manager – lmadmin
• Ability to ‘Cancel’ a Failed Return
Request
• Support for Machine Virtualization -
VMware ESX Server

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FLEXnet Operations Releases
• Tekla HQ uses FLEXnet Operations
(FNO) v8.3 for license creation and
activation
• Acresso Software new releases
• FNO v11.5 (1Q2008)
• Migration has dependency to Order-
Delivery Process Renewal Project
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FNO v11.5 improvements includes
• Support for license repair
• Support for SSL communication
• Unique Machine Numbers
• View Trusted Storage Activations

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Thank You