3 installations per user-based license: HowTo?

[conzemic]

Hello

We have a number of user-based licenses. License agreement states that I can have 3 installations per user, provided only one is utilised per time. Suits me fine, since we run a number of test systems (15) and have about 5 LV programmers ("a", "b", "c", "d", and "e") intermittently programming on these.

Now, however, I wonder how to set up the license manager.

Do I need to have 5 x 3 systems with Windows user accounts "a", "b", "c", "d",and "e" respectively?

Thank you for your help-

Michael

[RamonaL]

Hi Michael,

this will not work (at least not legally).

If you have 3 user-based Licenses, there are defined 3 users which can use this license and not 5 users.This is why you can install it on three PCs - one person can only work on one PC at a time.

There is now legal way to do what you want to do. (5 users with 3 user-based licenses) If you have 5 users, you need 5 licenses.

What you can do is change them to 3 computer-based licenses, then you can install them on 3 computers and anybody can work on this computer.

I hope, this helps,

RMathews

[conzemic]

Hello

Sorry, I must have gotten mixwed up with the numbers: It's 5 named user licenses, indeed.

But to clarify, license agreement does say

--------------------- SNIP ---------------------

2.A: Named User/Computer Based License. If you have acquired a named user license, you must designate in
writing (through the NI registration process) one (1) of your employees to serve as the named user for the
license (the "Named User"). The SOFTWARE may be installed on up to three computers in a single
workplace of the designated Named User. Only the designated Named User, however, may use or
otherwise run the SOFTWARE, and the SOFTWARE may not be run concurrently (i.e., it may only be
launched on one computer at a time).

----------------- SNAP ----------------------

So my idea is that 5 employees with 5 named user volume licenses are licensed to 3 test stands each. Since those 5 are the only programmers around, none of them will use more than one license at a time, i.e. only 5 installations are being used. However, according to my understanding, there may be 15 machines with legal installations of LabVIEW on disc or registered to the NI-VLM, 10 dormant, 5 active.

And if this interpretation holds, my question is: How do I set up the test stand PCs and the licenses in the NILM.

Please pardon my persistence, but otherwise I'll be swapping licenses on an hourly basis 😉

Michael

[RamonaL]

HI Michael,

so this is a different scenario.

It seems that you dont have single licenses, but a VLM (at least thats what I understand).

If this is true, then you have to add your VLM in the local LM. You can do this under Options>Settings (Einstellungen). There you can add the VLM. Make sure that the two ports configured in the VLM are open so the PCs can communicate.

If you only use single seat licenses you can just activate on each PC a license by right clicking at the Software and Version you want to activate.

Cheers, RMathews

[conzemic]

Hello, again

Thank you, RM, for your swift reply.

Yes, ours is a VLM installation (hence post in this forum ;-). And all 15 PCs mentioned are hooked up to our network, with connection to the VLM server as specified in the local LM settings dialog. In fact, I can see all PCs on the server.

But the question remains: How do I go on from here?

Do I need to define local Windows users on the 15 machines, 3 machines with user "a", 3 with machines user "b" etc.?

Or how does the VLM server recognize one user using one of the three machines that are assigned to this specific user?

Do I have to register the 15 PCs in the VLM to make the allocation of user - PC1, PC2, PC3?

Or is it sufficient to register only the 5 users?

Thank you in advance for any clue.

Michael

[RamonaL]

Hi Micheal,

ah, I didnt check the forum I am writing in. Hehe, my fault.

Well, it depends on the license you have. Is it concurren tor non-concurrent?

Non-Concurrent: you have to define all users and asign them the specified license.

Concurrent: you have to define the users and assign them licenses. If you have users or computer depends on the license. (managed)

there there exists also the option of unmanged, but it seems that you dont have this option.

Here you have some Videos, which might help you.

Cheers, RMathews

[brian_g]

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@conzemic wrote:

Hello, again

Thank you, RM, for your swift reply.

Yes, ours is a VLM installation (hence post in this forum ;-). And all 15 PCs mentioned are hooked up to our network, with connection to the VLM server as specified in the local LM settings dialog. In fact, I can see all PCs on the server.

But the question remains: How do I go on from here?

Do I need to define local Windows users on the 15 machines, 3 machines with user "a", 3 with machines user "b" etc.?

Or how does the VLM server recognize one user using one of the three machines that are assigned to this specific user?

Do I have to register the 15 PCs in the VLM to make the allocation of user - PC1, PC2, PC3?

Or is it sufficient to register only the 5 users?

Thank you in advance for any clue.

Michael

---

This is perhaps the easiest way for you to proceed.  Just make sure that PCs with user 'a' will never have to launch Labview at the same time.  You only need to register the users, not the 15 PCs, as far as I've found.  Concurrent unmanaged licenses, which would let you use 5 licenses at once by whomever on whichever of your 15 machines, are insanely expensive.  Why NI insists on this baroque licensing scheme is beyond my comprehension.