Floating Licenses - FLEXlm/FLEXnet

Q&A guide for OpenLM FAQ

2010-12-08T08:18:00.001-08:00

Q&A guide for OpenLM

Installation

Where should I install OpenLM?

OpenLM server can be installed on any machine connected to the network. For evaluation purposes you can install it on your personal workstation. In production environment, a secured and stable server is recommended.

Do I have to install OpenLM Server on the FLEXlm server?

No. OpenLM can remotely monitor one or many FLEXlm servers.

What operating system is required for OpenLM Server?

OpenLM supports almost any windows OS: Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and Windows Server. We also support both 32 & 64 versions. Please check our full compatibility table on our website. Despite the fact the OpenLM Server runs on Windows platforms it can monitor FLEXlm servers that run on any operating system (UNIX, Linux, MAC OS,...).

Which license managers are supported by OpenLM?

FLEXlm (FLEXnet)

IBM LUM

Sentinel RMS

Sentinel HASP

RLM

LMX

Do you recommend to install any component on each FLEXlm Server?

Yes, we recommend to install OpenLM Broker software on each licenses server. OpenLM Broker performs important services on the server for OpenLM:

It constantly reads your license manager log files (report log files in case of FLEXlm/FLEXnet).
It can push license usage information to OpenLM Server in order to solve accessibility problems.
It controls the license manager.
It allows use to edit our FLEXlm option files using OpenLM EasyAdmin.

The installation of OpenLM Broker is not mandatory, OpenLM can function even without it. OpenLM Broker is supported on Windows, UNIX, Linux and contains an easy to use installation wizard.

We have servers in different places, some of them are located in different time zones. Do we need to install another instance of OpenLM?

No. A single instance of OpenLM can monitor all your license servers, even if they are located in different time zones.

What is the functionality of OpenLM Agent?

OpenLM Agent is an optional component that empowers the end user and by that it allows users to have better access to the licenses they need. OpenLM Agent provides this functionality:

The user can get immediate license availability report from OpenLM icon on the notification area.
The user can also see which users are using the licenses and full users information as synchronized with LDAP (Windows Active Directory).
When the demand for licenses is high compare to the number of the available licenses users will get a license denial. When this happens some users may spend valuable time on searching for available license. The "License Availability Notifications" feature is saving this valuable time by automatically registering a request for the user once a FLEXlm denial occurs. Once the requested license is released to the license pool the user will get a notification that says that license may be available.
With supported systems like ESRI ArcGIS or Autodesk software OpenLM can release idle licenses and by that enhance license usability.

How can I configure "license availability notifications"?

Open the OpenLM Server configuration form and navigate to the "Agent Policy" tab. Check "Notify End User" and then set the maximum time frame for the license order to be valid (default is 60 minutes). Users will get a license availability notification after they were denied and the requested feature became available within the set "maximum time".

We have many workstations. How can I distribute OpenLM Agent to end users?

OpenLM Agent Supports silent install and thus can be distributed by any network management system like Microsoft SMS, CA Unicenter, HP OpenView etc... If you do not have a network management system you can easily distribute it by network start-up scripts or VO.

Where can I find the commands for OpenLM Agent silent install?

Yes, this can be done easily using the silent install functionality of OpenLM. All the options are detailed in our blog.

I would like to implement access control to OpenLM EasyAdmin so unauthorised users will not be able to access the system. How Can I do that?

A new extension called "OpenLM Role Based Security" is included with OpenLM version 1.6. It allows system managers to easily implement access control and role based access permision to the system. Access permissions can be applied to individual users or groups of users as synchronized with Active Directory or created locally in OpenLM. The permission set provided by OpenLM is very granular, it provides tab, column and button resources.

Where does OpenLM store its information? Can I use my own relational database?

OpenLM uses an embedded Firebird database. The embedded database is a file (OPENLM_DB.GDB) usually typically located at: C:\Program Files\GlobalMaps\OpenLMServer\db\
OpenLM also allows you to configure it to use external RDBMS like Oracle, MS SQL Server and Firebird server.

Where is the OpenLM Users Management interface?

All OpenLM Users Management functionality is now embedded into OpenLM EasyAdmin interface. Check the Users & Roles interface in OpenLM control panel.

Which web server is serving EasyAdmin? Can I use my own web server?

OpenLM also installing the LightTPD web server with the installation of OpenLM Server. LightTPD is configure as a Windows Service and startup with the machine. The use of web servers such as Apache or IIS or others is also supported.

Operating EasyAdmin

I have a lot of licenses and users. The lists are very long and I find it hard to navigate. What can I do?

EasyAdmin provides many tools that help in managing large amounts of information:
Sorting: click any title and the information will be sorted by this column.
Filtering: On the left side of each tab you can find a filtering tab. It includes automatic filters according to the most important attributes: server name, vendor, etc...

I have features that I don't want to see in the license list. Can I hide some licenses?

Yes, on EasyAdmin Control Panel click Start->Preferences->"Show/Hide features". Uncheck the features you want to hide and they will not be displayed.

I want to use the usage information that OpenLM system collected to generate additional charts and reports. Is it possible?

Yes, you can easily export any information displayed in EasyAdmin by using the export button located in each tab. It will export a CSV file that you can use in your spreadsheet or database. If you configure OpenLM to use an external database you will also be able to access the information directly.

What is the purpose of the workstations tab?

It allows you to know which workstation are using your floating licenses. The workstations tab is very useful when you are distributing OpenLM Agents to all users workstations. It allows the system manager to track and monitor the progress of the distribution process.

We would like to be able to charge projects for software usage time. Can OpenLM help me do that?

Yes. The OpenLM Groups & Projects extension provides a full solution for this purpose. OpenLM supports a billing policy based on groups of users or on projects.

I do not see the real product name in EasyAdmin, I just see the name of the FLEXlm product name. Which is not convenient. Can I set the name by myself?

Yes. EasyAdmin Control Panel click Start->Preferences->"Products/Packages" opens a form that allows you to name each product and to create packages.

Will OpenLM alert me on expired licenses?

Yes, OpenLM EasyAdmin will list licenses that are about to expire in a month in red. This way you can easily detect these licenses. You can also use the extension, OpenLM Alerts to define any alerts based on license expiration dates.

We are using a FLEXlm triad configuration (three redundant servers serving the same license file). Does OpenLM Server support FLEXlm triad?

Yes, just point OpenLM Server to all the three redundant servers.

How can I open logging on OpenLM system in order to debug problems?

Most OpenLM system components contains an easy GUI to set logging level. Please check this article . Fix this -oren g 11/30/10 7:18 PM

OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS and OpenLM for Autodesk

Do I have to install OpenLM Active Agent on each workstation? Why?

Yes. The agent communicates with OpenLM Server and when there is a need to close the application in order to free up licenses, it will save the active project and close the software. The Agent is also communicating with the end user and provides a wide range of services that saves administration time and empower the user.

Does OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS support ESRI Extensions licenses like 3D, Network, Publisher?

Yes. OpenLM fully supports ESRI software extensions. Since the number of extensions licenses is very low compared to the number of base licenses (ArcInfo, ArcEditor, ArcView) we implemented special (optional) methods to enhance license usage rate:

OpenLM Agent closes all extensions licenses when ArcGIS shuts down. It assures that when the user reopens ArcGIS extension will only be used if it is really needed.
OpenLM Server can remotely release an extension license from an idle ArcGIS session without even closing it.

Organization can expect a huge increase in extensions usability when implementing OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS.

What are good setting for my license release functionality?

We pre-set the system to 80% threshold and 15 minutes maximum idle time (check this article).

Can the user lose any information after OpenLM closed an idle session?

No. OpenLM is always saving the project before closing it. OpenLM will not close an application it it's processing something.

My end users express concern about the implementation of OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS or Autodesk software in our organization. What is your experience?

OpenLM functionality is implemented in many organizations that use ESRI ArcGIS or Autodesk software. Users are typically concerned about any change and specifically from OpenLM managing their licenses. After a week of using the system most users get used to OpenLM and appreciate the fact that they can now get the license they need whenever they need it.
We will be happy to help with the implementation of OpenLM and to supply references to organizations that already implemented it.

What is the support level for Autodesk software?

OpenLM provides the same support level for ESRI and Autodesk software. OpenLM is fully supporting the Autocad Network License Manager as the ESRI Network License Manager that also uses FLEXlm.

Will OpenLM close a new project that was never saved?

Yes. It will save it in a temporary folder (defined by the system administrator) with a temporary name and close it.

Can I configure OpenLM Active Agent to work with ArcGIS Desktop or Autocad published using Citrix (no desktop, just application window)?

Yes, we fully support that. The only requirment is to launch OpenLM Agent with the same link that starts the application on Citrix (contact us in order to get a sample script).
In order to avoid a situation where the application was closed but, OpenLM Agent is still open and occupying the Citrix license, there is an additional settings on the OpenLM Agent configuration. On the lower part of the form the settings: "shut Agent when products are inactive after..." determines how long the Agent will stay running after ArcGIS closes. Setting it to 5 minutes can be a good start.

Support, updates and upgrades to OpenLM Software

Will you notify me when software updates are available?

Your OpenLM server can do that for you. It will automatically check for updates on OpenLM Server and send you an email message when updates are available. All you need to do is to enable Software Notification in the OpenLM Server Configuration form.

How can I get support?

You can contact us by:

   * Email - Send email to support@openlm.com.
   * Contact form - Send any request to our technical or sales teams.
   * Support Forums - Post any question, problem or request.

Technical information can be found in our Articles section, OpenLM Blog and on the user manual. Become a fan and get regular updates from us.

Do you need more functionality? Have problems?

It is very important for us to know about that. Please use our contact form or send an email to support@openlm.com .

I evaluated OpenLM for 30 days but I still need more time. Can I get an extension?

Generally yes. Use the registration tool located in the OpenLM Server configuration form or send an email to sales@openlm.com .

Collecting project information for usage using OpenLM Software

2010-10-19T04:31:00.000-07:00

Preface

OpenLM Software allows organizations to collect usage data for billing and management purposes. OpenLM supports different policies, by groups or by project. Collecting information by groups is most common, the organization is using OpenLM in order to collect information according to any sub-division: subsidiaries, divisions, departments, etc.. The information is then used in order to implement the billing policy selected by the organization: charge by the hour, distribute maintenance costs between cost centers, or other.

Billing usage time by the active project is mainly used by project oriented companies. It helps such companies to calculate a more accurate cost of the project by collecting the usage time for each project.

Supported Software Systems

The process of collecting project information for software usage is supported for software systems that are using license managers such as FLEXlm (FLEXnet), SafeNet RMS, SafeNet HASP, IBM LUM, LMX and more.

These types of license managers are used by high-end software systems such us: ESRI ArcGIS, AutoDesk Autocad, Pro Engineer, PTC, Catia, Matlab and more.

Setting project support settings

OpenLM interfaces that allow the system administrator to perform the following actions:

Create new projects.
Set project state (Active, Not Active).
Assign users to projects (or remove).

Version 1.5 of OpenLM provides these interface by using OpenLM Users Management Module. From version 1.6 and on, we integrated these interfaces into OpenLM EasyAdmin.

The project collecting capability needs to be activated from OpenLM Server Configuration form. This can be done by navigating to the Projects tab. The following options are available:
Activating projects capability (“Log Project Information”).
Minimal Usage Duration - User can set a short period of usage that won’t be considered as actual usage.
Agent’s Behavior - Allows the system administrator to select one of two policies, by using OpenLM Agent functionality or by Environment Variables. The use of OpenLM Agent functionality is more user friendly and provides a more accurate results.

Environment Variables - The use of an environment variable is simple, set the name of the environment variable and OpenLM will automatically collect the information based on the environment variable settings. Using these option may also require the use of “Add unknown projects”, OpenLM server will automatically create unknown project names reported by users.

OpenLM Agent functionality - OpenLM actively collects project information for usage sessions. OpenLM Agent provides the following functionality:

Active Project prompt popps up automatically from OpenLM Agent when the user is activating the licensed software.
Active project prompt to pop-up every few minutes, in case the user switched to another project.
Active project prompt can be set to disappear automatically when the user ignores it.
The user can also activate the active project prompt from OpenLM Agent icon at any time.

Generating Reports

OpenLM EasyAdmin->Reports Tab provides reports based on active project. The user can generate usage reports at any time and limit the query by almost any argument.

Individual sessions can be reported by using OpenLM EasyAdmin->License activity tab.

Synchronization with external systems and sharing information

OpenLM allows organization to synchronize project assignment information automatically with external systems like the organization project management system.

OpenLM supports the update of the project list and and assignment of users to project through OpenLM API.

External systems can also access the project information and totals by using OpenLM API.

Summary

OpenLM System provides a complete infrastructure that allows organizations to implement a billing policy for licensed software usage. The system supports billing policy based on groups or users, projects or both together.

OpenLM Supports automatic synchronization of project information with external system like project management systems.

New article about billing of license ...

2010-05-05T03:03:00.001-07:00

New article about billing of license usage in arcticlebase.com.

The article describes how to implement a charge back policy for licenses managed by a license server like: FLEXlm, FLEXnet, IBM LUM, Sentinel RMS, Sentinel HASP and more.

Floating license usage billing - how ...

2010-04-29T13:03:00.001-07:00

Floating License Usage Billing - Its Implementation in OpenLM Version 1.5.5

The implementation of the usage billing policy in many organizations has proved to be a very profitable step. This article discusses the concept of FLEXlm billing and the usage of OpenLM Software in order to implement such a policy.

Many organizations use software systems that are licensed by Floating (concurrent) licenses. This type of license facilitates the organization to install an unlimited number of seats of the software. The number of licenses used concurrently are limited to a predefined number (i.e. set during the purchase). Many of the software systems licensed this way, use Flexera FLEXnet Publisher (commonly known as FLEXlm software). This type of licensing method is commonly used by software vendors that produce high-end software systems.

In many cases, such projects are initiated as a part of a License Server Consolidation project. In order to explain the project, let us use an imaginary company "Green Energy Ltd." from the USA that has 3 subsidiaries worldwide: UK, Australia, and Japan. Each subsidiary manages several license servers with different software systems. Let us assume the following software inventory:

Software	USA	UK	Australia	Japan
ESRI ArcGIS	55	34	46	21
Autodesk Autocad	56	26	15	21
PTC	24	24	12	31
Solidworks	35	11	36	41

The usage diagrams produced from OpenLM EasyAdmin show that utilization of some of the licenses is high, while other licenses are practically not in use, depending on the time and location.

This chart demonstrates usage of ESRI ArcGIS licenses in USA alone:

The first step the company took was to consolidate all the licenses so that a single license server will serve all users worldwide. This table shows the license availability worldwide after the consolidation:

Software	Total Licenses
ESRI ArcGIS	156
Autodesk Autocad	118
PTC	91
Solidworks	123

After the consolidation, the company checked the usage level of their licenses and found that the utilization is more balanced. But, some software systems are heavily used while others have a very low usage rate.

Thus, the licenses were better utilized when the company adopting the following two steps:

Utilizing the consolidated license server now allows users to use the same licenses over the 24-hour period.
The creation of a bigger pool of licenses provides a higher license availability.

Based on the usage reports, the company decided to purchase more licenses for some of the software systems, while cutting down the maintenance fee for other licenses that are under utilized.

The managers of some of the subsidiaries have complained that they pay for licenses they don't use; the reason for which is that the maintenance costs are evenly distributed between the subsidiaries. In order to solve the problem, the company decided to implement a billing policy based on the actual usage of licenses by each subsidiary. The "Groups and Projects" extension to OpenLM System provides this solution. The company has created a Group for each subsidiary using the OpenLM Users Management software.

In order to avoid the need to manually relate users to the Groups, the system manager decided to utilize OpenLM's ability to synchronize Active Directory users and groups with OpenLM Server database. Since the organizational belonging of each user is based on the structure of the organizational tree in AD, the manager chose the OU's option and set the system to constantly synchronize the information with AD. This way, each new user will automatically be related to the correct subsidiary. OpenLM automatically updates the user's belonging to a subsidiary, according to any change in the position.

Thus, the information now looks the same both in AD and in OpenLM Users Management interface.

After a month, the team was able to produce a usage report according to the different groups, thus easily producing a fair billing report for each group.

The UK subsidiary has decided to further enhance the accuracy of their project's pricing. By implementing a project usage policy, they have measured their license usage of each project. They have created all their projects using OpenLM Users Management application, and have assigned each user to one or more projects. Users that were assigned to only one project did not have to report the active project. Users that belonged to more than one project, report the active project using the capabilities of OpenLM Agent software.

The information collected this way allowed Green Energy UK to price their projects better, taking the cost of expensive software usage into account.

This example provided an insight to the basics of Floating License Billing that can be implemented by OpenLM system. We can see that the capabilities of OpenLM actually enabled the server consolidation project, and also provided all the information needed for billing.

The highlights of OpenLM functionalities demonstrated in this article are:

OpenLM's ability to monitor the usage level of the organizational resources.
OpenLM's ability to synchronize OpenLM information with Active Directory in order to avoid manual work and to ensure data accuracy.
OpenLM's ability to easily provide usage information for different groups of users.
OpenLM's ability to track the usage of licenses for specific projects.

Conclusion

OpenLM Software provides all the needed tools for the implementation of a usage billing system in organization using license managers like FLEXlm (FLEXnet). IT Managers are now able to easily implement a usage billing system that can lower operational cost while improving license availability and reducing administration costs.

We have to emphasize that this is not a real world example. In reality, there are many other problems that were not taken into consideration here, for example, network limitations and many other factors.

OpenLM for ESRI Desktop ArcGIS at YouTube

2010-04-29T00:11:00.000-07:00

A new video for OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS software was just published on YouTube. It demonstrates some of the capabilities of OpenLM Software for ESRI ArcGIS:

Management capabilities for FLEXlm licensed software using EasyAdmin.

Smart and automatic TIMEOUT functionality.

License availability notifications.

FLEXlm usage query by end users.

Synchronization with Active Directory.

More..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QCSWe5jcGM

Workstations tab in EasyAdmin2

2010-01-17T13:40:00.001-08:00

Workstations tab in EasyAdmin2

OpenLM's workstation tab was completely updated in version 1.5.5 of OpenLM. This short article explains the new functionality.

Four new columns are introduced in the workstations panel: "IP Address", "User idle time", "Online" and "Controlled" that replaces the "Managed" column in earlier versions. These columns are added to "Hostname" and "Agent version". "Last Heart Bit" column has been removed.

A short description of each column:

Hostname shows the workstation's name as reported by FLEXlm or other supported license manager.

IP Address is collected when the system is set to resolve stations names (This is an optional setting at OpenLM Configuration form->Advanced).

Last User is the name of the username that was last active on this workstation. This value is only available when OpenLM Agent is distributed to end users workstations.

Agent Version column shows the version of the OpenLM Agent installed on this workstation. This information is very useful when distributing or updating agents on users workstations.

The User Idle Time column displays the number of seconds passed since the user was active on the workstation. This column will only display information when an agent is installed on the end user workstation.

The Online column has two possible values, online (green) or offline (gray). A workstation will always be offline if an agent is not installed on it. When an agent is installed, the workstation will be online when at least one user is logged in. It takes about five minutes before OpenLM switches a workstation's status from online to offline or vise verse.

The Controlled column is only relevant to supported systems, at this stage, OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS. This column indicates if OpenLM Extension is properly installed on the ESRI Desktop ArcGIS software. When OpenLM Extension communicates successfully with OpenLM server through OpenLM Agent then the workstation is controlled.

The information provided by the updated workstation tab in EasyAdmin2 interface allows system administrators and managers to control license activity. For example:

Recognize users that are idle and consume a floating license.
Recognize unauthorized access to the floating licenses.
Locate workstation that does not have OpenLM installed.
Locate uncontrolled installations of ESRI ArcGIS Desktop software.
Control the distribution of OpenLM Agent to end users workstations.
Etc...

New Features in Version 1.5.4 of OpenLM

2009-08-19T07:38:00.001-07:00

New Features in Version 1.5.4 of OpenLM

This article describes the new features in version 1.5.4 of OpenLM.

General

More control over database upgrade - When upgrading OpenLM from previous versions it usually involves database upgrade. Until now the database upgrade program was a part of the installation program of the new version. Starting from version 1.5.4 the installation program is a separate program that the user can choose to activate as a part of the installation. The user can also choose upgrade later and execute the database upgrade program separately.

Support for Users Groups - OpenLM System now supports reporting by users groups. This is an extension to the system and it is licensed separately. The main interface of this feature is the new OpenLM User Management application. More interfaces can be found in OpenLM EasyAdmin.

Support for Projects - OpenLM now allows an organization to analyze usage time according to projects. This is an extension to the system and it is licensed separately. The main interface of this feature is the new OpenLM User Management application. More interfaces can be found in OpenLM EasyAdmin and OpenLM Agent (Will be explained in details later).

New modules

OpenLM Users Management

A system that allows system administrators to manage users groups and projects. The system was developed using Java so it can be installed on any operating system.
The system does not need to be installed where OpenLM server is installed, it can be installed on any workstation on the network. It communicates with OpenLM Server using HTTP protocol and allows easy and quick editing of users information. Although the system can be installed on multiple workstations more than one user can't update the system information at the same time.

The module supports the following actions:

Create/Edit/Delete users, groups and projects.

List/Query and manage users, groups and projects.

Relate users to groups. One user may be related to zero, one or many group(s).

Define default group to each user.

Relate users to projects. One user may be related to zero, one or many project(s).

Define default project to each user.

We are planning to add the ability to import/synchronize groups information from LDAP databases (Windows Active Directory).

OpenLM Alerts

A module that alerts system administrators on problems with their licensing systems. It checks conditions defined by system administrators and sends messages using email or SMS.

Since the module is monitoring the components of the licensing system including OpenLM Server and FLEXlm Servers we recommend to install it on another machine. The system is composed on two parts: the conditions editor and the alerter service.

The conditions editor allows system administrators to define conditions on one or more components like servers, vendor daemons, features. The first release of the system contains two types of conditions:

Threshold conditions - Allows conditions like: If the usage rate of feature <feature_name> higher then <percent>.

Duplicate License Usage - Will alert when one user is using the same feature on more then one workstation.

The module allows the user to define different severity levels to the defined conditions:
Notice
Warning
Alert

The module supports three types of destinations for sending messages to the end user:

EasyAdmin Alerts window on the "control panel" tab.

E-mail address.

Any phone by SMS.

The module allows the user to limit send times according to the hour on which the event occurred. This way the user can define that an email will be sent if the condition is met during work hour and later - an SMS will be sent.

OpenLM Alerts Service runs on a windows machine and checks the defined conditions. We recommend to consider these aspects when designing your alerts system installation:

OpenLM Alerts checks the alert with OpenLM Server that sometimes has to perform complex queries in order to generate the information. We recommend to define on needed alerts and the check frequency should be as low as possible.

This is the first release of OpenLM Alerts system. We are looking forward to hearing your feedback on it. Please send your feedback to sales@openlm.com.

Changed Modules

OpenLM Agent

OpenLM Agent is the end user tool of OpenLM System. All OpenLM customers are licensed to unlimited installations of OpenLM Agents on users workstations. OpenLM is an optional component but customers that use it report saving in administration time, satisfied user and better utilization of licenses.
We are constantly adding new applications to OpenLM Agent. In version 1.5.4 we added the ability to report active project in order to implement project billing system for FLEXlm licensed software. The software will allow the end user to set the active project from a simple and user-friendly form. The form can be opened manually from OpenLM Icon located on Windows notification are or pop up automatically when the user activates his licensed software.

The system administrator has total control over the behavior of OpenLM Agent. All options are available on OpenLM Server Configuration Form.

Updates to OpenLM EasyAdmin

The ability to choose export parameters - In previous versions, export option on OpenLM EasyAdmin tabs automatically created a file without the ability to choose the date format. In version 1.5.4 the user is able to select the exported file name, time format and timezone.

Total time was added to user activity tab - OpenLM EasyAdmin will accumulate and display the total usage time according to the user queries.

Reports tab was added and at version 1.5.4 it offers reports for projects and groups.

Updates to OpenLM Log Reader

Timezone configuration for FLEXlm servers - The configuration is now automatic and it does not rely on the FLEXlm server time settings.

What is new in version 1.5.4 of OpenLM

2009-08-19T02:35:00.003-07:00

What is new in version 1.5.4 of OpenLM?

OpenLM Version 1.5.4 is a major release that adds important new features to OpenLM System and features overall under the hood improvement. The system is now faster, more accurate and reliable. The release also contains bug fixes for problems found in version 1.5.3.

Users Groups - License usage reporting according to users groups is now available. System managers can define different users groups and produce usage reports according to these groups. This functionality allows organization to accurately divide FLEXlm licensed software maintenance costs between departments, branches or subsidiaries.

Project reporting made easy - Many project oriented companies want to to know how many FLEXlm licensed software each project consumed. Until now the only way to do that was the use of the LM_PROJECT environment variable. OpenLM now allows a more convenient and accurate method based on OpenLM Agent. System managers can relate one or more projects to each user and the end user will be able to use OpenLM's Agents interface to set the active project. Advanced methods were implemented in order to assure accurate reporting.

FLEXlm billing - FLEXlm billing for User Groups or Project is now available in EasyAdmin.

Data export options - When exporting information from OpenLM the user can now control the export file name, timezone and time format.

More control over database upgrade - When upgrading OpenLM from
previous versions it usually involves database upgrade. Until now the
database upgrade program was part of the installation program of the
new version. From version 1.5.4 the installation program is a separate
program that the user can choose to activate and part of the
installation. The user can also choose upgrade later and execute the
database upgrade program separately.

Better control on the agent silent install - There are more command line parameters available.

Easier installation and configuration of OpenLM Log Reader - The process is easier due to a menu driver interface and automatic settings of FLEXlm server timezone.

More reports - New reports tab in EasyAdmin provides more reports to system managers.

The groups, projects and billing features are an optional features that require additional licensing. All other features are available with no additional charge for customers under valid maintenance contract.

What is new in version 1.5.4 of OpenLM

2009-08-19T02:35:00.001-07:00

Sample list of systems supported by OpenLM

2009-07-12T06:20:00.000-07:00

A n ew blog post in the Official OpenLM Blog list leading software systems supported by OpenLM.

How OpenLM threshold works

2009-05-13T06:16:00.001-07:00

How OpenLM threshold works

Background

OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS implements a TIMEOUT feature for ESRI ArcGIS software that uses FLEXlm software for licensing. The activity of the TIMEOUT feature is based on two parameters, maximum idle time and threshold.

Maximum idle time (minutes) - Set the maximum time that ESRI ArcGIS software will not be closed, even if the software is not in use (idle). The software may be closed after that time, if the usage is above a set level (threshold).

Threshold (percent) - The usage level that above it OpenLM will start to release ESRI ArcGIS FLEXlm licenses.

How it works?

OpenLM monitors the usage level of each FLEXlm feature and once the usage level is above the set threshold, OpenLM will gracefully close sessions, starting with the ones that are idling longer. Once the usage level drops below the set threshold, OpenLM Server will not close more idling sessions.

From the end user's point of view, his ESRI ArcGIS project will be saved and then closed. A pop-up message will announce that the project was closed and will allow the user to reopen the project in a single click. The user can also click OpenLM Agent located on the end user desktop and get the list of all recently closed projects.

Discussion

The combination of the threshold/maximum idle time is a simple system that assures that licenses will be available for users that need licenses while trying to minimize the number of closed sessions.

Since the act of closing idle sessions of ArcGIS Desktop can cause some inconvenience OpenLM, is trying to minimize the number of closed sessions. If there is no need for the Desktop ArcGIS licenses then the software can stay idling for very long periods of times. On the other hand OpenLM Server must assure that a sufficient number of licenses are available for new users that may try to access the software.

Let us use and example:

ESRI ArcView Licenses - 100
ESRI ArcInfo Licenses - 10
ESRI ArcGIS Spatial Analyst - 3

The default OpenLM Values are:

Threshold - 80%
Maximum idle time - 20 Minutes

Starting with the ArcView licenses, OpenLM will try to keep 20 licenses free for new users. Since 400 or more users can use a pool of 100 ESRI ArcGIS concurrent licenses. Keeping an amount of 20 free licenses available for new users makes sense.

With a total of 10 licenses available, OpenLM will try to keep two free licenses of ESRI ArcInfo ready for new users. Assuming that 8 licenses were already consumed, if more then two users try to access the ESRI ArcInfo licenses at the same time, some will get a FLEXlm denial. If two or less users request an ArcInfo license at the same time, their request will be fulfilled and then OpenLM will try to release idle sessions for more new users.

Because of the low number of Spatial Analyst licenses, OpenLM will only keep one floating license free for new users. This is because when two licenses are in use the usage rate is only 66% (less than 80%). Only when the third floating license is consumed the usage rate will be 100% and OpenLM will try to release one license for new users.

As shown above, the threshold mechanism works well for both high and low numbers of ESRI ArcGIS concurrent licenses.

Is there any benefit in applying different timeout values for different features?

Let us assume we have two FLEXlm features with different groups of users for each group: editing users that use ESRI ArcInfo and viewers the use ESRI ArcView.

Feature     Licenses   Users
ArcView         10        40
ArcInfo          10        20

With a threshold of 80% OpenLM will try to keep two (2) free licenses for each FLEXlm feature (ArcView and ArcInfo). Since there are less users that are sharing the ArcInfo FLEXlm feature (10 licenses for 20 users), there are more chances that less then 8 licenses will be concurrently in use. When the usage is bellow the set threshold, no sessions will be closed by OpenLM and by that, we actually extend the maximum idle time parameter.

If the usage rate of the FLEXlm ArcInfo feature is higher then the set threshold, 80%, a higher time out will not allow OpenLM to release idle licenses. The result is that we allowed idle users to hold licenses that are required by other users, and by that, avoided them from doing their work.

The conclusion is that timeout should be kept minimal and uniform to all features and user groups.

Summary

The timeout mechanism provided by OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS is based on two parameters, "maximum idle time" and threshold. The combination of these two parameters provides a good solution for FLEXlm features with both high and small number of licenses. The timeout value should be kept minimal (15-20 minutes) for all FLEXlm features and user groups.

SAMreport Alternative

2009-05-06T12:47:00.000-07:00

SAMreport is a license reporting tool used in conjunction with the FLEXlm license server. It is a report generator that reports the license usage of FLEXnet-licensed applications.

SAMreport reports license use is based on license activity recorded in the FLEXnet report logs, and on selected criteria that include product and feature name, user, date and time, and display or host.

The reports provided by SAMreport belong to three report families:

Summary reports – summarize usage information about each feature used from the license server.
Raw reports – show individual usage detail in textual format.
Server reports – provide details about a given license server.

Macrovision (that sold its software business to Acresso) has retired SAMreport at the end of 2007 and has replaced it with FLEXnet Manager which is a complete management system for FLEXLm. The price of FLEXnet Manager is much higher then SAMreport or OpenLM price.

OpenLM Utilizer provides the most cost/effective solution for managing and tracking usage of FLEXlm floating licenses. It includes all the functionality of the retired SAMreport and a lot more:

All information is stored in a relational database instead of flat files.
FLEXlm management functionality like listing active users/removing uses/alerts on license expiration and more.
Web based interface.
Support for multiple servers/time zones.
End user tool - OpenLM Agent.
And more..

The fully functional OpenLM Utilizer software is available for download and evaluation at OpenLM website.

OpenLM review from Softdaily.net

2009-04-14T03:29:00.000-07:00

OpenLM review as reported by Softdaily

OpenLM System - technical overview

2009-04-12T02:53:00.000-07:00

A new presentation that gives an overview of the technical aspects of OpenLM system was published.

The presentation can be watched at: http://www.slideshare.net/orenhg/openlm-for-flexlm-system-technical-overview

Serving OpenLM EasyAdmin using Apache HTTP server

2008-10-27T09:19:00.003-07:00

Serving OpenLM EasyAdmin using Apache HTTP Server

OpenLM is an application dedicated to the management of Macrovision FLEXnet (Globetrotter FLEXlm). EasyAdmin is OpenLM's reporting component and it is an Http based application. EasyAdmin can be viewed with Internet browser from any station in the network.

By default, EasyAdmin is installed together with OpenLM Server and it is served by a dedicated HTTP server, which is also distributed with OpenLM Server install pack. After your organization decides to use OpenLM, we recommend to serve OpenLM EasyAdmin application by your organizational HTTP server in order to allow access to FLEXlm reports from any site.

This short guide outlines the steps required in order to serve your OpenLM EasyAdmin application by using your Apache HTTP server. In this guide we assume that Apache is not located on the same server as OpenLM. If your Http Server is located on on the same server as OpenLM Server it is recommended to create a Virtual Directory instead of copying the EasyAdmin Folder as demonstrated here.

The OpenLM EasyAdmin will be installed under the default web site, and will be accessed by using the following URL: http://<server name>/EasyAdmin

This tutorial was created using Apache HTTP server that is installed on Windows XP. The same steps apply to Apache server that can be installed on other operating systems.

Step 1: Copy EasyAdmin folder from OpenLM installation folder to the Apache HTDOCS folder

Step 2: Start OpenLM EasyAdmin using url http://localhost:82/EasyAdmin/openlm_easy_admin.html

OpenLM is now published under the default web site of your organizational server. Every system administrator or permitted user can now access FLEXlm reports, release orphaned licenses, draw usage charts, watch FLEXlm statistics, list active FLEXlm users and query the usage patterns of any specific user.

OpenLM EasyAdmin is included in every version of the OpenLM software system. OpenLM light version includes the EasyAdmin application as well, however it comes with less reporting options compared to the full OpenLM versions: OpenLM Utilizer for FLEXlm and OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS. When using OpenLM with all its unique features, you should save a lot of money by greatly improving the use of your expensive FLEXlm licenses.

Access control for EasyAdmin using Apache HTTP Server

2008-10-27T09:19:00.001-07:00

Access control for EasyAdmin using Apache HTTP Server

The use of OpenLM for the management of FLEXnet license servers provides a unique set of tools for managers and system administrators. Features range from a simple inventory management, to usage patterns and billing reports. OpenLM EasyAdmin supplies a wide range of license statistics, FLEXnet reports and management tools. The ability to control access to EasyAdmin is very important when the tool is distributed among many users.

OpenLM includes a built in web server in order to make sure that new users are able to install the software and use EasyAdmin flawlessly. Following the initial evaluation period of the software, we strongly recommend to move EasyAdmin to your preferred web server: IIS, Apache etc. Check the following article that explains how to setup OpenLM on Apache HTTP server.

Apache server supports different methods that allow you to restrict access to EasyAdmin:

By user - Authentication and Access control.

By Host - IP address and domain name restrictions.

More detailed information is available at Apache foundation site: http://httpd.apache.org/docs/1.3/howto/auth.html#access

Authentication methods supported by Apache

Basic Authentication - The most basic authentication method available,suffers from many cavities including slow authentication and security problems. Despite these problems this method is probably sufficient for protecting OpenLM EasyAdmin in an internal company network.

Digest Authentication - Same as basic authentication but it encrypts passwords and by doing that solves one of the main cavities of the Basic Authentication methods.

Database Authentication methods - One of the major problems of both the Basic and Digest Authentication methods is that the user and passwords are stored in a plain text file. Database authentication methods allows system managers to store passwords in database.

In this article we will demonstrate the Basic Authentication method.

Step A: Create the password file

Password file creation is done by using the Apache command htpasswd.exe

We created a password file with one user. Now we can add users using the same utility.

Step B: Set the configuration to use this password file

Open your Apache server configuration file: httpd.conf. Locate the virtual directory defined for EasyAdmin or add one. And add authentication to this virtual directory.

# EasyAdmin Virtual Directory

Alias /EasyAdmin "C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs"
<Directory "C:\Program Files\Apache Software Foundation\Apache2.2\htdocs">
        Options Indexes MultiViews FollowSymLinks
        AllowOverride All
        Order allow,deny
        Allow from all

        # Limit access to EasyAdmin
        AuthType Basic
        AuthName "By Invitation Only"
        AuthUserFile "C:/Program Files/Apache Software Foundation/Apache2.2/passwords/passwords"
        Require user oren

</Directory>

Step c: Access OpenLM EasyAdmin

Now OpenLM EasyAdmin is password protected. If a HTTPS protocol is used then passwords will be encrypted as well as all other communication between the server and the browser.

This example is basic, more complex and secure methods are available by the use of Apache HTTP server.

Summary

The implementation of access control for EasyAdmin is very simple if you serve EasyAdmin with an Apache HTTP server. There are two categories of tools, based on host or on user. The methods that are based on user authentication are more flexible and offer different levels of security, depending on the organization's needs.

The use of OpenLM for the management of FLEXnet license servers provides a unique set of tools for managers and system administrators. Features range from a simple inventory management, to usage patterns and billing reports. OpenLM EasyAdmin supplies a wide range of license statistics, FLEXnet reports and management tools. The ability to control access to EasyAdmin is very important when the application is distributed among many users.

2008-08-27T05:20:00.000-07:00

What is new in version 1.5.1.2 of OpenLM

Version 1.5.1.2 of OpenLM is a maintenance release that fixes several issues which were found in version 1.5.1.1

The issues that were addressed in this version are:

Full support for ArcGIS 9.3.
Redesign of Workstations TAB in OpenLM EasyAdmin (Available only in the full version).
Enhancements to the usage charts in EasyAdmin.
Fix a problem that was found at OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS when working with "overwrite existing projects" mode.

2008-08-10T11:49:00.000-07:00

How to configure OpenLM "Denial Notifications"

Denial notification is a very useful new feature in OpenLM version 1.5. This feature is very effective in optimizing the usability of existing licenses.

Please watch this short video in order to see how it works.

In order to enable the Denials feature it necessary to install and configure the Log Reader as a first step. Please follow these steps and make sure that you are able to see the Denials Reports in your EasyAdmin Denial Tab.

Now you need to open the OpenLM Server configuration form and move to the OpenLM Agent Policy Tab. Check the "Available License Notification" and set the desired "Reservation Period" or accept the default (60 minutes).

Click apply and restart the server.

Make sure that your users have OpenLM Agent version 1.5.1.1. Otherwise, they will not be able to get the notifications.

2008-08-10T00:58:00.000-07:00

How to install OpenLM Log Reader on your FLEXlm server

What is the purpose of OpenLM Log Reader?

OpenLM Log Reader is a daemon service that reads FLEXlm debug log file and sends the information to OpenLM Server.

The action enables OpenLM to offer additional capabilities:

Store important information in OpenLM Database.
Store and report information about license denials that users experience.
Send users notice when the software they need becomes available.

How is the OpenLM Log Reader implemented?

OpenLM is a Java program that can run on multiple platforms - Windows, UNIX, Linux and more. OpenLM Log Reader for Windows is distributed with an MSI installer that installs the files to the hard disk and creates a windows service called: OpenLM Log Reader.

How to install?

OpenLM Log Reader on Windows Installation is a typical "Next, Next" installation. Double Click the MSI file and follow the instructions. Following to the software installation a new service is added to windows services. The service is yet to be configured and theretofore will not get started just yet.

Requirements

OpenLM Log Reader service configuration requires some data regarding the monitored license manager. It is simple to collect the information by using LMTOOLS program - lmtools.exe.

Open LMTOOLS and go to the "Config Services" tab. Locate the path of FLEXlm debug log file and copy and save it for the next step.

Once done, go to the "Services" tab and click the "Perform Status Inquiry" button. The text will show in the window in the top search for the string similar to: 27000@license_server_status

You will need the port and server name for the next stage.

OpenLM Log Reader configuration

You have to configure OpenLM Log Reader so it will be able to track your log file.

Navigate to OpenLM Log Reader installation folder: C:Program FilesGlobalMapsOpenLMLogReader

Open the file config.xml using your favorite text editor.

You need to modify several parameters in order to allow OpenLM Log Reader, to read and send the information to the OpenLM Server. The required information is:

The name of OpenLM server.
The name of FLEXlm server (exactly as shown in FLEXlm output).
The port of FLEXlm server.
Path to FLEXlm debug log file.

An example (attributes that need to be edited are marked red):

<ulm>
<receiver receiver_url="http://openlm_server:7016/OpenLMServer" sending_time_out="45"/>

<log_files>
<log server="license_manager_name" port="27000" file_path="C:Templmgrd9.log" size_limit="1" time_interval="10"/>
<log server="license_manager_name" port="9857" file_path="C:Tempacadlmgrd_acad.log" size_limit="1" time_interval="10"/>
...
</log_files>
</ulm>

Any number of port/files can be added, according to the number of FLEXlm servers that run on the machine. When you are done with all the modifications, restart the OpenLM Log Reader server.

2008-08-10T00:57:00.000-07:00

How to install OpenLM Log Reader on UNIX/Linux

The purpose OpenLM Log Reader is to send the information from FLEXlm report log to OpenLM server. You have to install OpenLM Log Reader on every FLEXlm server you monitored by OpenLM. If you have more then one FLEXlm server installed on one server you will need only one installation on the server, it will monitor all the log files.

OpenLM Log Reader was developed using Java so it can run on any operating system supported by FLEXlm floating license manager.

First download OpenLM Log Reader software from OpenLM website downloads area. The download include the following files and folders:

Main folder: openlm_log_reader

lib - Java libraries used by OpenLM Log Reader.
openlm_log_reader.jar - Log Reader executable.
openlm_log_reader_config.xml - OpenLM Log Reader configuration file.
openlm_log_reader.properties - Logger properties.

The steps we need in order to accomplish the task are:
1. Make sure that JRE with version of at least 1.5 is available on the machine (where you typically install software /usr/local).
2. Copy the software to the FLEXlm server (where you typically install software /usr/local).
3. Create a software service that will start with the operating system and run in the background (command: java -jar MyLogReader.jar config.xml).
4. Configure the software.

Configure the path of your log file (Optional)

Edit openlm_log_reader.properties and modify the log file path so it will fit your installation. By default it will create a directory named log under the installation folder.

Configure OpenLM Log Reader (Mandatory)

Open the file config.xml using your favorite text editor.

You need to modify several parameters in order to allow OpenLM Log Reader, to read and send the information to the OpenLM Server. The required information is:

The name of OpenLM server.
The name of FLEXlm server (exactly as it shows in FLEXlm output).
The port of FLEXlm server.
Path to FLEXlm debug log file.

2008-07-14T02:53:00.000-07:00

Using OpenLM free version to manage your FLEXlm server

Summary

FLEXlm is a floating license manager that is widely used by high end software manufactures. FLEXlm command line based interface is very inconvenient and extremely limited. Most companies need the ability to monitor usage time, have a convenient management interface, manage multiple servers, produce billing reports and a lot more.
OpenLM is a cost effective alternative to Accresso FLEXnet manager. OpenLM Light is a free version targeted towards small teams with a single FLEXlm floating license server.
This article shows how the free version of OpenLM can manage your FLEXlm server.

Short

FLEXlm is a floating license manager that is widely used by high end software manufactures. Most companies need the ability to monitor usage time, have a convenient management interface, manage multiple servers, produce billing reports and a lot more.
OpenLM is a cost effective alternative to Accresso FLEXnet manager. This article shows how the free version of OpenLM can manage your FLEXlm server.

What is FLEXnet (FLEXlm) floating license server

FLEXnet is a license manager which implements both node-locked and floating licensing models.
A node-locked license enables the software user to install and use the software on a specific computer (network node in FLEXlm terminology). However with the floating license model, the software can be installed on any number of computers. In order to activate the software, a license needs to be drawn from the License Pool. Once all licenses are in use, no new users will be able to activate their software, even if they have it installed on their computer.
The number of licenses on the servers are limited to the number of purchased licenses. When the number of simultaneous (concurrent) users is equal to the number of licenses the next user will not be able to activate the software - in FLEXlm terminology this user received a "Denial".

Who is using FLEXnet (FLEXlm) floating license server

The FLEXnet license manager is incorporated into the software products of more then 2000 vendors. Following 20 years of activity, FLEXnet is in use at many organizations, from small companies to global ones. FLEXnet libraries are sold to software vendors that incorporate them into their software. End users receive FLEXnet when they purchase different software packages.

The need

The interface of the FLEXnet software is based mostly on a command line which is very inconvenient and extremely limited. While it might be sufficient for companies with a small number of users and licenses, it is not sufficient for the larger companies. For example, FLEXnet has the ability to reflect some information on license activity in real time, but it does not collect any information on the usage over time.

Recognizing the need, Macrovision (which recently sold it's software unit to Acresso software company) created the FLEXnet manager software which helps system administrators to get real management capabilities on floating licenses in their organizations. OpenLM created a compatible and very cost effective alternative, which includes most of the FLEXnet manager features plus additional features that are available solely at OpenLM.

Using the free alternative - OpenLM Light version

OpenLM is provided in several versions

OpenLM Utilizer: includes features such as multiple server monitoring, license statistics, reports, billing and much more.

OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS: has special extension to allow for unique features, including automatic TIMEOUT capabilities and more.

OpenLM Light: a free limited version which includes some of the OpenLM software features.

While the investment in OpenLM Utilizer will prove itself worthwhile in a very short time, some small organizations still prefer to use the OpenLM Light - free version.

This article describes the capabilities of the OpenLM Light free version.

OpenLM Architecture

OpenLM is a server application which is normally installed on the license server, but it could also be installed on any server or station just as well.
OpenLM Server is implemented as a Windows Service that is able to monitor any number of Floating License servers (mainly FLEXnet/FLEXlm).
OpenLM EasyAdmin is the OpenLM interface and it is implemented as a web application which can be served by any web server (Apache, Jakarta Tomcat, Microsoft IIS, etc.). OpenLM could be accessed from any workstation on the network, or even externally.

OpenLM Agent is an optional component which could be used to allow end users to query license availability. The use of the Agent offers the ability to enhance license usage in many ways.

OpenLM Installation

OpenLM server is distributed as an MSI file and could be easily installed on a server or Windows XP workstation that has .Net 2 installed.
The installation should take no longer than 5 minutes and it does not require configuration, except the addition of your list of license severs. The free version is limited to only one license server so only one license server can be added.

By default EasyAdmin is installed and served using an embedded web server - SHTTPD. The purpose of distributing SHTTPD is to offer a quick and easy installation of the software. However, it is recommended to install EasyAdmin on a regular HTTP server following the initial installation. This article explains how to install EasyAdmin on your IIS web server - How to install.

The installation of OpenLM EasyAdmin Agent is simple and can be done manually on every workstation or distributed to all workstations automatically. A sample distribution for the KIX script language can be downloaded from OpenLM downloads area.

OpenLM Configuration

OpenLM is automatically configured out of the box therefore only minimal configuration work is required. OpenLM configuration form is simple and friendly as can be seen in the following image (The license servers tab is open):

Additional important configuration is the Notifications configuration which allows OpenLM to send email messages to the system administrator. The relevant parameters can simply be copied from the mail client or taken from the system administrator. Configuring notification will allow OpenLM Server to send messages concerning problems with the license server, updates to OpenLM Software and more.

Software Updates

OpenLM has an automatic software update mechanism that notifies and updates the software automatically as updates become available.
The system is working differently for the Agent and the Server.

OpenLM Server - Message on new versions and updates are sent to the system administrator. The system administrator can, at his convenience, download and update the server.

OpenLM Agent - The update process for the agents is controlled by the system administrator. Once the administrator decides to allow the OpenLM Agents to be updated, he/she can start the process by using the OpenLM configuration form and by directing the new software version into the chosen location (URL or URI), accessible to the workstations.

Management, Reports and FLEXnet license statistics

The free version of OpenLM offers a slick interface for license management and some reporting capabilities that can address the needs of small organizations. OpenLM EasyAdmin control panel page shows information on activity of the license server in four floating windows (limited to only one FLEXlm server while the full version of the software can show the activity of any number of FLEXlm license servers).

The license tab window shows information on the licenses which are available on the server.
A click on the usage button opens a pop-up window which enables the user to draw FLEXlm license statistics with resolution of minutes and hours (the full version of OpenLM supplies daily, weekly and monthly statistics).

Active products enable users to manage the active users in a very efficient way. Showing the listing of active users, removing licenses and additional actions. The filter that pops at the left side of the tab, filters lists that may contain thousands of rows, in a fraction of a second.

All EasyAdmin tabs include easy and convenient filters that enable the user to filter reports according to any value.

The full version of OpenLM includes the workstations user activity and closed process tab, that supply advanced management and statistical tools.

Conclusion

Small companies with one FLEXlm floating license server can enjoy the free OpenLM software to manage their floating licenses. The software enhances the management capabilities of the system administrator and enables more efficient usage of licenses. Both small and larger companies can enjoy significant savings by implementing OpenLM Utilizer, which has many additional features at very low cost.

Oren Gabay, CTO
oren@openlm.com
http://www.openlm.com

2008-06-17T03:57:00.000-07:00

Automatic software updates for OpenLM Agent

With the announcement of version 1.5.1 of OpenLM we now support automatic software updates for OpenLM Agent. This article will explain how the automatic update system works and provide users with tips and advice for successful implementation.

Updates to OpenLM Server

Global Maps publishes new versions of OpenLM from time to time and also issues service packs on specific issues that arise between versions. Maintaining your software at the latest updated level, or with the most recent service pack, is the key to ensuring that you always receive the highest possible efficiencies from your floating license server (FLEXlm).

From version 1.5.1 forward, OpenLM server will periodically and automatically check for software updates on OpenLM Server. Once it finds an update relevant to the installed software, the local OpenLM Server will send an update notification to the system administrator, as per the instruction defined by the system administrator on the OpenLM Server Notification tab. If the system administrator did not define such instruction, OpenLM Server will log a message to the System Event Viewer.

The system manager will be able to update the server software immediately by downloading the software from the OpenLM site download area.
In most cases the published package will do all the updates automatically once it has been executed.

Updates to OpenLM Agent software

Background

OpenLM includes optional Agent software, i.e. software that is applied by the user to query license availability and communicate with other users on needed licenses. On supported software systems such as ESRI ArcGIS, the Agent is responsible for closing the licensed software in order to release idle licenses back to the license pool.

There are a number of ways to distribute OpenLM Agent software to end user's workstations:
1. Manual distribution - ideal for smaller companies. Distribution can be done either automatically via the system, or by asking authorized users to install the software.
2. Automatic - OpenLM Agent supports installation and enable configuration of parameters so that software can be easily distributed by using automatic software distribution system such as Microsoft SMS, Altiris-Symantec and others.

3. OpenLM Automatic Software Update - OpenLM Agent will automatically update itself once the system administrator decides to distribute a software update.

Update Process Base Assumptions

The OpenLM Software update process has been designed to operate under the following assumptions and conditions:

Because OpenLM installation requires an update of registry keys and DLL registration, the installation requires local administrator privileges.
The system administrator has to control the timing in which the software will be updated. This requirement has been included as system administrators usually prefer to check the update on a test environment before using it in a production environment.
On some user sites local administrators have authorisation to install software on their workstations, while other sites are fully managed and users are unauthorised to install software on their workstations.
Fully managed sites have professional staff members which are competent to distribute software by using management systems such as Microsoft SMS and others.
The Agent update process is able to download the update from OpenLM site or from a local HTTP server or even from a shared folder. When using a local download site, it is the system administrator's responsibility to download the files from OpenLM site and put them in the local update site.
The software will never update an Agent to a major version which is higher then the server version.
The software will only update the Agent if the new version is greater then the existing version.

The Update Process

A typical update process will usually follow the sequence below:

The system manager will receive a message from his local OpenLM Server informing him/her that an update is now available.
The system manager will download the update manually and install on a few workstations for testing.
The system manager copies the update files and the manifest file to a local http server, or use the OpenLM Server on the Internet as an update source. The location of the manifest file is usually: C:Program FilesGlobalMapsOpenLMServerManifest.
The system manager sets OpenLM Server configuration form to distribute updates to agents.
The next time an Agent checks for updates on the server, it will find that an update is available.
Agents will download the update from the location the server specifies, based on CPU/IO idle times in order to prevent from interfiring with the ongoing work users perform.
Once the update has been downloaded, it will run silently in the background and will restart OpenLM Agent automatically.

Important note: Use the automatic update process only when all your users have local administrator's authority enabled on their local machines.

Required Server Settings

Regardless of the update method that you are using, it is essential that your "Notification" setting is operational. It will allow your OpenLM Server to send you messages on software updates which are available on the OpenLM web site.

In the OpenLM Server configuration tab, make sure that the "Notify me about updates..." check box is checked as shown:

If you are using the automatic update feature of OpenLM Agent and you wish to initiate the update, you can start the update process from the OpenLM Server configuration form. Just check the "Update OpenLM Agents Automatically" check box as shown:

The download location can be OpenLM Server or any other HTTP server that the user can access. The system manager will put an updated manifest file under the server folder as shown:

Tracking the update process

OpenLM gives the system manager all the needed tools that allow full tracking and monitoring of the software update process. Using the OpenLM EasyAdmin interface the system manager can get:

A list of workstations that do not have an agent.
Workstations with older software version.
Last time a workstation has communicated with the server.
The user who is logged into the workstation.
And more.

This screen lists the workstation that has a communicating Agent and the Agent version:

2008-05-17T23:37:00.000-07:00

FLEXlm License Servers consolidation drive to large savings

As the world economy is going through a major turmoil and the budget for hardware and software purchasing is shrinking, managers all over the globe are searching for innovative ways to lower their expenses without hurting workers productivity. One of the "black holes" in every budget at every organization or company that use software (and who doesn't?) is the cost for software maintenance fees, which are paid annually to the software vendors. This article discusses the possibility of phenomenal savings to any budget, by performing a restructuring of the way costly software products managed via floating licenses are being used.

The promise of Floating Licenses: A floating (concurrent) license allows multiple users to share the use of a software application. However, a single license can not be used by multiple users simultaneously. When a user completes his work with the software, another user can begin using it. The promise of the Floating License concept is that shared software assets can provide for less spending, without hurting production. In reality it is rarely achieved and most organizations purchase more floating licenses than are actually needed, for lack of management tools and knowledge.

Acresso Software FLEXnet (FLEXlm) is the leading software in the field of floating licenses. FLEXnet is used by more then 2000 software vendors. Examples are: Autodesk, Borland , Cadence, EDS, Macromedia , Mathsoft, Mathworks , PTC, Rational, Softimage, Solidworks, Sybase, Synopsys, WindRiver, FreeScale, ICS, Foundry, VSNi, Tri-Pacific

Additional source of information for software vendors that use FLEXlm licensing is flexlm.wiselm.com

One of the most important principles when using floating licenses, is that as the number of license servers at use goes down, the efficiency of the network grows. In other words, when a license pool is being split between a growing amount of servers, there is a substance loss of efficiency and less users can take advantage of available licenses. So why does so many organizations use floating license servers in inefficient way?

Reasons for inefficient use of expensive floating licenses

Historical reasons - A department bought the licenses long ago and managers tend to think of the software as the department's property.

As a result, in many organizations different departments buy duplicated licenses before exploring the option of sharing available licenses.

Lack of good management tools - FLEXnet (FLEXlm) does not supply management tools as part of the basic package. The lack of good management tools does not allow managers to manage the licenses for best results.

The need to keep redundant license servers, in order to avoid down time when users are unable to access licenses.

Sometimes wide area networks are too slow to allow a user to access license servers over the WAN.

Successful license server consolidation require the right tools

A successful consolidation process requires careful planning and has to be based on a detailed usage information database, collected over time. Organizations that go forward with the consolidation process are often involved in difficult situations, when trying to manage the combined license pool. However by choosing the correct software tool and some careful planning, will assure the success of the consolidation while providing good license availability and savings of software maintenance fees.

Important features in management tools for license server consolidation include:

Support for multiple servers

Support for multiple time zones, for any of the servers or users

Detailed usage reports

Alerts for important events

Billing reports for total time of usage

Convenient web based interface
Automatic idle license release - easy timeout setup (advance OpenLM feature)

In conclusion, for a good implementation of a floating license server consolidation program, companies require advance management tool such as Acresso FLEXnet Manager or OpenLM Utilizer. By using these types of applications, system managers should be able to simplify the process and keep tight control over license usage.

Summary

Many organizations use software systems licensed by floating license servers like FLEXnet (FLEXlm). Consolidation of Floating License Servers (FLEXlm) can save a huge amount of money over time (in annual maintenance fees and the need for less licenses overall). Listed in this article are the different reasons for the inefficient usage of this expensive resource. Consolidating the floating license server requires careful planning based on usage information which is collected over a long period of time. Software systems like Acresso FLEXnet manager or OpenLM Utilizer supply the needed features to implement the complex task.

Summary (150)

Many organizations use software systems licensed by floating license servers like FLEXnet. Consolidation of Floating License Servers can save a huge amount of money over time (in annual maintenance fees and the need for less licenses overall). Listed in this article are the different reasons for the inefficient usage of this expensive resource. Software systems like Acresso FLEXnet manager or OpenLM Utilizer supply the needed features to implement the complex task.

Consolidation of FLEXlm servers can save a huge amount of money over time but can be a very complex task. Software like [OpenLM Utilizer|http://www.openlm.com] can help you in accomplishing that.

Many organizations use software systems licensed by floating license servers like FLEXnet (FLEXlm). Consolidation of Floating License Servers (FLEXlm) can save a huge amount of money over time (in ann

2008-05-17T23:32:00.000-07:00

We received many requests to explain the "communicating" and "non-communicating" workstations tab - so here it is:

An OpenLM Agent could be installed on end users workstations in order to allow the system to close software and release floating licenses back to the license pool when a user is inactive. So far, OpenLM Agent is installed mostly with OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS software, since we support the TIMEOUT feature for this software.

Workstations tab in EasyAdmin was designed in order to allow an easy management of Agent installations. EasyAdmin lists the "communicating" and " non-communicating" workstations in two separate lists.

The principle is that a "workstation", as defined for OpenLM, is a workstation that used floating license that is monitored by OpenLM Server, at least once. If a workstation has never accessed any floating license and OpenLM Agent is not installed on it, then OpenLM software will not be aware of it, and it will not be listed in any of the lists.

A communicating workstation is a workstation that has an Agent and it is constantly sending out "AgentAlive" messages to OpenLM Server.

A "non-communicating" workstation is a workstation that accesses floating licenses (which are monitored by OpenLM Server) but does not send out the "AgentAlive" message to the OpenLM Server. When a workstation with an installed Agent that regularly communicates with the server misses several sequential "AgentAlive" requests, it will be also listed in the "non-communicating" list. In the current version 1.5.0, the listing of that workstation is kept in the "communicating" workstations list, but it will be changed in the next version (1.5.1) due to the confusion it is creating. In version 1.5.1, once the workstation stops communicating it will only be listed only in the "non-communicating" list.

How can the system administrator use the workstations tab?

There are many possible examples, here are a few:

Management of the Agent software distribution: During Agent distribution proses, it is very helpful to track progress using the information displayed in this tab. The distribution process ends when the "non- communicating" list of workstations is empty.
After distributing OpenLM Agent to all workstations, the system manager can see if any of the Agents has a software problem, wrong settings or if it was deliberately stopped for any reason.
A great tool to locate unauthorized access to the licenses: In version 1.5.1 the list will include the workstation name, time and the last user that worked on the workstation.

2008-05-11T07:18:00.000-07:00

Access control for EasyAdmin using Microsoft IIS

The use of OpenLM for the management of FLEXnet license servers provides a unique set of tools for managers and system administrators. Features are ranging from a simple inventory management, to usage patterns and billing reports. OpenLM EasyAdmin supplies a wide range of license statistics, FLEXnet reports and management tools. The ability to control access to EasyAdmin is very important when the tool is distributed among many users.

OpenLM includes a built in web server in order to make sure that new users are able to install the software and use EasyAdmin. Following the initial evaluation period of the software, we strongly recommend to move EasyAdmin to your preferred web server: IIS, Apache etc. Check the following article that explains how to setup OpenLM on IIS server.

IIS server supports two methods that allow you to restrict access to EasyAdmin:

By user - Authentication and Access control.
By Host - IP address and domain name restrictions.

More detailed information is available at Microsoft site: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/324274

By User - Authentication and Access control

By default, when you create a new web site it will receive the default authentication - "Enable anonymous access" which allows any user to access the web site. The following image shows the default settings of a site:

IIS server offers few authentication methods that are based on the NTFS access control lists. Access rights to EasyAdmin are determined according to the access permissions to EasyAdmin folder, as demonstrated in the following image:

The authentication methods supported by IIS are:

Integrated Windows authentication - A secured method based on Microsoft NTLM which is supported both by Microsoft Explorer and Mozilla Firefox. The user will be required to type his user name and password in a popup box and if he/she has permissions to the folder, access will be granted.
This is the highest security method but it is limited only to intranet access with a single domain.

Digest authentication for Windows domain servers - A Medium security authentication method that can be used to gain access from a network with multiple domains, or even outside the network. User and password will be encrypted when transferred over the network. This method only works with Windows domain servers.

Basic authentication - Lowest security method. Based on user credentials that are sent over the network as clear text.

.NET Passport authentication - Based on the Microsoft service, we will not discuss this method here at this point.

By Host - Restrict Access by IP Address and domain name

Alternative method for user access control is done by applying restriction according to host IP or domain. By this method the server will limit or allow access to the EasyAdmin application according to the requesting IP address or domain.

The use of IP address or domain name can be useful to limit access to a group of computers or a sub domain, which includes the system administrators. It can be easily done with IIS:

Usually, the most simple method to apply a host based access restriction is to deny access from everyone and to grant access only to a few carefully selected computers.

Summary

The implementation of access control for EasyAdmin is very simple if you serve EasyAdmin with a IIS server. There are two categories of tools, based on host or on user. The methods that are based on user authentication are more flexible and offer different levels of security, depending on the organization's needs.

The use of OpenLM for the management of FLEXnet license servers provides a unique set of tools for managers and system administrators. Features range from a simple inventory management, to usage patterns and billing reports. OpenLM EasyAdmin supplies a wide range of license statistics, FLEXnet reports and management tools. The ability to control access to EasyAdmin is very important when the application is distributed among many users.

2008-05-07T06:31:00.000-07:00

What is expected in version 1.5.1 of OpenLM

OpenLM version 1.5.1 is focused on better license statistics for FLEXlm (FLEXnet). The new version brings improved user interface, advanced queries and a lot more FLEXnet statistics and information.

New report for closed software, including when, how, and more.
Information added to communicating agents list - agent version and user name was added.
Information added to the non-communicating agent list - last heartbeat and last known user.
The system will include full support for borrowed licenses in all the system tabs.
More information and new style filter was added to the Active Products tab.
Immense change in EasyAdmin control panel - servers statistics and system warnings.
Addition of a licensing tab to the server configuration form.
Automatic updates ability to the OpenLM Agent.
Information on updates to OpenLM Server software will be sent automatically to the system manager.
OpenLM will display warnings on problems with the floating license manager:

Near 100% usage.
Multiple features held by one user on more then one workstation.
Alerts when the FLEXlm server is not available.

Advanced filtering for all the tabs in EasyAdmin. Allow selection of multiple values to filter by and combination of fields.

2008-04-28T02:56:00.000-07:00

Repository of software that use FLEXlm/FLEXnet

A new repository of software systems that use FLEXlm/FLEXnet for licensing was published. The aim of the repository is to list all the software systems that use the FLEXlm/FLEXnet licensing.

The address of the repository is: FLEXnet repository

2008-04-14T02:15:00.000-07:00

Global Maps Inc. unveils new version of OpenLM

By Oren Gabay, CTO
Rachel Bahar, CDO
Doron Regev, CMO

OpenLM Utilizer 1.5.0 (Floating software optimizer)

Software developer Global Maps Inc. from Kibbutz Givat Haim Ihud in Israel, has announced the launching of the new version of OpenLM Utilizer.
The software is available for download and EVAUATION at the OpenLM web site.

OpenLM Utilizer is designed to improve the use of all FLEXlm managed software, and is also a very cost effective replacement of FLEXnet Manager and the retired SAMreport.

The main focus of OpenLM version 1.5.0 is to provide support for organizations who work with multiple servers in various timezones. In addition, the new version provides connectivity to Active Directory and OpenLM plans to offer more important management tools, in the following versions at the near future.

New features for OpenLM Utilizer 1.5.0 (for all FLEXlm managed software)

Ability to work with unlimited FLEXlm servers - including servers in different timezones.
Support for FLEXlm redundant server configuration (three or five FLEXlm that work together).
Significant performance improvements in OpenLM EasyAdmin.
Ability to connect OpenLM server to Active Directory, in order to display additional user's information.
Ability to hide the OpemLM Agent from the users by the system administrator.
Actual product name in the "license usage information" and EasyAdmin, instead of the FLEXlm name (FEATURE) of the software.
Ability to "Filter" licenses list in the EasyAdmin - very useful for large organizations with considerable amount of licenses.
Option to avoid license information refresh at each query - important for big organizations with numerous amount of licenses.
Option to limit user access, and deny the ability to query license status information for specific servers.
OpenLM Agent displays the software version of the Agent and OpenLM Server.
OpenLM Server version is displayed in the Configuration Form title bar.
New "user activity" report allows you to query activity for each user/feature combination.
If you bill projects for software usage you can now use EasyAdmin to get the billing report.

For more information please contact:

Regev Doron, CMO
reggev@openlm.com
Office 972-4-6308085
Mobile 972-52-6811094

Global Maps is a Carbon Neutral Company - we print ONLY when we have to

2008-04-14T02:02:00.000-07:00

Global Maps Inc. unveils new version of OpenLM

By Oren Gabay, CTO
Rachel Bahar, CDO
Doron Regev, CMO

OpenLM 1.5.0 for ESRI ArcGIS (Floating software optimizer)

Software developer Global Maps Inc. from Kibbutz Givat Haim Ihud in Israel, has announced the launching of the new version of OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS software.

The software is available for download and EVALUATION at the OpenLM web site.
OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS is designed to improve the use of the popular ESRI Desktop ArcGIS family of products: ArcView, ArcEditor and ArcInfo.
OpenLM offers a dramatic improvement in the availability of software licenses to end users and has a significant influence on users productivity.

OpenLM also provide a very cost effective replacement of FLEXnet and SAMreport.

The main focus of OpenLM version 1.5.0 is to provide support for organizations who work with multiple servers in various timezones. In addition, the new version provides connectivity to the Active Directory and OpenLM plans to offer important management tools, in the following versions at the near future.

New OpenLM features for ESRI ArcGIS include:

A new tool is prompting the user to release unused extensions.
Ability to exclude folders, so documents in excluded folders will not be saved by OpenLM.
Ability to control IO and CPU usage levels, which are used to determine if software is active or none active.

Ability to work with unlimited FLEXlm servers - including servers in different timezones.
Support for FLEXlm redundant server configuration (three or five FLEXlm that work together).
Significant performance improvements in OpenLM EasyAdmin.
Ability to connect OpenLM server to Active Directory, in order to display additional user's information.
Ability to hide the OpemLM Agent from the users by the system administrator.
Actual product name in the "license usage information" and EasyAdmin, instead of the FLEXlm name (FEATURE) of the software.
Ability to "Filter" licenses list in the EasyAdmin - very useful for large organizations with considerable amount of licenses.
Option to avoid license information refresh at each query - important for big organizations with numerous amount of licenses.
Option to limit user access, and deny the ability to query license status information for specific servers.
OpenLM Agent displays the software version of the Agent and OpenLM Server.
OpenLM Server version is displayed in the Configuration Form title bar.
New "user activity" report allows you to query activity for each user/feature combination.
If you bill projects for software usage you can now use EasyAdmin to get the billing report.

For more information please contact:

Regev Doron, CMO
reggev@openlm.com
Office 972-4-6308085
Mobile 972-52-6811094

Global Maps is a Carbon Neutral Company - we print ONLY when we have to

2008-04-02T23:32:00.000-07:00

How to use OpenLM for creating billing reports?

OpenLM is a license statistics application for FLEXnet (FLEXlm) and also a replacement for Macrovision SAMsuite and SAMreport. The software allow you to produce monthly usage reports and use them in order to create your bills for users and projects.

This article will demonstrate EasyAdmin capability for creating billing reports using Simens NX UGS license statistics.

In order to produce the report open OpenLM EasyAdmin which is the system interface for FLEXnet reports. Go to the user activity TAB to see the following interface:

Fill in the range you would like the report to cover and click view. Then Export the data by clicking "Download CSV".

You can open the CSV file with your spreadsheet software or any other software in order to calculate the usage time. Each exported row looks as follow:

The date/time format is UNIX time stamp (milliseconds from 1970). We would like to calculate the work time in minutes so we will add a new column with this formula:

= (F1-E1)/60000

The value is the number of minutes that the user have used the product.

The next release of OpenLM will feature a ready made billing report with totals for each user.

If you want to display the start and end date in a date format you can use this formula (translate UNIX time stamp to Excel Date):

= E1 / 86400 + 25569

Then change the cell format to the desired date/time format (for example this custom format: mm/dd/yyyy h:mm).

2008-04-01T03:25:00.000-07:00

The OpenLM system can connect with the Microsoft Active Directory and use information which is stored there, to offer wide range of additional capabilities as a result of it.

This article will explain how to control which servers an end user will be able see, when querying for license status information.

To begin with, we would like to demonstrate an "Out of the box" feature which is available for users once the configuration of OpenLM Server to connect with AD (Active Directory) is accomplished. The following picture is demonstrating how users can query the system to find all the information they need, about licenses in use by other users in the network.

Your first step is to set the connection between the OpenLM server and your organization Active Directory. The user name used to connect to AD must have permission level which will allow it to read users details.

Fill in your domain name user and password, and click the check button. The connection to AD will only work after OpenLM was successfully connected to the active directory.

Your second step is to determine which license servers the user should see when querying "License Information Status". This is an important tool for use when you operate multiple license servers but would like to hide available licenses, on license servers which are not permitted to specific users. It is necessary to build a dedicated tree in the AD with specific servers as branches inside (see picture). By creating the tree you will be able to select branches/servers that specific users are allowed to see and borrow licenses from. If a user is not listed (connected with) a server he will be able to see all the servers.

Define the following OpenLM organizational unit tree:

Under "allow_query_server" OU, add security groups in the following format: port_number@license_server_name. Add users (or groups) to the group with the server name on which you wish to grant query permissions.

For example, let us assume we have one license server (licserv1) serving two type of licenses on two ports, Matlab from Mathsoft on port 27003 and SolidWorks licenses on port 27006. Some of your users need access to the Matlab licenses and the other, to the SolidWorks licenses.
We will build two security groups under the OpenLM tree:
27003@licserv1
27006@licserv1

Once users are divided between the proper security groups, they will be limited to see and borrow licenses from those servers only. Users which will not be listed as part of any branch/server on the tree, will be able to query and borrow any license from any of the servers in your network.

2008-03-19T08:43:00.000-07:00

The new 1.5.0 version of OpenLM offers many new features

New features for any FLEXlm managed software (Available in OpenLM Utilizer)

Ability to work with unlimited FLEXlm servers - including servers in different timezones.

Support for FLEXlm redundant server configuration (three or five FLEXlm that work together).

Significant performance improvements in OpenLM EasyAdmin.

Ability to connect OpenLM server to Active Directory, in order to display additional user's information.
Ability to hide the OpemLM Agent from the users by the systems administrator.
Actual product name in the "license usage information" and EasyAdmin, instead of the name that FLEXlm has given the software.
Ability to "Filter" licenses list in the EasyAdmin - very useful for large organizations with considerable amount of licenses.
Option to avoid license information refresh at each query - important for big organizations with numerous amount of licenses.
Option to limit user access, and deny the ability to query license status information for specific servers.
OpenLM Agent displays the software version of the Agent and OpenLM Server.
OpenLM Server version is displayed in the Configuration Form title bar.

New "user activity" report allow you to query activity for each user/feature combination.

If you bill projects for software usage you can now use EasyAdmin to get the billing report.

New features dedicated to OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS

OpenLM Agent can now recognize network file system permissions, and can avoid from trying to save RO documents.
A new tool is prompting the user to release unused extensions.
Ability to exclude folders, so documents in excluded folders will not be saved by OpenLM.
Ability to control IO and CPU usage levels, which are used to determine if software is active or none active.

2008-03-19T06:49:00.000-07:00

OpenLM 1.5.0 support FLEXnet redundant server configuration

What is a redundant server configuration with FLEXnet?

A redundant server is used in order to insure the availability of floating licenses, in the event of a system crash. Redundant server configuration is created with a minimum of three servers. For as long as at least two servers are working, licenses will remain available to users. If only one server functions, licenses will not be available since a "Quorum" of at least two is required.

How do I set a redundant server configuration?

You need to ask your software vendor to supply you three license files with the same features, one for each machine.

Is there an alternative configuration?

Yes, you can split up your licenses between multiple independent servers. In this case the software will use licenses from any available license server. The disadvantage of this configuration is that your efficiency will decrease. Also, if one server goes down, the total amount of licenses available will decrease according to the number of licenses on that server.

How can I configure OpenLM server to work with redundant server configuration?

Just add all the three redundant servers to OpenLM monitoring list, by using the OpenLM server configuration form. OpenLM will monitor all three servers and continue to work even if one of the servers will crash. OpenLM server will know to collect your license statistics as if you operated a single license server.

2008-02-20T06:22:00.000-08:00

OpenLM for FLEXlm System configuration

OpenLM - A modular system

OpenLM is a very flexible and modular system which offers system managers the ability to deploy it easily in different environments. This article will discuss some possible configuration options, but it's main focus is the ability of OpenLM to work with FLEXlm license manager that could be running on servers with different operating systems (UNIX, Windows).

OpenLM System is composed of three parts:

OpenLM Server.
OpenLM Agent.
OpenLM EasyAdmin.

OpenLM Server is the server component and the heart of the system. The OpenLM Server corps the data from the FLEXlm license server, stores the information in the database, communicates with OpenLM Agents and manage the whole operation of the system. It is possible to install OpenLM Server on almost any Microsoft Windows based server (Check our OpenLM Support Matrix ). OpenLM Server is implemented as a Windows service called OpenLM_Server.exe and it is automatically created by OpenLM Server installation program.

OpenLM Agent is the the component which is distributed to the end users workstations and it is responsible mostly for the communication with the end user. OpenLM Agent allow users to easily interact with the floating licenses manager, check available licenses and even see which user checked out the license. OpenLM Agent is a notification area program called OpenLM_Agent.exe and it should be distributed automatically to any workstation that uses FLEXlm licensed software (You can use any software distribution system for that purpose).

OpenLM EasyAdmin is the interface of OpenLM for FLEXlm reporting, statistics and charting. It can run on any web browser - from any workstation on the network. OpenLM EasyAdmin is implemented as an Adobe Flash component and is used for providing a rich user interface.

FLEXlm was originally developed as a joint venture of GLOBEtrotter Software and Highland Software in 1988. Highland's rights to the FLEXlm product were acquired by GLOBEtrotter in 1994; Highland continued as a reseller of 3rd party software. GLOBEtrotter was then acquired by Macrovision in 2000; Macrovision subsequently renamed FLEXlm to FLEXnet. When FLEXlm was developed, it only operated on UNIX platforms that has a HOSTID that was unique to each UNIX box. Several years later FLEXlm was ported to work on windows platforms with a hardware dongle that supplies the needed unique key.

OpenLM - A single server installation

At this point in time, many organizations still use the UNIX server as the FLEXlm server, however many organizations moved their floating license servers to Microsoft Windows servers. When the floating license server is a windows server, many system managers choose to install OpenLM server component on the FLEXlm server itself. This configuration is described in the following drawing:

As can be seen in the drawing, both the FLEXlm server and OpenLM server are installed on the same machine.

The drawing is demonstrating the following components:
OpenLM Agent communicates with the OpenLM Server using port 7012 (Can be easily configured to another port).
The licensed software (ESRI ArcGIS, Autocad, Solidworks etc.) connects to the FLEXlm server using port 27000 by default.
EasyAdmin can be accessed from any workstation on the network by your web browser (port 80). After OpenLM EasyAdmin is finished to load up, it will be using port 7014 to communicate with the OpenLM Server (UI Port).

OpenLM - Multiple servers configuration

When FLEXlm is running on a UNIX server, the system manager need to use a multiple server configuration of OpenLM system. In many cases, system administrators prefer multiple server configuration even when they use Microsoft Windows as a FLEXlm server. It is possible to install OpenLM Server on any Windows server on the network and monitor one or more FLEXlm servers, that operates on Windows or UNIX servers. The following system diagram describes a system with multiple servers: FLEXlm server, OpenLM Server and HTTP server.

If your organization is using any of the OpenLM's full versions, you can configure OpenLM server to monitor multiple FLEXlm servers which can run on a UNIX or a Windows servers.

Beginning with version 1.5 of OpenLM each component of OpenLM system (Server, Agent) can be on a different timezone: FLEXlm server, OpenLM Server or OpenLM Agent. All the functionality of OpenLM will work across timezones: release idle licenses, remove orphaned licenses, FLEXlm reporting, FLEXlm statistics, FLEXlm charting, query licenses status and availability by end users, etc.

Summery

OpenLM system is designed as a modular system in order to fit the particular needs of any organization.
Each component of OpenLM could be installed on a different server, as well as on a different time zone.
Every port of every component of the OpenLM system can be easily configured, to allow system managers maximum flexibility.
A floating license manager (FLEXlm) that runs on UNIX server, is supported by OpenLM with the multiple servers configuration, as displayed in the second diagram.

Oren Gabay
CTO
OpenLM
http://www.openlm.com

OpenLM Version 1.4.1 Announcement

2008-02-19T08:32:00.000-08:00

OpenLM version 1.4.1 is a maintenance release for the latest release (1.4.0) of OpenLM.

The new maintenance version enhances the existing version and adds many new and very important functions.

Highlights

As of this version, the communication between OpenLM agents and the OpenLM Server is based on HTTP protocol. It enables the communication over wide networks and firewalls.

The new version includes support for Microsoft Terminal Services.

Daily, weekly and monthly reports can now be generated.

The new version also includes a long awaited solution: preventing the closing of software during long processing jobs.

Important to know: Macrovision announced recently that it is retiring SAMreport and SAMsuite. For anyone searching for these types of applications and who use FLEXlm licensed software, OpenLM can now provide a very good solution.

OpenLM is offered in three flavors:

OpenLM For ESRI ArcGIS - The full version with a specific extension for ESRI ArcGIS Desktop products.
OpenLM FLEXlm Utilizer - The full version that fits any organization using FLEXlm licensed software. The software is a good replacement for Macrovision SAMreportSAMsuite and it is extremely cost effective in comparison to the Macrovision product. Please read more on the subject of OpenLM Utilizer for FLEXlm .
OpenLM Light - The free version of OpenLM. It can be freely downloaded and used by any organization that use FLEXlm licensing. It offers the basic reporting features, plus end-user tools to query license availability over the license pool. It is a simple but great replacement for the Macrovision SAMreport or SAMsuite at no cost, except your time for the 5 minutes it will take you to get it fired up!

OpenLM Utilizer Announcement

2008-02-19T08:31:00.002-08:00

OpenLM Utilizer for FLEXlm is a cost effective solution for replacing SAMsuite and SAMreport

Macrovision retired SAMreport and OpenLM decided to offer an affordable solution. The OpenLM software is available in three options:
OpenLM Light - Free Version - This is a great solution for organizations who are under budget constraint. It is limited to a single FLEXlm server and with a limited set of reports. However it is offering an end user agent, allowing for license availability and active users query.

OpenLM Utilizer for FLEXlm - The Utilizer is an OpenLM solution with great reporting and management tools for FLEXlm. It will save you time and money by minimizing administration time, and help you to provide better license availability for your users. A single seat of the software can manage any number of FLEXlm license servers, for a $500 annual fee. The OpenLM Utilizer includes all the features of the full OpenLM software except for the ability to automatically release idle licenses.

OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS - The OpenLM Full version is designed to assist system managers and end users alike, in achieving optimum use of time and performance of software managed by Macrovision FLEXlm. The latest version is targeted to enhance the use of ESRI ArcGIS software and it includes reports and automatic release of idle licenses. The software pricing is based on the number of licenses and extensions that the system service.

Thoma Cressey Bravo to Acquire Macrovision's Software Business

2008-02-19T08:31:00.001-08:00

Macrovision will sell a software unit that include FLEXnet (FLEXlm) - the floating license manager.

Read article: http://www.businesswire.com/portal/site/google/index.jsp?ndmViewId=news_view&newsId=20080214005483&newsLang=en

Serving OpenLM EasyAdmin using IIS 7

2008-02-19T08:30:00.000-08:00

OpenLM is an application dedicated to the management of Macrovision FLEXnet (Globetrotter FLEXlm). The EasyAdmin is OpenLM's reporting component and it is Http based application. The EasyAdmin can be viewed with Internet browser from any station in the network.

By default, EasyAdmin is installed together with OpenLM Server and it is served by a dedicated HTTP server, which is also distributed with OpenLM Server install pack. After your organization decided to use OpenLM, we recommend to serve OpenLM EasyAdmin application by your organizational HTTP server in order to allow access to FLEXlm reports from any site.

This short guide outlines the steps required in order to serve your OpenLM EasyAdmin by using your IIS 7 HTTP server (the steps in IIS 6 are similar). In this guide we assume that the IIS server is located on the same server as OpenLM. If your Http Server is located on different machine, please copy C:\Program Files\GlobalMaps\OpenLMServer\EasyAdmin to that machine

The OpenLM EasyAdmin will be installed under the default web site, and will be accessed by using the following URL: http:///EasyAdmin

Open the IIS Manager (Control Panel->Administrative Tools)

Right click the "Default Web Site" and add "Virtual Directory"

The IIS Virtual Directory wizard will open up:

Click Next and type the preferred alias name

Click next and browse to the EasyAdmin folder

Click Next and Accept the default settings

Click next to get the final wizard screen

Close the wizard and open your web browser on the EasyAdmin address:

OpenLM is now published under the default web site of your organizational server. Every system administrator or permitted user can now access FLEXlm reports, release orphaned licenses, draw usage charts, watch FLEXlm statistics, list active FLEXlm users and query the usage patterns of any specific user.

OpenLM EasyAdmin is included in every version of the OpenLM software system. The OpenLM light version include the EasyAdmin application as well, however it comes with less reporting options compared with the full OpenLM versions: OpenLM Utilizer for FLEXlm and OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS. When using OpenLM with all it's unique features, you should save a lot of money by highly improving the use of your expensive FLEXlm licenses.

OpenLM Light at download.com

2008-02-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

OpenLM is now available at download.com - the best free software for FLEXlm reports!

OpenLM Light - The free version of OpenLM. It can be freely downloaded and used by any organization that use FLEXlm licensing. It offers the basic reporting features, plus end-user tools to query license availability over the license pool. It is a simple but great replacement for the Macrovision SAMreport or SAMsuite at no cost, except your time for the 5 minutes it will take you to get it up and running!

Where and how to get the cheapest ESRI ArcGIS licenses in the world?

2007-06-16T02:48:00.000-07:00

An interesting idea from OpenlLM - buy your next licenses by using OpenLM for license management instead of spending a lot of money on additional licenses. The idea is that in most of the cases the exiting licenses are not fully utilized so OpenLM can really double license usage.

Wrong floating license confuguration

2007-06-12T11:38:00.001-07:00

I had a conversation today with an IT manager that has 60 floating licenses with users distributed in 6 sites, all working on the same network. Guess what is the configuration...
Sure, 6 flexlm license managers, one for each site. Each user can only access the dedicated licenses on his site. Can you believe that?

I think the reason that organizations use this configuration is that the license manager do not supply the tools the user need in order to manage the licenses. When you have ten license for a site you can walk to a user workstation, log him out and release the license. When you are on the WAN it's a real problem.

I recommended this organization to put all the licenses on one floating license manager and use OpenLM to help system managers in management tasks.

Expert in a product licensed by a floating license? you can make money!

2007-06-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

OpenLM floating license published an open API that allow developers to add OpenLM support to to the product they are experts in. There are more then 2500 software vendors that use Macrovision FLEXnet (Globetrotter FLEXlm) as a floating license manager and all of them can be supported by OpenLM.
OpenLM open API is very simple to implement and the extension the developer created will be sold in OpenLM site. Most of the revenues from the product will be transfered by OpenLM to the developer.

5 minutes install for OpenLM

2007-06-11T12:05:00.000-07:00

A new quick install guide was published on the OpenLM site. The quick guide list the most critical steps in order to install OpenLM server and client in 5 minutes. OpenLM is a floating license managers that allow organization to save money on floating licenses by minimizing the idle time of the software to minimum.

Advanced features in FLEXlm - Borrowing Licenses

2007-06-06T11:59:00.000-07:00

FLEXlm version 9.2 introduced the feature of borrowing licenses. The purpose of this action is to allow user to temporarily take license from the server to another workstation. After that period the license will only be used on the network.
The length of the time that a license can be borrowed is determined by the software vendor. You can check if you can borrow licenses by checking the license file. Each FEATURE line that has a BORROW=X on it indicates that this license key can be borrowed for a maximum of X hours. If you do not see BORROW=X as part of the FEATURE line, that license key cannot be borrowed. By default, the maximum number of hours is set to 4380 (6 months) when Tripos generates the license file.
OpenLM support the borrow feature of FLEXlm.

OpenLM floating license optimization

2007-06-06T11:36:00.000-07:00

This interesting movie shows how OpenLM save expensive licenses by closing inactive applications.
OpenLM is making floating licenses really effective, while without it, it very hard to make an effective use in this technology. ArcView is the most simple product of the GIS giant ESRI. ArcInfo is the most advanced software in the industry and it is also a member of this family of products.

licensing debate - real case

2007-06-06T08:45:00.000-07:00

Found this on Digg - A very comprehensive article about floating licenses in a real oorganization. Original article is here

Floating licensing lost it's primary position in the software industry since the resent move towards remote application. In the field of GIS many organizations and users still use GIS desktop products so this issue is still relevant.
The most interesting part of the article is the part that calculates the idle time of the software. I was surprised by the numbers!
I think that this organization represents many other organization in many other fields.
While you cannot do this "hour"counting in any case I feel that it's true in many cases.
The combination of floating licensing and OpenLM can save organization big money!

How do floating licenses work?

2007-06-06T07:48:00.000-07:00

A license manager keeps a pool of floating licenses. Users can activate the software by using floating licenses from the pool. The pool of licenses determine how many users can work at the same time - if 10 licenses are available then only 10 users are able to work concurrently. User number 11 will not be able to get use of a license until one of the first 10 users will exit the software. The concept of "floating license" is good for companies that buy software since they can use the same license on many workstations and by many users simultaneously. For this reason floating licenses are much more expensive than node locked licenses, usually 3 times the price of a node locked license.
While the concept of floating licenses is very good, the implementation is not complete. Several problems do not let organizations utilize the benefits of floating licenses to the max and in many cases they pay a lot more per license but finally retreat to use it like a node locked license.