AutoDesk products Multi-Seat Stand Alone License and re-imaging

[ol_geezer]

 I am getting conflicting information as to wether or not I need to use the LTU and/or switch over to Network licensed version.

I work in a college classroom/lab environment with approximately 50+ computers. We occasionally re-image our labs between semesters.

As it is now, I have only installed (not activated) the software as part of a general image. Once the image has been downloaded to the clients (lab/classroom) I then open the software and allow for activation of each client. If I were to follow the same procedure the next time (not using the LTU to export/import the license for all 50+ seats) I have to re-image my computers should i expect to have licensing problems? As i understand it I should be fine, so long as no hardware changes have taken place and the software is going right back on the same computers.

Again, I'm asking because I am getting conflicting information from two different sources.

One source tells me it would be best to switch to a Network License or at least using the LTU before re-imaging.

One tells me that I should be fine re-imaging just as I have done, without using the LTU and having the Multi-Seat Stand Alone license. AutoDesk does not support this method, but that so long as I do not authorize/activate the product on the pc that I am building the image from I should not see any problems. The problems occur when people authorize/activate the software before creating the image and then build the image and download that image to clients. I have done it this way one time and have not run into any issues, but now wonder if it might be a different story the next time I have to re-image.

I'm just trying to head off any potential problems, any input would greatly appreciatted. Thanks.

[TravisNave]

If you imaged the machine with a non-activated installation, then you should be able to activate it with the correct serial number.  However, you may eventually get locked out by the system and have to do it all manually.  The LTU is cumbersome and problematic on its own.  The NLM is the best way to go. 

[ol_geezer]

Travis,

Thanks for your response. I did indeed create the image with a non-activated product, entering the serial number at the time of installation in the image and only activating it once that image had been distributed to my 50+ clients and it seems to have worked just fine.

I realize that using the NLM would alleviate those concerns. However I fail to see the benefit in utlizining our server to negotiate licenses on a moment by momemt basis and running the risk of having the students or faculty not being able to run the software should we encounter some type of network communication error (server goes done, module locks up, etc.) when we can simply do this one time (the very first time the software is run at the client level) using AutoDesk's server over the web and be done with it. Especially if it works as well as it seems to have this last semester.

More than anything I guess I'm trying to understand the pros and cons of doing it each way so that I can be sure to make the correct decision for our environment. I'm inclined to use the method I've described, but others seem to be deadset on using Network Licensing that I fear I must be missunderstanding the reasoning.

Any other experiences/observations you or others may be able to relay would be helpful.

[TravisNave]

If your method is working for you, by all means keep doing it.  I prefer the NLM personally and have never experienced any troubles with it for almost a decade.  But to each his own.  Nothing you are doing is wrong, so continue on. 

[dgorsman]

The only time I've experienced problems with the NLM is when somebody *COUGH*IT*COUGH* is fiddling with the license file.  If there are critical users or computers (instructors or exam workstations, for example) who need priority access its relatively easy to use the Options file to set up user groups and pools of licenses, and rights and limits for borrowing licenses.

If the server or connection is down, we have bigger issues than users not having licenses - chances are we don't have access to anything else on the network either.