FLEXible hostid available?

[twkonefal]

Our organisation is beginning a move to a virtualised infrastructure (in VMware) and we host a number of clients that use Autodesk software. The clients all have their own arrangements with Autodesk for software licensing, but we have noticed that all of them use FLEXnet hostids on their license servers based on MAC addresses of their current physical hosts.

Using a static MAC address is not an option for us in spite of VMware having an option to specify static MACs for VMs. So, using MAC address in the hostid field for the license server is a non-starter. I have found documentation that FLEXnet supports different values for the hostid field (http://media.3ds.com/support/simulia/public/flexlm108/EndUser/chap9.htm).

Thus, my question is two-fold.

1. Are there other options available for setting up a license server's hostID as far as Autodesk products are concerned?

2. Is there documentation available on how to do this?

3. If not, who at Autodesk would I contact about a more in-depth discussion about enabling this flexibility?

Thanks,

  Tomasz

[TravisNave]

These are some good questions.  I will try to answer them to the best of my knowledge.

1.  Simply, no.  The license is built specifically on this MAC hostID. 

2.  N/A

3.  Alas, nobody.

Now, that being said, there is an option for VMware on binding the hostID in license manager.  I have the files but I have never had the need to use them.  I will attach them here if they are helpful.  In fact, depending on your version of NLM, they might be built-in to the lmutil already.  In any case, I am providing them.

What I can tell you is that even on a VMWare virtual NIC, you can still use the CMD prompt to obtain the MAC using the little-known GETMAC command.  So, even if it does not display correctly from within LMTOOLS, this will be a valid method in obtaining your license file.

After doing so, I would still recommend hard coding the MAC address based in the VMWare settings for that server based on the GETMAC for your license.  Virtual machines have a tendency to randomly change their IDs for some strange reason.

Your best bet for documentation can be found here: 

http://www.globes.com/support/utilities/fnp_LicAdmin_11_11_1.pdf

You can find out how to use lmbind there.

Good Luck!