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Guide on Combining Package Network License Files.

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Message 1 of 18
Lance.Coffey
9863 Views, 17 Replies

Guide on Combining Package Network License Files.

You have multiple Package licenses files that you need to combine to into a single (combined) license file for use with LMTOOLS.

There are several documents on combining licenses:
Combining licenses
http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS13816872
Combining Autodesk® license files
http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS65928
Combining network license files
http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS1072886
Combing Network (Floating) Licenses
http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS1091546
Package license files for prior version licensing
http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS1085008

There is lots of good info in those documents, but I thought it would be good to pull the info from those documents into a single area for combining AutoCAD/Revit license files.

Notes (from TS65928):

* Newer Autodesk product licenses often require a newer version of FLEXlm. See related solutions for details on upgrading the FLEXlm version for your newest Autodesk product.
* When adding additional licenses for the same Autodesk product to your license file, you must obtain a new license file for the total number of licenses with that feature code, not just the new ones. For example, do not combine two different AutoCAD® 2006 license files into one file. Obtain one new license file that contains the required total number of AutoCAD 2006 licenses.
* If the server has more than one network adapter installed, all of the Autodesk products must be bound to the same adapter.
* Always combine all increments included in all license files, including PLIST increments. FlexLM will automatically determine which PLIST is the most current and use that increment accordingly. If you fail to include PLIST increments, certain Autodesk products may not be able to acquire a network license.

Notes specific for Package licenses relating to combining licenses (from TS1085008):
* Do not combine package license files with non-package license files for product versions contained in the package. Doing so will disable the older license INCREMENT for the product and only the package license count will be available. For example, do not combine an AutoCAD 2009 package license file with a regular license file for AutoCAD 2008, 2007 or 2006.
* Both the PACKAGE and INCREMENT sections of this license file are required for licensing to work correctly. When you combine license files, be sure to include both of these sections along with any PLIST INCREMENTs.

Package license have the following sections:
SERVER servername 123456789012
USE_SERVER
VENDOR adskflex port=2080
PACKAGE
INCREMENT
INCREMENT PLIST

Instructions for combining licenses (from TS1072886):

1. Using Microsoft Notepad, open each of the relevant license files. They will be in either the LIC or DAT file format.
Note: You should only open network license files with Notepad. Other applications, such as Microsoft® Word, may interfere with the ASCII file format, possibly adding unwanted formatting information and thus corrupting your license.
2. Select the most recent file and save this file under a new name. You will use this file as the master file, adding the contents from each of the other license files into it.
3. In each of the license files, copy the license text from the below the "VENDOR" section to the end of the file and paste each the copied data into the main file. (This is a slight modification from the TS doc above, it has you include the Vendor line when copying, but it isn't needed.)
4. Once you have copied all of the license data into the main file, save the new license file to the License folder on the FLEXlm server (by default, C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Network License Manager\License).
Note: Make sure that your network license file was not saved as a TXT file. Network license files must have either an .lic or a .dat file extension.

After going through these instructions you should have something that looks like this:

SERVER servername 123456789012
USE_SERVER

PACKAGE (First license)
INCREMENT
INCREMENT PLIST

PACKAGE (Second license)
INCREMENT
INCREMENT PLIST

PACKAGE (Third license)
INCREMENT
INCREMENT PLIST


Lance Coffey
Autodesk Support Specialist
Revit Product Support

 



Lance Coffey

Technical Support Specialist
17 REPLIES 17
Message 2 of 18
TravisNave
in reply to: Lance.Coffey

I am impressed. You guys almost have it correct this time. It's getting better. I'll clarify a few things:

1. You only need the latest PLIST from your last license. Including multiples is unnecessary.
2. You can combine two or more INCREMENTS of similar non-Subscription products (i.e. AutoCAD 2011) so long as both license files are generated on the same date. This means if you have a 5-seat of AutoCAD 2011 and a 6-seat of AutoCAD 2011, if both .lic files are created on the same date, the NLM will combine these automatically and show 11 seats available.
3. You can combine two or more INCREMENTS of similar Subscription products as well. You still need to have licenses created on the same date. However, you only need one PACKAGE listed and you simply append the INCREMENT of the second license under the first.
4. You can combine multiple vendors into one .lic file so long as the license files have compatible headers. You simply need to add the approprate VENDOR line to the license file:

SERVER servername 123456789012
USE_SERVER
VENDOR adskflex
VENDOR sgiawd

INCREMENT (adskflex license)

INCREMENT (sgiawd license)



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FLEXnet License Admin | MSI Cleanup Utility | .NET Framework Cleanup Tool | IPv6 NLM Fix | adskflex.opt Options File | Combine .LIC Files
Message 3 of 18
szypap7681
in reply to: TravisNave

So it's impossible to combine licenses created on different dates (e.g. ISSUED=27-Nov-2010 and ISSUED=02-Jun-2011, in my case)?

All liceses are on subscription, there are ten 64300ACD_F and six 64900CIV3D_F licenses issued earlier and then next five 64900CIV3D_F. 

Any hope?

Two separate services?

Message 4 of 18
TravisNave
in reply to: szypap7681

Your AutoCAD files are fine because they are a different product release, however you will need to regenerate both of your 64900CIV3D_F Civil 3D licenses files together on the same day before combining them.  This should not be a problem. 



Travis Nave Send TravisNave a Private Message                                             Need help in your post? Mention me with @TravisNave



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Autodesk Forums:
FLEXnet License Admin | MSI Cleanup Utility | .NET Framework Cleanup Tool | IPv6 NLM Fix | adskflex.opt Options File | Combine .LIC Files
Message 5 of 18
szypap7681
in reply to: TravisNave

Thank you,

hope that this could be done quickly. I wonder what could happen in similar situation, except for some licenses being under expired subscription....

Message 6 of 18
TravisNave
in reply to: szypap7681

The Subscription license would likely supersede a non-subscription license of the same product.  You cannot combine the two without also creating a license for the Subscription product without the PACKAGE feature... essentially creating a non-Subscription license. 



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My Expert Contributions to the
Autodesk Forums:
FLEXnet License Admin | MSI Cleanup Utility | .NET Framework Cleanup Tool | IPv6 NLM Fix | adskflex.opt Options File | Combine .LIC Files
Message 7 of 18
MarkMcDonough
in reply to: TravisNave

Is there any particular order to the license file in terms of adding package and increment for suites and regular product, so that the functionality of regular product licenses get used first, and then if available licenses are depleted, it'll start doling out the suite version of licenses.  Could swear that I saw a post about the fact there was a preferred order, but can't find it again... I have a 50-50 chance of getting right or wrong... my guess is to have the regular licenses come first, then put the suites below it in the license file... just a guess.

Message 8 of 18
DarrenP
in reply to: MarkMcDonough

yes you are correct put the suites on the bottom of everything else

DarrenP
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Message 9 of 18

Hi there,

I have following situation:

A user has one NLM Maya 2012 with subscription and one NLM Maya 2011 without subscription. Can these two increments be combined into one license file? Accoriding to this forum thread it cannot. Probably because you cannot know for certain which productlicense is acquired when booting Maya 2011, without subscription. Which license will it acquire, subscription or non-susbscription? If it will acquire the subscription license first, an other user will not be able to start Maya 2012 on a subscription license.

 

Is the information mentioned above correct? If so, is it possible and allowed(!) to work with a combined license file and an option file to ensure the proper license with the proper product?

 

I hope you have an answer to, or a link to a paper explaining, this issue.

 

Thank you in advance.

 

With kind regards,

 

Desmond Laeyendecker

Message 10 of 18

At a customer site (I work for an Autodesk VAR), I've seen a similar situation, and this is how I believe it goes down.  The customer removed a block of AutoCAD licenses from their network license pool.  For this example, we'll say they had 50 AutoCADs on subscription, then dropped 10 of those AutoCADs, where the AutoCAD version was 2011 at the time of this contract change.  From Autodesk Registrations and Activation, they were able to get a network license file for 40 AutoCADs still on subscription (thus could run the current version of AutoCAD and up to 3 prior versions for up to 40 users) but they were also issued a 10-seat network license file for the 10 AutoCAD 2011 license peeled off of subscription. The 10-seat license group only allows the specific software version at the time it was removed from subscription (2011).

 

The 40-seat network license was obtained automatically on the registrations site, but to get a license for the non-subscription network pool of 10 seats required manual intervention with a Autodesk registrations operator.  Both license files were added to the master license file, both license groups become recognized in the FlexLM license manager. In this example, if everyone used AutoCAD 2011, they still effectively had 50 seats.  When the customer starts using AutoCAD 2012, they can only run 40 AutoCAD 2012, but still be able to run 10 AutoCAD 2011 versions.

 

I welcome any corrections or further insight in how this works.

Message 11 of 18
TravisNave
in reply to: MarkMcDonough

This is correct.  So long as the license files are generated on the same day, the NLM would show 40 seats available for 2012 and 50 seats for 2011. 



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Autodesk Forums:
FLEXnet License Admin | MSI Cleanup Utility | .NET Framework Cleanup Tool | IPv6 NLM Fix | adskflex.opt Options File | Combine .LIC Files
Message 12 of 18
danieldemoro
in reply to: TravisNave

Hello,

Can you run, on the same server, licenses which Subscription contracts (and End Dates) are different, and also the End Dates are different?

Message 13 of 18
TravisNave
in reply to: danieldemoro


@danieldemoro wrote:

Hello,

Can you run, on the same server, licenses which Subscription contracts (and End Dates) are different, and also the End Dates are different?


Yes.  If the Subscription contains overlap of products, they only need to have the same created date -- if not, they don't.  If a license is set to expire instead of permanent, it will simply expire at the appropriate date and will not affect the rest of the product line.  For example, I have combined my Inventor LT license that expires in 2016 with my AutoCAD file that does not.  On Feb 1st, I simply won't be able to launch Inventor LT.

 

INCREMENT 85622INVLTS_F adskflex 1.000 31-jan-2016 1 \

 

 

 



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Autodesk Forums:
FLEXnet License Admin | MSI Cleanup Utility | .NET Framework Cleanup Tool | IPv6 NLM Fix | adskflex.opt Options File | Combine .LIC Files
Message 14 of 18
maiwand.h_ctr
in reply to: TravisNave

Sir,

Here is my situation and i really don't know how to resolve it.

 

We purchased thirteen (13) AutoCAD 2017 server licenses that has the ISSUED DATE = 24-Jul-2017 and End Date = 02-may-2018.

 

Now we purchased Seven (7) AutoCAD 2018 server licenses that has ISSUED DATE = 18-Oct-2017 and End Date = 15-nov-2018.

 

I already have a network license file running on my server using LMTOOLS Utility. 

If i combine both network licences into one Master license file, it only shows the last seven (7) licenses active and not the previous 13 ones.

 

What should I do here to solve this issue.

 

Your support is highly appreciated.

 

Thanks,

Message 15 of 18

@maiwand.h_ctr

 

Welcome to the Autodesk User's Community..

 

Network license of Autodesk products that are the same or related must be generated in 24 hr period.   Meaning your existing AutoCAD license needs to be generated at the same time as you new license or what you are seeing will happen.  However the existing license will be based on the 2018 version and not 2017.

 

If you generate your license file through your subscription (must be done by the contract manager or software coordinator), you can select both AutoCADs and let the system generate a complete license file that you can use.  No need to combine them..  Smiley Wink

Mark Lancaster


  &  Autodesk Services MarketPlace Provider


Autodesk Inventor Certified Professional & not an Autodesk Employee


Likes is much appreciated if the information I have shared is helpful to you and/or others


Did this resolve your issue? Please accept it "As a Solution" so others may benefit from it.

Message 16 of 18

Mr. Mark,

 

The first 13 licenses of AutoCAD 2017 were purchased few months ago and were installed on our server by our previous IT manager who is no longer available. 

 

Now I received 7 licenses that are 2018 version and also with new issued and end dates. 

Step by step wise, what can I do to include the new 7 seats of 2018 version with 13 existing seats of 2017 version.

 

Do I need to have two services on the LMTOOLS?

Do I need to combine both license files in one Master file? If I do so, then I lose the 13 existing seats and only 7 new seats are being shown. 

 

Thanks,

Message 17 of 18

@maiwand.h_ctr

 

You can't combine a new AutoCAD license (7 copies) syntax with the existing AutoCAD (13 copies) information.  You have to generate a new license file and generate it based on both AutoCAD information so you get a grand total of 20.  If you don't do that you will only see the quantity for the new license portion of it which in your case is only 7.  Generate a new license based on both AutoCAD quantities that you have.  Like I said if you are the contract manager or software coordinator for your subscription you can do that right through your Autodesk account.

Mark Lancaster


  &  Autodesk Services MarketPlace Provider


Autodesk Inventor Certified Professional & not an Autodesk Employee


Likes is much appreciated if the information I have shared is helpful to you and/or others


Did this resolve your issue? Please accept it "As a Solution" so others may benefit from it.

Message 18 of 18
TravisNave
in reply to: maiwand.h_ctr

Your license files must have the same creation date to combine. Have
Autodesk or your reseller recreate both license files again. Good Luck!


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FLEXnet License Admin | MSI Cleanup Utility | .NET Framework Cleanup Tool | IPv6 NLM Fix | adskflex.opt Options File | Combine .LIC Files

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