FLEXLM license reservation reserving too many licenses

[nthompson]

I have a number of different users at different sites and have been trying to rationalize the FlexLM licensing.  I have 2 license servers and multiple contracts for licenses. Specifically, my problem is:

I have 2 licenses on one of the servers for AutoCAD Mechanical, one for 20+ network licenses and one for 5 subscription licenses. I have one reservation line in the adskflex.opt file specifying one user to reserve a license for (so we can generate PDF files with a dedicated user and not 'Hit the wall' as it were, thus denying this user a license). The line is as follows:

RESERVE 1 86138AMECH_PP_2014_0F USER JimX

However, in analyzing the log, I am maxing out when 3 licenses shy of the limit and users are getting denied a license before they should. Upon further investigation, I can see the following in the log file when the reservation is made:

 0:37:08 (adskflex) RESERVING 1 86138AMECH_PP_2014_0F/1D38 D4EF D7EA EB34  license for USER JimX
 0:37:08 (adskflex) RESERVING 1 86138AMECH_PP_2014_0F/0B35 349D B77C FBCC  license for USER JimX

The question at hand is; can I specify the hex code when reserving the license by using the following line:

RESERVE 1 86138AMECH_PP_2014_0F/1D38 D4EF D7EA EB34  USER JimX

If that is not the answer, then how do I reserve just one license for this user and not two? I'm sure this will come up more and more as people start mixing and matching subscription and permanent licenses on maintenance.

Can anyone point me in a direction where I might see why the third missing license may be consumed?

[Mark.Lancaster · Accepted solution]

@nthompson

Just for clarification..  When multi-user term based license is mixed with perpetual network license, term will always be pulled first.  Secondly when you created your license file, was all entries done the same time (within a 24hr period)?  Or did you just had the term based license to your current one?  In the status enquiry of the server status tab of your license manager, are you seeing the correct overall qty for your license.

Now to your problem..  I believe your issue is related to how you are writing your option file.   It needs to be written something like this

[Darin.Green]

@nthompson

To add onto @Mark.Lancaster's post, your options file is trying to reserve a specific version from a packaged licensed instead of the package itself.

Let's assume you ordered a large cheese pizza, and you friend asked if can borrow/have the cheese when the pizza arrives You're response would probably be "No, that's not happen!!!" However, it would be different if he asked to borrow/have a slice (one license) from the 8 slices. Now, you have 7 slices left because your friend just reserved one.

That being said, you have to reserve a license from the entire package. Furthermore, when reserving packaged licenses, it's always best to use the Sign from the license file, that way it know which license to pull in case you have similar licenses in the same license file. Similar licenses meaning the same product but a different serial number.

[nthompson]

Thank you Mark, I added the value for SIGN, and now only see one reservation line in the log.

In answer to your question, I  regenerated a complete new license for all AutoCAD licenses on this machine when the subscription was renewed so yes, all done at the same time.

The status shows the following lines (edited), the totals are correct.:

Users of 64400AMECH_PP_F:  (Total of 21 licenses issued;  Total of 14 licenses in use)

Users of 64400AMECH_PP_T_F:  (Total of 5 licenses issued;  Total of 5 licenses in use)

Users of 86138AMECH_PP_2014_0F:  (Total of 26 licenses issued;  Total of 17 licenses in use)

Users of 65500ACAD_E_F:  (Total of 5 licenses issued;  Total of 4 licenses in use)

Users of 86150ACAD_E_2014_0F:  (Total of 5 licenses issued;  Total of 4 licenses in use)

However, the numbers of issued licenses do not compute.  I am seeing the same users in both lists for 64400AMECH, both suffixed with (linger: #####) but only one entry for each under 86138AMECH. Any idea of the cause for this?

[nthompson]

So @Darin.Green you are saying I should be reserving the 64400 level and not the 86138.  The 86138 is pointing to a specific version of ACAD M, whereas the 64400 will reserve a license from any version in the license file.

[Mark.Lancaster]

@nthompson

Be careful in how you read the info under the status enquiry..   You may see double entries in there for the same user since you have the ability to pull license from different year versions of the application.   I would recommend that you review the debug log file as specified under the config service tab.

[nthompson]

@Mark.Lancaster the debug file clearly shows them taking from both of the license packages (64400AMECH_PP_F and 64400AMECH_PP_T_F), but only one year license.  Everyone is on the same version and no-one has a later version installed, so they should not be borrowing against different year versions.

 9:27:08 (adskflex) OUT: "86138AMECH_PP_2014_0F" ks@NB0330 
 9:27:08 (adskflex) OUT: "64400AMECH_PP_F" ks@NB0330 
 9:27:08 (adskflex) OUT: "64400AMECH_PP_T_F" svh@NB0353 
 9:27:08 (adskflex) OUT: "86138AMECH_PP_2014_0F" svh@NB0353 
 9:27:08 (adskflex) OUT: "64400AMECH_PP_F" svh@NB0353 
 9:27:08 (adskflex) OUT: "64400AMECH_PP_T_F" jld@NB0340 
 9:27:08 (adskflex) OUT: "86138AMECH_PP_2014_0F" jld@NB0340 
 9:27:08 (adskflex) OUT: "64400AMECH_PP_F" jld@NB0340 
 9:27:08 (adskflex) OUT: "86150ACAD_E_2014_0F" sml@ws270 
 9:27:08 (adskflex) OUT: "65500ACAD_E_F" sml@ws270 

I have restarted the service a number of times through this process, and this appears to apply to those same two users. Could this be related to something in the setup of their clients?  What is curious is these two users only appear once (three lines) in the debug log. There are 3 other users that only appear once (but with only 2 lines).  Is this borrowing, because I am not seeing any licenses borrowed on the 'Borrowing' tab when I click 'List Currently Borrowed Features'?

[natasha.l]

Hello @nthompson,

Take a look at this article to have the license file reread & verify the opt file is being read as well To Create an Options File. 

Let us know how it goes. 

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