Enabling DSLS Concurrent Offline Licensing

What Is Concurrent Offline Licensing?

Concurrent offline licensing allows users to extract a concurrent license from a license server for a certain number of days and to use it on a Windows laptop disconnected (or not) from the network, and applies to CATIA, ENOVIA DMU or DELMIA (or RADE) software.

When the concurrent offline license is reserved for use, a license is installed on a laptop connected to the network. For the duration of the reservation, the extracted license is considered as a nodelock license tied to the laptop. This license is called an offline nodelocked license. Once the offline nodelocked license has been installed on the laptop, the laptop can be disconnected from the network.

Once extracted, the license is no longer available from the license server. The license only becomes available once more to other users when one of the following occurs:

  • the reservation period expires
  • the license is returned to the server from the laptop (end-users can return the license before the expiry date).

The maximum extraction duration is 30 days.

When using DSLS an offline license can be extracted from a DSLS failover cluster.

 

Procedure

Implementing concurrent offline licensing involves the following steps which should be performed on the laptop.

 

On the Laptop

  1. Check that your laptop is connected to the network.
  2. Check you have write access to the folder containing the nodelock files.
  3. Make sure that the DSLS server has been set in DSLicSrv.txt.
  4. Select the Start > Programs > CATIA VersionNumber (or ENOVIA_DMU_Navigator VersionNumber, or DELMIA VersionNumber) > Tools > Nodelock Key Management (DSLS) VersionNumber command.

    The Local License Key Management tool appears.

  5. Select the Offline Management tab.
  6. Click the RefreshList button to display the available licenses.

    The Local License Management dialog box displays.

    You can select one or several licenses to extract.

    When you extract the license, you can reset the license duration to extract the license for a lower duration than the one authorized. To do so:

  7. Right-click the appropriate license then use the slider to set it to a new value (30 days maximum).
    In certain cases, you may attempt to set a value greater than the value registered for that license on the DSLS server. In that case the extraction date fits the Max Duration (Days) displayed in the Licenses available for offline extraction from license servers section.

    In our example, the MD2 license will expire in 7 days.

    After validation, the license(s) is(are) extracted.

    You cannot extract a license if the same license already exists as a nodelock license (either standard nodelock or offline nodelock).

    Let's assume that you want to extract a license for the MD2 configuration which you have installed on your laptop. Note that you can extract several licenses if required. A message popup will confirm that the license was successfully extracted.
    Once the license has been extracted, it is no longer available on the license server for network users. The new status of the license can be tracked on the license server using the License Administration Tool.

  8. To test that you can use the license offline, disconnect the laptop from the network.
  9. Start a Version 5 session.

    Check that you are using a nodelock license by selecting the Tools > Options... command, then the Licensing tab.

    If you were using a network license beforehand, the request for this license is still stored in your licensing settings. Consequently, at this point, the License Manager will inform you that the requested license is not available (you are now disconnected from the network) and prompt you to select the offline license and restart.

    Once you have finally displayed the Licensing tab, you will then see the following (note that the tab does not specifically identify the license as an offline nodelock license, but as a Local license):

    You can now use your license for the duration specified when it was extracted. Once that duration has expired, the license will no longer be available.

    You may also return the license before the expiry date.

  10. To do so, reconnect the laptop to the network, then make sure that the DSLS client is correctly configured and points to the machine running the DSLS license server to which you are going to return the license.
  11. Select the Start > Programs > CATIA VersionNumber (or ENOVIA_DMU_Navigator VersionNumber, or DELMIA VersionNumber) > Tools > Nodelock Key Management (DSLS) VersionNumber command.
  12. Using the Local License Key Management tool.
  13. Select the Offline Management tab.

    The license you extracted is listed in a dialog box:

    Note that you can return more than one offline license.

  14. Right-click the license then select the Restitute command.A message popup asks to confirm the restitution.
  15. Click OK.

    A message popup will confirm that the license was successfully returned. You can then click the OK button in the message box. Once the license has been returned, it becomes available once more on the license server for network users.
    The status of the license can be tracked on the license server using the License Administration Tool.

    Warning: if you are using ENOVIAV5VPM or ENOVIA 3d com, these product brands use concurrent licenses only: nodelock licenses are not supported. This means that, although nothing stops you physically from extracting licenses for these brands, the extracted licenses will be useless. Consequently, do not extract concurrent-offline licenses for ENOVIAV5VPM or ENOVIA 3d com.