Borrowing a Smoke Network License

Issue

Your Smoke workstation obtains its license from a network license server in your facility and you want to temporarily use the workstation at another location (for example at home or on a different network).
 
This article shows you how to temporarily borrow a license from the license server, provided this feature is enabled on the server.

Note: these instructions only apply to network licenses. For instructions on how to transfer a stand-alone license from one workstation to another, see TS21195924

Solution

The Autodesk Network License Manager allows client workstations to borrow a license. When you borrow a network license, a "seat" of the license is temporarily converted to a local license tied to your workstation.
The borrowed license can then be manually returned to the server or it is automatically returned when the borrowing time expires.
 
Perform the following tasks to borrow a Smoke network license. Your workstation must be able to reach the license server when borrowing the license.

1. Start Smoke and select Autodesk Smoke > About Autodesk Smoke from the top menu bar.
    
2. Click Product Information.
   A new window opens with information on your Smoke license:
    
    
3. Click Borrow License.
   A calendar pops up.
    
4. Select the date until when you want to borrow the license.
   The license will be automatically returned to the license server on midnight of that day.
    
5. Click Borrow License.
   A confirmation window is displayed.
    
    
   Note: if you receive an error instead of the confirmation message, make sure your workstation can connect to the license server and that the license server is configured to allow license borrowing.
   
6. Click Close.
   Your workstation has now borrowed a license of Smoke and you will be able to use the software even when the workstation is not connected to the license server.
   
7. The next time you start Smoke, a message will pop up reminding you of the date when the license will be returned to the server.
   
    
8. Click Confirm.
   Smoke is ready to use.

Returning a borrowed license

There are two ways to return a borrowed license:

• Let the borrowing period expire. The license is automatically returned to the server on midnight of the day you selected when borrowing the license.
   
• Manually return the license by going into the Autodesk Smoke > About Autodesk Smoke menu from the Smoke menu bar, clicking Product Information and then clicking Return License.
  Note that Smoke must be able to connect to the license server when you return the license.