How to combine Autodesk products with non-Autodesk products already using FLEXnet

Issue

Solution

With FLEXnet license management technology, you can administer licenses from more than one vendor. This is done by configuring a separate service for each vendor’s daemon with the LMTOOLS utility. The Network License Manager has three main components:

• The FLEXnet license manager master daemon (lmgrd.exe).
• The vendor daemon (the Autodesk vendor daemon is adskflex.exe).
• The license file, which is obtained from each vendor.

To set up network licensing for two or more products:

1. Install the Autodesk Network License Manager.
2. Install the other license managers as instructed by that vendor.
3. Specify a unique port for each service in the license file.
4. Configure and start the Autodesk service.
5. Configure and start other vendors one at a time.

Note: Make sure you back up all license files before you begin this procedure.

Installing the License Managers

For information about installing the Autodesk Network License Manager, refer to the Network Licensing Guide. For information about installing another vendor’s license manager, refer to that vendor's documentation.

Specify a Port for each Vendor’s Service

Specifying a port for each vendor will help to avoid conflicts if the license server is restarted. To specify a port, you will need to modify the license file provided to you by the vendor:

1. Using Notepad or another text editor (do not use Microsoft Word), open the license file and append a port to the SERVER line of the license file.
    
   The top line of a license file contains the server hostname and host id. You can append a specific port to the end of this line. For example:
   
   SERVER servername1 123456abcdef 27001
    
   In this example, the hostname is servername1, the host id is 123456abcdef, and the port is 27001. The default ports are 27000-27009.
    
   
2. Save the changes to the license file.

Note: Specifying a port outside of the 27000-27009 range should be avoided unless the vendor specifies that a particular port outside of the range should be used instead.

Configure the FLEXnet License Service for your Autodesk products

1. In the LMTOOLS utility, click the Config Services tab.
2. In the Service Name text box, enter a service name, such as “Autodesk”.
3. Browse to the location of the lmgrd.exe file.
4. Browse to the location of the Autodesk license file (the vendor daemon is specified in the license file).
5. Browse to the location of the FLEXnet debug log file. To create the debug log file, browse to the folder where you want to place the debug log file and type debug.log in the File Name field.
6. Select the Use Services and Start Server at Power Up check boxes.
7. To save the Autodesk service, ensure that the correct service name is in the Service Name field. Do not save the Autodesk service under the name of the other vendor.
8. Click Save.
9. Click Yes to confirm that you are saving the service with the correct name.

Start the FLEXnet License Service for your Autodesk product

1. In the LMTOOLS utility, click the Start/Stop/Reread tab.
2. Click Start Server.
3. Click the Server Status tab.
4. Click Perform Status Inquiry to confirm that the Autodesk service has started and licenses have been issued.

Configure the FLEXnet License Service for the other vendor(s)

1. In the LMTOOLS utility, click the Configure Services tab.
2. On the Configure Services tab, browse to the location of lmgrd.exe that was installed by that vendor’s installation.
3. Browse to the location of the other vendor’s license file.
4. Browse to the location of the FLEXnet debug log file. Specify a file name that is different from the Autodesk service.
5. Select the Use Services and Start Server at Power Up check boxes.
6. To save the other vendor’s service, make sure that the correct service name is in the Service Name field. Do not save it with the same name as the Autodesk service. 
7. Click Save.
8. Click Yes to confirm that you are saving the service with the correct name.

Start the Other Vendor’s License Server

To start the license server, either restart the server, or follow the steps below:

1. In the LMTOOLS utility, on the Configure Services tab, select the FLEXnet license service that you would like to start.
2. On the Start/Stop/Reread tab, click Start Server. The license service will typically start in 10-20 seconds.
3. If you would like to start the other service, repeat Steps 1 and 2 for that service.

See also

Using ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE and LM_LICENSE_FILE variables on same computer
Single server network license manager quick start guide
Installing distributed server model
How to combine license files for multiple Autodesk products
Upgrading the FLEXlm® Network License Manager
Network licensing error [1.5.-15] when starting the software
Guide to FLEXlm® documentation and supplemental information