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A
Alessio15-Moonstone
15-Moonstone
March 25, 2011
Question

Does Arbortext work via an exclusive Remote Desktop Connection?

  • March 25, 2011
  • 8 replies
  • 1735 views
I might be wrong but I believe that the next question and a brainstorming session on the possible answers might throw some light on the issue.

<question>
Isn't using a remote desktop connection a way to workaround the concept of fixed, node-locked licensing?
</question>




    8 replies

    A
    Anonymous
    March 25, 2011
    I wouldn't believe so.

    If you have purchased a license for the machine, it seems legit to me.
    The fixed license is by node, not user correct?

    And with 5.3, I do use remote desktop on a regular basis to troubleshoot
    problems for authors who are physically located in another country.

    If this doesn't work with Arbortext 6, that's a show stopper for us.

    -Jason
    A
    AndyEsslinger1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    March 25, 2011
    Alessio,

    Thanks for the response.

    <answer reliability="medium," because=" ptc=" may=" be=" a=" much=" uglier=" fish=" than=" arbortext&quot;=">
    I always assumed the purpose of a fixed license was to ensure that the custom did not use any license not paid for. If a node-locked license is installed and I am using that node why would it matter how I got to the node? The node-locked license should be fine as long as only one person is using it at a time. Example: If you have a fixed license on your machine at work Arbortext will allow you to use the same fixed license at home because it is only in use at one place at a time. If you have a concurrent license at work then home use not allowed because it might be in use at two places at once.
    </answer>

    -Andy
    \ / Andy Esslinger LM Aero – Tech Order Data
    _____-/\-_____ (817) 279-0442 1 Lockheed Blvd, MZ 4285
    \_\/_/ (817) 777 3047 Fort Worth, TX 76108-3916
    A
    AndyEsslinger1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    March 25, 2011
    High Jason,

    Ditto about the remote connections being a possible show-stopper.

    <answer reliability="high">
    All of the fixed Arbortext licenses seem to be locked to the physical machine where installed. The "server code" for the Elan license manager or the "MAC Address" (what did they call this? Flex LM?) for Arbortext 6 are specific to the machine. Reformatting the hard drive or certain hard ware changes seems to kill the Elan LM but not the Flex LM for node-locked licenses. Of course, the Flex LM uses the hard coded address of the network interface card. Caveat I have no idea which network interface card address is used where there is more than one NIC.
    </answer>

    <answer reliability="unknown">
    Concurrent licenses should not be a problem with Remote Desktop Connections because the licenses are individually checked out when in use. I do not know if Arbortext 6 will support this but they should.
    </answer>

    <question>
    Do you think it is fair for a node-locked license to be usable via Remote Desktop Connection? To put it another way, since the license is in use only once how would it be unfair to allow a node-locked license to function over a Remote Desktop Connection?
    </question>

    -Andy
    \ / Andy Esslinger LM Aero - Tech Order Data
    _____-/\-_____ (817) 279-0442 1 Lockheed Blvd, MZ 4285
    \_\/_/ (817) 777 3047 Fort Worth, TX 76108-3916
    P
    ptc-9533431-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    March 25, 2011
    >> <question>
    > Do you think it is fair for a node-locked license to be usable via Remote
    > Desktop Connection? To put it another way, since the license is in use
    > only once how would it be unfair to allow a node-locked license to
    > function over a Remote Desktop Connection?
    > </question>
    >

    If the machine allows multiple connections than the answer would be No, it
    isn't fair as you are basically sharing one license with multiple users.
    One license, one user.

    ..dan
    A
    AndyEsslinger1-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    March 25, 2011
    Thanks for the thought Dan,

    I've never seen a PC that allowed more than one connection at a time. Every PC I ever used doesn't allow a connect if someone else is logged on (remotely or via console).

    You're right about Terminal Services on a server, and I agree that that would be unfair. I wonder if the inability to differentiate between a server with multiple users and a single user PC is the reason they disallow remote usage. That sounds like a logical reason even if I don't like it.

    -Andy
    \ / Andy Esslinger LM Aero - Tech Order Data
    _____-/\-_____ (817) 279-0442 1 Lockheed Blvd, MZ 4285
    \_\/_/ (817) 777 3047 Fort Worth, TX 76108-3916
    A
    Anonymous
    March 25, 2011
    As far as I can tell, with a client machine (XP Pro in my case), you can
    only have one person logged in at a time. If I RDP to a machine at
    work, a person looking at the screen will see that the PC is locked by
    my username and can only be unlocked by myself or an admin.

    I had understood that a node locked license was locked to a particular
    machine (by way of the server code), not a particular user.

    If I log off of a PC, and another user logs into the same PC, that user
    is able to use Arbortext just as I had, as long as the license was in
    place.

    Other than physical location, I don't see how RDP makes this any
    different. And between globalization and telecommuting, I don't think
    I'm alone in feeling like PTC could add value for their customers by
    taking another look at this issue. Perhaps a survey would help
    determine if this was an issue to enough people to make it worth
    reviewing.

    And I'm not trying to bag on PTC with this, I do understand that other
    PTC products have been using FlexLM for some time. I just feel that if
    Arbortext is a separate business unit, we need to provide the feedback
    to let them know when some upcoming changes may impact us, immediate or
    down the road. Standardization and streamlining are great things, but
    not every peg fits the same hole the exact same way.

    -Jason
    P
    ptc-9533431-Visitor
    1-Visitor
    March 25, 2011
    So you have one machine one licenss, what keeps someone from putting
    widows server on there and allowing multiple logins or possibly virutal
    machines?

    ..dan

    > As far as I can tell, with a client machine (XP Pro in my case), you can
    > only have one person logged in at a time. If I RDP to a machine at
    > work, a person looking at the screen will see that the PC is locked by
    > my username and can only be unlocked by myself or an admin.
    >
    > I had understood that a node locked license was locked to a particular
    > machine (by way of the server code), not a particular user.
    >
    > If I log off of a PC, and another user logs into the same PC, that user
    > is able to use Arbortext just as I had, as long as the license was in
    > place.
    >
    > Other than physical location, I don't see how RDP makes this any
    > different. And between globalization and telecommuting, I don't think
    > I'm alone in feeling like PTC could add value for their customers by
    > taking another look at this issue. Perhaps a survey would help
    > determine if this was an issue to enough people to make it worth
    > reviewing.
    >
    > And I'm not trying to bag on PTC with this, I do understand that other
    > PTC products have been using FlexLM for some time. I just feel that if
    > Arbortext is a separate business unit, we need to provide the feedback
    > to let them know when some upcoming changes may impact us, immediate or
    > down the road. Standardization and streamlining are great things, but
    > not every peg fits the same hole the exact same way.
    >
    > -Jason
    >
    A
    Anonymous
    March 25, 2011
    Yeah, in the case of windows server and multiple logins, I can see how
    that would violate the idea of the fixed license. Haven't really worked
    with VMWare all that much, so I don't know about that.

    If there was a way for the license server to verify the OS before
    installing the license perhaps?

    Just brain droppings...

    -Jason
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