Limiting users to 1 license of two different licenses

[STEVEG]

We have two different types of licenses: FlexEng and FoundationAdv.

I have it set that any of our users has access to either license type.Our engineering group has the FlexEng license listed first. Then if all those licenses are taken it will take a license of the FoundationAdv. Our manufacturing group is the oppisite. They have the FoundationAdv license listed first and if they are all used up then they will take the FlexEng license.

I want to limit all the users to just one license of either type. So if they already have a license of FlexEng, I don't want them to have access to another FlexEng or the FoundationAdv license.

I know the option file for flexlm has the MAX option but I don't think I can use it in this situation. Is there a way to do what I want?

Steve G

[STEVEG]

Some more information is necessary.

I already have our startup script looking to see if there is a xtop.exe running. That works great if the user uses our startup script. I actuallyadded the code tothe batch file that Pro/E creates in the bin directory. Our startup script copies it from the network and overrides it on each computer.

The problem comes into play when a couple of our users opens models from an email.Or even if they double-click infrom their computer or from a network directory. It by-passes our startup script and uses the proe.exe from the bin directory.

This is why I need to specify it in the option file from flexlm.

Steve G

[STEVEG]

A big thank you to Matt M for providing the solution. It worked great Matt.

Since my batch file in the bin directory checks for the xtop.exe and then runs the proe.exe, all I had to do is change the registry entry value<install_dir>\wf4\bin\proe.exe "%1" in HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\proeFile\shell\Open\command\ from proe.exe to my batch file of wf4.bat.

His second suggestion which I haven't tested yet is to make all the other Pro/E extension references (asmFile, drwFile, etc.) point back to the proeFile key so you only have to change it in one place.

** As always, be careful when editing the registry as this may really mess up you computer. **

Steve G

[STEVEG]

Upon reconsideration, even though what Matt suggested is a good idea, I think I would still rather use the option file for flexlm if possible. There are just too many file types for Pro/E to update.

So is it possible that all our users have access to two different types of licenses but can use only one at a time? I.e.: If they have a license then they cannot use another license of the same type or the other type. It doesn't look like you can use the GROUP option for license types.

Steve G

[FV]

Hi all,

Steve,

For a license server side I could suggest:

lmutil lmreread ...

A simple flexlm log analyzer and option file modificator scriptwould have to be run on a license server. Upon detecting a new userwhile scanning a lmgrd log file the script would update a vendor option file with DENY USER LICENSE statement for the alternative license id, then the script would make a call to 'lmutil lmreread...' The script could berun every so often...

HIH.

Feliks.

In Reply to Steve Galayda:

Upon reconsideration, even though what Matt suggested is a good idea, I think I would still rather use the option file for flexlm if possible. There are just too many file types for Pro/E to update.

So is it possible that all our users have access to two different types of licenses but can use only one at a time? I.e.: If they have a license then they cannot use another license of the same type or the other type. It doesn't look like you can use the GROUP option for license types.

Steve G

[STEVEG]

Thank you everyone. I received some good information. Several people suggested using a startup script. We already use one. But when opening a part model from the network or an email it by-passes our script to use the proe.exe directly.There is not much you can do. I had one person that was running three licenses, two differenttimesjust in the last week,because he was opening the models from an email. He's a newer user and I think he just figured it's like opening a Word document.

There was, as I mentioned in a previous post, the suggestion from Matt about changing the registry entries. And in fact our script does change one registry setting. However, his suggestion, as much as I really do like it, changes multiple settings. If anything goes wrong with a user's computer I wouldhear about itfrom our IT dept. But I wouldn't blame them either.

Feliks' suggestion was good but I want something immediately like the MAX option.

Unfortuneately, the MAX option cannot be used to limit a user to one license<u>IF they have access to multiple license types</u>. As it stands the GROUP option allows only user names or other groups. For my situation I would have liked to see license type allowed in the GROUP. That way I could limit our users to one or the other license type.

I.e.

GROUP LIC_TYPE FlexEng FoundationAdv

Maybe in a future version.

The only thing I can do is put two MAX lines to limit the group but I see this would still allow the use of two licenses...as far as I can tell.

Steve G