Autocad CADWorker license

[JoshuaHouser]

We are setting up an Autocad CADWorker for the first time and trying to figure out the license strategy. It seems Autodesk wants a named-user for the Autocad license. I am wondering what other businesses are doing to address this?

[TomU]

Windchill requires a named user license for the Workgroup Manager.  AutoCAD itself can be purchased with a floating license if bundled in a collection.  For example:  https://www.autodesk.com/collections/product-design-manufacturing/overview

[JoshuaHouser]

@TomU, thank you for the very quick response! Your response highlighted my error! I actually mean the CADWorker for publishing in Windchill. We are loading an Autocad client on a server and configuring it as a CADWorker for Windchill 11 M030.

This makes the named-user painful, as the goal is to not have a user tied to the server. Apparently Autodesk doesn't play nice with "Service" accounts either.

[AndyHermanson]

We use floating ACAD licenses for our workers. Do you have the license server info in your system variables so it knows to pull that license?

[JoshuaHouser]

Thanks for the feedback Andy. Apparently we are charged per person per day on license usage. Guess it is the "pay as you go" model of licensing, but I really am not familiar with it.

So, as far as the cadworker pulling the floating license, is it a current, named user?

Please note...I don't want to cause any issues with Autodesk licensing for anybody.

[AndyHermanson]

Our licenses are concurrent. So it will pull from the license pool and could limit a user from getting a license. It will depend on your ratio of users to licenses.

[TomU]

To start AutoCAD on the CAD worker, it has to pull a license.  Just configure the CAD worker service to run as whichever user you want the license pulled as.  Alternatively you can log in as this user (on the CAD worker) and then manually launch the worker process as that user.  Either way, someone's license has to be used.

[JoshuaHouser]

Yup, that is the challenge. Tying the license to a specific user in my environment really is not acceptable.

[BenLoosli]

If you can use a named on user on multiple machines simultaneously that should work. Just use any user.

If that doesn't work, you may need to purchase 1 additional license for user 'CAD Publisher'.

[JoshuaHouser]

Yes, I think we're going to have to look for an individual license purchase specific for the worker. Given the number of licenses we already own and use, it's an annoyance and the budget hawks will squeal.

[BenLoosli]

Being on Windchill 11.0, we know we will need additional licenses when we upgrade to Windchill 12 and its named-user accounts. I have been warning management since last summer to prepare for a $100K expense for Windchill licenses. We are still working through details with our VAR on the exact figures, but I wanted to make them aware it could be substantial.

We do not use Windchill WGM for our AutoCAD files. We put a PDF of the drawing in as primary content then add the DWG file as secondary content. IT keeps updating AutoCAD versions without considering the implications on AutoCAD and versions. We did have the AutoCAD WGM back in 2008, but one upgrade lost it and change in system admin and we decided to not do that anymore and just upload the PDF and DWG as documents.