What is Zoo Cloud? #
Zoo Cloud is the name many IT teams use for Cloud Zoo, the cloud-based license management system Robert McNeel & Associates runs for Rhino. Open iT’s documentation says “Zoo Cloud”. McNeel says “Cloud Zoo”. It’s the same service.
McNeel offers three ways to license Rhino, and Cloud Zoo is the Rhino license manager it hosts for you. A user signs in to Rhino with a Rhino Account, and the account tracks the licenses that person owns or can borrow from a team. An administrator creates the team, adds licenses, then invites members or links the company’s email domain so colleagues join automatically.
Cloud Zoo doesn’t hand out the license itself. It issues a lease to each computer running Rhino. McNeel’s developer guide says a lease expires every few weeks, and Rhino renews it automatically whenever it’s online. That’s why Rhino keeps working offline. It needs a connection only every couple of weeks.
One rule keeps the pool honest. Users can run Rhino at the same time on only as many computers as there are licenses for that product.
How the three methods compare for a license manager #
| Methode | Where licenses live | What it needs |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud Zoo | A Rhino Account or team. There’s no Rhino license server to install or maintain. | An occasional internet connection. Rhino 6 or newer. |
| LAN Zoo | A server you run on your private network. Licenses float from it. | No internet, but remote users need a VPN to reach the server. |
| Single-computer | One machine. The license stays locked to it. | One license validation, online or manual. |
Which license types does Zoo Cloud support? #
Cloud Zoo runs a concurrent model. Licenses added to a team form a shared pool, and any member can take a seat while one is free. In practice, a team works as a Rhino floating license with no server behind it.
McNeel’s licensing page sets out which Rhino 3D license types can join that pool:
| License type | In Cloud Zoo |
|---|---|
| Commercial | Can be added to a team and shared. |
| Educational single-user | Can’t be shared. |
| Not For Resale (NFR) single-user | Can’t be shared. |
| Educational Lab License | Works through Cloud Zoo, but from Rhino 8 it can’t be assigned to individual computers. |
| Expired evaluation | Needs standalone configuration, not Cloud Zoo (McNeel wiki). |
Plug-in developers who license through Cloud Zoo tend to offer their customers two options. A personal license covers one person. A team license, in the words LimitState and Karamba3D both use, “can be shared amongst any group of people.”
Which software vendors are using Zoo Cloud, and for which applications? #
Zoo Cloud isn’t a general-purpose license manager like FlexNet or Reprise RLM. It belongs to the Rhino world. McNeel built it for Rhino, then opened it to plug-in developers. A developer registers as an “Issuer” in Cloud Zoo, adds its products, and changes its licensing code so Rhino handles the lease.
Public vendor documentation confirms these users:
| Anbieter | Application | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Robert McNeel & Associates | Rhino 6, 7 and 8 | 3D modeling software, for Windows and Mac |
| Asuni Soft | VisualARQ | BIM tool for architecture on Rhino. Asuni says Cloud Zoo “lets you manage floating licenses online among several users”. |
| Asuni Soft | Lands Design | Landscape design tool on Rhino |
| LimitState | Peregrine | Grasshopper plug-in for structural analysis and design |
| Karamba3D | Karamba3D | Parametric structural engineering plug-in for Grasshopper. Its cloud licenses require a Cloud Zoo account. |
McNeel doesn’t publish a full list of Cloud Zoo issuers. If your users run other Rhino plug-ins, check each vendor’s licensing page. Some use Cloud Zoo, some use LAN Zoo, and some bring their own license manager.
How Open iT supports your work with Zoo Cloud #
Start with two numbers you already own: how many Rhino licenses sit in your Cloud Zoo team, and how many were in use at the busiest hour last quarter. You likely know the first. The second takes data.
How the integration works #
Every hour, Open iT’s data collector starts a license status utility, which requests current license usage from the Zoo Cloud portal at a five-minute sample interval. The collector processes the data and sends it to the Open iT Core Server at five minutes past each hour (HH:05), in your time zone. You can limit collection to named Cloud Zoo teams. Open iT stores the Zoo Cloud administrator credentials as a hashed file on the collecting machine.
What you need to set it up #
- An Open iT Core Client connected to an Open iT Core Server.
- LicenseAnalyzer collection and the license poller, both activated.
- A supported browser on the collecting machine: Chromium (the default), WebKit, Firefox, Google Chrome or Brave. Microsoft Edge won’t work, because Microsoft doesn’t allow it to run in the SYSTEM context.
The reports you get #
- Max Available vs Max in Use, per feature, sets your peak against what you own. Every license above that peak is one you renew without using.
- Feature Elapsed Time per User shows how long each person spent on each licensed feature, so light users stand out.
- The real-time report gives a drilled-down view of licenses in use and available, for the moment someone says they can’t get a seat.
Full setup steps: How to Configure Open iT for Zoo Cloud.
Offline tracking significantly enhances Software Asset Management (SAM) by providing visibility into software usage when devices are disconnected from the corporate network or license manager. While traditional license monitoring can identify when a license has been borrowed, it cannot determine whether the application was actively used, rarely accessed, or never opened during the offline period.
By collecting usage data locally and synchronizing it once connectivity is restored, organizations gain a more accurate view of actual software consumption. This enables better license optimization, more informed purchasing decisions, improved compliance reporting, and a clearer understanding of user behavior.
Ultimately, offline tracking helps SAM teams distinguish between licenses that are merely reserved and those that are generating business value, leading to reduced software costs and more effective license governance.
Häufig gestellte Fragen #
What is the difference between Zoo Cloud and Cloud Zoo?
None. Cloud Zoo is McNeel’s official name for its cloud licensing service for Rhino. Zoo Cloud is the same service under the name Open iT’s documentation uses.
Does Cloud Zoo need an internet connection?
Only occasionally. Cloud Zoo issues a lease that expires every few weeks, and Rhino renews it when online. Rhino keeps working offline between renewals.
Can Open iT track Rhino license usage in Cloud Zoo?
Yes. Open iT LicenseAnalyzer collects Zoo Cloud usage every hour in five-minute samples and reports maximum licenses in use against maximum available, per feature and per user.
Which Rhino licenses can't be shared in Cloud Zoo?
Educational single-user and Not For Resale single-user licenses can’t be shared through a team.
See your Rhino peak before the renewal does #
You know how many Rhino licenses you pay for. Open iT shows how many your team needed at its busiest hour, next to the usage of the other licensed applications you manage.
Ask an Open iT license specialist to walk you through the Max Available vs Max in Use report and what it takes to connect your Zoo Cloud account.
