What is Altium Concord Pro license manager? #
Altium Concord Pro is Altium’s on-premises server for PCB design data and component libraries. Altium launched it in October 2019 as the successor to Altium Vault and Altium NEXUS Server for Altium Designer users. A cloud version launched at the same time.
It works as a license manager in two ways. Nobody signs in to it without a license. And it can run a Private License Service (PLS): a service on your company network that holds your Altium licenses and lends seats to Altium software on engineers’ PCs. Altium built the PLS for companies whose design PCs must stay off the internet.
Altium now lists Concord Pro as discontinued and says it won’t be developed further. Its latest release notes cover version 5.0.2, dated 8 July 2022. Altium’s Concord Pro documentation points users to Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server, its direct successor. The cloud-based alternative is Altium Designer with a connected Altium 365 Workspace.
Which license types does Altium Concord Pro support? #
An Altium Concord Pro license comes in two layers: licenses that switch the server on, and licenses the server hands out.
Licenses for the Altium Concord Pro server #
The Server License turns on Concord Pro’s services. You need one per organization. The Client Access License, or Altium Concord Pro CAL, lets a user sign in from Altium Designer or a browser. You need one per user, and signing in from both on the same PC uses only one seat.
Both are timed: they run for 12 months. If you don’t renew, Concord Pro falls back to one Server License and one CAL. That’s enough for backup and configuration, and nothing else. Those two line items are the Altium Concord Pro cost you review at renewal. They come from Altium’s online license portal or as license files (.alf).
Licenses Concord Pro serves through its PLS #
The PLS lends out seats of Altium design software, such as Altium Designer. Here’s how a seat moves:
- An administrator decides how many seats each license assignment gets, for example 4 seats of a 20-seat license.
- The software leases a seat while it runs. The seat goes back to the pool when the user exits or signs out.
- A roaming seat is leased to one machine for a set time, up to a maximum the administrator sets.
- If a PC stops responding, its seat returns after 4 hours by default. Administrators can also release a seat by hand.
The PLS is off by default. An administrator can switch it on, or point Concord Pro at the PLS of another Concord Pro install or of Altium Infrastructure Server. Altium calls this the Private Server license mode. Its other two modes don’t need a local server: On-Demand, where Altium hands out seats, and Standalone, where each PC holds a license file.
Which software vendors use Altium Concord Pro license manager, and for which applications? #
Just one: Altium, owned by Renesas since August 2024. Concord Pro is Altium’s own product, and its PLS serves Altium licenses to Altium software. It won’t carry your CAD, simulation or EDA licenses from other vendors.
| Vendor | Application | What Concord Pro does for it |
|---|---|---|
| Altium | Altium Designer | Needs a Concord Pro CAL to connect. Can lease its seat from the PLS. |
| Altium | Concord Pro browser interface | Needs a CAL to sign in. |
| Altium | Other Altium server installs in External PLS mode | Get their license service from this server’s PLS. |
How Open iT supports your work with Altium Concord Pro #
Open iT makes software that reads usage data from the license managers you already run and turns it into reports. Its LicenseAnalyzer™ product supports more than 100 license managers. Altium Concord Pro is one. The list also covers other supported Altium products and services: Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server (Concord Pro’s direct successor), Altium 365 (the cloud-based alternative) and Altium Infrastructure Server (a separate product).
Concord Pro has its own license reports, with filters and CSV export. They stay on the Concord Pro server and cover that server’s licenses. Open iT keeps the history on its own server, next to the data from every other license manager it collects from.
How collection works #
You install the Open iT Client, Open iT’s collection software, on one machine in your network. It polls the Altium Concord API and samples license use. Once a night, it sends the processed data to the Open iT Core Server, which stores it and runs your reports.
Setup takes the Concord API address with its port number, a few configuration commands and one test poll. Open iT’s guide lists seven steps.
What you see #
- Who used which license, on which machine
- How many people held a license at the same time
- Use by user group, such as a team or site
- Total and hourly use over time
That’s LicenseAnalyzer reporting what the license manager knows: which seats were checked out, by whom, and how many at once.
Where to start #
Compare two numbers you already own: the licenses you renew each year, and the most that were in use at once. The gap is your first renewal conversation. It’s also your sizing input if you move to the direct successor, Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server. It uses the same Server License plus CAL model. Your usage history won’t go when the old server does. It’s on your Open iT Core Server.
Frequently asked questions #
What is Altium Concord Pro?
Altium Concord Pro is Altium’s on-premises server for PCB design data and component libraries, launched in 2019 as the successor to Altium Vault and Altium NEXUS Server. It licenses access with a Server License and Client Access Licenses, and can serve Altium Designer seats through its Private License Service.
Which licenses does Altium Concord Pro manage?
Two kinds. Its own Server License and Client Access Licenses, both renewed every 12 months. And, through its Private License Service, seats of Altium design software such as Altium Designer, which can be leased, roamed and returned.
Is Altium Concord Pro discontinued?
Yes. Altium lists Concord Pro as discontinued, and its latest release notes cover version 5.0.2, dated 8 July 2022. Altium points users to Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server, the direct successor, or to Altium Designer with a connected Altium 365 Workspace, the cloud-based alternative.
Can Open iT track Altium Concord Pro license usage?
Yes. Open iT LicenseAnalyzer collects Concord Pro license use and availability through the Altium Concord API, at 5-minute sample intervals. It also supports other Altium products and services: Altium On-Prem Enterprise Server, Altium 365 and Altium Infrastructure Server.
See your Altium Concord Pro license usage #
Book a demo and bring one number: the licenses you renew each year. An Open iT specialist will show you Concord Pro use and availability in Open iT reports, so you can see how that number holds up.
Already an Open iT customer? Follow the Altium Concord Pro setup guide.
