What is Fekete License Manager? #
Fekete License Manager is the license administration tool Fekete Associates built for its own software. Fekete’s product description calls it “an application used to configure, track and manage all Fekete software licenses.” A companion Windows service, Fekete License Service, authenticates the licenses.
You only need it for network licenses. A standalone license sits on the engineer’s own PC and doesn’t use it.
Fekete was a Calgary company. IHS bought it in April 2013, IHS later became IHS Markit, and the products are now part of S&P Global. That’s why older material says Fekete Harmony or Fekete RTA, and newer material says IHS Harmony.
Which license types does Fekete License Manager support? #
Documentation for Fekete applications such as WellTest and Harmony Enterprise describes three ways an engineer can hold a license:
- Standalone: installed on one local machine, with no license server involved.
- Network: installed on a license server. The application requests a seat from the server.
- Commuter: a network seat checked out for offline work, say on a laptop at a well site. It counts against your network seat total until the engineer checks it back in.
Harmony Enterprise also licenses each module separately, as standalone or network. A user needs at least one module license to open a Harmony Enterprise database.
If you manage these licenses, watch the network and commuter seats. They’re shared. They’re counted. And they’re where you find out you have too few or too many.
Which applications use Fekete License Manager? #
Fekete License Manager is proprietary to Fekete Associates, now part of S&P Global. It isn’t a general-purpose license manager like FlexNet, which many vendors build on.
These are the Fekete applications you’re likely to find on it:
| Application | What engineers use it for |
|---|---|
| Harmony | Well performance analysis, forecasting and reserves estimation |
| F.A.S.T. WellTest | Pressure transient analysis of build-up, drawdown and mini-frac data |
| RTA | Rate transient analysis to estimate hydrocarbons in place |
| F.A.S.T. CBM | Coalbed methane reservoir analysis and reserves estimation |
| F.A.S.T. VirtuWell | Wellbore optimization for single and multiphase flow |
| F.A.S.T. Piper | Flow modeling from reservoir to delivery point |
| F.A.S.T. ValiData | Collecting pressure, temperature and rate data |
Not sure what a server runs? Look for log files ending in .feklog, for example in C:\ProgramData\Fekete on Windows.
How Open iT supports your work with Fekete License Manager #
A small Open iT component goes on your Fekete license server. It works on Windows and Unix servers. Open iT is ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certified, which is worth knowing before anyone installs software on a license server.
What Open iT collects and reports #
The client picks up the Fekete usage logs on a schedule, converts them to Open iT’s format and sends them to the Open iT server. You keep the history, not just today’s snapshot. From it, Open iT reports:
- total license use over time
- use by user, user group, host and host group
- denied requests: each time an engineer asked for a seat and didn’t get one
How to use it at renewal #
Your contract says how many network seats you bought. Your logs say how many you used at the busiest times, and how often engineers were denied. Put those two numbers side by side. You’ll see whether you’re short, about right, or paying for seats nobody opens, and you’ll have that evidence in hand before you renew with S&P Global.
The full setup steps are in the Open iT documentation: How to Configure Open iT for Fekete License Manager.
Frequently asked questions #
What is Fekete License Manager used for?
It manages network licenses for Fekete Associates’ reservoir and production engineering software, such as Harmony and F.A.S.T. WellTest. It works with Fekete License Service, a Windows service that authenticates the licenses.
Do I need Fekete License Manager for a standalone license?
No. Fekete’s product description says the License Manager must be installed before a network license. A standalone license is installed on the engineer’s own machine.
Who owns Fekete software now?
IHS bought Fekete Associates in April 2013. The products later passed to IHS Markit and are now part of S&P Global.
Can Open iT track Fekete License Manager usage?
Yes. An Open iT Client on the license server collects the Fekete usage logs. Open iT then reports total, per-user, per-group and per-host license use, plus denied license requests.
See your Fekete seats in use, on your own server #
Request an Open iT Proof of Concept. Tell us which Fekete license server to watch. Open iT deploys on your real usage data, then hands you a findings report and a conclusion with recommendations: how many network seats your engineers use, and how often they’re turned away.
