- RLM shared floating licenses let separate executions of the same application by the same user use one license under defined sharing rules.
- The share attribute can be configured by user, host, or ISV-defined string and can limit the number of invocations using one license.
- Open iT historical and real-time reporting counts shared RLM license usage correctly so multiple instances do not inflate license consumption.
Optimizing License Usage with RLM Shared Licenses focuses on IT, engineering, and software asset management leaders in enterprise software environments amid software portfolio growth, as Open iT explains that RLM shared floating licenses let separate executions of the same application by the same user use one license under defined sharing rules and that the share attribute can be configured by user, host, or ISV-defined string and can limit the number of invocations using one license.
Reprise License Manager (RLM) is a license management tool that provides numerous functionalities and advantages to its users.
It supports various licensing models, such as floating, node-locked, and trials, each having its own specifications and should be used depending on the needs of the organization.
One of the most popular licensing models, especially for engineering and other technical software, is the floating license.
Basically, it allows the use of applications in the network for a specified number of independent instances.
When an application is run, it requests a license from the license server and the license server checks if the application is licensed, if the user is allowed to use the application, and if there are still available licenses.
This kind of licensing model is very efficient for users who run the application only once at a time, but how about a user who needs to run many instances of the application to finish its job?
Interactive applications commonly have these scenarios where the user needs to open multiple instances of the same application in order to visualize the work properly. The shared floating license is key to that scenario. It can maximize and optimize the utilization of the licenses.
Shared floating license is a variation of the floating licensing model that is also supported by RLM.
It uses the same syntax as floating licenses in the license file but with different configuration and lines.
With shared floating license, separate execution of the same application by the same user (even on the same host) will only use a single license.
To do this, follow these simple steps:
- Specify a license server with a SERVER line.
- Set the count field of license to a positive integer.
- Make sure that the license has an attribute key “share=”, the value of which is any combination of “u”, “h” or “i”.
The value of the share attribute means:- u – user
- h – host
- I – isv-defined string
To give an example, specify “share=uh” when a license should be shared by the same user on the same host. Moreover, to limit the number of sharing in a single license, specify “share=u:[maxnumberofsharing]”.
For example, to allow only 3 invocations of the application in using a single license by the same user, specify “share=u:3”. In this case, the 4th invocation of the application by the same user will result to another checked out license.
Open iT supports the proper reporting of shared floating license in RLM.
In Open iT historical reporting, correct computation of license usage for shared licenses are implemented by default. For example, a user was recorded with 3 instances of license usage but was only using a shared license (single license), it will only be counted as one license usage.
While in real time dashboard, users using shared licenses can be viewed and the computation is the same as the historical reporting.
Learn more about how to effectively manage engineering software licenses on RLM, in conjunction with other license managers. Let us guide you through your engineering software management and optimization journey.
