Getting Started with FLEXnet Manager

Macrovision's FLEXnet Manager, also referred to as FLEXnet and previously released as FLEXlm, is a software license management system that enables organizations to centrally track and manage their licenses within departments and across the organization. National Instruments supports FLEXnet implementations with FLEXnet compliant license files, but NI does not design or sell FLEXnet. This short document will guide you step-by-step through the setup and configuration of FLEXnet or a FLEXlm. If you use FLEXnet instead of using NI Volume License Manager, there are certain features of NI VLM that will not be available to you, including overdraft, disconnected and home licenses. Overdraft licenses enable you to use more named-user or computer-based licenses than your agreement allows. Disconnected licenses allow you to use NI software with computers that cannot access the license server at all times. Home license files allow you to use your software on one computer at home without using a license. If these features are important to you, consider using NI VLM to manage your licenses. NI VLM is free of charge for volume customers to best utilize their NI software.

Steps to Setup and Configure FLEXnet Manager

Getting Your License File

• Send your FLEXnet server name, server operating system (either Windows or Solaris), and host ID (MAC address for Windows and host ID for Solaris) to Agreements@ni.com. State that you prefer to use FLEXnet to manage your licenses.
• Install the National Instruments vendor license daemon nilm.exe on the license server. 
• After receiving your license file, install the license file on your FLEXnet server.

Creating an Options File

If your license file requires computer-based permissions for the software to be used, you will have to create an options file denoting which computers have permission to use each product. Create your options file, which is a text file named nilm.opt, using the following standard FLEXnet formatting:

INCLUDE HOST

Note that computer names are case-sensitive and are based off of the Windows computer name.

If your license file requires named-user permissions for the software to be used, you will have to create an options file denoting which users have permission to use each product. Create your options file, which is a text file named nilm.opt, using the following standard FLEXlm formatting:

INCLUDE USER

Note: The user names are case-sensitive and based off of the Windows login name.

The options file should be saved in the same directory as the vendor daemon nilm.exe. If you have both named-user and computer-based licenses, you can put both types of "INCLUDE" lines in the same options file. .

Configuring Client Computers

Configure your client software. Client software is not configured to look to the FLEXnet Manager server by default. To configure them correctly you can set the environment variables or NI License Manager, or use NI VLM to create network installers.

Environment Variables or NI License Manager

There are three locations where NI software looks for a server name and port:

• Windows environment variable NILM_LICENSE_FILE
• Windows environment variable LM_LICENSE_FILE
• NI License Manager in the Options»Preferences»Use Network License Servers field. You can set the registry key directly at HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FLEXlm License Manager\NILM_LICENSE_FILE.

NI recommends NILM_LICENSE FILE because it is the first location that is checked by software on the client machines when looking for a license server. In all methods, end users need to ignore the Activation Wizard or install the software silently.

NI VLM network installers

Using NI VLM network installers adds installer steps to automatically point client computers to the FLEXnet server. One of huge benefits is that end users don't have any additional steps after installing the software. To prepare your software for network installation, complete the following steps:

• NOTE: NI VLM can be installed on a machine that is NOT the server machine.
• Create a network installer for your licensed software by going to Options » Create Network Installer... within NI VLM. Enter the server name of the FLEXnet Manager server. Be sure to enter the administrator information. This information is displayed to the end user when they need a license or if the license server is inaccessible. You can configure a client computer to get a license from the server as part of the software installation process or after the software is installed.
  • Have your end users install the software from the network installer.
  • If the software is already installed on the end user's machine, users can leave the software installed and simply run the program mslsetup.exe found in the same location as the network installer. In the created network installer folder, there will be multiple files whose names begin with "msl". All the files with "msl" in the file name and an additional file named "xerces-c_2_3_0.dll" are necessary to run mslsetup.exe to change the client software to point to the license server. You can copy those files to a disk or to a network location, or point your end users to the created network installer location and instruct them to run mslsetup.exe.

You don't have to keep track of how many people have installed the software since the licenses are managed by FLEXnet.

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