Problem Description

Solution

License borrowing means that you can use COMSOL (for a limited time) without a network connection to the license server. This can be convenient if you want to remove a computer from the network for a limited time period, and still want to be able to run on a floating network license option.

This solution covers the basics of license borrowing. For more information, please refer to the FLEXnet Licensing End Users Guide (Chapter 8, the section “License Borrowing with BORROW”). The FLEXnet Licensing End Users Guide is available from the COMSOL Help Desk, which you open by pressing F1 or from the Help menu in the COMSOL Multiphysics user interface.

To be able to borrow license keys, you need:

• A COMSOL 3.5 Floating Network License (FNL), or a Class Kit License (CKL) option.
• A license.dat file with the BORROW keyword included. The license file below shows what a borrow-enabled file looks like:

SERVER myserver 000102030405 1718
USE_SERVER
VENDOR LMCOMSOL
FEATURE SERIAL LMCOMSOL 3.5 permanent uncounted \
    VENDOR_STRING=C,114030 HOSTID=ANY BORROW SN=1031271 TS_OK \
    SIGN=07251E9CDD32
INCREMENT CLIENTSERVER LMCOMSOL 3.5 permanent 1 SUPERSEDE \
    DUP_GROUP=UH ISSUED=18-Nov-2008 BORROW SN=1031271 \
    SIGN=27A775DCD502
INCREMENT COMSOL LMCOMSOL 3.5 permanent 1 SUPERSEDE DUP_GROUP=UH \
    ISSUED=18-Nov-2008 BORROW SN=1031271 SIGN=AAB5E52A6660
INCREMENT COMSOLGUI LMCOMSOL 3.5 permanent 1 SUPERSEDE DUP_GROUP=UH \
    ISSUED=18-Nov-2008 BORROW SN=1031271 SIGN=DC36F4F03CE4
INCREMENT ACDC LMCOMSOL 3.5 permanent 1 SUPERSEDE DUP_GROUP=UH \
    ISSUED=18-Nov-2008 BORROW SN=1031271 SIGN=0DB2BD84D232
INCREMENT CHEM LMCOMSOL 3.5 permanent 1 SUPERSEDE DUP_GROUP=UH \
    ISSUED=18-Nov-2008 BORROW SN=1031271 SIGN=6FCC8A46FE8A
INCREMENT CADIMPORT LMCOMSOL 3.5 permanent 1 SUPERSEDE DUP_GROUP=UH \
    ISSUED=18-Nov-2008 BORROW SN=1031271 SIGN=61474272EAE2
INCREMENT ProE LMCOMSOL 3.5 permanent 1 SUPERSEDE DUP_GROUP=UH \
    ISSUED=18-Nov-2008 BORROW SN=1031271 SIGN=4E28A2C017F8

If you have a Floating Network License and want to borrow license keys but do not have a license.dat file with the BORROW keyword, please contact your local COMSOL office.

Instructions

In the description that follows you will use the license utilities lmtools.exe or lmborrow. These utilities are installed by default on COMSOL installations that run under the Floating Network license option. (If you cannot find these utilities, insert the COMSOL DVD, and select "Add/Remove Features" in the installer. Check "License Manager" and click install.)

License Borrowing on Windows

1. Go to the computer, on which you want to run COMSOL (for a limited time) without a network connection to the license server. Start the LMTOOLS license tool from the Start menu > Programs > COMSOL 3.4 > License Tools > LMTOOLS.
   
   
2. Click the Borrowing tab.
   
   
3. Now decide how long you need to borrow the license keys. Please note that the maximum borrow period is usually one week. When the borrow period expires, LMTOOLS automatically returns all borrowed license keys to the license manager. Specify values in the Return Date and Return Time edit fields, then click the Set Borrow Expiration button.
   
   
   
   
   
4. Start COMSOL Multiphysics and use all the modules/features that you need. For example, if you need the Chemical Engineering Module, select a Chemical Engineering Module application mode from the Model Navigator, or open a model file that uses a Chemical Engineering Module application mode. Now COMSOL Multiphysics checks out a CHEM license feature from the license manager. If you want to use COMSOL Reaction Engineering Lab, start the application and load one of the models available in its Model Library. If you want to import CAD files, import CAD files on the formats you need. Each COMSOL product has corresponding license features (see the following table):
   
   
   

   Product	Features
   COMSOL Multiphysics	COMSOL, COMSOLGUI
   Optimization Lab	OPTLAB
   AC/DC Module	ACDC
   Acoustics Module	ACO
   Chemical Engineering Module	CHEM
   Earth Science Module	ES
   Heat Transfer Module	HT
   MEMS Module	MEM
   RF Module	RF
   Structural Mechanics Module	SME
   CAD Import Module	CADIMPORT
   Pro/ENGINEER	PROE
   CATIA V4	CATIA4
   CATIA V5	CATIA5
   Inventor	INVENTOR
   VDA	VDA

   
   
5. To view your currently borrowed license features, click the List Currently Borrowed Features button. The output looks something like this:
   
   List All Currently Borrowed Features
   ========
   Vendor Feature Expiration
   ______ ________ __________
   LMCOMSOL SERIAL 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL COMSOL 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL COMSOLGUI 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL REACTION 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL OPTLAB 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL ACDC 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL ACO 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL CHEM 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL SME 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL ES 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL HT 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL MEMS 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL RF 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL CADIMPORT 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL PROE 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL CATIA4 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL CATIA5 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL INVENTOR 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL VDA 30-Nov-08 23:59
   
   
6. When you have borrowed licenses for all the products that you need, disconnect from the network. If you want to stay connected for a while longer but do not want to borrow more licenses, click the Don't Borrow Anymore Today button.

License Borrowing on Linux/Sun/Macintosh

1. Go to the computer, on which you want to run COMSOL (for a limited time) without a network connection to the license server. Then cd to the folder containing the License Manager files. In a shell window, type
   
   cd COMSOL35/license/$arch
   
   where $arch is either glnx86 (32-bit Linux), glnxa64 (64-bit Linux), glnxi64 (Itanium), sol2 (Sun), or macosx (Macintosh).
   
   
2. Use the lmborrow command to borrow licenses. Enter the line
   
   ./lmborrow -help
   
   to view the options.
   
   
3. Decide how long you need to borrow the license key. Please note that the maximum borrow period is usually one week. The lmborrow command automatically returns all borrowed license keys to the license manager when the borrow period expires. For example, if you want to borrow the licenses until November 30, 2008, at midnight, type:
   
   ./lmborrow LMCOMSOL 30-Nov-2008
   
   
4. Start COMSOL Multiphysics and use all the modules/features that you need. For example, if you need the Chemical Engineering Module, select a Chemical Engineering Module application mode from the Model Navigator, or open a model file that uses a Chemical Engineering Module application mode. Now COMSOL Multiphysics checks out a CHEM license feature from the license manager (see table).
   
   
5. To view your currently borrowed license features, issue the command
   
   ./lmborrow -status
   
   The output looks something like this:
   
   List All Currently Borrowed Features
   ========
   Vendor Feature Expiration
   ______ ________ __________
   LMCOMSOL SERIAL 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL COMSOL 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL COMSOLGUI 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL REACTION 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL OPTLAB 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL ACDC 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL ACO 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL CHEM 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL SME 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL ES 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL HT 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL MEMS 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL RF 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL CADIMPORT 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL PROE 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL CATIA4 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL CATIA5 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL INVENTOR 30-Nov-08 23:59
   LMCOMSOL VDA 30-Nov-08 23:59
   
   Make sure you have borrowed all the license features you need. The borrowed license keys always include the SERIAL license feature.
   
   
6. When you have borrowed all the license keys you want, disconnect from the network. If you want to stay connected for a while longer but do not want to borrow more licenses, type the command
   
   ./lmborrow -clear
   
   This does not mean that the borrowed license keys are returned. The license keys remain on your computer until the borrow period expires.

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