2.4. Setting Up 6.x/7.x Network Licenses without Server Manager

The 7.0.0–7.5.1 vendor daemon was built on FLEXnet Publisher 11.10 and can handle 5.x–7.x licenses, but the 5.x daemon (FLEXnet Publisher 11.4) cannot handle 6.x/7.x licenses. This procedure includes steps necessary for upgrading.

The 5.x–7.x software versions are incompatible with 1.x and 4.x licenses. If you have a 1.x or 4.x Palisade network license on this server, don't install a 7.x license process on the same server.

We recommend C:\Program Files (x86)\Palisade in 64-bit Windows, or C:\Program Files\Palisade in 32-bit Windows, but any local folder should work.

Do you already have a 5.x Palisade network license? Use a different directory for the 6.x/7.x licenses. (You will be deleting the 5.x license and program files at the end of this procedure.)

Create your chosen Palisade folder, and under it create a folder called NetServer and a folder called System.

Open Regedit and navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software, or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node in 64-bit Windows. Create the key Palisade under it.

Under Palisade, create a string value called Main Directory (two words). The data for that value is the path to the Palisade folder you created above, without quotes, and terminated with a \ backslash.

Under Palisade, create a string value called System Directory (two words). The data for that value is the path to the Palisade System folder you created above, without quotes, and terminated with a \ backslash.

Under Palisade, create a key called NetServer (one word), and under NetServer create a string value called Program Directory (two words). The data for that value is the path to the Palisade NetServer folder you created above, without quotes and without a backslash at the end.

(3a) Install Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable Packages for Visual Studio 2013.
In 32-bit Windows: Install the 32-bit (x86) version
In 64-bit Windows (even with 32-bit Office): Install the x86 version and the x64 version.

(3b) Then, send an email to Palisade Technical Support. In your email, refer to this article and help us understand why installing Server Manager is impossible for you. Also include this information:

• Your Activation ID.
• Your Ethernet address from LMTools » System Settings — text please, not a picture. (Please get this from LMTools, not from some other source. Most computers have multiple Ethernet addresses, and only LMTools is guaranteed to display the one that the FLEXnet license should be tied to.)
• (optional) If your license is for more than one concurrent user and you want to split them between servers, the number you want on this server.
• (optional) Lmgrd port number, if you wish to specify one. (The default is that FLEXnet selects an available port in the range 27000–27009, dynamically.) Caution! Either every FLEXnet product must specify a unique Lmgrd port number, or all FLEXnet products must leave the Lmgrd port number unspecified.
• (optional) Vendor daemon port number, if you wish to specify one. (It's quite unusual to specify a vendor daemon port.)

(3c) You'll receive a reply with a customized Server.lic file and a link to a ZIP file for download.
The zipped files are in the proper NetServer and System subfolders. With most unzip programs, if you extract to the Palisade folder you created, the files will be placed in the proper subfolders. But please verify that MsgDBS6_x86.dll was placed in the System subfolder, and all the other files are in the NetServer subfolder. The ZIP file does not contain any files for the main Palisade folder.

(3d) In the NetServer folder, replace the unzipped generic Server.lic file with the customized one in your email from Tech Support.

(3e) If you specified port numbers in the Server.lic file, edit PalisadeNetwork.lic in that same folder to use the same ports.

If you currently have a 5.x certificate license file, you will need to merge it into Server.lic, following these guidelines:

• Changing "this_host" to match the host name is optional.
• The Ethernet addresses should already match; if they don't, an error was made somewhere. STOP and contact Technical Support.
• Port numbers should already match, but you can change them if you need to. (PalisadeNetwork.lic must use the same port numbers.)
• Copy the INCREMENT blocks from the 5.x certificate into Server.lic.

Don't edit PalisadeNetwork.lic, except for port numbers. ("this_host ANY" is always correct in PalisadeNetwork.lic.)

(4a) Run LMTools and select the Config Services tab. Even if you already have a Palisade 5.x service, we recommend you create a new one for the 7.x vendor daemon. Fill in the fields as follows:

• Service Name: "Palisade License Service" (without quotes).
• Path to the lmgrd.exe file: Click Browse, and a window to your new Palisade System folder should open. Double-click Lmgrd.exe.
• Path to the license file: Specify the folder, without a trailing backslash. Don't specify a file name.
• Path to the debug log file: Click Browse and type "PalisadeService.log" (without quotes). The service will create the file, but the service won't run if you don't give a file name here.
• Use Services: Check (tick) the box.
• Start Sever at Power Up: Check (tick) the box.

(4b) Save the "Palisade License Service" service, and go to the Start/Stop/Reread tab.

(4c) If you have a Palisade 5.x service running, stop it. You cannot run multiple Palisade license services.
In Config Services, remove the stopped 5.x license service.
In Computer or My Computer, remove the folder that contains the 5.x license and program files; by default the folder name is the same as your 5.x serial number. (You may want to archive the folder before removing it.)

(4d) Start the new "Palisade License Service" service. Verify in Server Status that it is running. You should see Palisade_Network: 1 issued, 0 in use, as well as your 6.x/7.x licenses. If you merged a 5.x certificate, you should also see that license.

The client installer will need a file called Palisade_NetworkClient.ini, which contains information that tells the client how to find the server. This file is normally created by Palisade Server Manager, but without Server Manager you must create this file yourself. Use the following template in Notepad or another plain-text editor:

[SERVERINFO]
COMPANYNAME=your company name (may include spaces and punctuation)
SERVERNAME=port@hostname
NETWORKTYPE=Concurrent

Make certain that the host name matches the one shown in LMTools » System Settings. The port number must match the one on the SERVER line of your license file; if there's none on the SERVER line then omit it here also, but keep the @ sign. If your Concurrent Network clients will get licenses for Palisade software from more than one server, separate the servers with semicolons. Examples:

27004@Brahms
@Beethoven
@Bach;27009@Telemann

Name the file Palisade_NetworkClient.ini.

Attended installs: Place the Palisade_NetworkClinet.ini file in the same folder as the client installer executable, whose name ends in -cust-Setup.exe. Right-click the installer and select Run as administrator.

Scripted installs: Please request the MSI installer from Palisade Technical Support and see Scripting the 7.x Client Install or Silent Install of 6.x Network Client.

Both the EXE and the MSI installs work as new, full installs or as upgrades on top of an existing install.

The Palisade_NetworkClient.ini file is not needed on that client after install, because the installer copies the information to FLEXlm License Manager\PALISADE_LICENSE_FILE under HKLM\Software or HKLM\Software\WOW6432Node in the System Registry.

Caution: On the clients, @RISK should not be an active add-in in Excel's list (File » Options » Add-Ins). If it is, then @RISK will load every time they load Excel, even if they're not actually using @RISK, and this will consume a network license. The better procedure is to run only Excel when Excel is needed, and run Excel with @RISK when @RISK is needed. If you're in the middle of an Excel-only session and you need @RISK, you can launch @RISK while Excel and your files are still open.

Please see "Ongoing License Management with LMTools" in Operating 6.x/7.x Network Licenses without Server Manager.

A note on off-network use of the Concurrent Network client: The supplied options file is set up to disallow borrowing, but you can allow borrowing or change the maximum period at any time, as explained in the above document. End user instructions are at Borrowing a 6.x/7.x Concurrent Network License for Use off Network. If you choose to allow borrowing, it will apply only to 6.x/7.x licenses.