Palisade Knowledge Base

HomeMore on NetworksPrinter Friendly Version

More on Networks

Information for network end users, and supplements to the 6.x and 7.x Network Guides

1. Overview

1.1. @RISK with Project Files on a Server

Applies to:
@RISK 6.x/7.x
@RISK for Project 4.x

Can I run @RISK with an .MPP file that resides on a server?

Yes, if it's an actual .MPP file.

What about a project in Microsoft Project Server?

A problem does arise if your files are stored in Microsoft Project Server, because in this case there is no actual .MPP file for @RISK to work with. If you have files stored in Project Server, follow these steps to use @RISK with your project:

In @RISK 6.x/7.x:

  1. Get the project from Project Server, so that it is a regular MPP file. It could be on a server or on your local computer, but it will probably simulate faster if it's on your local computer.
  2. Start @RISK and load the Excel workbook associated with the project. @RISK will open the linked MPP file in Microsoft Project automatically. (If this is the first time you're working with this particular project in @RISK, open @RISK and click Project » Import MPP File.)
  3. When finished, close Excel. (@RISK will close Microsoft Project for you.) Return the project to Project Server. Store the Excel workbook for future use, to avoid re-importing the MPP file from scratch next time.

In @RISK for Project 4.x:

  1. Get the project from the server, so that it is a regular MPP file on your local computer.
  2. Run the project locally, then start @RISK.
  3. When finished, return the project to the server.

Can we automate the process of checking the MPP file out of Project Server and back in?

Yes, use the FileOpenEx method to get the file from Project Server, and the SaveForSharing method to save it as a local MPP file, and finally Names.Add to update the link from @RISK to the project file. Here's some sample code to place in a module in your Excel workbook:

Private Sub OpenProject()
On Error GoTo fail:
'Declare variables
Dim appProj As MSProject.Application
Dim aProg As MSProject.Project
Dim filePath As String

Set appProj = CreateObject("MSProject.Application")

'Open project from MS Project Server:
appProj.FileOpenEx Name:="<>\Example Drilling Project", ReadOnly:=False, _
    UserId:="username@example.com", _
    DatabasePassword:="mypassword", FormatID:="MSProject.odbc"

'Set active project
Set aProg = appProj.ActiveProject

'Show MS Project window
appProj.Visible = True

'Save project as MPP temporarily. Make sure project is open as read/write.
filePath = ActiveWorkbook.Path & "\" & aProg.Name & ".mpp"
appProj.SaveForSharing Filename:=filePath

'Update RiskMPPPath
ActiveWorkbook.Names.Add Name:="RiskMPPPath", RefersTo:=filePath

fail:
If Err.Number <> 0 Then MsgBox Err.Description
End Sub

In your VBA module, you'll need to set a reference to the Microsoft Project nn.0 Object Library, where nn is 12 for Project 2007, 14 for Project 2010, 15 for Project 2013, or 16 for Project 2016.

What about enterprise custom fields?

@RISK cannot read enterprise custom fields, only local custom fields, even if the .mpp file is stored locally.

Additional keywords: Enterprise Project Management

Last edited: 2015-12-29

1.2. Overview of 6.x/7.x/8.x Concurrent Network Licenses

Applies to:
Palisade Concurrent Network software, releases 6.x/7.x/8.x

See also: Overview of 6.x/7.x Commercial Licenses and Academic Licensing Options (6.x/7.x). If you have a 5.x release, see Overview of 5.x Concurrent Network Licenses.

What are the benefits of a network license?

With a network license, you perform a one-time activation step to transfer the license from Palisade's server to your server. You get one serial number and one Activation ID, regardless of the number of users. You have the option to split your purchased licenses between servers if you wish. The end-user computers get their licenses from your server, not ours, which simplifies the activation process and your license administration. Neither server nor clients need to be on the Internet. The network client installs can be completely scripted, which simplifies your configuration management.

The Concurrent Network or "floating" license has these additional advantages for IT and for end users:

  • Install on any number of workstations. You can also reimage or retire workstations with no deactivation step, unlike a standalone workstation license. Thus there's no need to keep track of which workstations have the software installed.
  • No need to buy a dedicated license for occasional users, but licenses can easily be added as your needs increase.
  • The installer facilitates packaging for scripted or "push" installs.
  • End-user software can run on a regular workstation or laptop, or by connection to a server. Remote Desktop, Terminal Services and similar are supported, and the remote machine can be a real server or workstation or in the cloud. A license can also be borrowed for independent use off-network.

What are the customer's responsibilities with a network license?

Since the network license resides on your server, and Palisade's server is not involved in any way after the initial transfer, the license is your responsibility to manage. Palisade has no way to know who within your organization is using a license or even how many licenses are in use at a given time, so license administration is up to you. The only requirement is that you deactivate the network license before you reimage a license server.

For the full license terms, please see https://www.palisade.com/legal/ 

What is a Concurrent Network?

In a Concurrent Network, you install the license software on your license server, activate the network license on the server, and then install the client software on as many user workstations as you wish. Concurrent Network licenses are sold by number of simultaneous (concurrent) users.

Concurrent Network licenses are usually of the activatable (trusted storage) type, but certificate licenses are also an option. For the difference, please see Choose Network License Type.

There is no activation step on Concurrent Network clients. Instead, the end user software gets a license dynamically from your server (not ours) when launched, and releases the license when shut down. Concurrent Network users normally must be connected through your network to your server while running the software, but there is an option to borrow a license for off-network use.

If the contracted number of licenses are already in use when a user tries to launch the software, the user sees a message that no license is available at this time, and will have to try again later. If that happens too often, it is easy to add licenses without reinstalling anything.

Just as there is no limit to the number of installs of Concurrent Network clients, you don't need to do anything special before wiping or decommissioning a Concurrent Network client.

What are the system requirements for the license server?

Any Windows machine, with Windows 7 or later, is fine. A dedicated machine is not necessary, because all the server has to do is sit and listen for license requests from the clients. You should not notice any performance impact from the licensing process. Thus a peer-to-peer environment is just fine, though of course, the person who is using the "server" must not shut it down when anyone else wants to use the networked Palisade software.

Virtual servers are supported. With a virtual server, you have the same responsibility as with a physical server: you must deactivate the network license before you wipe or decommission the server.

Usually, the server manages the license, and the application runs on the end-user computers. But it's also possible to set up a Concurrent Network in a terminal services, Citrix, or thin client configuration, where computing happens on the central server. Please see Citrix and Terminal Services for more.

See also: License Server System Requirements.

What are requirements for the corporate network?

While a conventional LAN is the most common configuration, it's not a requirement. We have users running on wider networks, including networks linking the Eastern and Western Hemispheres. You can set things up so that the client reaches the license server by a simple host name, by a qualified name, or even by an IP address.

What are requirements for the end-user workstations (clients)?

Please see Windows and Office Versions Supported by Palisade and Hardware Requirements or Recommendations.

Is an Internet connection needed?

The clients don't need an Internet connection. They get their Palisade software license from your server, not Palisade's server.

For the server, an ongoing Internet connection is not needed. When you first activate your license (transfer the license to your server), an Internet connection is helpful but not an absolute requirement.

Can I grant or deny access to the network license for particular users or groups of users?

Yes, please see Access Control in Concurrent Network.

Must end users be connected to our network, or can they run off network?

Users are normally connected to the network, and the client software dynamically obtains a license from your server. But it's also possible to borrow a license for use off network, for example on a laptop while traveling. Borrowing is disabled by default, but you can enable it through an option in our Server Manager software. If you enable borrowing, you select a maximum borrowing period.

When borrowing a license, the user selects an expiration date or number of days, up to the maximum that you specified on the server. During that time, the application can run without being connected to your license server, and one license fewer is available to users who do connect to the server. At the end of the borrowing period, the license automatically returns to the server pool even if the client is not connected to the server. If the user finishes off-network use sooner than planned, the license can be returned early. For user instructions, see Borrowing a Concurrent Network License for Use off Network.

If you have a few users who use the application off network a lot of the time, it might make sense to give them standalone licenses rather than have them participate in the pool of the concurrent licenses. Your Palisade sales manager can help you determine whether a pure concurrent model or a mixed model makes more sense for you.

How do we change out an end user's computer, or upgrade their copy of Windows?

A Concurrent Network has unlimited installs, so usually you can just wipe computers and install the software as often as you want. There's one exception: if the client has borrowed a license, you should return it before wiping or reimaging the end user computer. If you don't, the borrowed license will be unavailable until the end of the borrowing period, but then it will automatically return to the available pool on the server.

What do we have to do when changing or reimaging our server?

Changing Concurrent Network servers is easy and does not require reinstalling the software on the users' workstations. A software setting on each workstation directs it to look to the new server for a license, instead of the old one. Please see Moving Concurrent Network to a New Server for details.

The license terms allow for deactivating a network server license once in any 90 days. You must not reimage a network server while the license is on it, or the license will be lost.

How do we upgrade the end-users to a new version of Palisade software?

With a current subscription, you are entitled to upgrade the application software whenever we release a new version. Depending on the exact nature of the upgrade, this may be as simple as installing the new version over top of the old, or it may be necessary also to download a new set of licenses keyed to the new version. Contact your Palisade sales manager for details.

Where do I find technical documentation?

See Network Guide or Guía para Administradores.

If you have already installed the server software, you can also click Start » Programs » Palisade Network Server » Guide for Administrators. However, the Guide on the Web is updated more frequently, and the online Guía is more complete than the one installed with the server software. (Beginning with 7.5.2, the English-language network guide is no longer installed as part of the server software. Beginning with 7.6.0, the same is also true of the Spanish network guide.)

Last edited: 2021-11-04

1.3. Why Only a Year at a Time? (Network Licenses)

Applies to:
Concurrent Network license certificates
Enterprise Network Activation IDs

Why is my license file or Activation ID only good for a year? I thought I bought a permanent license.

The great majority of our commercial network licenses are indeed perpetual, though we do sell a few for a term of years. But we issue all Concurrent Network certificates (license files) and Enterprise Network Activation IDs for a maximum of a year at a time, to allow for the possibility of planned or unplanned server changes. With an Enterprise Network, this annual "reset" also lets you recover licenses lost during the year when workstations failed or were reimaged without deactivating the software.

How can I tell when my current certificate or Activation ID will expire? What do I have to do to get it renewed? What does it cost?

We include the expiration date in the email when we send you a certificate or Activation ID. You can also see the expiration date in the lower window of Palisade Server Manager, and in plain text in every certificate license file. (If you view the license file in a text editor, be careful not to make any changes, because then the checksum will no longer be correct.)

About a week before expiration—somewhat longer for Enterprise Networks—we contact the server administrator who received last year's license. (You can initiate the contact if you prefer. Please include your serial number in that case.) This lead time allows the new license to be created and installed with no disruption to your users. We'll ask you a couple of things, and we need your prompt answers in order to create the renewal license. Once we have them, we can provide the new license within one business day, usually within an hour or two during our business hours. On your end, installing a new Concurrent License certificate should take under five minutes. (Enterprise Network renewals take longer, because of the need to reactivate the software on every end user's computer.)

There's no charge for these renewals.

See also: Why Only 30 Days? (Concurrent Network Licenses)

Last edited: 2018-08-14

1.4. Why Only 30 Days? (Concurrent Network Licenses)

Applies to:
Concurrent Network license certificates and activatable (trusted storage) licenses

(30-day licenses are not normally issued for Enterprise Networks.)

Why does my license expire in a month? I have a permanent license (or a license for a certain number of years).

The great majority of our commercial network licenses are indeed perpetual, and most of the rest are issued for a term of years. But you will get a 30-day transitional license in certain circumstances, depending on the type of Concurrent Network license you have.

Certificate (license file) licenses:

  • When you're setting up your Concurrent Network on a new server, we issue a 30-day certificate. This gives you time to make sure that it works on the new server, and to migrate end users to the new server if necessary. Once you know everything is working, contact us and we'll issue a production certificate for the same server.
  • When you upgrade major versions, such as 6.x to 7.x, we issue a 30-day license for the old version, combined with a production certificate for the new version. This lets you migrate end users to the new server during the 30 days, with no need to get a new production license from us at the end of the migration period.

Activation IDs for activatable (trusted storage) licenses:

  • When you're moving an existing Concurrent Network on a new server, we can issue a 30-day Activation ID on request. This gives you time to make sure that it works on the new server, and to migrate end users to the new server if necessary. Within the 30 days, you return (deactivate) the old production license and receive a new production license.
  • When you upgrade products, such as @RISK to the DecisionTools Suite or StatTools Professional to StatTools Industrial, you start with a 30-day license. Within the 30 days, you upgrade all the clients and return (deactivate) the old product license, so that we can issue your production license for the new product.
  • When you upgrade major versions, such as 6.x to 7.x, you start with a 30-day license, just like upgrading products.

How can I tell when my current certificate or Activation ID will expire? What does the renewal cost?

We include the expiration date in the email when we send you a certificate or Activation ID. You can also see the expiration date in the lower window of Palisade Server Manager, and in plain text in every certificate license file. (If you view the license file in a text editor, be careful not to make any changes, because then the checksum will no longer be correct.)

If the end of the 30-day period is getting close, and you haven't contacted us, we will normally contact you. We'll ask you a couple of things, and we need your prompt answers in order to create the production license. Once we have them, we can provide the new license within one business day, usually within an hour or two during our business hours. On your end, installing a new Concurrent License certificate should take under five minutes.

There's no charge for the 30-day license, or for replacing it with a production license.

Last edited: 2018-08-14

1.5. Using Components of the Suite on a Concurrent Network

Applies to: The DecisionTools Suite, all releases, when configured as Concurrent Network

We have a Concurrent Network license for the DecisionTools Suite. While I'm using @RISK, can a colleague use StatTools on the same license?

When you run any component of the Suite, you use one concurrency or "seat" for the Suite. That lets you open all the tools of the Suite if you want to: in effect you have reserved use of all the tools in the Suite. A DecisionTools Suite license is for the whole Suite, and it doesn't divide into licenses for individual components of the Suite.

If you have a one-user Concurrent Network license, two people can't use the Suite at the same time, whether they are using the same or different components. If you have a two-user Concurrent Network license, two people can use the Suite at the same time, but they are taking both licenses or "seats" between them, whether they're using the same component or different components.

Additional keywords: Consume a license

Last edited: 2015-10-06

1.6. Overview of 5.x Concurrent Network Licenses

This article relates to pre-2012 network products, but is retained for the benefit of our customers with those older licenses. For current information, please see Overview of 6.x/7.x Network Licenses.

Disponible en Español: Reseña acerca de las licencias de red Concurrentes 5.x

Applies to:
All Palisade concurrent network software, releases 5.x

Questions:
What are the requirements for a network license?  Does it need a wired LAN?  How do users access the license?  What if users need to run off network temporarily?  Can I change servers?  How do I upgrade the application software?

Response:
In a concurrent network, you install the license process on your license server, and then you install the client software on as many user workstations as you wish.  Network licenses are sold by number of simultaneous users.

You activate your licenses, once only, by downloading them from our server to yours. Usually this is done by direct computer-to-computer transfer, but we also offer options via a Web script or email.  Once the licenses have been transferred, there is no further need to communicate with our server.

When a user tries to run the application, it sends a message to your license server, not ours, asking if a license is available.  If a license is available, the server sends a message back to the application giving permission, and the application starts up.  Normally this happens so quickly that users aren't aware of any delay.  If the contracted number of licenses are all in use, the user sees a message that no license is available at this time, and will have to try again later.  (If you find this happens too often, it is easy to add licenses without reinstalling anything.)

Requirements for the license server:

Our network installer will put the FLEXnet 11.4 software in a new folder on your server.  You may already have FLEXnet licenses from other software vendors; there will be no conflict between those licenses and ours.  (You may know FLEXnet by its older name, FLEXlm.)

The server must be an actual Windows-based machine, not a virtual machine and not any sort of Windows emulation. If running a virtual server is a requirement, we may be able to supply a certificate-based license. Please consult your Palisade sales representative about a test license.

Other than that, there are no major requirements because all the server has to do is sit and listen for license requests from the clients. The FLEXnet licensing software runs on the server as a background process, but all the computing takes place on the clients.  The server can do all its other tasks normally, and you should not notice any performance impact from the licensing process.

It's also possible to set things up in a terminal services, Citrix, or thin client configuration, where computing happens on the central server. Please see Citrix and Terminal Services for more.

Requirements for the network:

While a conventional LAN is the most common configuration, it's not a requirement.  We have users running on wider networks, including networks linking the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.  You can set things up so that the client reaches the license server by a simple host name, by a qualified name, or even by an IP address.

Off-network use:

Normally, users' workstations (clients) communicate with your server to get a license dynamically.  But it's also possible to borrow a license for use off network, for example on a laptop while traveling.  The borrowing utility is part of the server install, not the client install, so that you can grant borrowing privileges to selected users.

When a user borrows a license, she selects an expiration date.  During that time, she can run the application without being connected to the license server, and one license fewer is available to users who do connect to the server.  At the end of the borrowing period, the license automatically returns to the server pool even if the client is not connected to the server.  If the user finishes with the off-network use sooner than planned, she can return the license early.

If you have a few users who use the application off network a lot of the time, it might make sense to give them standalone licenses rather than have them participate in the pool of the concurrent licenses.  Your Palisade sales manager can help you determine whether a pure concurrent model or a mixed model makes more sense for you.

Changing servers:

Changing servers is easy and does not require reinstalling the software on the users' workstations. A one-line Registry edit on each workstation directs it to look to the new server for a license, instead of the old one.  Please see Transferring Palisade 5.x Concurrent Network Software to a New Server for full details.

Application upgrades:

If you keep your maintenance contract current, you are entitled to upgrade the application software whenever we release a new version.  Depending on the exact nature of the upgrade, this may be as simple as installing the new version over top of the old, or it may be necessary also to download a new set of licenses keyed to the new version.  There is usually no need to replace the server software.  To begin the upgrade process, please see Upgrading Palisade Software.

Last edited: 2017-09-11

2. Servers (6.x/7.x/8.x)

2.1. After Reset, Can't Load Response File (Network License)

Applies to:
Concurrent Network licenses 6.x/7.x/8.x
Concurrent Network licenses 5.x, if you have Palisade Server Manager installed

Oops! I clicked Reset, and now I can't get back to the Manual Deactivation screen to load the response file.

In this case, you must use a back-door method to finish the deactivation.

  1. Save the deactivation response file to some folder on this server, such as C:\Windows\Temp. (Caution! You need the response file, ResponseDAct.xml, which you received from Palisade, not the request file that you generated locally.)

  2. Launch Palisade Server Manager. Click the magnifying glass at the lower left. The Advanced Options screen will open. On that screen, click Execute.

  3. Enter the command
    -process "C:\WindowsTemp\ResponseDAct.xml"
    including the leading hyphen. (If you used a different folder in step 1, use it here also.)

  4. After a few seconds, a Notepad window will open. If the word SUCCESSFULLY appears near the end of the output, the deactivation is complete. Close Advanced Options and the Notepad window, and click Refresh on the main screen.

  5. If SUCCESSFULLY does not appear, please email Palisade Technical Support, and include these items:

    • Give your software serial number in the text of your email, and a brief description of what you need to accomplish after the license is deactivated.
    • Save the Notepad file with the results of the process command, and attach it to your email.
    • Click the View button, save the new Notepad file that it displays, and attach that to your email also.

Last edited: 2020-04-02

2.2. Clean Uninstall/Reinstall of Server Software

Tambien disponible en Español: Desinstalación / reinstalación limpia del software del servidor

Issue: I've been having some trouble upgrading my Palisade server software to 8.0. Do you have any suggestions?

Though it seems to affect only a small percentage of upgrades, this may be a problem with remains of older versions of FLEXnet. In such cases, a clean install seems to work well. If you're having trouble with the server software upgrade, we recommend uninstalling the old server software, so that 8.0 installs on a clean system. (The same procedure works if you want to uninstall and reinstall 8.0.)

Note: Palisade software uses FLEXnet Publisher for licensing. While FLEXnet versions are generally upward compatible, pre-11.14 server software can't work with post-11.14 client software. All FLEXnet license processes on your server use a common copy of the file FNPLicensingService.exe, which runs as FLEXnet Licensing Service. If you have multiple FLEXnet licensing processes, you should ensure that all are compatible with FNPLicensingService.exe version 11.14.1.2 or newer. If any legacy processes require an older version, you will need to put either them or Palisade on a different server.

  1. If you don't have it already, get the latest Palisade Server Manager installer from Palisade Tech Support. This will work with all versions of client software from 5.0.1 to 8.0, the latest.

  2. Copy the Server.lic and PalisadeNetwork.lic files from
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Palisade\NetServer
    or C:\Program Files\Palisade\NetServer
    to some other location, such as your desktop.

  3. Uninstall Palisade Server Manager in Control Panel » Programs and Features. You may get a prompt about deactivating licenses. Do not deactivate licenses; let them remain activated.

  4. If you have any Palisade end-user applications installed on this server, uninstall them also.

  5. Delete the folder
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Palisade
    or C:\Program Files\Palisade.

  6. Delete the folder
    C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\Macrovision Shared\FLEXnet Publisher
    or C:\Program Files\Common Files\Macrovision Shared\FLEXnet Publisher.

  7. In the System Registry, delete these keys and their subkeys:
    HKLM\Software\WOW6432Node\Palisade
    HKLM\Software\WOW6432Node\FLEXlm License Manager
    HKLM\Software\FLEXlm License Manager (if it exists).
    You may want to export those keys before deleting, just as a precaution.

  8. Install the new Palisade Server Manager.

  9. Before you run Server Manager for the first time, copy the two LIC files from step 2 back to C:\Program Files (x86)\Palisade\NetServer or C:\Program Files\Palisade\NetServer.

  10. Launch Server Manager, and click the Start Service button. You can use the Status button to verify that the service is now running—look for "Palisade UP" in the status display.

  11. If you uninstalled any Palisade end-user applications from this server, reinstall them. They can be any 8.x versions.

Last edited: 2020-04-02

2.3. Operating 6.x/7.x Network Licenses without Server Manager

Applies to: Palisade Concurrent Network and Enterprise Network software, releases 6.x/7.x

Please note: These instruction have been tested successfully both here and at a customer site.  However, our supported configuration is Palisade Server Manager.  If you have difficulties with these instructions, and we can't help you relatively quickly, you may need to use Server Manger as the most efficient route to a solution.

I have numerous network products with FLEXnet licenses, and I manage them all with LMTools or another product.  Can I use that same license manager with the Palisade licenses, or must I use Server Manager?

If you currently have 5.x licenses, and no 6.x or later licenses, please don't use this article but see the attached file, KB543_WithTransitionFromV5.docx.

We strongly recommend Palisade Server Manager for initial setup, creating and configuring the license service. With 7.5.2 or newer, you must install Palisade Server Manager to get the right version of FLEXnet licensing software.  After the install, Palisade Server Manager is optional for all functions except activating or deactivating activatable (Trusted Storage) licenses. Please see Choose Network License Type for the differences between activatable and certificate licenses. If you wish, Palisade Technical Support can exchange an activatable license for a certificate license on request.

Install Palisade Server Manager

This sets up the 7.x Palisade license service, which uses FLEXnet Publisher 11.10. The 7.x service can serve all 5.x–7.x licenses.

  1. Run the server installer, from the link provided by Palisade in your email.

  2. On the "Finish" screen of the installer, there will be a check box to launch Server Manager. Verify that the box contains a check mark, and click Finish.

  3. When Server Manager launches, click Options and configure port number(s) and borrowing. Click OK.

    If you choose to allow borrowing, it will apply only to 6.x/7.x licenses. End user instructions are at Borrowing a Concurrent Network License for Use off Network.

  4. If you have an activatable license, click Activate and follow the instructions on screen to activate it. When prompted to create a Palisade_NetworkClient.ini file, create the file because you will need it for client installs.

  5. If you have a certificate license, click the license in the bottom half of the Server Manager window and then click Create Client.ini. You will need this file for client installs.

  6. Click Start Service. If you wish, click Status to verify that the licenses have been found.

  7. Close Server Manager.

Ongoing License Management with LMTools

From here on, you can use LMTools exclusively for the 6.x/7.x licenses, except when activating or deactivating an activatable license.

  • The Palisade 7.x service name is "Palisade License Service".

  • The license files (Server.lic and PalisadeNetwork.lic) and options file (Palisade.opt) are located in the same folder where you installed Palisade Server Manager. You can rename them, if you wish. If you move the license files, move the Palisade.opt file to the same folder or specify a path on the VENDOR line of Server.lic. After a rename or move, edit the "Palisade License Service" service in LMTools.

  • Port numbers: If you change port numbers, make the same changes in Server.lic and PalisadeNetwork.lic. If you change the lmgrd port number, change it in Palisade_NetworkClient.ini also, for the benefit of any new client installs you may do later.

  • Borrowing: Palisade's vendor daemon reads the Palisade.opt file to determine whether to allow 6.x/7.x network clients to borrow a license for off-network use, and for how long. For any 6.x/7.x feature where you want to disallow borrowing, set MAX_BORROW_HOURS to 0. For any feature where you want to allow borrowing, MAX_BORROW_HOURS must be a multiple of 24, specifically 24×(1+maximum days to borrow). For example, to allow borrowing for up to a week at a time, compute 24×(1+7) = 24×8 = 192 and place that on the MAX_BORROW_HOURS line. MAX_BORROW_HOURS for 5.x features is ignored because your 5.x license does not support borrowing. (This use of MAX_BORROW_HOURS is not standard FLEXnet usage.)

    The borrowing options can be changed while the license service is running. To make the change effective after editing the Palisade.opt file, run LMTools and on the Start/Stop/Reread tab click ReRead License File.

  • The debug log may contain one or more messages "Feature ... does not support borrowing, MAX_BORROW_HOURS ignored". You can ignore this message.

Client Installs

The client installer (link provided to you in email) requires a Palisade_NetworkClient.ini file at install time. The client installer stores information from this file into the System Registry on the client, which will tell the application software how to find your license server.

The Palisade_NetworkClient.ini file doesn't need to change when you install a new certificate license or activate a new activatable license, only when you change servers or port numbers.

Last edited: 2018-10-09

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

Applies to:
All Concurrent Network products, releases 6..0.1–7.5.1

(Concurrent Networks 7.5.2 or newer, and all Enterprise Networks, must use Server Manager for initial setup.)

I have other FLEXnet-licensed products, and I have my own way of managing them. How can I run the Palisade network license without using Palisade Server Manager?

This article explains how we successfully set up a license "by hand". However, we strongly recommend that you use Server Manager for initial setup, even if you intend to use LMTools or your other license manager software for day-to-day operations. Setup will be faster for you and is more likely to be trouble free. That "middle way" is explained in the article Operating 6.x/7.x Network Licenses without Server Manager.

You must install Palisade Server Manager if any of the following are true:

  • If you have Palisade end-user applications installed on this server, for example in a Terminal Services environment.
  • If you want to run 7.5.2 end-user software.
  • If you want to use activatable licenses. (Without Server Manager, you can use only the less flexible certificate type.)
  • If your network type is Enterprise. (Certificate licenses are not available for Enterprise Networks.)
  • If you seek our help with network license problems, and we can't find a non-Server-Manager solution relatively quickly. (Palisade Server Manager includes diagnostic and repair tools.)

Compatibility

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.

Step 1. Program and License Folder Selection

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.

Step 2. System Registry

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.

Step 3. Program and License Files

(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.

Special note: 5.x License

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.)

Step 4. License Service

(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.

Step 5. Palisade_NetworkClient.ini file

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.

Client Installs

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.

Ongoing Operation

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.

Last edited: 2018-10-09

3. Clients (6.x/7.x/8.x)

3.1. Borrowing a Concurrent Network License for Use off Network

Language versions:

Applies to: Palisade Concurrent Network licenses, release 6.x/7.x/8.x
(If you have 5.x software, please see Borrowing a 5.x Concurrent Network License for Use off Network.)

I'm going to be away from the office overnight or for a few days. Can I take my laptop with me and run the software while not connected to my organization's network?

Yes, you can, if your server administrator has enabled borrowing for your network license. Here's the procedure:

  1. While on network, run the software.
    Caution: The software must be running on the laptop that you intend to disconnect from the network. If you borrow a license while running on a Citrix server or via Remote Desktop, Terminal Services, or another remote login, the borrowed license won't work, and you won't even be able to return it before the end of the borrowing period.

  2. Click Help » License Manager.

  3. Verify that the license in use is the one you want to borrow. (Some networks have multiple licenses installed.) If it is not, click the Select License button and select the correct license. After you click OK, License Manager will disappear, so open it again.

  4. Click the Borrow License button. You will be prompted to select a number of days or an end date. The borrow period will end at 11:59 PM (23:59) on that date.  TIP: No one else can use the license while you have it checked out, so specify only as much time as you need, not the maximum you can get.

    Some types of problems require you to contact your server administrator, not Palisade:

    • If you get the message "Borrowing is not allowed for this license", your server administrator has not allowed borrowing.
    • If you ask to borrow for longer than your server administrator allows, License Manager will tell you the allowed duration.
    • If a message says that borrowing failed for an unknown reason, your license server administrator has placed a restriction on who can borrow a license.

    Your server administrator can find information about borrowing options at Step 2: Set Options—Borrowing (7.x)  or Step 2: Set Options—Borrowing (6.x). If your administrator changes borrowing options for you, you must close Excel and reopen the application so that your computer picks up the changed information from the server.

If you reopen License Manager after borrowing a license, it will tell you you're using a borrowed license and when the license will expire. You don't have to do anything: the license will be returned to the pool automatically even if you're not connected to your network.

I don't need the borrowed license any more. Can I return it early, so that others can use it?

If you finish your project or return to the office sooner than expected, you can return the license early. Here's how:

  1. While on network, run the software.

  2. Click Help » License Manager.

  3. Click the Return button.

The license will be returned, but you'll still be able to run the software while on network, as long as a license is available.

Last edited: 2020-04-02

3.2. Who's Using the Network Licenses?

Disponible en español: ¿Quién esta utilizando las licencias de Red?
Disponível em português: Quem está usando as Licenças de Rede?

Applies to: Palisade Concurrent Network products

I tried to run @RISK, and a pop-up tells me all network licenses are in use. I'd like to ask someone to release a license if they're not using it. How can I find out who's using the network licenses at the moment?

That information is not available to the end users, but the server administrators can get it as explained in Monitoring License Use.

By the way, the license is released when you close Excel. The license is also released if you click Utilities » Unload @RISK Add-In, and keep Excel open.

Last edited: 2020-04-02

3.3. Activating a 6.x/7/x Enterprise Network Client License

Applies to: Palisade Enterprise Network clients, release 6.x/7.x

I want to activate a new user on a client (workstation) computer. How do I do that?

If the client is connected to your Enterprise Network server, an install should activate the license automatically. An Internet connection is not needed.  If the activation fails because all licenses are in use, you can free up a license as explained in Deactivating a 6.x/7.x Enterprise Network License.

If you have already installed a trial version, or if all the licenses were in use when you installed the software and now a license is free, please follow the procedure in Changing 7.x Standalone Workstation to Enterprise Client or Changing a 6.x Standalone Copy to an Enterprise Network Client.

Reminder: If you later give this user a new computer, or reassign the software to a different user, you must first deactivate the license on this workstation through License Manager. That returns the license to the pool of available licenses on your server.

Last edited: 2015-08-07

3.4. Deactivating an Enterprise Network Client License

Language versions:

Applies to: Palisade Enterprise Network clients, releases 6.x/7.x

I want to reassign a client (workstation) license to a new user. How do I deactivate a client to free up that license?

If the client is connected to your Enterprise Network server, an uninstall should deactivate the license automatically. An Internet connection is not needed.

If you want to make absolutely sure of the deactivation, or if you want to leave the software installed after deactivation, follow this procedure:

  1. The client must be on network with your server, specifically the server that originally activated this client. There's no need to connect to the Internet.
  2. Run the software and click Help » License Manager.
  3. If the "You are using" license is not the Enterprise Network license, click the Select License button and select it.
  4. When the "You are using" license is the Enterprise Network license, click the Deactivate button.
  5. Make any necessary changes in server name or port number and click Next.
  6. You can now uninstall the Palisade software, if you wish.

Last edited: 2015-08-07

4. Servers (5.x)

4.1. Readme Files for 5.x Network

Applies to:
All Palisade network products, releases 5.x
(If you have release 7.x, please see the 7.x Network Guide.)

Questions:
I need to reinstall my 5.x Palisade network.  Or, I need to install a 5.x network client.  Or, My 5.x users need to borrow a Concurrent Network license for use off network.  What is the procedure?  Where can I find instructions?

Response:
Network license administration has been greatly simplified and made more flexible in Palisade releases 6.0 and later, and we encourage you to upgrade your license if you are eligible.  For those who are not eligible, or not ready to upgrade, the server and client instructions are available in the three documents attached to this note.  Please select from

  • Concurrent Network, Activatable or "Trusted Storage" type
  • Concurrent Network, Certificate Type
  • Enterprise Network

last edited: 2017-02-17

4.2. Network Ports and Firewalls (5.x)

Applies to:
Palisade Concurrent Network software, releases 5.x
(If you have a 6.x network, or you're using Server Manager with a 5.x network, please see the Guide for Administrators.)

Question:
Which ports does Palisade's Concurrent Network software use? How should I set up my firewalls?

Response:
The FLEXnet licensing software uses two TCP/IP ports, called the LMGRD port and the Palisade or vendor daemon port, for communications between client and server. You can allow both of them to be chosen dynamically (the typical setting), or you can specify one or both of them.

To determine which ports the server is using, run LMTools and on the Config Services tab click View Log.  In the log display, look for "(lmgrd) lmgrd tcp-port" and "(lmgrd) palisade using TCP-port".

On the server—LMGRD port:

The LMGRD port is used by the Lmgrd.exe program. All Palisade licenses on a given server share a single LMGRD port. By default, LMGRD chooses an available port in the range 27000 to 27009. However, you can specify an LMGRD port, and if you do then it need not be in the 27000 to 27009 range.

To specify or change an LMGRD port on the server:
  1. Open your license file in Notepad or similar. By default, the license file is in a folder whose name is your serial number, such as C:\Program Files (x86)\FLEXnet\Palisade\5012345. If you have a certificate license, the file name will be of the form SN5012345-20130412.lic; otherwise it will be Server.lic.
  2. Specify the LMGRD port number as a fourth field on the SERVER line of the license file:

    SERVER servername Ethernetaddress lmgrdport

    or

    SERVER servername ANY lmgrdport

  3. Run LMTools, select the Start/Stop/Reread tab, and click Re-read License.
  4. Use Notepad or similar to edit the port information in the Client.ini file, for use with future client installs. (By default, that file is in the ClientInstallers folder under your serial-number folder, such as C:\Program Files (x86)\FLEXnet\Palisade\5012345\ClientInstallers.)
If you specify an LMGRD port on the server, the clients (below) must be set to use the same port. If you don't specify an LMGRD port, the clients must not have an LMGRD port specified.  To make the necessary change on any installed clients, see Redirecting a 5.x/4.x/1.x Concurrent Client to a New Server.

On the server—Palisade port:

The Palisade port (vendor daemon port) is used by the vendor daemon, Palisade.exe. All Palisade licenses on a given server share a single LMGRD port. By default, Windows chooses an available port when the license process starts running; this could be any port, not just 27000 to 27009. In the great majority of cases, this works well. In a very few unusual setups, it may be a problem for an Internet firewall. In that case, you can specify a Palisade port that's not otherwise used on the server and add that port as an exception to the server's firewall.

To specify the Palisade vendor daemon port:

  1. Open your license file in Notepad or similar. By default, the license file is in a folder whose name is your serial number, such as C:\Program Files (x86)\FLEXnet\Palisade\5012345. If you have a certificate license, the file name will be of the form SN5012345-20130412.lic; otherwise it will be Server.lic.
  2. On the VENDOR line, add the port, like this:
    VENDOR palisade PORT=12345
    Save and close the file.
  3. Open LMTools. On the Config Services tab, click once on your Palisade service (whatever name you have given it).
  4. On the Start/Stop/Reread tab, click Stop Server and then Start Server.  Close LMTools.
There is no need to update the clients when you specify or change the Palisade port on the server.

On the server—Firewall settings:

The FLEXnet licensing service is usually able to operate through server firewalls. If your firewall is blocking communications, you can specify both ports by following the above procedures and then unblock those ports in the server firewall. As an alternative, it should be possible to list Lmgrd.exe (Macrovision LMGRD) and Palisade.exe (Palisade Vendor Daemon) as exceptions in the firewall.  You may need to restart Windows after making that change.

On the client—LMGRD port:

The LMGRD port on the clients is used to communicate with the Lmgrd.exe program on the server. If you specify an LMGRD port on the server, the clients must be set to use the same port. If you don't specify an LMGRD port, the clients must not have an LMGRD port specified.

At install time, the client installer reads the Client.ini file to obtain the server name and LMGRD port number.  The installer writes that information to the System Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\FLEXlm License Manager\PALISADE_LICENSE_FILE or HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\FLEXlm License Manager\PALISADE_LICENSE_FILE.  When the end user runs the application, it looks in that System Registry key, not the .ini file, to obtain server information.

To redirect existing clients for a changed LMGRD port on the server, see Redirecting a 5.x/4.x/1.x Concurrent Client to a New Server.

On the client—Palisade port:

The Palisade port (vendor daemon port) on the client is used to communicate with the vendor daemon, Palisade.exe, on the server.  The client licensing software (PalFlexServer5.exe) chooses a port.  This is typically a different port number from the Palisade port number on the server.  There is no way to set the Palisade port number on the client.

On the client—Firewall settings:

The FLEXnet licensing service is usually able to operate through the client's firewall. If your firewall is blocking communications, you can specify the LMGRD port and Palisade vendor daemon port on the server by following the instructions above.  Then follow the directions in Redirecting a 5.x/4.x/1.x Concurrent Client to a New Server to set the LMGRD port on the client.  Finally, in the client's firewall, unblock the LMGRD port as both local and remote port, and unblock the Palisade vendor daemon port as remote port. Since you can't specify the local client port used by the Palisade vendor daemon, you can't unblock it in the client's firewall, but you can add PalFlexServer5.exe as an exception in the client's firewall.

See also: Readme Files for 5.x Network

last edited: 2014-04-07

4.3. Port Number Change for 5.x Concurrent Network

This article has been withdrawn, because it duplicates this one:
Redirecting a 5.x/4.x/1.x Concurrent Client to a New Server.

 

last edited: 2014-04-07

4.4. Palisade Using TCP-Port ... (5.x)

Applies to:
Palisade software releases 5.x
(If you have a 6.x network, or you're using Server Manager with a 5.x network, please see "Port Numbers" in the Guide for Administrators.  The copy at that Web link was updated in May 2013 and contains complete information.)

Question:
The debug log shows two port numbers, an "lmgrd tcp-port" and a "palisade using TCP-port". How do I control these?

Response:
The "lmgrd port" can be specified in Server Manager or on the SERVER line of your license file.  Client and server use the same port number for communication between the license software on the client and the LMGRD program on the server.  For more on this port, please see Port Number Change for 5.x Concurrent Network.

The "Palisade port" or "vendor daemon port" is typically left unspecified.  The Palisade.exe program (the "vendor daemon") chooses a server port number for communications with the client licensing software, and the client licensing software (PalFlexServer5.exe) chooses a client server port for communicating with the Palisade.exe program on the server.  In the great majority of cases, this works well.  In a very few unusual setups, it may be a problem for an Internet firewall. In that case, you can select a port that's not otherwise used on the server and then add that port as an exception to the server's firewall.

Specifying Palisade port (vendor daemon port):

  1. Select your desired TCP-port and open it in the firewall.
  2. Open LMTools. On the Start/Stop/Reread tab, click once on your Palisade service.
  3. Locate your license file. If you're not sure where it is, in LMTools click Config Services to see the license file location. Open the file in Notepad or similar.
  4. On the VENDOR line, add the port, like this:
    VENDOR palisade PORT=12345
    Save and close the file.
  5. In LMTools, on the Start/Stop/Reread tab, click Stop Server and then Start Server.

last edited: 2013-05-09

4.5. Two or More 5.x Network Products on Same Server

Applies to:
All Palisade concurrent network products 5.x
(If you have 6.x, or a mix of 5.x and 6.x, please see Two or More 6.x Network Products on Same Server.)

Question:
I have purchased multiple products with concurrent network licenses. Can I put them on the same server?

Response:
If they are all 5.x releases, the answer is yes.  Either all the licenses must be certificate type, or all must be trusted storage type.

(NOTE: Different editions, such as Industrial and Professional, count as different products. Also, @RISK on its own is a different product from the DecisionTools Suite, even though the Suite includes @RISK.)

Certificate Licenses

(a) Please refer to the document Palisade Concurrent Network (Certificate-Based) ReadMe and perform Server Step 1 for all products.

(b) Perform Server Step 2 for one product only, but when you send you email to Technical Support mention all the serial numbers that you want to authorize on this server, including any that were previously authorized.  (Since the new certificate will supersede any existing certificate, it's important to include all new and old licenses on the same certificate.)

(c) Continue with Server Steps 3 and 4 once only, not once for each product.

(d) Now you should be able to install the desired product on each end user's computer by connecting to the proper ClientInstaller folder. Please see "Client Setup" in the Readme file. If you want an automated install, please see Silent Install of Network Client Software.

Trusted Storage Licenses

(a) Refer to the document Palisade Concurrent Network Readme and complete Server Steps 1 through 5 for one product.  Do not perform the server install for the additional products.

(b) Contact Palisade Technical Support at tech-support@palisade.com to obtain client installers for the additional products.  Please mention all the serial numbers, and identify which one you have already installed.  When you have those client installers, put them in the ClientInstaller folder with the installer for the first product.

(c) For each additional product, extract TransferLicenses.bat and Request.bat from the ZIP file, rename them (perhaps with the serial number, TransferLicenses_serialnumber.bat and Request_serialnumber.bat), and place them in the folder with LMTools.  Use the renamed batch files to download the additional product licenses, just as you did in Server Step 2 for the first product.

(d) Repeat Server Step 3, and palserveractutil -view command will show all product licenses.

(e) The FLEXnet license process you established for the first product will manage all the Palisade licenses. To make this happen, open LMTools, and on the Start/Stop/Reread tab click Reread.

(f) Now you should be able to install the desired product on each end user's computer by connecting to the proper ClientInstaller folder. Please see "Client Setup" in the Readme file. If you want an automated install, please see Silent Install of Network Client Software.

last edited: 2013-02-22

4.6. Setting Maximum Borrowing Period for 5.x Concurrent Network

Applies to:
Palisade Concurrent Network releases 5.x
(If you have 6.x, or a mix of 5.x and 6.x, see the Guide for 6.x Network Administrators..)

Question:
With NLicense, users can borrow for as long as they choose.  For better management of licenses, I'd like to set an upper limit.  Can I do that?

Response:
If you have a certificate-based concurrent license (your license file is named in the form SNnnnnnnn-yyyymmdd.lic), it already has an upper limit, which you specified when we created the license certificate.  This article doesn't apply to certificate-based concurrent licenses.

If you have a trusted-storage concurrent license (license file named Server.lic), we have a technique that will work in most installations.  As always, you should test it before relying on it.

1. Open a command prompt, and use CD commands to get to the folder that contains Server.lic.

2. Use the command "palserveractutil -view" to find the "feature names" of your Palisade license(s).  The feature name is the next "word" (possibly including underscore characters) after the word INCREMENT on one or more lines of the palserveractutil output.   Check the expiration date that appears on an earlier line in the output, and ignore any INCREMENT lines for expired licenses.

3. In the same folder, create a text file called Palisade.opt, in Notepad or similar.  Palisade.opt will need one line for each feature name.  The form is

MAX_BORROW_HOURS  feature_name  number_of_hours

For example, if you have DecisionTools Industrial Edition 5.x, you will have three INCREMENT lines in the palserveractutil output, and therefore three MAX_BORROW_HOURS lines in your Palisade.opt file, like this:

MAX_BORROW_HOURS DecisionTools50_Industrial 160
MAX_BORROW_HOURS @RISK50_Industrial 160
MAX_BORROW_HOURS RISKOptimizer50 160

4. Edit the Server.lic file in Notepad or similar.  Leave the first line unchanged.  On the second line, which begins VENDOR, add a pointer to the options file, so that it looks like this:

VENDOR palisade options="Palisade.opt"

5. Run LMTools, and on the Start/Stop/Reread tab click ReRead License.  You should get a success message on the status line at the bottom of the window.

Now test the limit on a client computer, using NLicense.  NOTE: NLicense works in whole days, even though you specify a maximum borrowing period in hours.  Therefore you should think of the limit as plus or minus one day.  If you specified a limit of 160 hours (six days and a fraction), for example, you should be able to borrow for seven days but not for eight days.  After you test borrowing the license, remember to use NLicense to return it.

Follow-up question:
Can users still borrow for less than the maximum time?  Can they still return a license earlier than planned?

Response:
Yes to both.  They specify borrowing period when they borrow the license, and they are free to set any time less than or equal to the maximum.  The license is automatically returned at the end of the scheduled borrowing period, but if they finish earlier than planned, they can use NLicense to return the license immediately.

last edited: 2013-01-03

4.7. Monitoring License Use on 5.x Concurrent Network

Applies to:  Palisade Concurrent Network releases 5.x
(If you have 6.x, or a mix of 5.x and 6.x, see Monitoring License Use on 6.x Network.)

What sort of reports can I get on how your concurrent network licenses are being used?

There are three different views, which provide slightly different information:

  • At the command line in your serial-number folder, type the command
    palserveractutil -view -long
    The display will show a number on the Hybrid line. This number is the total number of licenses you have, exclusive of any that are currently borrowed. In other words, it is the number currently in the pool for network use, including those in use and those not in use. If you downloaded your licenses in groups or individually, rather than all at once, you will see multiple license records and you'll need to add up the Hybrid numbers. Any borrowed licenses will be shown as "Deduction type: ACTIVATION".

    Example: You have six licenses. Currently one is borrowed and three are in use on the network. The Hybrid: line shows 5, which is the one borrowed license subtracted from your total of six. The borrowed license is shown after the main display; the three on-network users are included in the Hybrid: line but not shown separately.


  • In LMTools, on the Server Status tab, click Perform Status Inquiry. You will see the number of licenses issued and the number in use. The "Issued" number is all licenses including any borrowed licenses, and the In-use number includes both borrowed licenses and those currently being used on network. Below this summary you'll see the user name and machine name for licenses in use on network, and the machine name and borrow date for borrowed licenses. (The borrow date is the date the license was borrowed, not the date it is due to be returned.)

    Exception: Server Status is erased if you stop and restart the server. In that case, the Issued number does not include the licenses that were borrowed before the last server start. As the borrowed licenses are returned, or their borrow-till dates arrive, the Issued number will rise until it matches your license total.

    Example: You have six licenses. Currently one is borrowed and three are in use on the network. Server Status shows 6 issued, with 4 in use (one borrowed plus three in use on the network.) If you now restart the server, Server Status will show Issued: 5 (six .total, less one borrowed before the server start).

    Special note: Starting in spring 2011, we have seen occasional cases where licenses are working but do not show up in Server Status. In such cases, please use method 1 or method 3 to track your licenses.


  • In LMTools, on the Config Services tab, click View Log. You will see the in and out timestamps for each license used on network or borrowed. There are five relevant types of entry
    OUT: user@machine -- user opened the software and is using it on network
    IN: user@machine -- user closed the software
    OUT: ACTIVATED LICENSE(S)@machine: license was borrowed
    IN: ACTIVATED LICENSE(S)@machine: borrowed license was returned
    plus a notation when a user is denied a license because all licenses are in use

    Exception: The debug log is erased if you stop and restart the server. In this case it will not show any previously borrowed licenses, and when the previously borrowed licenses are returned it will not show IN: lines for them. It will show OUT: and IN: lines for licenses borrowed after the latest server start.

All three of these methods require logging on to the server. There is no way for a client computer to check how many licenses are available or in use, or who is using them.

Last edited: 2014-10-14

4.8. Downloading Additional 5.x Network Licenses

Applies to:
All Palisade network products, release 5.x, including course licenses if set up in a client-server configuration.
(If you have a 7.x network license, please see the Network Guide.)

Question:
We already have a network license, and we have purchased an increase in the number of concurrent users. How do we install the additional licenses?

Response:
There's no need to install new software on the server or on the existing clients; all you have to do is download the new licenses. Here's how.

First, you need to know which type of concurrent license you have, certificate based or trusted storage. To find out, either ask Palisade Technical Support or follow this procedure:

  1. Open LMTools and select the Config Services tab.

  2. On that tab, if there are multiple services, select the one that manages your Palisade software. (It will not necessarily be called "Palisade". The network administrator assigns a service name after installing the network software.)

  3. Look in the second fill-in box, "Path to the license file". If the license file name is Server.lic, you have a trusted storage type of license; if it is something in the form of a serial number and date, like SN5034145-20110422.lic, then you have a certificate type.

To download additional trusted storage licenses:

  1. Locate your serial-number folder on the server. Your serial-number folder is the folder where you installed the network server software. By default, it is C:\Program Files\FLEXnet\Palisade\serialnumber or C:\Program Files (x86)\FLEXnet\Palisade\serialnumber. Example: C:\Program Files\FLEXnet\Palisade\5999999. If you can't find it, do a Windows search for folders containing the file Palisade.exe.

  2. In your serial-number folder, make a copy of your TransferLicenses.bat file and edit the copy using Notepad or another plain-text editor. Change the number after the word "hybrid" to the number of additional licenses rather than the total number of licenses. For example, if you now have two concurrencies and you have purchased one more to bring your total up to three, TransferLicenses.bat should contain -hybrid 1 because that is the number of additional licenses.

  3. Run TransferLicenses.bat. (If TransferLicenses.bat doesn't work, copy and edit Request.bat the same way you edited TransferLicenses.bat.  Then proceed as in your Readme file, sending the request file and processing the response file.)

  4. Verify your new license total by using "PalServerActUtil -view" on the command line. You should see two or more entries, and the hybrid count should add up to your new total number of licenses.

  5. Launch LMTools, and on the Start/Stop/Reread tab select the Palisade license service.  (It will not necessarily be called "Palisade". The network administrator assigns a service name after installing the network software.)

  6. Click Re-read. If you wish, you can then run Server Status to verify the new total number of licenses.

To download additional certificate licenses:

  1. Locate your serial-number folder on the server. Your serial-number folder is the folder where you installed the network server software. By default, it is C:\Program Files\FLEXnet\Palisade\serialnumber or C:\Program Files (x86)\FLEXnet\Palisade\serialnumber, such as C:\Program Files\FLEXnet\Palisade\5999999. If you can't find it, do a Windows search for folders containing the file Palisade.exe.

  2. Request a new license certificate file, with the new number of licenses, from Palisade Technical Support. Include your current license file, from your serial-number folder, with your request.
  3. Palisade emails you a new certificate license file. Save it into your serial-number folder on the server, and delete the old certificate license file or move it to a backup location.

  4. Launch LMTools.

  5. On the Config Services tab, select the Palisade license service. (It will not necessarily be called "Palisade". The network administrator assigns a service name after installing the network software.) Edit the new file name into the box "Path to the license file". Click Save Service.

  6. On the Start/Stop/Reread tab, click Re-read.

  7. On the Server Status tab, click Perform Status Inquiry and verify that the new number of licenses appears.

last edited: 2013-02-14

4.9. Deactivating (Returning) 5.x Network Licenses

Disponible en español: Como desactivar (retornar) Licencias de Red 5.x
Disponível em português: Devolvendo Licenças de Rede 5.x

Applies to: Palisade release 5.x Concurrent or Enterprise Network licenses
(To "return" or deactivate 6.x/7.x Concurrent or Enterprise Network licenses, see the 6.3 Network Guide or the 7.0 Network Guide.)

I know that I have to return the licenses from my old server to your server before I can download them on the new server or receive a permanent upgrade to a newer release, but how do I return them?

If you are upgrading this same server to 6.x/7.x, use the Server Manager software to return 5.x licenses, which is much easier than using 5.x server software. If you are installing the 6.x/7.x software on a different server, or you are sticking with 5.x and just transferring it to another server, please follow the second procedure, Returning 5.x licenses using 5.x software.

Returning 5.x licenses using Server Manager 6.x or 7.x:

  1. On the server, click Start » Programs » Palisade Network Server » Server Manager.

  2. Click the Status button and look at the display to ensure that no licenses are currently in use or borrowed (Concurrent Network) or activated (Enterprise Network). If necessary, follow these instructions to return a borrowed Concurrent Network license or deactivate an Enterprise Network client.

  3. Highlight the 5.x license that you want to return, and click Deactivate. Follow the prompts for Manual Deactivation. You must use Manual Deactivation; Automatic Deactivation will not work with 5.x licenses.

  4. Attach the saved request file to an email to Palisade Technical Support.

    This concludes the return procedure, and you can ignore the rest of this article.

Returning 5.x licenses using 5.x software (without Server Manager):

  1. On the old server, open an administrative command prompt. Use the cd command to get to the SN directory. The SN (serial-number) directory is a directory whose name is your serial number, By default, it is a subdirectory under C:\Program Files (x86)\FLEXnet\Palisade or C:\Program Files\FLEXnet\Palisade, so use CD commands to get to the Palisade directory and then to get to the SN directory under it.

    (If you have trouble finding the SN directory, do a Windows search for palserveractutil.exe. The containing folder for that file is your SN folder.)

  2. Then type in the administrative command prompt:

    palserveractutil -view -long

    This displays your licenses in Trusted Storage, and you should be able to find the license that you are trying to return.

    If multiple licenses ("seats") were downloaded in one FID, the FID is associated with that number of licenses and that number will be returned; there is no way to return less than the full number. If a license is currently borrowed or activated from a particular FID block, that FID cannot be returned to our server. Any Concurrent Network borrowed licenses, or Enterprise Network activated licenses, will show as deductions and will prevent the return of that particular network license to Palisade. Any borrowed license must be returned, and any activated Enterprise Network license must be deactivated, before you can deactivate the Activation ID on your server.

  3. If the license shows no deductions, make note of the "FID" string that is displayed, for instance by copy/pasting it into a Notepad document. If you have more than one product or Activation ID, make sure you have the FID for the one that you are trying to return.

    Caution: the letters "FID" are part of the FID string, and it contains a double underscore at one point. If possible, copy/paste the string instead of retyping it.

  4. Run the following command:

    palserveractutil -return FID_xyz -comm flex -gen return.xml

    (In the command, replace "FID_xyz" with the actual string that was displayed by the palserveractutil command above.)

  5. This will generate a file named Return.xml. Send that to Palisade Technical Support with a request to perform the deactivation.

Last edited: 2018-07-28

4.10. Moving 5.x Concurrent Network to a New Server

Disponible en español: Como transferir una licencia Concurrente de Red 5.x a un nuevo servidor
Disponível em português: Transferindo o Software Simultâneo em Rede Versão 5.x da Palisade para um Novo Servidor

Applies to: Palisade release 5.x Concurrent Network licenses without Server Manager
(If you're using Palisade Server Manager to manage your licenses, see Moving 6.x Concurrent Network to a New Server or Moving 7.x Concurrent Network to a New Server.)

I have a Concurrent Network installed for Palisade software release 5.x. How can I change servers?

The answer varies slightly, depending on whether you have an activatable license (also called "trusted storage") or a certificate license. It also depends on whether you want a transitional period when both old and new servers are on line, or you want to perform the transfer as quickly as possible. Certificate license files are usually named in the pattern SN5nnnnnn-yyyymmdd.lic. If you're not sure of your license type, query Palisade Technical Support and include your serial number.

Before you begin any of these methods, you need:

  • Your original network installer. If you can't locate it, ask Palisade Technical Support for help. (Allow at least one business day for replacement of the installer, which is custom work.)
  • Your Readme file, which contains instructions for server install. If you can't locate it, download it. Select the Readme file for Activatable or Certificate according to your license type.

Activatable ("Trusted Storage") Licenses — Transfer with Transitional Period:

If you have an activatable license and you want a faster method, or if you don't have a current maintenance contract, please see "Faster Method of Transfer", below.

A. Use your original installer to install the software on the new server. (See Server Step 1 in the Readme file.)

B. Contact Palisade Technical Support with your serial number and request a transitional license. Please do this when you're actually ready to start transitioning the clients, so that the license doesn't run out before you've finished the transition.

C. Edit that temporary Activation ID into the TransferLicenses.bat and Request.bat files, and perform Server Steps 2–5 in the Readme file. This will activate the transitional license on the new server.

D. Redirect the client (workstation) computers to look to the new server for licensing. You could reinstall all the clients from the Client Installer folder in the new server, but it is much easier simply to edit the System Registry. Please see details in Redirecting a 5.x/4.x/1.x Concurrent Client to a New Server.

E. You do not need a new permanent license. Deactivate the licenses on your old server, according to the procedure in Deactivating (Returning) 5.x Network Licenses. Edit the old permanent Activation ID into TransferLicenses.bat and Request.bat on the new server, and perform Server Steps 2 and 3 to activate the permanent license on the new server. In LMTools, on the Start/Stop/Reread tab, click Re-read license.

Activatable ("Trusted Storage") Licenses — Faster Method of Transfer:

The fewer end users you have, the faster you'll be able to redirect them to the new server, and the more attractive this alternative becomes.

A. Deactivate the licenses on your old server, according to the procedure in Deactivating (Returning) 5.x Network Licenses.

B. You do not need a new permanent license. Use your original installer, and the Activation ID you just deactivated on the old server, to install and activate the software on the new server. (See Server Steps 1–5 in the Readme file.)

C. Redirect the client (workstation) computers to look to the new server for licensing. You could reinstall all the clients from the Client Installer folder in the new server, but it is much easier simply to edit the System Registry. Please see details in Redirecting a 5.x/4.x/1.x Concurrent Client to a New Server.

Certificate Licenses — Transfer Procedure:

A. Follow Server Steps 1–4 in your Readme file. This will install the license process with a 30-day transitional or test license.

B. Redirect the client (workstation) computers to look to the new server for licensing. You could reinstall all the clients from the Client Installer folder in the new server, but it is much easier simply to edit the System Registry. Please see details in Redirecting a 5.x/4.x/1.x Concurrent Client to a New Server.

C. After you verify that everything is working, contact Palisade Technical Support for a production license certificate on the new server.

With certificate licenses, there is no special procedure for decommissioning the old server. You will want to stop the license process (Start/Stop/Reread tab in LMTools), but if you're planning to wipe the old server then even that's not necessary.

Last edited: 2016-02-25

4.11. Moving 5.x Enterprise Network to a New Server

Applies to:
Palisade release 5.x Enterprise Network licenses
(If you have a 6.x Enterprise Network, see "How do I move an Enterprise Network to another server?" in the Guide for Administrators.)

Question:
I have an Enterprise Network installed for Palisade software release 5.x.  How can I change servers?

Procedure:
A. Use your original installer to install the software on the new server. Follow Server Step 1 in the Readme file, up to but not including "Transfer Licenses from Palisade Server".

B.  Return licenses from the workstations to the old server. To so this, on each workstation run NLicense. Select the license in the "client licenses in use" box, and click Return License.

C. Return licenses from your old server to our server, according to the procedure in Returning 5.x Network Licenses.

D. Download licenses from our server to the new server. (See Server Steps 2 through 5 in the Readme file that comes with the server install.)

E. Activate the workstations from the new server. (See "License Activation" in the Readme file that comes with the server install.)

last edited: 2013-05-09

5. Clients (5.x)

5.1. Silent Install of 5.x Concurrent Network Client

Applies to:
5.x client installers
(If installing a 6.x network client, please see Silent Install of 6.x Network Client.)

Beginning with release 5.0, we use Microsoft's Windows Installer (.MSI format) with an InstallShield wrapper for the .EXE, and you should not have to script at all. Pertinent properties have been made public so that you can pass them through the installer command line.  Caution: Since environments tend to be different and testing cannot encompass all environments, we strongly encourage testing before any major roll out.  Please see later in this article for two potential problems.

For The DecisionTools Suite, a silent install will install all components. We do not offer a command-line property to install only selected components.

Concurrent network version silent install for client:
To install any version 5.x concurrent network version on a client computer, use this command, which must be all on one line:

(installer program name).exe /s
/v"SERIAL=(your serial number)
COMPANYNAME=\"(your company name)\"
ACTIVATIONID=(your activation ID)
SERVERNAME=(portnumber)@(your server name) /qn"

You should copy and paste the port number (if specified) and server name from the CLIENT.INI file; just remember to prefix quotes with a backslash \ as shown above in the COMPANYNAME property. Don't type the parentheses ( ) in the command line.

Example:

setup.exe /s /v"SERIAL=5999999 COMPANYNAME=\"Palisade Corp.\" ACTIVATIONID=40-5999999-AB12XY-P17 SERVERNAME=27002@MGS14 /qn"

Alternatively, if you have the CLIENT.INI file in the same location as the installer, you can use this simplified command form and the installer will read the parameter values from the CLIENT.INI file:

(installer program name).exe /s /v"/qn"

Variation (passive install):
For either of the above commands, if you want a progress bar rather than a completely silent install, /qb instead of /qn will do that.  If you make it /qb+ rather than /qn, you get a progress bar during install and a modal dialog at the end to announce that installation was successful.

Variation (no desktop icons):
The attended install has a checkbox for putting shortcuts on the desktop.  To suppress those desktop shortcuts (equivalent to removing the check mark from the box), add the DTOPSHORTCUTS=0 parameter inside the quotes.  For example, here's a specimen install:

setup.exe /s /v"DTOPSHORTCUTS=0 SERIAL=5999999 COMPANYNAME=\"Palisade Corp.\" ACTIVATIONID=40-5999999-AB12XY-P17 SERVERNAME=27002@MGS14 /qn"

Problems?
See Problems in Silent Install.

last edited: 2013-01-03

5.2. Specifying One or More 5.x License Servers

Applies to:
All Palisade Concurrent Network software, releases 5.x

Question 1:
How do I tell the client machine where to find the Palisade FLEXnet license server?

Answer:
If you install the client from the ClientInstaller folder then it will pick up the server location automatically. If that was not done, either repeat the install, this time from that folder, or edit the System Registry as explained in Redirecting 5.x Network Clients to a New Server. (In 6.x clients, you can also import the Client.ini file through License Manager.)

Question 2:
I have licenses on more than one server. I would like a particular user to get a license from SERVER1, but it it's not available then I want her to get a license from SERVER2. Can this be done?
 
Answer:
Yes. Use any of the methods above, and specify @SERVER1;@SERVER2 as the license file location.  This provides what one user has called an "automatic failover".
 
Caution: This does not apply to redundant three-server setups. Consult your Licensing End User Guide for setting up redundant servers.

last edited: 2012-10-01

5.3. Borrowing a 5.x Concurrent Network License for Use off Network

Applies to:
Palisade Concurrent Network software releases 5.x
(If you have a 6.x release, please see Borrowing a 6.x Concurrent Network License for Use off Network.)

Question:
I'm going to be away from the office overnight or for a few days. Can I take my laptop with me and run the software while not connected to my organization's network?

Response:
Yes, if your license type allows it and system administrator enables it. 

License type: Palisade offers two types of Concurrent Network license for 5.x, activatable and certificate.  To determine which license type you have, look in the serial-number folder on the server.  If the license file's name has the format SNnnnnnnn-yyyymmdd.LIC, it is a certificate license; otherwise you have an activatable license.  Activatable licenses all support borrowing.  With a certificate license, support for borrowing must be added to the license by Palisade at the time the certificate is created; this is done only by request.

Administrator action: Palisade provides a standalone utility for borrowing and returning 5.x network licenses.  The utility is placed in the serial-number folder on the server during server install; it is not installed on end users' computers by default.  System administrators decide whether to distribute this utility.

To borrow a license if your Concurrent Network is the activatable type:

  1. With Excel closed, copy NLICENSE from the license server to the Palisade system folder on the end user's computer. Usually this folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\Palisade\System or C:\Program Files\Palisade\System. NLICENSE will not work in any other location, and it will not display an error message.
  2. Verify that the end user's computer can reach the license server on your network.
  3. Launch NLICENSE by double-clicking it.
  4. In the "Borrow License" box, click on the license you wish to borrow, specify the expiration date, and click "Borrow License".
  • Once a license has been borrowed and placed on a client computer, the software will run on that computer whether or not it is connected to the license server.  On the expiration date, the software on the client computer will no longer function, and the borrowed license will be returned to the server.  This occurs whether or not the client computer is connected with the license server.
  • A borrowed license may be returned early by using NLICENSE, if the Concurrent Network license is an activatable type.  The client computer must be connected to the license server to return a license before the expiration date.

To borrow a license if your Concurrent Network is the certificate type:

  1. With Excel closed, copy the LMUTIL.EXE file from the license server into the Palisade system folder on the end user's computer. Usually this folder is C:\Program Files (x86)\Palisade\System or C:\Program Files\Palisade\System.
  2. Open a command prompt (sometimes called a "DOS window") and issue these commands:
    cd "c:\program files\palisade\system"
    (Substitute the correct path of the Palisade system folder.)
    lmutil lmborrow palisade dd-mmm-yyyy
    where dd-mmm-yyyy is the desired return date of the borrowed license (for example, 15-jun-2011).  The date cannot be in any other format.
  3. Launch the Palisade software.  If a network license is available, it will be borrowed and placed onto the client computer.  Exit Excel.
  4. Verify that the setting is correct by issuing this command:
    lmutil lmborrow -status
    (Entries may appear in duplicate.  Please disregard the duplicates.)
  5. If you wish, verify the license has been borrowed by disconnecting the client computer from the network and launching the Palisade software.
  • The license is placed in an encrypted area of the end user's hard drive.  While the license is borrowed, it is critical that you not wipe or reimage the computer or perform similar modification of the hard drive.
  • Once a license has been borrowed and placed on a client computer, the software will run on that computer whether or not it is connected to the license server.  On the expiration date, the software on the client computer will no longer function, and the borrowed license will be returned to the server.  This occurs whether or not the client computer is connected with the license server.
  • A borrowed license may not be returned early when the Concurrent Network license is a certificate type.



last edited: 2013-06-25

5.4. Redirecting a 5.x/4.x/1.x Concurrent Client to a New Server

Disponible en español: Como Redireccionar una computadora Cliente 5.x/4.x/1.x a un nuevo servidor
Disponível em português: Redirecionando Clientes da Rede para um Novo Servidor

Applies to:
Palisade concurrent network software releases 5.x (all)
Palisade concurrent network software releases 1.x, 4.x (FLEXnet variety only)
(If you have a 6.x network, see "How do I change port numbers or server name on existing Concurrent Network clients?" in the Guide for Administrators.)

Question:
I have changed my server name.  How can I redirect the installed clients without having to reinstall the software?

Response:
There is no need to reinstall the client software. All that is required is a single edit in the System Registry.

  1. Make sure Excel is not running, then run REGEDIT.

  2. Navigate to this key:
    In 32-bit Windows, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\FLEXlm License Manager
    In 64-bit Windows, HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432Node\FLEXlm License Manager

  3. In the right-hand panel, you will see a value called PALISADE_LICENSE_FILE. (If you don't, create it as a new string value.) It contains a port number, an at sign (@), and a server name; the port number may be omitted. Change the server name, and change the port number if necessary.  Important: The port number occurs on the client in this System Registry key, and on the server in the license file.  The two settings must match, or the client will not be able to get a license; if the port is unspecified on the server then it must not be specified on the client.  See Network Ports and Firewalls (5.x).

    (If you have not yet transferred the license to the new server, you can specify both the new server and the old server. That makes it less critical to synchronize the client change with the server change. To specify multiple servers, separate them with a semicolon, like this: 27000@newserver;27000@oldserver .)

  4. Close REGEDIT.

In the future, when your Palisade software runs on this client computer it will look to the new server for its license.

If you have many clients to update, you may wish to include this change in a .REG file and then simply run the file on each client. Use this format for your .REG file, but alter the server name and if necessary the port number:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FLEXlm License Manager]
"PALISADE_LICENSE_FILE"="27000@newserver"

Additional keywords: port number change

last edited: 2017-01-06

5.5. Changing a 5.x Concurrent Client to a Standalone License

Applies to:
All Palisade network software, release 5.x
(For 6.x network software, see Changing a 6.x Concurrent Client to a Standalone License.)

Question:
We have a concurrent network license, and we want to give one user an independent (standalone) license but keep the other users on the network license.  Can this be done?

Response:
Yes, with one caution: If you have multiple Palisade products on a given workstation, they must be either all standalone or all network licenses; you can't mix standalone and network Palisade software on one workstation.

Please follow this procedure to change a network license to standalone for just one user:

1. Contact your Palisade sales representative to purchase the standalone license.

2. On the client workstation, use Control Panel » Programs and Features (or Add or Remove Programs) to uninstall the Palisade software.

3. Open Regedit and delete this key in the System Registry:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\FLEXlm License Manager\PALISADE_LICENSE_FILE
Or in 64-bit Windows delete this key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\WOW6432node\FLEXlm License Manager\PALISADE_LICENSE_FILE

4. Install the new standalone software.

last edited: 2013-01-03

5.6. Silent Install of 5.x Enterprise Network Client

Applies to:
5.x client installers
(If installing a 6.x network client, please see Silent Install of 6.x Network Client.)

Question:
How can I script release 5.x @RISK, The DecisionTools Suite, or other 5.x versions of Palisade software for a silent or unattended install?

Solution:
Beginning with release 5.0, we use Microsoft's Windows Installer (.MSI format) via InstallShield wrapper (for the .EXE), and you should not have to script at all. Pertinent properties have been made public so you can pass them through the installer command line. Caution: Since environments tend to be different and testing cannot encompass all environments, we strongly encourage testing before any major roll out. Please see later in this article for two potential problems.

For The DecisionTools Suite 5.x, a silent install will install all components. We do not offer a command-line property to install only selected components.

To install a 5.x network version on an individual user's computer, make sure that the CLIENT.INI file is in the same folder as the installer, then execute this command:

(installer program name).exe /s /v"/qn"

It is not possible to pre-activate the individual user's computer.  To activate, use the NLicense utility as described in the network installer's Readme file.

Variation (passive install):

For any of the above commands, if you want a progress bar rather than a completely silent install, /qb instead of /qn will do that. If you make it /qb+ rather than /qn, you get a progress bar during install and a modal dialog at the end to announce that installation was successful.

Variation (no desktop icons):

The attended install has a checkbox for putting shortcuts on the desktop. To suppress those desktop shortcuts (equivalent to removing the check mark from the box), add the DTOPSHORTCUTS=0 parameter inside the quotes. For example, here's a specimen standalone install:

setup.exe /s /v"DTOPSHORTCUTS=0 /qr"

Problems?
See Problems in Silent Install.

last edited: 2013-01-03

5.7. Activating a 5.x Enterprise Network Client

Applies to:
Palisade Enterprise Network clients, release 5.x
(If you have a 6.x Enterprise Network, see Activating a 6.x Enterprise Network License.)

Question:
I want to activate a client (workstation) license for a new user. How do I do that?

Response:
The client must be on network with your server, specifically the server that originally activated this client. There's no need to connect to the Internet.

  1. If Excel is running, close all instances.

  2. Locate the NLicense program in the Palisade System folder. (This is usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Palisade\System or C:\Program Files\Palisade\System.) NLicense is not automatically part of the client install, so if it's not there you will need to copy it to this specific folder from the serial-number folder on the server.

  3. Double-click NLicense.

  4. Select or enter your local server in the "Network License Server(s)" box.

  5. Select or enter the license you wish to activate in the "Borrow License" box.

  6. Set the end date for the activation period. On the date specified, the license will automatically be returned to your Enterprise Network server and will be unavailable on the client workstation.

  7. Click the Borrow License button.

last edited: 2013-01-03

5.8. Deactivating a 5.x Enterprise Network Client

Applies to:
Palisade Enterprise Network clients, release 5.x
(If you have a 6.x Enterprise Network, see Deactivating a 6.x Enterprise Network License.)

Question:
I want to reassign a client (workstation) license to a new user, or I want to return the 5.x Enterprise Network license while upgrading to 6.x. How do I deactivate a client?

Response:
The client must be on network with your server, specifically the server that originally activated this client. There's no need to connect to the Internet.

  1. If Excel is running, close all instances.

  2. Locate the NLicense program in the Palisade System folder. (This is usually C:\Program Files (x86)\Palisade\System or C:\Program Files\Palisade\System.)
    Double-click NLicense.

  3. In the "Client Licenses in Use" box, select the license that you want to deactivate.

  4. Click the Return License button.

  5. You can now uninstall the Palisade software, if you wish.

last edited: 2013-02-21

6. 1.x and 4.x Networks

6.1. Readme Files for 4.x or 1.x Network

Applies to:
@RISK for Project Concurrent Network, releases 4.x
@RISK for Excel Concurrent Network, releases 4.x
Evolver Concurrent Network, releases 4.x
NeuralTools Concurrent network, releases 1.x
PrecisionTree Concurrent Network, releases 1.x
StatTools Concurrent Network, releases 1.x
(If you have release 6.x, please see Guide for 6.x Network Administrators.  If you have release 5.x, please see Readme Files for 5.x Network.)

Questions:
I need to reinstall my 1.x/4.x Palisade network.  Or, I need to install a 1.x/4.x network client.  Where can I find instructions?

Response:
Network license administration has been greatly simplified and made more flexible beginning with release 6.0, and we encourage you to upgrade your license if you are eligible.  For those who are not eligible, or not ready to upgrade, the 1.x/4.x server and client instructions are available in the documents attached to this note.  You will need to know which type of license you have, to select the appropriate document:

  • 4x_PalisadeWithFLEX.zip for those with FLEXlm-based licenses.  This type has dedicated server software and a license certificate file.
  • 4x_PalisadeConcurrent_Readme.rtf for those with Palisade Concurrent licenses.  This type installs on clients with a serial number and key code.  There is no central server.  Instead, a network share is used to keep track of licenses.

last edited: 2013-07-30

6.2. Specifying One or More 1.x/4.x License Servers

Applies to:
All Palisade Concurrent Network 1.x and 4.x software licensed with the FLEXnet licensing system

Question 1:
How do I tell the client machine where to find the Palisade FLEXnet license server?

Answer:
You can enter the license file location on each client machine in any of three ways:

  • The first time the software runs on a given client machine, the software will prompt for a license server location unless you have already set it up with method (2) or (3). Enter the server name preceded by an at sign, such as @J34BETA. Don't use quotes.

  • To prevent the prompt, you can pre-load the same information in the registry key

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\FLEXlm License Manager

    or

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\FLEXlm License Manager

    Create a string value with the name

    PALISADE_LICENSE_FILE

    and specify the server location in the form @J34BETA.

  • If you prefer not to edit the Registry but still want to avoid the prompt at run time, create a system-level or user-level environment variable called
              PALISADE_LICENSE_FILE
    and give it a value equal to the server location, again in the form @J34BETA.

 
Question 2:
I have licenses on more than one server. I would like a particular user to get a license from SERVER1, but it it's not available then I want her to get a license from SERVER2. Can this be done?
 
Answer:
Yes. Use any of the methods above, and specify @SERVER1;@SERVER2 as the license file location.  This provides what one user has called an "automatic failover".
 
Caution: This does not apply to redundant three-server setups. Consult your Licensing End User Guide for setting up redundant servers.
 
Caution: This "automatic failover" is recommended for floating licenses only. If you have a named-user or named-computer license, you would have to name the user or computer on both servers. But the PALISADE.OPT file can't contain more entries than the number of licenses for that particular machine, so in effect you're giving up one license all the time to provide capacity for the contingency. This is not a problem for floating licenses, which are only reserved when a user actually begins using the software.

last edited: 2012-10-01

6.3. Specifying Named Users in 1.x/4.x Concurrent Network

Applies to:
All Palisade products 1.x and 4.x licensed with FLEXlm or FLEXnet
(Named users are not supported in 5.x/6.x networks or in non-FLEX 1.x/4.x networks.)

Question 1:
How do I specify named users for my Palisade software with FLEXnet?

Answer:
To set up the named users, create a plain text file called PALISADE.OPT on the server, in the same folder as the .LIC file.  This .OPT file is plain text, and can be created with any plain-text editor such as Notepad. (If you use a word processor like Microsoft Word, make sure to Save As text.)

The simplest PALISADE.OPT file contains a series of INCLUDEALL commands such as

INCLUDEALL USER JHUBER
INCLUDEALL USER AMENDEZ

(for user names JHUBER and AMENDEZ). The INCLUDEALL commands let the named users run all Palisade software mentioned in the license file on that server.

If you have licenses for multiple products, and you want some users to be able to use some products but not others, enter INCLUDE commands for those users rather than INCLUDEALL commands. (You can mix INCLUDE and INCLUDEALL commands for different users.) For details of the INCLUDE command, please see Chapter 5 of the LicensingEndUserGuide PDF that came with the FLEX installer.

Caution: Don't list more users for any license than the licensed number of users. If you do, FLEXnet will appear to accept the file but in fact no one will be able to use the license.  If you're not sure how many users are allowed, open the license file, and on the INCREMENT line(s) look for the word USER_BASED.  The number immediately before that word is the number of licensed named users.

Question 2:
Can I replace named users?

Answer:
Yes, you can. Edit a copy of the PALISADE.OPT file, checking carefully to make sure that you have spelled the new user's name correctly and that you don't list more users than permitted by the license.  Then replace the old PALISADE.OPT file with the edited copy, run LMTOOLS, and do a reread.

For security reasons, the new list of users will not be effective immediately. Plan ahead and update your list of users a day in advance to allow time for the change to take effect.

last edited: 2012-06-11

7. Upgrades

7.1. Upgrading to Version 8: Concurrent Network 5.x/6.x/7.x

Disponible en español: Actualización a Versión 8: Licencias Concurrentes de Red 5.x/6.x/7.x

Applies to:
Palisade software releases 5.x/6.x/7.x, Concurrent Network licenses.

(For upgrades from other releases or license types, please see Upgrading Palisade Software.)

In general, you can upgrade for free if you have current maintenance. If your maintenance contract has lapsed, please contact your Palisade sales manager for upgrade pricing. 

Note: Upgrades to version 8.x are offered through a subscription model only, we no longer offer perpetual licenses for version 8.x, for more information please contact your sales representative.

Please select the right instructions below for your license type. If you have Palisade Server Manager, the license display tells you your license type. If you don't have Server Manager, contact Palisade Tech Support with your serial number, and they can tell you your license type.

Upgrading Certificate-Based
Concurrent Networks
Upgrading Activatable
Concurrent Networks
A transition period will let clients run the old and new software, by means of a short-term 8.x license in addition to the existing production 5.x/6.x/7.x license. (Server Manager 8.x can manage 5.x–8.x licenses.)

(1) Contact your Palisade sales office to request the upgrade. It will help if you have your software serial number handy.

(2) Within a day or two, you will receive an email containing a new Activation ID and links to download the server and client software.

(3) Follow the Server Setup procedure in the Network Guide to install the 8.x server software and get the license certificate. The certificate will include a short-term 8.x license in addition to your original 5.x/6.x/7.x license. That short-term 8.x license is good for 30 days from the date you receive it, so don't ask for it until you're ready to start upgrading the clients.

(4) Install the 8.x client software on each client computer. For more detailed instructions, see Concurrent Network Client Setup.
The 5.x/6.x/7.x client software can be uninstalled first, or left installed. If 5.x/6.x/7.x is left installed, then clients can continue to run the old version during the transition period. The old and new versions won't interfere with each other, provided they are not run at the same time, not even in different instances of Excel.

(5) If you have any Palisade software versions 7.x or older as active add-ins in Excel, remove them. Click File » Options » Add-Ins. At the bottom of the right-hand panel, click Go. Remove the tick marks for the old versions, and click OK. Add-ins are a per-user option, so this change needs to be made under the end user's profile. Our software does not need to be an active add-in, unless you want it to start every time Excel starts; see Opening Palisade Software Automatically Whenever Excel Opens.

(6) When all clients have been upgraded, or when the transition period expires, contact Palisade Technical Support for a production license for 8.x.

(7, optional) On the clients, uninstall the 5.x/6.x/7.x software, or at least remove the 5.x/6.x/7.x shortcuts from the Palisade DecisionTools group in the Windows Start Menu.

A transition period will let clients run the old and new software, by means of a short-term 8.x license in addition to the existing production 5.x/6.x/7.x license. (Server Manager 8.x can manage 5.x–8.x licenses.)

(1) Contact your Palisade sales office to request the upgrade. It will help if you have your software serial number handy.

(2) Within a day or two, you will receive an email containing a new Activation ID and links to download the server and client software.

(3) Follow the Server Setup procedure in the Network Guide to install the 8.x server software and activate the short-term 8.x Activation ID.
The short-term license is good for 30 days from the date you activate it, so don't activate it until you're ready to start upgrading the clients.

(4) Install the 8.x client software on each client computer. For more detailed instructions, see Concurrent Network Client Setup.
The 5.x/6.x/7.x client software can be uninstalled first, or left installed. If 5.x/6.x/7.x is left installed, then clients can continue to run the old version during the transition period. The old and new versions won't interfere with each other, provided they are not run at the same time, not even in different instances of Excel.

(5) If you have any Palisade software versions 7.x or older as active add-ins in Excel, remove them. Click File » Options » Add-Ins. At the bottom of the right-hand panel, click Go. Remove the tick marks for the old versions, and click OK. Add-ins are a per-user option, so this change needs to be made under the end user's profile. Our software does not need to be an active add-in, unless you want it to start every time Excel starts; see Opening Palisade Software Automatically Whenever Excel Opens.

(6) When all clients have been upgraded, deactivate the permanent 5.x/6.x/7.x Concurrent Network license. To do this, open Server Manager, select the 5.x/6.x/7.x license, and click Deactivate. For more detailed instructions, see Deactivating a Network License.
(Exception: If you're upgrading directly from 5.x to 8.x, and your 8.x license is on a new server, see Returning 5.x Network Licenses.)

(7) Contact Palisade Technical Support for a permanent 8.x Concurrent Network Activation ID, and activate it on your server. For detailed instructions, see Activate Network License.

(8, optional) On the clients, uninstall the 5.x/6.x/7.x software, or at least remove the 5.x/6.x/7.x shortcuts from the Palisade DecisionTools group in the Windows Start Menu.

After I deactivate the license, if I have missed upgrading any clients, will they be able to use the 8.x license?

No, they will be unable to run until you upgrade them. 5.x/6.x/7.x software can't run with 8.x licenses, and 8.x software can't run with 5.x/6.x/7.x licenses.

Last edited: 2021-03-15

7.2. Upgrading to Version 8: Concurrent Network 1.x /4.x

Disponible en español: Actualización a la Versión 7: Licencias Concurrentes de Red 1.x/4.x
Disponível em português: Atualizando para Versão 7: Rede Concorrente 1.x/4.x

Applies to:
Palisade software releases 1.x or 4.x, Concurrent Network licenses.

(For upgrades from other releases or license types, please see Upgrading Palisade Software.)

In general, you can upgrade for free if you have current maintenance. If your maintenance contract has lapsed, please contact your Palisade sales manager for upgrade pricing.

There are two types of 1.x/4.x Concurrent networks: the FLEX type and the Palisade Concurrent. The FLEX network is a certificate type administered through LMTools, and the Palisade Concurrent works through a network share. If you're not sure which type you have, Palisade Technical Support can look it up from your serial number.

Caution: A 5.x–8.x Concurrent Network cannot be on the same server as a 1.x or 4.x FLEX network. To upgrade a 1.x/4.x FLEX network to 8.x, you must either uninstall the 1.x/4.x network on the server and then install the 8.x network, or use a different server for 8.x.  Both options are shown below.

Upgrade procedure for FLEX Networks (if removing 1.x or 4.x):

This is the simpler option when upgrading a FLEX network for Palisade software releases 1.x or 4.x.

  1. Contact your Palisade sales manager to request the upgrade. It will help if you have your software serial number handy.

  2. Within a day or two, you will receive an email containing an Activation ID and links to download the server and client software.

  3. Uninstall the 1.x or 4.x software on the server.

  4. Follow the Server Setup procedure in the Network Guide. This includes installing the server software and either activating the license or obtaining a license certificate.

  5. On each client, uninstall the 1.x or 4.x client software and then install the 8.x client software. (The Client Setup section in the Network Guide explains how to install the 8.x clients.)

Upgrade procedure for FLEX Networks (if keeping 1.x or 4.x):

If you want to keep your 1.x or 4.x network side by side with the new 8.x network until the old certificate expires, you can do this but you must use a different server for 8.x. A given client can have both the old and the new software installed.

  1. Contact your Palisade sales manager to request the upgrade. It will help if you have your software serial number handy.

  2. Within a day or two, you will receive an email containing an Activation ID and links to download the server and client software.

  3. Select a new server for the 8.x server software. Follow the Server Setup procedure in the Network Guide. This includes installing the server software and either activating the license or obtaining a license certificate.

  4. Install the 8.x client software on each client computer. (The Client Setup section in the Network Guide explains how to install the 8.x clients.)

    Caution: Though 1.x/4.x can coexist with 8.x on a given client, they cannot run at the same time, not even in different instances of Excel.

  5. (optional) After the old certificate expires, you can uninstall the 1.x/4.x software from the clients.

    Note: There's a slight possibility that uninstalling 1.x/4.x after installing 8.x may disrupt the newer software. If you see any anomalies, please fix them by performing a Repair of Palisade Software.

Upgrade procedure for 1.x/4.x Palisade Networks (non-FLEX):

  1. Contact your Palisade sales manager to request the upgrade. It will help if you have your software serial number handy.

  2. Within a day or two, you will receive an email containing a new Activation ID and links to download the server and client software.

  3. Follow the Server Setup procedure in the Network Guide. This includes installing the server software and either activating the license or obtaining a license certificate.

  4. On each client, uninstall the 1.x or 4.x software if you wish, and then install the 8.x client software. (The Client Setup section in the Network Guide explains how to install the 8.x clients.)

    Caution: Though 1.x/4.x can coexist with 8.x on a given client, they cannot run at the same time, not even in different instances of Excel.

  5. After all clients have been upgraded, if you uninstalled the 1.x/4.x client software you can then remove the network share from the server.

Last edited: 2020-03-26

7.3. Renewing a Course License (7.x → 7.x)

Applies to: The DecisionTools Suite 7.x, course licenses
(If your course license last year was 6.x, see Renewing a Course License 6.x → 7.x.)

We have a current 7.x course license, deployed as client-server, option 1. We have just purchased a renewal, which is also 7.x. Do we really have to reinstall everything?

On the server, all you have to do is activate the new license. Run the existing Palisade Server Manager, click Activate, and enter the Activation ID and number of users from the email you received with your license renewal information. It is not necessary to reinstall Server Manager.

On the clients, if the old and new three-digit versions are the same then you don't have to do anything at all. If the new three-digit version is newer than the old one, don't uninstall anything but simply install the new client over the old one. During install, you'll need the Palisade_NetworkClient.ini file in the same folder as the installer. For more details, see Concurrent Network Client Setup (7.x).

It's perfectly okay to create a master image of a client and clone it to all the computers in your lab.

What if we deployed last year's 7.x license as independent workstations, option 2? What must we do for the renewal?

Are these independent workstations on campus, in computer labs and classrooms? If so, you'll save yourself work in the long run by converting them to the client-server deployment. Most schools are provided with both an independent-workstation license and a client-server license. To convert from the first to the second, use the links and license information in the email that you received, and follow this procedure:

  1. On your license server, follow the directions in Server Setup, steps 1 through 5. This puts the new license in place on your server.
  2. On each client, if the old and new three-digit software versions are the same, follow the procedure in Changing 7.x Standalone Workstation to Concurrent Client. If the old and new three-digit software versions are different, follow the procedure in Concurrent Network Client Setup (7.x), which will overwrite the old workstation software version with the new network client software version.

If the independent workstations are students' own computers, or other computers that are not on your school's LAN, then your course of action depends on whether you're upgrading the 7.x software version, and whether each computer in question has multiple users.

  • For single-user computers where you are not upgrading the software version, open the C:\Program Files (x86)\Palisade\System folder or the C:\Program Files\Palisade\System folder, whichever exists, and replace the old Palisade_Course.lic file with the new one. There's no need to install software.

  • For independent workstations that have multiple users, and for all independent workstations if you're upgrading the software, reinstall the software with the new Palisade_Course.lic license file. However, there's no need to uninstall the old version first.

    1. Download the client installer, from the link in the renewal email.
    2. Your new Palisade_Course.lic file is attached to that email. Place that file in the same folder as the installer. Be sure you have the new file — check the expiration date on the INCREMENT line.
    3. Right-click the installer, and select Run As Administrator.

Last edited: 2017-01-26

7.4. Renewing a Course License (6.x → 7.x)

Applies to: Course licenses for The DecisionTools Suite 7.x, when last year you had 6.x

We have a current 6.x course license, deployed as client-server, option 1. We have just purchased a renewal, which is 7.x. Do we really have to uninstall and reinstall everything?

On the server:

There's no need to uninstall Server Manager 6. Install Server Manager 7 from the link in the email you received, and it will overwrite the older Server Manager program. If your 6.x license still has some time remaining, this install will not disturb that license, and 6.x clients will still be able to run.

After installing the new Server Manager, activate the 7.x license, as explained in Activating a 7.x Activatable License. The Activation ID and number of users are in the email you received.

See also: The 7.0 Network Guide explains everything you'll want to know about Palisade network administration.

On the clients:

Uninstall version 6.x (Control Panel » Programs and Features), or simply reimage the computer if that's your normal practice.

If you have any Palisade software versions 6.x or older as active add-ins in Excel, remove them. Click File » Options » Add-Ins. At the bottom of the right-hand panel, click Go. Remove the tick marks for the old versions, and click OK. Add-ins are a per-user option, so this change needs to be made under the end user's profile.Our software does not need to be an active add-in, unless you want it to start every time Excel starts; see Opening Palisade Software Automatically Whenever Excel Opens.

Install the 7.x client software by following the procedure in Concurrent Network Client Setup (7.x). You'll find a link to the installer in the email you received with your license information.

Last edited: 2016-01-29

7.5. Renewing a Course License (6.x → 6.x)

Applies to: The DecisionTools Suite 6.x, course licenses
(If your new course license this year is 7.x, see Renewing a Course License 6.x → 7.x.)

We have a current 6.x course license, deployed as client-server, option 1. We have just purchased a renewal, which is also 6.x. Do we really have to reinstall everything?

No, all you need to do is to activate the new license on your server. Run Palisade Server Manager, click Activate, and enter the Activation ID and number of users from the email you received with your license renewal information. It is not necessary to reinstall Server Manager. If you already have 6.3.1, or you're sticking with your current version of the client software, you don't have to do anything at all on the clients.

If you have an older version of the client software and want to upgrade to the latest version, you can do it without uninstalling the old version.

  1. Download the client installer, DTS63-cust-Setup.exe, from the link in that same email.
  2. Get the Palisade_NetworkClient.ini file by clicking the "Create Client.ini File" button in Palisade Server Manager, and place that file in the same folder as the installer.
  3. Right-click the installer, and select Run As Administrator.

It's perfectly okay to create a master image and clone it to all the computers in your lab.

What if we deployed last year's 6.x license as independent workstations, option 2? What must we do for the renewal?

The expiration date is hard coded in the Palisade_Course.lic file, so you will have to reinstall the software on all the workstations whether you're upgrading versions or not. However, there's no need to uninstall the old version first.

  1. Download the client installer, DTS63-cust-Setup.exe, from the link in the renewal email.
  2. Your new Palisade_Course.lic file is attached to that email. Place that file in the same folder as the installer. Be sure you have the new file — check the expiration date on the INCREMENT line.
  3. Right-click the installer, and select Run As Administrator.

Last edited: 2016-01-28

7.6. Upgrading to 8.x: Network Software 7.x

Disponible en español: Actualización a Versión 8.x: Licencias de Red 7.x

Applies to:
Palisade software releases 7.0.0–7.6.1, Concurrent Network and Enterprise Network licenses.

(For upgrades from other releases or license types, please see Upgrading Palisade Software.)

I have a network version of Palisade software release 7.0.0–7.6.1, and I'd like to update it to 8.x, your current version.

You can manually process the upgrade request through our web script. In case it fails, please contact your Palisade sales office and ask them to enter the order. (There is no charge if your maintenance is current.) Within one or two working days, you should receive links for the new server and client installs, you will also receive a new serial number with a new activation ID to complete proper upgrade. To be able to use your new version 8 license you will need to return any active license on version 5.x, 6.x, 7x.

Upgrading the Server:

Unless your server software is already at 7.6.1 you must upgrade the server software before upgrading the client software. Palisade Server Manager 8.x and newer work with any 5.x–7.x release of client software, but server software 8.x and older won't work with the newer client software.

  1. Don't uninstall the older version of Server Manager. Run it and click Stop Service. After the display shows the service stopped, close Server Manager.
  2. Right-click the new installer and select Run As Administrator.
  3. Run Server Manager and click Start Service. After the display shows the service running, you can close Sever Manager.

You don't need a new Activation ID or license certificate. You don't need to create a new Palisade_NetworkClient.ini file.

Upgrading the Clients:

You don't have to upgrade all the clients at the same time. As long as you have current maintenance, any 7.x client software will work with any Server Manager 7.5.2 or newer and any 7.x license.

The client installer that you will receive works for first-time installs and upgrades of existing clients. When upgrading existing clients, do not uninstall the old client software.

Place the EXE installer and the Palisade_NetworkClient.ini file in the same folder, right-click the installer, and select Run As Administrator. The Palisade_NetworkClient.ini file must be present even when you're upgrading an existing client.

Optional alternative: An MSI installer is available for use with configuration management systems and unattended installations. Please request a link from Palisade Technical Support. Include your serial number; we use that to look up your product and send you the correct installer. Two cautions:

  • If this computer doesn't already have version 7.x client software, you must install the prerequisites before running our MSI installer. See Scripting the Client Install.
  • With the MSI installer, for a new install or an upgrade to an existing copy, you must use specific command-line arguments. Again, see Scripting the Client Install.

Last edited: 2020-04-01