Setting up a Redundant License Server Configuration

In order to setup a Redundant License Server configuration the following conditions must be met:

• Three available machines which meet the minimum requirements for running the ERDAS-Net license manager.
• All three machines must be connected to a network which allows open communication via TCP/IP between the three
• machines.
• The three machines must be able to reach each other by name or IP address.
• The preference would be to use three machines that will always be online. Typically servers are good for this purpose since they rarely go offline.

One machine will be the Master, the second machine will be the Slave, and a third machine will be the Alternate. When properly configured, these three machines will form a server quorum that regulates license usage. Licenses will always be served from the machine designated as the Master. In the event the Master fails, the Slave is promoted to Master and the Alternate to Slave. This activity is transparent to users and licenses will continue to be served without interruption.

You Must Be Logged In With Administrative Privileges to Perform the Following Tasks

Step One: Choose License Server, Install ERDAS-Net, and Request License File

• Choose the three machines that will be used for this configuration.
• Install the ERDAS-Net license manager from the web download or from the ERDAS installation DVD.
• Determine the ERDAS-Net system ID for each license server.
  • Go to Start > All Programs > ERDAS > ERDAS-Net Licensing > License Administration > System > Show Sysid
  • Copy and save the system ID from each machine. The typical system ID source is the Local Area Connection option. Be sure to annotate which system ID is to be the Master, Slave, and Alternate.
• Send an email license request to teamlicensing@erdas.com.
  • State that you would like to request a Redundant License File.
  • Include your customer ID number or company name.
  • Paste each of the three system IDs.
  • Your license files will be sent by email.

Step Two: Modify the License File for Use with Three Servers

• Save the license file to a location on your system. The Desktop is fine.
• Open the license file in a text editor such as WordPad. It will look similar to this example:

SERVER this_host 09876543232c
SERVER this_host 00123f45678c
SERVER this_host 01234567898c
VENDOR erdasnet
USE_SERVER
INCREMENT softwarename erdasnet 9.3 permanent 2 SUPERSEDE \
ISSUED=4-Mar-2009 BORROW=960 NOTICE="Licensed To 123456" \
SN=12345678987654321 SIGN="12E8 27AB 669C 6396 1A09 3844 AB17 \
7339 A15A CE47 7E3B 2B22 5B46 B0B0 6426 1ECC 29B2 3F17 01F0 \
1668 9C9F 40A0 8007 8F04 643C 6B82 780B 331C 9984 2661"

Modify each SERVER line using this example:

SERVER machinename1 09876543232c 27000
SERVER machinename2 00123f45678c 27001
SERVER machinename3 01234567898c 27002

• The entries “machinename1”, “machinename2”, “machinename3” would actually be the hostname of each server. On each SERVER line the hostname should match the correct system ID for it. If the three machines’ hostnames were, say, Moe, Larry, and Curly, then the correctly modified file would look like this:

SERVER Moe 09876543232c 27000
SERVER Larry 00123f45678c 27001
SERVER Curly 01234567898c 27002

• Each server must communicate on its own separate TCP/IP port. In the example above, server Moe is using 27000, server Larry is using 27001, and server Curly is using 27002. The default port range for FLEXnet license server communication is 27000-27009.
• Save the license file and change the name to “Redundant_License.elf”.
• Save a copy of this license file on each server machine.

Step Three: Configure the License Manager on Each Server

This procedure must be performed on each server in the quorum – the Master, Slave and Alternate.

• On the server designated as the Master, manually find and open the FLEXlm Tools at C:\Program files\ERDAS\Shared\Licensing\Bin\NTx86\LMtools.exe.
• Select the Config Services tab.
• Click in the Service Name drop-down list and replace “FLEXlm Service 1” with “ERDAS-Net License Server,” or choose “ERDAS-Net License Server” if it exists.
• Select the Browse button to fill in the path to the “lmgrd.exe”. Browse to C:\Program Files\ERDAS\Shared\licensing\bin\ntx86. Select the file labeled “lmgrd.exe” and double-click.
• Click on the Browse button to fill in the path to the license file. Go to the location of your “Redundant_License.elf” file. Be sure to change the “Files of Type” option to “All Files” so that the *.elf file will be displayed. Select the license file and double-click.
• Enter a check in the “Use Services” box and then check the “Start Server at Power Up” box.
• Select the “Save Service” button to save the service. Click “Yes” when asked if you want to save the service.
• Repeat the eight steps of Step Three on both the Slave and Alternate machines.

Step Four: Start the Three License Servers

• Start the three servers in Master – Slave – Alternate order.
• On the Master machine, open the FLEXlm Tools and click on the “Start/Stop/Reread” tab.
• Click the “Start Server” button. A successful start will display “Server Start Successful at the lower edge of the FLEXlm Tools dialog.
• Start the server on the Slave and Alternate machines using the same method.
• The Redundant Server Configuration is now complete.

Step Five: Configuring the Client Machines

• On each client machine, open the ERDAS-Net License Admin Tool at Start > All Programs > ERDAS > ERDAS-Net Licensing > License Administration.
• Go to Server > Add Remote Server. Enter the license server name for the master server. Repeat the process for the slave and alternate license server.
• Configuration is complete and the client machines should be able to connect to the servers.