1. Controlling your SNL using the options file
Keith Schaefer, Regional Technical Manager
Computer Aided Technology Inc.

2. Background Keith Schaefer Regional Technical Manager
Computer Aided Technology Inc.
Wisconsin Region
Presales
Post Sales
Demonstration
Implementation
Technical Support
SolidWorks user since SolidWorks 99
Worked for CATI since 2001
At the end of today presentation I will provide you with a link where you can download a copy of today presentation and example files.

3. What I plan to cover Discussion about Network Licensing
Discuss when to use a options file
Breakdown the options file into segments
General and Targeted
Features
Keywords
Specifying users
Example of building a options file
Implementing and testing the file in the license manager
Troubleshooting
Questions
At the end of today presentation I will provide you with a link where you can download a copy of today presentation and example files.

4. History Originally a blog article Technical Support Requests
Type “options file” in the search filed a top of page
Technical Support Requests
Customer requests. “I want to turn off the borrow function”
Strange Requests from Sales
Customer purchase of a Premium SolidWorks license in a company with many network seats.

5. Controlling your SNL using the options file
What is a options file?
Text file with the file extension changed to .opt. Read in by the license server to control various operating parameters of the SNL license server.
When do I need to use a options file?
Anytime that there are additional operating parameters that you would like to specify to the SNL.

6. Controlling your SNL using the options file
Logical questions to ask when preparing to create the options file.
What options do I have available to my users?
Types of licenses
Quantity of licenses
This information is available from the license server or by looking at the license file.

7. Understanding Network Licensing
Licenses

8. Quantity of licenses
From the license server:

9. Types of licenses
From the license file:

10. Office Premium Quantity of licenses
Office, Professional, Premium seat have multiple line items
SolidWorks
Premium
Office Premium

11. Quantity of licenses
Premium License in the license manager:

12. General
Targeted
Options

13. Options General options Control general operating parameters
Require options keyword and setting parameter
Targeted options
Control rights of individual users or groups of users
Requires option keyword, the feature effected, and user or users

14. General options Most commonly used BORROW_LOWWATER MAX_BORROW_HOURS
Sets the number of licenses for a specific feature that cannot be borrowed
Syntax - BORROW_LOWWATER <feature> 3
This syntax in the context of my license file will allow only one license to be borrowed.
MAX_BORROW_HOURS
Sets the max time that a license can be borrowed in hours
Syntax – MAX_BORROW_HOURS <feature> 168
This syntax in the context of my license file will allow a max license borrow of 1 week.
Max borrow allow is 30 days
TIMEOUTALL
Sets the time after which a inactive license is reclaimed by the vendor daemon
Syntax – TIMEOUTALL 900
Convenient for almost any SNL installation
See also TIMEOUT option for a feature by feature usage

15. Targeted options Most commonly used RESERVE EXCLUDE EXCLUDE_BORROW
Reserves a license for the specified user
Syntax - RESERVE <number> <feature> <user>
EXCLUDE
Denies a user access to a feature
Syntax – Exclude <feature> <user>
Will deny a single user or group of users access to a feature.
EXCLUDE_BORROW
Deny a user or group of users the ability to borrow a specific feature
Syntax – EXCLUDE_BORROW <feature> <user>
EXCLUDEALL
Denies a user or group access to all features

16. Targeted options Most commonly used cont’d INCLUDE INCLUDE_BORROW
Allows a user to use a specific feature
Syntax - INCLUDE <feature> <user>
INCLUDE_BORROW
Allow a user or group of users the ability to borrow a specific feature
Syntax – INCLUDE_BORROW <feature> <user>
INCLUDEALL
Allow a user or group of users the ability to use all features
Syntax – INCLUDEALL <user>

17. Targeted options Feature syntax Found in the license file Listed here:
Product/Feature SNL Option keyword
DWGeditor dwgeditor
Edrawings edrw
SolidWorks solidworks
SolidWorks Office swoffice
SolidWorks Office Professional swofficepro
SolidWorks Office Premium swofficepremium
PDMWorks SolidWorks Add-in pdmworks
PDMWorks Contributor (SolidWorks Explorer) pdmworks_sa
PDMWorks Advanced Server pdmworks_as
Cosmos Motion cae_cosmosmotioncore
CosmosWorks Designer cae_cwdesigner
Cosmos Professional cae_cwpro
Cosmos Advanced Professional cae_cwadvpro
Cosmos FloWorks Standard cae_cosmosfloworksstd
Cosmos FloWorks PE cae_cosmosfloworkspe
Cosmos EMS Basic cae_cosmosemsbasic
Cosmos EMS Advanced cae_cosmosemsadv
Scan to 3D scanto3d
Harnessing harnessing
PhotoWorks Release2 photoworks
FeatureWorks featureworks
Piping piping
SolidWorks Animator animator
Toolbox toolbox
3D Instant Website 3diws
SolidWorks Utilities utilities
Task Scheduler taskscheduler
Swift Technologies swift
Design Checker designchecker

18. Users

19. Users Individual User name Groups Host Internet Standard Windows login
Created in the options file to allow for the callout of a group instead of individual users
Syntax – GROUP <group name> <user1> <user2> <user3>
By default usernames are case sensitive, this can be changed by changing the GROUPCASEINSENSITIVE variable to ON
Also see HOST_GROUP for creating groups comprised of host names
Host
Machine host name
Syntax – HOST
Case sensitive (unless overridden by GROUPCASEINSENSITIVE)
Internet
Machine IP address
Wildcards fair game

20. File syntax, putting it all together.
File Creation

21. SNL Josh Adrian Techs Practical Examples Technical Support Leader
Coauthor of backdoor work a rounds
Limit him to SolidWorks only
How much damage could he really do?
Technical Services Manager
Power User
Reserve a license for him / allow him to borrow licenses
SNL
Does my reviews, and signs my pay checks
Techs Group
Todd W
John V
Jim K

22. Practical Examples Add general options first TIMEOUTALL
TIMEOUTALL 900 (15 MINUTES)
900 seconds is the minimum setting, anything below this defaults to 900
MAX_BORROW_HOURS
MAX_BORROW_HOURS 336
30 days (720 hours) is the max borrow limit
BORROW_LOWWATER
BORROW_LOWWATER 3
Setting this equal to the number of license that are available will disable borrowing
GROUPCASEINSENSITIVE
GROUPCASEINSENSITIVE ON
Default is set to off making all host and user names case sensitive

23. Practical Examples Establish our group GROUP
GROUP TECH toddw johnv jimk
Rules of Precedence (include and exclude functions)
If there is only a exclude list, anyone not on the list is considered included.
If there is only a include list, only the users on the list are allowed to use the feature.
If neither then everyone is allowed to use the feature
Exclude always supersedes include.

24. Practical Examples Control borrow parameters INCLUDE_BORROW NOTE:
INCLUDE_BORROW solidworks USER adrianf
INCLUDE_BORROW swofficepremium USER adrianf
INCLUDE_BORROW cae_cwadvpro USER adrianf
INCLUDE_BORROW cae_cosmosfloworkspe USER adrianf
INCLUDE_BORROW solidworks GROUP tech
INCLUDE_BORROW swofficepremium GROUP tech
NOTE:
Based on rules of precedence user Josh in this example has no borrow rights, and the tech group may only borrow SolidWorks and SolidWorks Premium licenses.

25. Practical Examples Add our reserve RESERVE Add our EXCLUDE EXCLUDE
RESERVE solidworks USER adrianf
RESERVE swofficepremium USER adrianf
RESERVE cae_cwadvpro USER adrianf
RESERVE cae_cosmosfloworkspe USER adrianf
Add our EXCLUDE
EXCLUDE
EXCLUDE swofficepremium USER josha
EXCLUDE cae_cwadvpro USER josha
EXCLUDE cae_cosmosfloworkspe USER josha

26. Putting the options file to use
Rename
Change the .txt filename to sw_d.opt
Placement
File must be placed in the license manager install folder next to the license file. (sw_d.lic)
Server must be stopped and started
This can be done while users are working on the SNL.
SNL will not revoke license for several minutes, however new request for licenses will be rejected.
You could reboot the server before license got revoked

27. Making sure that it is up and running.
File Verification

28. Accessing the log file
Usage check in the license manager.

29. Putting the options file to use
Checking the log file

30. Trouble Shooting The license manager will not read my options file.
Check to be sure that when the text file was renamed to sw_d that “Hide extension for know file types” was turned off.
This will result in a file named sw_d.opt.txt, and will not be read properly my the license manager.
My reserve functions are not showing up in the log file.
Reserved licenses will be reserved for the user or users they are call for, but will not show as used licenses in the license manager tab unless the user is logged on and using the license.
After viewing the log file I can no longer close the license manager
Before the license manager can be closed the log file must first be closed.

31. Copy of this presentation
Go to
The options file that we created here today
Options file feature name cheat sheet
Copy of the PPT

32. Questions