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Permanent LSF Licenses and FLEXlm on Windows hosts
Managing LSF licenses is described in Administering Platform LSF. This chapter includes additional information that is necessary to license a cluster that includes Windows hosts. You must have a valid license to run LSF.
If you install a permanent license using the LSF installer, and you do not already use FLEXlm software, you must install and configure FLEXlm before running the LSF installer.
Contents
- Types of LSF licenses
- FLEXlm License Management
- LSF license file (license.dat)
- Obtaining an LSF license
- Updating licenses
- Starting the license server on Windows
- Checking the license server status
- Installing a new permanent license
Types of LSF licenses
You can run LSF with either an DEMO (evaluation) or a permanent license.
DEMO (evaluation) licenses
If you have not yet purchased LSF, get a demo license key. Typically, a demo license licenses all LSF products and expires after 30 days. If you purchase LSF during this time, you can switch to a permanent license with no interruption in service.
Permanent licenses
A permanent license restricts the total number of hosts in the cluster and defines which LSF products will be used. It defines which hosts in your network will run LSF, and how they are arranged into clusters. This type of license does not expire, but has to be updated if you add more hosts or add another LSF product.
FLEXlm License Management
Platform LSF uses the FLEXlm license management software from Macrovision Corporation.
LSF is compatible with FLEXlm version 7.0 or later. If you run an older version, you must upgrade FLEXlm before you can use LSF.
FLEXlm license server
A FLEXlm license server is required for permanent licenses only. Permanent LSF licenses are managed by the FLEXlm license server daemon (lmgrd) running on one or three hosts in your network.
If you install a permanent license using the LSF installer, and you do not already use FLEXlm software, you must install and configure FLEXlm before running the LSF installer.
To get a permanent license, you must provide information about the license server host. Platform Computing requires the hardware host name and host identifier for each license server host at your site.
Choose a reliable host as the FLEXlm license server to ensure that the LSF licenses are always available. In many installations, the license server runs on the host that is the dedicated file server for the Platform LSF software. This permits the licenses to be available whenever LSF is available.
You can specify 3 hosts to be license servers instead of just one. For more information about using multiple license servers for licensing Platform LSF, see in Administering Platform LSF.
Existing FLEXlm server
If you already have a FLEXlm license server installed, you can merge the contents of your LSF license file into your existing FLEXlm license file. See Updating a FLEXlm License for steps.
FLEXlm license management tools
Administering Platform LSF describes FLEXlm commands and utilities that can help you manage your FLEXlm licenses. On Windows, these FLEXlm commands are subcommands of lmutil.
For example, to retrieve the FLEXlm host ID, run lmutil lmhostid (on UNIX, run lmhostid). To check the license server, run lmutil lmstat (on UNIX, run lmstat).
LSF license file (license.dat)
The LSF license is stored in a text file. By default, the file name is license.dat. Your permanent license file must contain all the products that are defined in LSF_CONFDIR\lsf.cluster.cluster_name.
For a description of the license file format, see Administering Platform LSF.
Locations of the license file
By default, there are two copies of your permanent license file. The installer copies your LSF license to the LSF directory, but you must update the FLEXlm directory manually. After the permanent LSF license is installed, you have to update both copies when you make changes to your LSF licensing.
- LSF uses the file specified by LSF_LICENSE_FILE in lsf.conf. By default, the file is license.dat in LSF_CONFDIR. For example, if your LSF installation directory is lsfshare\lsf on HostA, your lsf.conf file might include the following line:
LSF_LICENSE_FILE=\\HostA\lsfshare\lsf\conf\license.datThe FLEXlm license manager uses the file in the FLEXlm installation directory on the host that is the FLEXlm license server. By default, the file is license.dat in C:\flexlm. For example, your license server might include the following file: C:\flexlm\license.datUsing FLEXlm to manage other software
If you use FLEXlm to manage other software, the license.dat file used by FLEXlm contains information that is not related to LSF, but the license.dat file used by LSF only contains LSF information. Even if the files in both locations are not identical, the lines relating to LSF must be exactly the same.
Modifying the LSF license
- On Windows, you must always modify the file used by FLEXlm manually. The installer does not overwrite the file C:\flexlm\license.dat if it already exists.
- If you move the license file used by LSF, you must update the LSF_LICENSE_FILE parameter in lsf.conf.
Obtaining an LSF license
Where to get it:
- Contact your LSF vendor.
- Complete the evaluation form on the Platform Web site (www.platform.com).
To allow Platform or your LSF vendor to create or update a permanent license, you must provide the following information:
- Host name of the license server
- FLEXlm host ID of the license server
- Number of LSF license units
Get the host name
To retrieve the host name of the license server:
- Log on to the host that is going to be your license server.
- Open a command prompt (Start | Programs | Command Prompt).
- Type the hostname command:
c:\>hostname- Windows displays the hardware host name.
Get the FLEXlm host ID
To retrieve the FLEXlm host ID of the license server, run the lmutil lmhostid command at an MS-DOS prompt:
C:\temp>%LSF_SERVERDIR%\lmutil lmhostid lmutil - Copyright (C) 1989-1997 Globetrotter Software, Inc. The FLEXlm host ID of this machine is "0090273eeb99"Updating licenses
Once you have created an LSF cluster, you can update the licensing at any time. The procedure varies:
Update an evaluation cluster
If you have a demo license, you must update it to a permanent license when you finish the evaluation and purchase LSF. LSF permanent licenses use FLEXlm license management software.
- If you already use FLEXlm, check the version. LSF is compatible with FLEXlm version or later. If you have an older version, you must upgrade FLEXlm before installing the permanent LSF license.
- If you do not have FLEXlm installed, see FLEXlm License Management to learn about FLEXlm and permanent licensing.
- Obtain a new permanent license. See Obtaining an LSF license.
- If you already have FLEXlm installed, you must update your FLEXlm license file manually. Append the entire contents of the new LSF license to your existing file. See Updating a FLEXlm License.
- If you have not yet installed FLEXlm, you must install FLEXlm, then set up the permanent license file used by FLEXlm. See Installing a new permanent license.
Expand an existing cluster
When you have a permanent LSF license, the number of hosts and selection of LSF products and features is controlled by licensing.
- To expand the size of the cluster by adding hosts, you probably need to purchase additional licenses for the additional hosts.
- To enable new LSF products or features such as LSF MultiCluster, you need to purchase additional licenses. Sometimes you also need to install additional software. Update your license before you update the PRODUCTS line in the Parameters section of LSF_CONFDIR\lsf.cluster.cluster_name.
- To make a change that involves additional licensing, the first step is to manually update your existing license files. In the license file used by FLEXlm, the lines related to LSF must be identical to the contents of the license file used by LSF.
- Obtain a new permanent license. See Obtaining an LSF license.
Instead of getting an entire new license, you will probably get an LSF INCREMENT license key or a new FEATURE line. Append the new lines to the existing LSF content without overwriting or deleting any information. If you have INCREMENT lines, you must add them immediately after the FEATURE line for the product.
- Update FLEXlm. See Updating a FLEXlm License.
- Update LSF. See Updating LSF license features.
Upgrading to a new version of LSF
Sometimes a minor upgrade or patch does not require any changes to the licensing. If the upgrade requires a new license, update the FLEXlm license manually and follow the steps in Migrate Your Windows Cluster Platform LSF Version 7.
Updating LSF license features
- Open the license file using a text editor such as Notepad.
- The license file used by LSF is specified by LSF_LICENSE_FILE in lsf.conf.
- Make the required changes. This normally involves appending the new lines without overwriting or deleting existing content.
- Save and close the file.
- Reconfigure LSF:
lsadmin reconfigUpdating a FLEXlm License
- Open the license file using a text editor.
- The license file used by FLEXlm is normally c:\flexlm\license.dat on the license server host.
- Make the required changes. This normally involves adding the new lines to your FLEXlm license. The only time you replace existing lines is when you upgrade from one version of LSF to another. Do not overwrite or delete any content that is not related to LSF.
- Save and close the file.
- Update FLEXlm. Log on to the license server host and re-read the updated license file:
c:\flexlm\bin> lmutil lmreread -c c:\flexlm\license.dat- If the command is successful, you should see a message similar to the following:
lmreread - Copyright (C) 1989-1997 Globetrotter Software, Inc. lmreread successfulCreating the FLEXlm service
If you are using a permanent LSF license, you must run installs.exe to install or remove the FLEXlm license manager as a Windows Service. installs.exe is located under LSF_TOP\7.0\etc.
The installs command has the following syntax:
installs -c license_file_path -e path_to_lmgrd.exe -l log_file_path -n service_name [-k lmgrd_parameters]If -n is not specified, FLEXlm License Manager is used as the service name.
The -k switch is optional and is used to pass one or more startup command-line parameters (-local, -x lmdown, and -x lmremove) to lmgrd.
You must use -l log_file_path to specify the path to the lmgrd.log file.
See the FLEXlm Reference Manual for more information about the installs command.
Install the FLEXlm service
Run installs.exe to install or remove the FLEXlm license manager as a Windows Service.
- Open a Windows Command Prompt.
- Run the installs command.
LSF_TOP\7.0\etc\installs -c license_file_path -e path_to_lmgrd.exe -l log_file_pathFor example:
C:\LSF_7Update5\7.0\etc\installs -c c:\sharetest\license.dat -e c:\LSF_7Update5\7.0\etc\lmgrd.exe -l c:\sharetest\logs\lmgrd.logThe lmgrd.exe is located under LSF_TOP\7.0\etc.
Remove the FLEXlm service
If you need to remove the FLEXlm license manager service, run installs.exe.
- Open a Windows Command Prompt.
- Run the installs command.
LSF_TOP\7.0\etc\installs.exe -r -n "service_name"For example:
LSF_TOP\7.0\etc\installs.exe -r -n "FLEXlm License Manager"If you did not specify -n when you installed the license manager service, FLEXlm License Manager is used as the default service name.
Starting the license server on Windows
Start FLEXlm automatically
- Restart the license server host.
Start FLEXlm manually
- Log on to the license server host.
- Choose Services in the Windows Control Panel.
- Choose Services in the Windows Control Panel.
Checking the license server status
If you are using a permanent LSF license, check the license server by starting the license manager and displaying the status with the lmutil lmstat command on Windows.
If you are using a demo license, you do not have to perform this check because a demo license does not run a license server daemon.
The lmutil lmstat command
After starting the license server, use the c:\flexlm\bin\lmutil lmstat command on Windows to check its status and display the number of licenses available. You must use the -c option of lmstat to specify the path to the LSF license file.
The output of lmstat gives the status of the license server together with the name of the LSF vendor daemon (lsf_ld). The usage information for each product in the license file is provided.
For example, depending on the LSF features installed, the output of the command should look something like the following:
C:\flexlm\bin> lmutil lmstat -a -c c:\flxlm\license.dat lmutil - Copyright (C) 1989-2000 Globetrotter Software, Inc. Flexible License Manager status on Fri 05/24/2002 13:23 License server status: 1711@hostA License file(s) on hostA: f:\winnt\system32\\\hostA\c$\flexlm\license.dat: hostA: license server UP (MASTER) v7.0 Vendor daemon status (on hostA): lsf_ld: UP v7.0 Feature usage info: Users of lsf_base: (Total of 2 licenses available) Users of lsf_manager: (Total of 2 licenses available) ...Installing a new permanent license
Prerequisites: If you do not already use FLEXlm, you must make sure FLEXlm is installed and running properly.
Complete the following steps to replace a temporary demo license used by LSF with a permanent license.
- Shut down the master host.
lsfshutdown -m master_host_name- Copy the path to the permanent license to LSF_LICENSE_FILE defined in lsf.conf.
If you installed LSF with a default installation, the license file is installed in the LSF configuration directory (LSF_CONFDIR\license.dat).
tip:
You can put the permanent license anywhere you want, as long as you update the LSF_LICENSE_FILE parameter in $LSF_CONFDIR\lsf.conf.- Start the master host.
lsfstartup -m master_host_name
Platform Computing Inc.
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