OpenLM monitors FlexLM license managers, for improved Application usage management. Historically – OpenLM was written by ArcGIS users for ArcGIS users, and it is an ESRI partner.
As such, we in OpenLM receive many queries about ESRI ArcGis licensing, one of which is: “What Flexnet publisher version is my ESRI ArcGis using ?”
ESRI has recently published the ArcGIS 10.1 SP 1 patch version.
This release contains a list of bug fixes and enhanced performance.
One fix is related to the desktop’s license borrowing capability:
NIM060359: High Latency/Low Bandwidth connections including VPNs may prevent license borrowing.
OpenLM has already installed and tested the patch with OpenLM Server and Agent version 1.7. No compatibility issues were found.
If you have any questions regarding the upgrade of ESRI ArcGIS to the 10. SP1 version, please contact OpenLM: support@openlm.com
It is a common misconception that migrating to ArcGIS version 10 replaces the licensing software. This is incorrect; ESRI has only upgraded the old FLEXlm version to a newer one. The FLEXlm licensing software has gone through many changes during the passed several years, and is now called FLEXera FLEXnet for publishers. For every practical term – it is still the same good old FLEXlm software.
The main changes that have been implemented in the ESRI ArcGIS licensing scheme include:
Some problems have appeared in FlexLM reporting alongside these changes:
These issues have imposed several limitations on the capabilities of OpenLM when interfacing ESRI ArcGIS 10.
The OpenLM Active Agent may still “Save and Close” the ArcGIS 10 extension enabled application. This is regardless of the omission of the “lmremove” command. The closure process employs the applications’ own closure APIs, sent by the Active Agent, and applied by the OpenLM extension. Closing ArcGIS 10 may also be done via the “Close Application” button on EasyAdmin’s “Active Products” window.
This makes OpenLM the only solution for remotely saving & closing ArcGIS 10.
In their blog dating September 09 2011, ESRI has announced the upcoming release of ArcGIS’s Service Pack 3. This Service Pack is due in October 2011, and deals with a long list of enhancements and fixed issues.
Please take a look at the ArcGIS blog space for the ArcGIS Service Pack 3 item:
http://blogs.esri.com/Dev/blogs/arcgis/archive/2011/09/09/ArcGIS-10.0-Service-Pack-3.aspx
And at the list of fixes and enhancements :
http://downloads.esri.com/support/documentation/ao_/10.0_SP3_Announcement.pdf
NIM066475: ArcGIS Desktop Administrator is unable to return borrowed licenses if DNS resolution is required to reach the license manager.
NIM065008: Running a geoprocessing tool using background geoprocessing causes license error in ArcEngine 10.0
Well – The new ArcGIS 10.0 and 10.1 versions are already on deprecation schedule. ESRI has announced the deprecation of these versions, and blogged a plan to go with it.
The highlights are:
ArcGIS 10.0 is the last release with full Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) support. With ArcGIS 10.1 we will no longer support VBA development.
ArcGIS 10.0 is the last release that the ArcObjects SDK for Microsoft .NET will support Visual Studio 2008.
ArcGIS 10.0 is the last planned release of ArcInfo Workstation.
You can read all about the updated deprecation plan on ArcGIS’s blog site:
Please make sure to keep up-to-date on the product and platform support plans. the latest version is apparently on:
http://downloads2.esri.com/support/TechArticles/ArcGIS10and101Deprecation_Plan.pdf
ESRI solved this issue in Data Interoperability Extension for ArcGIS 10 Service Pack 2 published this week. Please install the patch on your earliest convenience.
Details:
You must not panic when you see above mentioned issue during the process of ArcGIS license-claiming from ArcGIS License Manager 9.3. This is a software bug mostly observed in all level of ArcGIS software ver9.3; earlier releases of this software did not observe this problem but following mentioned all levels observed this issue.
All of the above software modules observe this problem while operating on following Windows Operating systems.
This bug is identified by the ID ‘NIM037135’ and FlexNet licensing error ID “-15,570” which is shown in the error report/message returned against licensing request to the server. Following error message is returned with related details:
The name of the server and license path may vary as per network configuration. The error numbering scheme will be -15 and followed by 570 after comma; this is ArcGIS error reporting format.
Reasons for error:
This happens mostly in following two conditions when network/concurrent licensing scheme for ArcGIS is implemented.
Solution:
There is a stepwise process to resolve this issue of the software through modification of the environment variables in the Windows operating systems. The network or server client messages take certain time to process and reach at their destinations. Therefore, the waiting time of the program for communication response to reach is set a bit larger to resolve this issue on the windows OS. Stepwise procedure is given below:
If the problem still persists then, repeat above mentioned procedure with an increase the variable value in the multiples of 1000000 micro seconds and reach to the value which gives you satisfactory communication results.
This service pack contains some changes to the ESRI ArcGIS License Manager (FLEXlm/FLEXnet based):
OpenLM has tested the service pack and found that the current release of OpenLM Active agent (1.6) is compatible with ArcGIS 10 Service Pack 2. ESRI ArcGIS 10 Service Pack 2 can be installed on-top of the existing ArcGIS version and OpenLM Active Agent functionality is fully preserved.
OpenLM is now an ESRI Business partner.
ESRI uses FLEXlm (FLEXnet) software for protecting its products.
Joining the ESRI Partner network allows OpenLM to provide better support to ESRI users, making the best out of their investment in ESRI Software.
ESRI says that they might support FLEXlm license borrowing in version 9.4 of ESRI ArcGIS Desktop. This borrowing functionality is already supported by many software systems licensed by FLEXlm. For example Autodesk supports this functionality for years now. The ESRI user community is waiting for this functionality for long and we hope that it will be included with version 9.4 of ArcGIS.
The borrowing functionality allows users to borrow a license from the license server for a predefined period of time. During this period the license will only be available on a specific workstation. The FLEXlm license server will have less licenses to serve until the license is returned back to the FLEXlm license pool. Borrowing is actually converting a floating license to a node locked license for a specific period of time.
The main use for the FLEXlm borrowing functionality is to take a license out to the field. For example, the worker needs the ArcInfo license in the field in order to collect information and show it to the customer. The user can use the “FLEXlm lmborrow utility” application to borrow the concurrent license (floating) from the network to his laptop computer. By doing that the license is temporary converted from a concurrent license to a node locked license and the worker is able to use the license on the field. At the end of the borrowing period the license will not be available on the laptop computer, it will be available again as a concurrent license on the network. The user can also return the license to the server before the end of the borrowing system.
The FLEXlm license borrowing functionality is a very useful functionality that allows user the flexibility to use the FLEXlm licensed software on mobile devices that are not connected to the network. The problem with this technology is that in many cases it is misused by users and by that reduce the usage efficiency of the whole company. Some examples:
The management of borrowed licenses can be done easily using OpenLM system functionality. The system displays borrowed licenses, borrowing date, return date and all other information needed in order to manage a FLEXlm server that allows license borrowing.
The system administrator can control license borrowing activity using the FLEXlm Option file. There are various options that allow the system administrator to limit the misuse of this functionality. The options are:
OpenLM version 1.5.6 will allow system administrators to manage all these options and other FLEXlm Option file functionality using a convenient web based interface.
OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS features a smart license release functionality that assures a very efficient usage of ESRI ArcGIS Desktop licenses. This functionality is also supported with FLEXlm servers that allow license borrowing. OpenLM for ESRI ArcGIS recognizes the reduction in the number of available license and provide the functionality for the updated number of licenses.
It is the responsibility of the system administrator to force a rational usage of the organization resources, in this case – the floating licenses. A misuse of this functionality can cause a bogus lack of licenses that can cause a purchase of unneeded licenses or a reduction of the company efficiency because of the lack of licenses. OpenLM 1.5.6 Option file edit interface allows the system administrator to easily enforce a policy that assures license availability for network users while allowing the flexibility of borrowing licenses to mobile devices when there is a need.
Please take into account that the ESRI ArcGIS version 9.4 was not released yet and the ESRI implementation of FLEXlm license borrowing may be slightly different from what we described here.
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