The first stage to setting up network licences is installing both the Ecotect Network Licence Manager and the Licence Service on the computer you wish to use as your network licence server.
Step-By-Step Guide
1. Download Network Install Files
Upon completing a purchase for commercial or educational licences, you will receive an email with order information and licence details. This email will also include instuctions and a special link for the optional network install download. Click this link to download the network install, making sure you save the file to your hard disk. It is also recommended that you take a backup for your archives as the link is a temporary URL and will only last for a limited time.
2. Network Licence Manager Install
Once you have downloaded the network install you need to run this file on the computer you want to have as your Network Licence Server. Ideally this should be done whilst logged-in to your Server as Administrator to ensure that you do not have any difficulties with access permissions.
Why do I Need to use an Adminstrator Account ?
Installing this product also creates a background service that actually serves the network licences. As this service runs even when no user is logged in, it needs to access settings information in the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE area of the Windows registry. Thus, you need to make sure the account you use to install it has write permissions to this area, otherwise the service may lose access to this important information when you log out or someone else logs in.
3. Choose location to install software
Follow the steps in the install process making sure that you choose an appropriate location on the server for the software. The default location is C:\Program Files\Autodesk\Ecotect\Network, but any local hard drive location is appropriate.
4. Verifying the local licence server
There are some functions within the Network Licence Manager that you can use to control the licence service from a remote computer. In these cases you may want to install only the manager and not the licence service. In our case, however, we do want the local licence service so ensure you select the Install the Local Network Licence Service on this Computer option. As a safe bet, you should also ensure the Uninstall any existing Local Network Licence Service option is checked.
4. Install and start the Licence Service
The final step in the install process asks if you would like to start the Local Licence Service as well as the Ecotect Network Licence Manager. We recommend that you do this as it will ensure that the Network Licence Manager and the Licence Service will work properly together. Starting the Licence Service registers it with the system and sets it to begin whenever the computer starts.
Important Note: The only time you should NOT install and start the Licence Service, is if you are wanting to use the Ecotect Network Licence Manager on a remote computer that is not your local licence server in order to manage network licences remotely.
5. Starting the Network Licence Manager
Once the install is complete, it should automatically run the Ecotect Network Licence Manager. This software provides a convenient user interface through which to control the Licence Service and check the status of network licences.
You have the choice to use the Network Licence Manager either locally on your network licence server, or remotely on a computer that is not your server.
Thus, when it first runs you must answer the question at the top of the window: Is this computer your Network Licence Server ? (ie. also has the Licence Service installed). This is very important to answer correctly as certain functions will not work when using the Network Licence Manager remotely.
If you have closely followed the steps 1 to 4 above and are setting up your network licence server, then the answer to this question will be yes.
6. Next stage: Activating licences on your network
Having completed the install of the Network Licence Manager and the Licence Service, you can now continue to the next stage and collect your purchased software licences from the Ecotect Activation Servers for use on your network.