| Re: IDL LICENSING MADNESS [message #1106] |
Fri, 06 August 1993 10:01  |
dpf
Messages: 2
Registered: March 1992
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Junior Member |
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jones@phobos.cira.colostate.edu (Andy Jones) writes:
>> I don't think this is true. The binary executable would have to be different,
>> but I think that the *licenses* can float between machines of different
>> architectures--even between VMS and Unix. This is what I've heard, but I don't
>> have any actual experience with it.
> Good point. Does anyone have any experience with mixed workstation environments
> and licenses out there? I'd be interested to find out.
Yes, floating network licenses *can* be used across different
architectures. We have three floating licenses that are used across several
Suns, two RS/6000s and an SGI. If you take a look at the idl executable
itself, you will see that it is actually a shell script that figures out
what architecture you are on, and then starts the correct binary.
Thus, our IDL directory has a generic bin directory, as well as bin.ibm,
bin.sgi, and bin.sunos.4.1.sun4 (all as named by RSI, not us). In our
case, all of this is on a "/usr1" partition that is NFS-mounted from a
server to all appropriate machines (even across architecture boundaries).
In addition to these floating licenses, we also have a node-locked license.
The advantage of this setup, we figured, is that users can access IDL
_from their local workstation_, and are only forced to go to the server (and
setenv DISPLAY, etc) when the three licenses are in use by others. And
since the server license is not limited, as many users as the server can
support can use it.
We have had the one fixed license for many years, but it sounds like our
current setup is much like what RSI is suggesting to John Kemp. There are,
of course, other ways to do it, but it works for us.
Hope this helps.
David
+----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------+
|David Friedlander / Hughes STX / Code 664 dpf@egret.gsfc.nasa.gov |
|Energetic Gamma Ray Experiment Telescope |
|Compton Gamma Ray Observatory |
|NASA/ Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD 20771 (301) 286-1129 |
+----------------------------------------------------------- ----------------+
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| Re: IDL LICENSING MADNESS [message #1116 is a reply to message #1106] |
Thu, 05 August 1993 07:37  |
jones
Messages: 3
Registered: August 1993
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Junior Member |
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In article <thompson.744559030@serts.gsfc.nasa.gov>, thompson@serts.gsfc.nasa.gov (William Thompson) writes:
> jones@phobos.cira.colostate.edu (Andy Jones) writes:
>
>> In article <23lpo6$gea@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>, kemp@uiatma.atmos.uiuc.edu (John Kemp) writes:
>>>
>>> I have some questions on licensing for IDL.
>
> (stuff deleted)
>
>> John, I am not an expert on RSI's licensing system, but from your
>> configuration it would appear that the motives might be that the DEC5000
>> would have a unique version of IDL with one node-locked license, and the
>> 3 HP systems could share the 3 floating network licenses. This would allow
>> all your systems to be used simultaneously. I believe the crux of the
>> problem is that the version of IDL on the DEC system will not run on the
>> HP systems (and vise-versa). There is therefore no need for a floating
>> license on the DEC since it can not "float" to any other machine. If more than
>> one user will be typical on the DEC machine than a multiple user-nodelocked
>> license might be in order, otherwise save some money with the single user
>> license for the DEC machine.
>
> I don't think this is true. The binary executable would have to be different,
> but I think that the *licenses* can float between machines of different
> architectures--even between VMS and Unix. This is what I've heard, but I don't
> have any actual experience with it.
>
> Bill Thompson
Good point. Does anyone have any experience with mixed workstation environments
and licenses out there? I'd be interested to find out.
Andy Jones
************************************************************ ************
Andrew S. Jones
CSU/CIRA
Foothills Campus
Fort Collins, CO 80523
phone: (303) 491-8448
internet: jones%sol.dnet@sirius.cira.colostate.edu
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| Re: IDL LICENSING MADNESS [message #1120 is a reply to message #1117] |
Wed, 04 August 1993 07:57 |
jones
Messages: 3
Registered: August 1993
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Junior Member |
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In article <23lpo6$gea@vixen.cso.uiuc.edu>, kemp@uiatma.atmos.uiuc.edu (John Kemp) writes:
>
> I have some questions on licensing for IDL.
... deleted blurb ...
>
> According to the blurbs, there are 4 types of licenses:
> 1) Floating network
> 2) Single-User, Node-Locked
> 3) Multi-User, Node-Locked (allows up to 6)
> 4) Unlimited-user, node-lock
>
> Here's our situation. We would probably want to have IDL
> running on 4 workstations. The breakdown would probably
> be DEC5000, HP720, HP735, HP735. At any one time 2-3 people
> might be running the product on a single machine, with a maximum
> of 6-8 users running the product at once on the whole network.
> All these machines are on the same network.
>
> The idea would be that the 4 owners of the machines would
> all pitch in to reduce expenses, and presumably save money
> by all of them going in at the same time for one purchase.
>
> The sales pinhead suggested we get 1 Node-Lock license [single? multi?]
> and 3 Floating licenses. He didn't explain why, and I don't see how
> this fits our situation.
>
> Can someone who understands this silliness send me some
> e-mail?
>
> What is a floating license [in English]?
>
> What is a node-locked license [in English]?
>
> Why would you mix the two?
>
> What would you recommend?
>
> Gotta love it,
> -------- john kemp ( ( )_ internet - johnkemp@uiuc.edu
> ----- ( ( __)
> --- univ of illinois (_ ( __) bitnet - {uunet,convex}
> -- dept of atmos sci .(____). !uiucuxc!uiatma!kemp
> - 105 s gregory ave ... phone - (217) 333-6881
> - urbana, il 61801 ... fax - (217) 244-4393
>
John, I am not an expert on RSI's licensing system, but from your
configuration it would appear that the motives might be that the DEC5000
would have a unique version of IDL with one node-locked license, and the
3 HP systems could share the 3 floating network licenses. This would allow
all your systems to be used simultaneously. I believe the crux of the
problem is that the version of IDL on the DEC system will not run on the
HP systems (and vise-versa). There is therefore no need for a floating
license on the DEC since it can not "float" to any other machine. If more than
one user will be typical on the DEC machine than a multiple user-nodelocked
license might be in order, otherwise save some money with the single user
license for the DEC machine.
Hope this helps.
Andy.
************************************************************ ************
Andrew S. Jones
CSU/CIRA
Foothills Campus
Fort Collins, CO 80523
phone: (303) 491-8448
internet: jones%sol.dnet@sirius.cira.colostate.edu
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| Re: IDL LICENSING MADNESS [message #1294 is a reply to message #1106] |
Wed, 11 August 1993 14:39 |
frank
Messages: 15
Registered: August 1993
|
Junior Member |
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I think that the floating license does not mean the executable binary is
floating around but rather the license key the application need will be
getting from some license server running on the network. This involves
some network communication. However, for the node-locked case, the application
only look into a file somewhere in your local machine to get the license
key(a scrambled alphanumeric sequence generated from your hostname, host IP,
and when the license expire).
The license server software running on our SGI machines is developed by HP
and maybe it is been used by several other platform. Last week I just
installed SGI's CaseVision/WorkShop and I went thru lots of trouble to get
the license server running. And to my surprise, I did not see any other
product using the license server(although there are more than 20 servers
running and it should cover half on the GSFC campus).
Although I use the license server, my licenses are still not the floating
license. I splited into two half so that one machine got 3 license and the
other got 1.
I believe that what sales meant was each machine has a node-locked license
and three floating licenses can be used by anyone from any machine.
If you have node-locked license, you can run on that node even the network
or license server die. As for floating license, you can use all the licenses
even one node is dead. However, if the license server is dead or the machine
running the license server is dead, or the connection to that machine is
dead, no on can run the application.
Hope this help.
--
============================================================ ===================
| Chih-Hung Chen (Frank) | email: frank@manua.gsfc.nasa.gov|
| General Sciences Corp.(SAIC) | fax : (301) 286-3221 |
| Software Development - SeaWiFS Data System| voice: (301) 286-9531 |
| System/Network SeaWiFS Project | |
| NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center | |
| Code 970.2 | |
| Greenbelt, Maryland 20771 | |
============================================================ ===================
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