| IDL Licensing Changes [message #94140] |
Wed, 01 February 2017 09:50  |
chris_torrence@NOSPAM
Messages: 528
Registered: March 2007
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Hi all,
First, thanks for giving your feedback to Harris. It made a significant impact.
Starting with IDL 8.6.1 (hopefully mid-April), we will make the following changes:
* An IDL user will be able to run an unlimited number of sessions on their machine. In IDL 8.6 the IDL license was tied to the MAC address + install location + process ID, so each process ID would consume a separate license. In IDL 8.6.1, the IDL license will be tied to the MAC address + install location + user id, so multiple process ID’s will consume just a single IDL license.
* This change will apply to the IDL command line, the IDL Workbench, and the Python bridge, on all platforms.
* This change will not apply to ENVI or other Harris Geospatial products.
* There is no policy change for “flexible single user” (other than allowing multiple IDL sessions on one machine). If you need to use IDL on two machines, you should contact Tech Support or your sales rep for options.
* IDL Virtual Machine will remain unchanged from pre-IDL 8.6 – we just need to tie up some lose ends and release it.
We are shooting for an April release.
Thanks for supporting IDL over the years.
-Chris
IDL Project Lead
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: IDL Licensing Changes [message #94143 is a reply to message #94140] |
Thu, 02 February 2017 05:57  |
lecacheux.alain
Messages: 325
Registered: January 2008
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Le mercredi 1 février 2017 18:50:20 UTC+1, Chris Torrence a écrit :
> Hi all,
>
> First, thanks for giving your feedback to Harris. It made a significant impact.
>
> Starting with IDL 8.6.1 (hopefully mid-April), we will make the following changes:
>
> * An IDL user will be able to run an unlimited number of sessions on their machine. In IDL 8.6 the IDL license was tied to the MAC address + install location + process ID, so each process ID would consume a separate license. In IDL 8.6.1, the IDL license will be tied to the MAC address + install location + user id, so multiple process ID’s will consume just a single IDL license.
> * This change will apply to the IDL command line, the IDL Workbench, and the Python bridge, on all platforms.
> * This change will not apply to ENVI or other Harris Geospatial products.
> * There is no policy change for “flexible single user” (other than allowing multiple IDL sessions on one machine). If you need to use IDL on two machines, you should contact Tech Support or your sales rep for options.
> * IDL Virtual Machine will remain unchanged from pre-IDL 8.6 – we just need to tie up some lose ends and release it.
>
> We are shooting for an April release.
>
> Thanks for supporting IDL over the years.
>
> -Chris
> IDL Project Lead
Many thanks to Harris/Exelis (maybe also to the IDL Project leader...) for such a revision of the new v8.6 licensing procedure. While being a regular IDL user (since v2.0), I have even been tempted to shift to Python !
By the way, I wonder whether a long lasting annoying feature of IDL licensing will also be corrected: in the case of a node-locked license on a Windows machine both used locally and remotely (through TSE/RDP), a locally opened IDL session could not be further used within a next remote connection (from the same user), and vice versa. Such a wobbling between local and remote connection is very usual for any scientist working both on and off his lab. So far a workaround was to declare the licensed machine as a license server on itself. But the trick was not possible (afaik) in case of a personal license.
What will be the status in IDL 8.6.1 ?
Cheers,
Alain.
|
|
|
|
| Re: IDL Licensing Changes [message #94144 is a reply to message #94143] |
Thu, 02 February 2017 11:04 |
chris_torrence@NOSPAM
Messages: 528
Registered: March 2007
|
Senior Member |
|
|
On Thursday, February 2, 2017 at 6:57:37 AM UTC-7, alx wrote:
>
> Many thanks to Harris/Exelis (maybe also to the IDL Project leader...) for such a revision of the new v8.6 licensing procedure. While being a regular IDL user (since v2.0), I have even been tempted to shift to Python !
> By the way, I wonder whether a long lasting annoying feature of IDL licensing will also be corrected: in the case of a node-locked license on a Windows machine both used locally and remotely (through TSE/RDP), a locally opened IDL session could not be further used within a next remote connection (from the same user), and vice versa. Such a wobbling between local and remote connection is very usual for any scientist working both on and off his lab. So far a workaround was to declare the licensed machine as a license server on itself. But the trick was not possible (afaik) in case of a personal license.
> What will be the status in IDL 8.6.1 ?
> Cheers,
> Alain.
Hi Alain,
I'm not sure if this is fixed or not. The new licensing scheme is completely different, and it's no longer tied to the "display". So it's possible that the problem is gone. I think you would just need to try it out and see what happens. If you do, please let the newsgroup know the results.
Thanks,
Chris
|
|
|
|
| Re: IDL Licensing Changes [message #94175 is a reply to message #94140] |
Mon, 13 February 2017 12:58 |
Haje Korth
Messages: 651
Registered: May 1997
|
Senior Member |
|
|
Hi Chris,
Removal of the process limitation is a step in the right direction toward customer satisfaction. However, I am still extremely irritated with the remaining limitation. First, my PU license allowed installation on multiple machines so that I could work not just in my office but also on my PC at home or on my laptop while on travel. The new licensing scheme requires three licenses for my workflow, which I simply cannot and will not justify. To Harris' defense, the support team was very accommodating and come up with a custom solution for me. However, I cannot count on the solution to continue and it does not apply to others.
Second, my PU license file is valid indefinitely. That is, if my hardware dies, I can by a new system and reinstall IDL with that license file. The new licensing system requires that I have a valid maintenance contract to activate IDL on new hardware. A license rendered useless by a system change does not seem fair.
I have passed my detailed comments on to Harris through my sales rep and hope they do not fall on deaf ears. For the past 30 years, I have always been a strong supporter of IDL. However, continued support requires a viable working solution for the young scientists in out field.
Cheers,
Haje
On Wednesday, February 1, 2017 at 12:50:20 PM UTC-5, Chris Torrence wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> First, thanks for giving your feedback to Harris. It made a significant impact.
>
> Starting with IDL 8.6.1 (hopefully mid-April), we will make the following changes:
>
> * An IDL user will be able to run an unlimited number of sessions on their machine. In IDL 8.6 the IDL license was tied to the MAC address + install location + process ID, so each process ID would consume a separate license. In IDL 8.6.1, the IDL license will be tied to the MAC address + install location + user id, so multiple process ID’s will consume just a single IDL license.
> * This change will apply to the IDL command line, the IDL Workbench, and the Python bridge, on all platforms.
> * This change will not apply to ENVI or other Harris Geospatial products.
> * There is no policy change for “flexible single user” (other than allowing multiple IDL sessions on one machine). If you need to use IDL on two machines, you should contact Tech Support or your sales rep for options.
> * IDL Virtual Machine will remain unchanged from pre-IDL 8.6 – we just need to tie up some lose ends and release it.
>
> We are shooting for an April release.
>
> Thanks for supporting IDL over the years.
>
> -Chris
> IDL Project Lead
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: IDL Licensing Changes [message #94770 is a reply to message #94768] |
Wed, 04 October 2017 09:04 |
Doug Edmundson
Messages: 58
Registered: November 2005
|
Member |
|
|
On 10/3/17 11:11 AM, bobportmann@gmail.com wrote:
> On Wednesday, February 1, 2017 at 10:50:20 AM UTC-7, Chris Torrence wrote:
>> * In IDL 8.6.1, the IDL license will be tied to the MAC address + install location + user id, so multiple process ID’s will consume just a single IDL license.
>
> Does the "install location" mean that if I put IDL on a laptop that I cannot use it when I am on a different network as that used when IDL was activated? In my workflow the laptop will almost ALWAYS be on a different network and this limitation makes IDL useless. Is this the case? Is there a work around?
>
> I'm still using IDL 8.5 which does not have this limitation, but it would be nice to upgrade someday.
>
> Thanks,
> Bob
>
Hi Bob,
We are actively working on a solution to a problem where changes to a
machine's MAC address prevents previously activated licenses from working.
For the newsgroup... One example of how the MAC address can change in a
laptop is when one uses a docking station's network card when activating
licenses, and then unplugs and starts using the WiFi card, which will
have a different MAC address than the docking station.
Cheers,
Doug
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Re: IDL Licensing Changes [message #94773 is a reply to message #94771] |
Fri, 06 October 2017 07:53 |
Doug
Messages: 6
Registered: October 2005
|
Junior Member |
|
|
On 10/5/2017 4:22 PM, Patrick Broos wrote:
> Chris,
> This change is a step in the right direction.
>
> Shane Martinez (Academic & NGO Account Manager) told me today that the policy changes you describe above does NOT apply to floating licenses, which is how our department runs IDL.
>
> Our large department (Astronomy at Penn State) and Harris are still trying to figure out a way forward for our IDL users. I sure am tired of spending time on this silly licensing mess, which I first described in January
>
> https://groups.google.com/d/msg/comp.lang.idl-pvwave/q_tzZus taqU/7HZ-78J0EwAJ
>
> We have a conference call with Shane, so maybe some solution will appear. It's very hard to understand why Harris won't simply restore the historical functionality of IDL for all customers. The course Harris has chosen does not seem like a money-making strategy to me---you're just driving customers away!
>
> Frustrated at Penn State,
> Patrick Broos
>
>
Hi Patrick,
Node-locked and floating licenses work the same way in terms of how
usages are counted. With the IDL 8.6.1 change that Chris mentioned, a
particular user will get unlimited IDL sessions per machine. This
brings IDL back to how things used to be for years. (In fact, it may be
a bit better.)
Here's an example. Suppose the server has four IDL licenses. User
"bob" logs into machine "A" and launches an IDL session. The count on
the server goes down to three. On machine A, Bob can then launch an
unlimited number of IDL sessions, all while the server's count stays at
three. Then Bob logs into machine B and runs IDL, and the server's
count goes down to two. Two more people can log into machine A, B or C
before IDL licenses would be used up and at zero. Each of the users
could run unlimited sessions per machine.
With node-locked licensing, the counting is the same. Of course, being
node-locked, only one machine is involved. Still, with a starting count
of four IDLs, up to four users would each have unlimited IDL sessions on
that machine.
Hope this makes things more clear and sorry for any confusion. If you
have any scenarios you have questions about, please let us know.
Cheers,
Doug
|
|
|
|
comp.lang.idl-pvwave archive
Members
Search
Help
Login
Home
