License server Installation and Configuration

Requirements

OS

• Windows 11 64-Bit

• Windows 10 64-Bit

• Windows Server 2022

• Windows Server 2019
• Windows Server 2016
• Windows Server 2012 R2
• Windows Server 2012

Hardware

• HASP-Single-Dongle for USB

Software

• ELITECAD USB-Stick to install the codewords and the dongle driver.

Restrictions

• If LicenseServer has been installed and the service is running, ELITECAD will only work with the LicenseServer codeword.
• If a computer is configured as license server, the additional use of a single license dongle, a network dongle and a network adapter ID license won’t be possible anymore.

Trademarks

Microsoft and Windows Server are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.

Intel is a registered trademark of Intel Corporation.

Acrobat Reader is a registered trademark of Adobe Systems Incorporated.

Overview

LicenseServer is the licensing software for all ELITECAD modules. The number of licenses for ELITECAD can differ from the number of its modules.
LicenseServer has to be installed on a server (or a non-stop running workstation). The dongle has to be plugged into the computer upon which the LicenseServer is running and the appropriate driver must also be installed. LicenseServer is running and the appropriate driver must also be installed. LicenseServer is listed in Program files under:
EliteSuite16 – LicenseServer and manages the service ELITECAD LicenseServer 1600.
On the client-workstations only one file, connecting to the server, need be installed.

Preparing the Installation

LicenseServer can be run parallel to older versions without any restrictions. In this case, no additional driver has to be installed.

• Uninstalling Hardlock server dongle

For a correctly running LicenseServer, any existing Hardlock-serverdongle-driver must be uninstalled before LicenseServer and the necessary single-license dongle driver (HASP-driver) are installed!
Open Windows Program manager and select the HardlockServer. Perform all steps for de-installation.

• Installation of the dongle driver

LicenseServer runs with a single-license dongle. Unless a previous version of LicenseServer is already installed, the dongle-driver has to be installed prior to the installation of LicenseServer.
Open a new Windows-Explorer window and execute the file hdd32.exe in the directory dongle on the ELITECAD USB stick by double clicking it.
Answer the questions appropriately. The last message should show up: operation successfully completed.

Installing LicenseServer

Start SuiteSetup.exe from the ELITECAD USB stick and answer the questions appropriately. Choose Custom and select the LicenseServer under programs.
The installation finishes afterwards without any further prompt.

Entering the Codewords

Note

Please verify that the dongle is plugged into the computer correctly.

Start the Codeword entry for the LicenseServer from the Windows start menu under EliteSuite16 > Codeword entry LicenseServer.

Usually you receive the codewords as a text file. The easiest way to install the codewords is to save the file on your computer and then use the "Read codeword file" button. Select the correct file and the codewords are read automatically.
Alternatively, you can enter the codewords for each module manually.

Starting LicenseServer

Starting the LicenseServer GUI

Start the LicenseServer Windows start menu under EliteSuite16 > LicenseServer.

The LicenseServer GUI

Depending on the state of the LicenseServer configuration the available buttons will vary.
The current working status is indicated by the following symbols:
LicenseServer is offline – Service is not installed.
Service is installed, but not yet started.
Service is installed and is running – LicenseServer is fully operational.

Installing the LicenseServer service and starting it

Click on "Install service", this will install the service ELITECAD LicenseServer 1600 but it will not be started yet.

After completing the services installation, the button "Start service" will be unlocked.
Click now on "Start service", to start LicenseServe.

LicenseServer is now running.
The service can be stopped by clicking "Stop service", after that the corresponding buttons will be unlocked again for further actions.

Note

If the service stops after a short moment, the computer has to be rebooted. Restart the service afterwards.
It may occur that Windows displays error messages after the reboot. This is usually caused by security software blocking the service. Please define the appropriate exceptions in the security software (Firewall etc.).

Installing the Workstations

In order to recognize LicenseServer, the codeword check has to be set to LicenseServer on each workstation. Open the ELITECAD configuration on each client and enter the name of the server.

Alternatively, you can copy the file named Client to the workstation.

In the servers codeword directory
C:\Programfiles\LicenseServer\<version>\cw, you will find the file _Client. Rename it to Client and open it with Notepad.

Replace the name renderrxp with your server's name (Hostname, Computer name) and save the file in a directory on the network accessible from the workstations.

Note

You will find instructions on how to determine the host name in the glossary.

If the server has problems with the name replace the name with the server's IP-Address.

Copy the file Client to (<ELITECAD-install-directory>\u\<version>\cw) on any workstation that is supposed to work with LicenseServer. You don't need to remove already installed codewords on the workstation. As soon as the file Client is present in the codeword-directory, ELITECAD will read it and connect to the LicenseServer at the given address and all other files in the same directory will be neglected..

Using LicenseTester

Using LicenseTester on LicenseServer

Click on "LicenseTester" to open the status window.

Messages:

No registered module found!
This message means that no ELITECAD workstation is yet connected to the LicenseServer.

No connection to server: <localhost> (RPC_S_NOT_LISTENING)
This message means that no connection can be established to a LicenseServer.

-- License tester is required! -- No connection to server
This message appears after 5 attempts in vain to reach a LicenseServer.

Switch between the listing of how many licenses and which modules are in use and how many are available.

Examples:

Licenses in use

Licenses available

Note

With the country setting Deutsch(Schweiz) (German-Swiss) the AR-module will not show up.

Using LicenseTester on a ELITECAD-Client

Install LicenseServer on a client in the network but without installing the service.
This allows a comfortable management of the availability of the licenses from your desktop instead of doing it on the server.

Maintenance

Logfile

Opens the logfile where a set of information is shown (service, connections, etc.).

Enter a different directory where the logfile is stored. By default the Windows standard directory is used.

Connection Problems

No connection to LicenseServer possible

When ELITECAD displays the following message shortly after the start, the connection to LicenseServer is broken. One possible reason might be a problem on the network. Check the network connection.
If the message shows upon the first try to start ELITECAD following the installation of LicenseServer, an incorrect entry in the Client-file could cause the problem or incorrect or missing settings in the firewall.

No valid elite-Codeword on LicenseServer

This message flashes during the operation of ELITECAD. Possible reasons:

• The network was / is temporarily down or a problem in the network-hardware (cable, switch etc.) exists.
• The server is being shut down.
• The LicenseServer service had been stopped for some reason (restarting the service on the server should fix the problem).

Do NOT exit ELITECAD. WAIT until the connection to the server has been established again. LicenseServer will fix the license-settings automatically.
If this can't be done, an emergency backup file will be generated and you will be prompted to send the file to the hotline (address is shown in the message) where they are able to convert it into a standard ELITECAD file.

No valid license found!

All licenses are in use, use LicenseTester to detect which licenses are in use.

Connection problems (RPC)

Programs must pass an authentication-check before they are allowed to open a connection to a port.
In normal conditions this is done automatically but it could happen that you need to do it manually.

Entry in the registry

(Based on Microsoft Knowledge Base Article – 838191) Installing the LicenseServer a Windows-relevant entry is created automatically. This is required to make it possible that all ELITECAD client PCs are able to connect to the LicenseServer during startup. During the uninstall-process of LicenseServer this entry will be removed.

Entry string:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows NT\RPC\RestrictRemoteClients "DWORD"=dword:00000000
Additionally, you will find a registry file with the name RestrictRemoteClients0.reg reg in the install directory of <LicenseServer-Installationsdirectory> <version>\bin

Explanations:

There is a new condition for programs using RPC or DCOM: The programme has to authenticate itself before it can establish a connection to a port.
The new base-value of this entry is 1 which means that programs must authenticate prior to a connection. The LicenseServer sets this value to 0 to allow connections in the same way as prior to installation. The value 2 means that only authenticated connections are allowed.

Exceptions within the Windows-Firewall

LicenseServer communicates over port 24016. The port must be defined as an exception to avoid getting blocked.
Normally this entry is set automatically but it could happen that you need to do it manually.

Glossary

Explaination of terms used

Codeword

Generated string for an ELITECAD-module, which allows the use of the module together with the corresponding licensing hardware (dongle, network interface) or software (LicenseServer) installed.

Service

A service is a process which will be started automatically by Windows under certain conditions. It assures that the process is running when Windows is operational.

Dongle

A dongle is a USB-Stick-like hardware, to be plugged into a USB-Port. The codewords for the licensed modules and their number are generated based on the dongles serial number (Dongle ID).

ELITECAD-Client-PC, Workstation

This is the hardware on which ELITECAD is installed and used. Within the particular setup of the LicenseServer the codewords for ELITECAD are accessible over the network. It is possible, with some restrictions, to install the LicenseServer together with ELITECAD on the same PC. See Restrictions.

Remote host (existing IP-address)

Computer accessible by the TCP/IP protocol over the network.

Host

A host is a computer on the network. A host is usually a larger computer who offers services to the Clients.

Hostname

The Hostname identifies a host / server in the network.

Finding out a System's Hostname

Go to the control panel and open the menu "System".

License(s)

Authorizes the use of one or more modules of ELITECAD.

LicenseServer, LicenseServer-PC & LicenseTester

Computer where the programs LicenseServer and LicenseTester for ELITECAD are installed.

Local Host

Here defined as a PC in use with a keyboard, mouse and screen connected.

Module (ELITECAD)

A programme add-on of ELITECAD, that can usually only be used with it’s own unique codeword.

Service

Name for processes and transactions concerning the LicenseServer like installing, starting and stopping the service on it.