Up and Ready

General Licensing: Subscription & Suite and previous version licensing support

Previous Version support allows Suite or Point Product licenses to only consume a single license for every application from the same release year.   These concepts apply to all Autodesk products.  

The best way to illustrate the versioning support by year is to use an sample scenario:

5 x Revit Architecture Suite 2012 on Subscription.  You will be able to run 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 versions of the software included in Revit Architecture Suite 2012 (AutoCAD, AutoCAD Architecture & Revit Architecture).

The following conditions are true:

Run 1 x AutoCAD 2009 and 1 x AutoCAD 2012 on the same computer,  it will use 2 licenses of Revit Architecture Suite 2012.  

Run 1 x 2012 AutoCAD, 1 x 2012 Revit Architecture and 1 x 2012 AutoCAD Architecture on the same computer, it will use only 1 license of Revit Architecture Suite.

5 x AutoCAD 2012 on Subscription, You can run 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 versions of the software 

The following conditions are true:

Run 1 x AutoCAD 2009 and 1 x AutoCAD 2012 on the same computer,  it will use 2 licenses of AutoCAD 2012.

These Technical Solutions mention previous versioning support here:

Understanding Previous Version support for Autodesk Suite products
http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS16961119

Understanding Previous Version support for Autodesk Point products
http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=TS1085008

License Consumption

Previous Version support allows Suite licenses to only consume a single license for every application from the same release year of the Suite. If the Autodesk Suite product did not exist in the previous year then each previous version of a product that is launched will consume a separate license. Since no Autodesk Suites exist prior to the 2011 release year, launching a previous version of all 2010 and 2009 products will always consume one license each.

For example, if you have a package license for Autodesk Design Suite Premium 2012, the following scenarios can be expected:

• Running AutoCAD 2012, 3ds Max Design 2012, and Mudbox 2012, on the same workstation and at the same time, only consumes one license.
• Running Showcase 2011 and Mudbox 2011, on the same workstation and at the same time, also only consumes one license because there is a 2011 version of Autodesk Design Suite Premium.
• Running AutoCAD 2010 and 3ds Max Design 2010, on the same workstation at the same time, consumes two licenses (one for each product) because there was no version of Autodesk Design Suite Premium 2010.
   

External References:

http://blog.jtbworld.com/2011/05/prior-version-support-and-license-usage.html

Epilogue

The following conditions are true in this scenario as well.   If you have you have 2 x Revit MEP Suite 2012 license, on the client workstation,  if yourstart:

• Revit MEP 2012 and Revit MEP 2011,  it will use two licenses.
• Revit MEP 2012 and AutoCAD MEP 2011 will use two licenses.
• Revit MEP 2012 and AutoCAD MEP 2012 will use one license.

 

 

Inventor Family: Internal Error 2902. ixfAssemblyCopy

When applying various hotfixes with Inventor 2012 SP1, the following error will result:

The reason for this error is because Inventor 2012 SP1 includes previously published hotfixes.  Basically, you don't need them!  In one of my recent cases, the user had Inventor 2012 SP1 and was trying to apply the Hotfix - iLogic assemblies:

http://usa.autodesk.com/getdoc/id=DL17155251

I was able to confirm that this patch would work on Inventor 2012 and not on Inventor 2012 SP1.  If you install the Product Design Suite, it automatically will download and install the Service Pack.  

After the installation, you can go to the About Inventor to confirm that you have SP1 installed.

Some additional posts that refer to the Service Pack installation and hotfixes are also here:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Autodesk-Inventor/Inventor-2010-Can-Not-Install-Frame-Generator-Hotfix-DL17089522/m-p/3217036/highlight/true#M417387

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Autodesk-Inventor/Inventor-2012-Can-not-Install-update-DL17235749-64-bit/m-p/3173048/highlight/true#M414044

Thanks to Warren Wetzel for confirming this solution.

General Licensing: How to borrow a license from the license server?

If you have a network license at your company, you can borrow the license from the license server.  Please note that if you borrow a license, a best practice is to borrow it the exact time that you need because you are taking a license from your company's license pool.

1.  If you borrow a license on your laptop until December 25th, 2012, you can connect to the laptop on the  network at any time before the 25th to return it.

2.  If you don't connect the laptop on the network by the 25th, the server will return the license automatically on December 26th, 2012.

3.  The Autodesk software on the Laptop will stop working on December 26th, 2012.

Here is an visual instant replay of the process using Civil 3D 2012:

1. Click on About Civil 3D 2012 > Product Information.

2.  Click on Borrow License button.

3.  Select the borrow date period.

4.  There is a confirmation of borrowed license.

5.  To return, the license, just go back to About Civil 3D 2012 > Product Information.

6.  On the license server, if you  Perform Status Inquiry, you will get the word linger in the status.

7.  The license will be returned in 235260 seconds.

Please check out this importance post about setting an options file on the license server to limit what you can do on the client (laptop) computers:

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/05/general-licensing-using-the-wwwlicenseparsercom-to-help-create-an-options-file.html

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/08/general-licensing-using-flexlm-diagnostics-options-file.html

NOTE:  I know for a fact that License Borrowing in not available in Autodesk Simulation CFD 2012.

 

Installation:Default Add-ins for Inventor

You have installed Inventor from Product Design Suite or Factory Design Premium2012 and you are wondering if it is normal that some functionality is not available.

For instance, you cannot open the IDF Board Files, you cannot start the Stress Analysis environment in your parts and assemblies, etc.

For double-checking if the current behavior is correct, you can read the complete list of the Inventor add-ins here under User Interface > Default add-ins for Autodesk Inventor.

At the same page, you can read as well the complete list of the Inventor Professional add-ins under User Interface > Default add-ins for Autodesk Inventor Professional that you get installing Inventor from Product Design Suite or Factory Design Ultimate 2012.

 

via

http://beinginventive.typepad.com/being-inventive/2011/11/default-add-ins-for-inventor.html

 

Vault 2012: Performance Issue and/or Crashing of the Vault Client

Issue which appears suddenly on all workstations: the Vault Client Application is either crashing (usually after a few Minutes working with the Vault) or you experience serious performance issues.

Root of the issue is that the IT department introduced a proxy Server in the company. Usually a specific proxy script is introduced.

Please check out this post for details:

http://crackingthevault.typepad.com/crackingthevault/2011/11/serious-issues-like-performance-andor-crashing-of-the-vault-client.html

Mac: Network licensing and the ".flexlmrc" file

We were able to check out the ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE environment variable for Autodesk products on Mac by referring to this post (#3):

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/11/mac-licensing-autocad-2012-for-mac-using-a-windows-network-license.html

The ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE environment variable value is stored  in the home directory in a file called:  .flexlmrc.  Just open a Terminal and type the following commands:

1.  cd

2.  ls

3.  ls -la

4.  cat .flexlmrc

In order to change this value, just use Textedit, navigate to the home directory and toggle Shift-Command-Period to open and edit the hidden (invisible) .flexlmrc file.

On Windows, the ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE environment variable values are posted here:

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/11/general-licensing-adskflex_license_file-environment-variable-location-in-windows-registry.html

Reference:

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/11/mac-where-is-my-library-folder.html

General Systems: Is the Windows Firewall on or off?

When you turn off the Windows Firewall in the Control Panel, it maybe off but it's actually still turned on.  The only way to really confirm if the Windows Firewall ON or  OFF is in Services.

Windows 7
Start > Search > Services

Windows XP
Start > Settings > Control Panel > Adminstrative Tools > Services

Reference Posts:

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/06/verifying-if-license-server-is-up-and-running-and-if-firewall-is-blocking-ports-from-a-client-using-.html

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/11/quick-start-setting-up-a-license-server.html

Thanks to Dwayne Poot for this tip.

General Licensing: What is the ProductInformation.pit file?

One of our other Autodesk blog sites had an error when trying to install the software. The mesage was adlmPITSetProductInformation failed.  To check out the post, go here:

http://crackingthevault.typepad.com/crackingthevault/2011/11/adlmpitsetproductinformation-failed.html

This made me think of this old post "What is the Productinformation.pit file?" in the the Autodesk forums:

http://forums.autodesk.com/t5/Installation-Licensing/What-is-the-Productinformation-pit-file-amp/m-p/2917022/highlight/true#M30078

The Serial Number and Product Keys are entered into the Product Information.pit file.  It's better to rename the file and back it up rather than delete the file.  Some additional posts for reference are here:

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/08/autodesk-suites-building-design-suite-2012-doesnt-license-autocad-2012.html

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/06/general-licensing-product-keys.html

Mac: Licensing AutoCAD 2012 for Mac using a Windows network license

Using some posts in Up and Ready, we were able to confirm that Revit Architecture Suite 2012 will license AutoCAD 2012 on the Mac.

1.  Using the License Parser to confirm the contents of the file:

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/05/general-licensing-using-the-wwwlicenseparsercom-to-help-create-an-options-file.html

2.  Setting up the License Server:

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/11/quick-start-setting-up-a-license-server.html

3.  Confirming which license file the client is looking at:

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/06/general-licensing-what-license-file-or-license-server-is-a-client-computer-looking-at.html

Mac location of lmutil is at:  /usr/local/flexnetserver
Linux location of lmtil is at:  /opt/flexnetserver 

4.  Checking the Mac from my Windows computer:

http://upandready.typepad.com/up_and_ready/2011/11/mac-setting-up-vnc-to-remote-into-the-mac.html

Installation: 29001 Error during Vault 2012 installation on Windows 2003 server.

Related Errors

29001 Vault management error: System.Web.Services.Protocols.SoapException: 301

Error 29001. Vaut management error: Systern.Web.Servtes.Protocols.SoapException: 232

 

 

Solution:

Reinstall IIS

Thanks to Francesco for sharing the solution