Using Other Capabilities with Three-Server Redundancy
The following section describe other capabilities available in FlexNet Publisher and how they interact with three-server redundancy.
Configuring the License Search Path
This configuration can be performed by either the software publisher or the license administrator. Before a FlexEnabled application can check out a license, it must know where to locate the license rights. The license search path identifies the location of license rights.
When connecting to a license server configured for three-server redundancy, the FlexEnabled application must use the <port>@<host> convention (and not a license file location) in the license search path.
The license search path should list the license servers in the same order that they appear in the license file. This helps shorten the amount of time it takes to identify the master server and respond to the checkout request. Although the configuration will work if you include only one of the license servers in the license search path, this may lengthen the amount of time it takes for the license server to respond to the checkout request. This is because the license server must identify all other license servers and designate a master.
Separate each <port>@<host> entry with a comma. Using the previous license file as an example, the license search path should be the following:
2837@pat,2837@lee,2837@terry
The FlexEnabled application will try to connect to each of the license servers in the list, in the order listed, until it either successfully connects to a license server or reaches the end of the list. This helps ensure that the FlexEnabled application can connect to the quorum.
Specifying Three-Server Redundancy in the License Finder
When the license search path has not been configured, the FLEXlm License Finder dialog is displayed on Windows platforms when a FlexEnabled application is run.
To specify a triad of license servers in the License Finder dialog:
| 1. | Select Specify the License File. |
| 2. | Click Next. |
| 3. | Type the path name or use the browse button to specify your three-server redundant license file. An Example License File shows a typical three-server redundant license file. |
| 4. | Click Next. |
Note that the License Finder dialog option, Specify the License Server System, allows you to only specify a single license server and not a triad of license servers.
The following keywords and properties for the SERVER line enable you to modify the configuration. You can change their values after the license file has been signed (that is, without invalidating the signature).
| • | host—The hostname of the system. The publisher should know this information when generating the license file. |
| • | port—The port number that the license server uses to listen for communication. Unlike with single license servers, each SERVER line must include a port number. This can be any number in the range 1 to 65535 that is not used by another process running on the system. On UNIX, choose a port >1024, since those <1024 are privileged port numbers. If not specified, the license server will automatically use the next available port number in the range 27000 to 27009. |
If you specify a port number greater than 65535, the client fails to establish a connection with the license server manager (lmgrd or lmadmin).
Note:Those producers concerned about potential DoS attacks based on knowledge of common license server ports may want to consider specifying a server port outside the range 27000 to 27009.
If you are using lmadmin, you do not need to edit the license file; you can configure the port number using the interface. The port number specified in lmadmin takes precedence over any port set in the license file, either before or after the port is specified using lmadmin. (See the online help for more details.) Editing the port number using lmadmin is only recommended if no port number is specified in the license file. If a port number is already specified in the license file and the port is subsequently changed in lmadmin, during the next restart the vendor daemon will exit with a “port mismatch” error.
To make it easier to administer the license server, it is strongly recommended that you define the same port number for each SERVER line.
| • | PRIMARY_IS_MASTER—This keyword ensures that the primary server is the master whenever it is running and communicating with one of the other license servers. |
| • | If this is set and the primary server goes down, when the primary server comes back up again, it will always become the master. |
| • | If this is not set and the primary server goes down, the secondary server becomes the master and remains the master even when the primary server comes back up. The primary can only become the master again when the secondary license server fails. |
This parameter is optional and should be placed on the first SERVER line. The license server must be running a version 10.8 or later vendor daemon to use this keyword.
| • | HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL=seconds—This indicates how long the license servers wait to receive a heartbeat from another license server before shutting down the vendor daemon. This value is used in the following equation to calculate the actual timeout value: |
timeout = (3 * seconds) + (seconds – 1)
The default value is 20, which equates to an actual timeout of 79 seconds. Valid values are 0 through 120. This parameter is optional and should be placed on the first SERVER line in the license file. The license server must be running a version 10.8 or later vendor daemon to use this keyword.
None of the keywords in the options file affect three-server redundancy.