license.db

ClearCase and Attache networkwide license database

APPLICABILITY

ClearCase (data structure), Attache (data structure)

SYNOPSIS

• Specify a set of licenses:

  -license    ClearCase    vendor    any.max-users    expiration-date    password

• Specify license timeout period (ClearCase only):

  -timeout minutes

• Specify users' license priorities:

  -user { user-name | user-ID } ...

• Forbid product use by certain users:

  -nuser user-name ...

• Enable auditing of licensing activity:

  -audit

DESCRIPTION

One or more hosts in the network must be designated as license server hosts. Each one must also be an installation host: a host on which the ClearCase software is installed. Networkwide licensing of ClearCase and Attache use is established as follows:

• On a license server host - Add license keys:
  1. Open the ClearCase Control Panel (accessible from the Windows NT Control Panel).
  2. Click the Licensing tab.
  3. Select the check box The local system can act as a license server.
  4. Type the license key in the license keys field and click the OK button.

     This procedure creates (or appends data to) the LicenseKeys value in the Windows registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Atria\ClearCase\CurrentVersion. This one-line or multi-line value is the license database. You can also edit this registry key directly, but we recommend that you use the ClearCase GUI.

     Only the ClearCase administrator should edit the LicenseKeys value on the license server.

• On each installation host - Assign a license server host:
  1. Open the ClearCase Control Panel (accessible from the Windows Control Panel).
  2. Click the Licensing tab.
  3. Clear the check box if it is selected.
  4. Type the name of the license server host in the Host box and click OK.

     This procedure places the name of the license server host in the LicenseHost value of the Windows registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Atria\ClearCase\CurrentVersion. You can also edit this registry key directly, but we recommend that you use the ClearCase GUI.

To use ClearCase or Attache, each user must have a license, which grants the user the privilege to use ClearCase or Attache commands and data on any number of hosts in the network. If no more licenses are available at a particular time, a user with a higher license priority bumps (replaces) a lower priority user. The highest priority level is 1.

Use the clearlicense utility to determine your current licensing status.

LICENSE DATABASE FORMAT

The license database contains several kinds of lines. A line can define a multiuser license, specify users' license priorities, or enable auditing of licensing activity.

License Set Definition Lines

When you first obtain ClearCase or Attache, you receive a single line of text, which defines a certain number of licenses. This line must be entered exactly as provided on the license server host, either at installation time, or later, using the Licensing tab in the ClearCase Control Panel.

Most licenses are locked to their particular license server host. You cannot move the license database to any other host without invalidating the license. If the vendor field is TEMPORARY, you can move the license database around the network, to any ClearCase installation host.

The license database can contain any number of -license lines. All the lines are effectively combined into a single license; the maximum numbers accumulate to determine the total number of license slots. Alternatively, it may be better to split licenses among two or more license servers. This increases product availability: if one license server host goes down, the licenses on the other license server hosts can still be used.

User Priority Lines

The license database can contain any number of -user lines, each of which specifies one or more users (by name or by numeric ID). All these lines are effectively concatenated into a single license priority list. The first user on the list has the highest priority; each successive user has a lower priority. Users not listed can still use the products but they share the lowest priority.

Excluded User Lines

The license database can contain any number of -nuser lines, each of which specifies one or more users (by name or by numeric ID). The specified users cannot obtain a license and thus are completely forbidden from using the product.

-user and -nuser lines can be intermixed. If a user is named in both kinds of line, the first entry is used.

Audit-Enable Line

A line consisting of the single word -audit enables auditing of license activity. An audit message is logged to the event log when these events occur:

• A user is granted a new license.
• A user is denied a license because all licenses are in use.
• A user entered a clearlicense -release command (the success or failure of the command is also logged.

Timeout Line

By default, a ClearCase license granted to a user expires in 60 minutes if the user does not enter any additional ClearCase commands. A -timeout line changes the expiration interval to the specified number of minutes. The minimum interval is 30 minutes; there is no maximum interval.

The time-out for Attache licenses is one week and cannot be changed.

EXAMPLES

• The following line defines a ClearCase license for a maximum of 10 active users. The license expires on November 16, 1999.

-license ClearCase ATRIA *.10 19981116 2adde977.1360cb11.02

• The following lines define licenses that accommodate a total of 13 active users. User adm is assigned the highest priority, smith the next highest, and akp the next highest. The 10-user license expires at the beginning of November 16, 1999, but the 3-user license has no expiration date.

-license ClearCase ATRIA *.10 19981116 2adde977.1360cb11.02
-license ClearCase ATRIA *.3 NONE 2adde9b9.682410da.02
-user adm
-user smith akp

SEE ALSO

albd_server, clearlicense