Index:
General
- How can I get SELECTserver?
- How much does SELECTserver cost?
- What are the hardware or system requirements?
- Does SELECTserver run on a Novell® network?
- Are there any suggestions to quickly implement SELECTserver?
SELECTserver License Management
- What is the advantage of using SELECTserver for license management?
- What products are compatible with SELECTserver license management?
- Can I use SELECTserver to license laptop and other remote computers?
- Can Engineering Configurations (EC's) be concurrently licensed?
- What's the difference between a "branded" and "unbranded" EC license?
- Can I move my existing license pools into a SELECTserver pool?
- I have a workstation that is unable to get a license from SELECTserver. What is wrong?
- Why is computer name a requirement for new licenses?
- If there is a computer failure or a machine needs to be replaced do I need to reregister and obtain a new license?
- What happens if the server crashes in the middle of the night on a holiday weekend and I am up against a Monday morning deadline for a major project?
- How do I add new products and new purchases to my server license file?
- Can I use the license management without using SELECTserver's deployment?
SELECT subscription and SELECTserver Timeout
- Does this mean that I will need a new license file every two years when my SELECT contract expires?
- Will I lose access to my MicroStation seats when my SELECT contract expires and SELECTserver's license times out?
- What do I do when SELECTserver's license file expires?
- When I upgrade SELECTserver will I also have to request a new license file?
General
Question 1: How can I get SELECTserver?
Answer: SELECTserver can be downloaded by SELECT subscribers from Web Downloads: http://appsnet.bentley.com/myselectcd/. The download is only about 2.5MB in size.
Question 2: How much does SELECTserver cost?
Answer: SELECTserver is a free benefit of SELECT.
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Question 3: What are the hardware or system requirements?
Answer: SELECTserver is designed to operate in a Windows® environment. The host machine on which SELECTserver is installed requires a Microsoft Windows based Operating system that supports services. i.e. Windows NT workstation, Windows NT server, Windows 2000 Professional, Windows 2000 server, or Windows XP. Additionally, use of the License Manager requires the TCP/IP protocol for client/server communication. The actual resource requirements are so minimal that any hardware meeting the operating system requirements is capable of running SELECTserver. SELECTserver does not require designated hardware--it can reside in conjunction with other applications on either a server or workstation connected to your local area network. You will need a compatible Web browser (Internet Explorer 4.x or higher or Netscape Navigator 4.x or higher) to view the SELECTserver Manager page.
Note: Windows 95/98 will also support SelectServer however some of the security features will not be available/supported on these operating systems. It is recommend to use an Operating system that runs Services such as Windows NT\2000.
Question 4: Does SELECTserver run on a Novell network?
Answer: SELECTserver will run on a Novell Network, but not on a Novell Server. SELECTserver needs to be installed on a computer running Windows NT/2000/XP operating system. The computer hosting SELECTserver and all the client (MicroStation) computers need to communicate using TCP/IP protocol. For Novell users this may mean adding TCP/IP to their protocol stack if they have not already done so.
Please note that SELECTserver does not require a computer/server dedicated exclusively to running SELECTserver. In reality SELECTserver could reside on one of the workstations that is running MicroStation, serving licenses to other workstations. The resources consumed by SELECTserver are so small that it can run unnoticed in the background while the same computer is actively used for other purposes.
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Question 5: Are there any suggestions to quickly implement SELECTserver?
Answer: Keep in mind that SELECTserver consists of two unique and independent utilities: license management (LM) and software deployment (SSD). SELECTserver Deployment (SSD) is not a prerequisite for the license manager. Administrators can use whatever means they prefer to load software and still use the license manager.
For more information see the following TechNote:
TN 8210 - Quick Start: Setting Up SELECTserver License Manager
SELECTserver License Management
Question 1: What is the advantage of using SELECTserver for license management?
Answer: SELECTserver provides an easy-to-use, reliable and secure means of protection and management that benefits both Bentley and Bentley's customers. Concurrent licensing through SELECTserver provides the necessary flexibility for smooth operation of mission critical software while maximizing the return on your investment in Bentley products. Licenses will no longer be "node locked" to particular machines, but instead can be shared among a large number of client machines.
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Question 2: What products are compatible with SELECTserver license management?
Answer: SELECTserver's license management utilizes license technology first introduced with MicroStation/J. This technology is consistent in version 7 and later Bentley software products.
Question 3: Can I use SELECTserver to license laptop and other remote computers?
Answer: One of the features of SELECTserver is the ability to "Check-Out" a license for later use away from the network. While actively connected to SELECTserver the client machine can download a term license, as predefined by the site administrator. For the duration of the term that application will have a local license file.
For more information see the following TechNote:
TN 8208 - Setting Up and Using the SELECTserver License Check Out/In Utility
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Question 4: Can Engineering Configurations (ECs) be concurrently licensed?
Answer: Yes. The EC's provided with MicroStation/J use the same license technology and can be concurrently managed using SELECTserver.
Question 5: What's the difference between a "branded" and "unbranded" EC license?
Answer: A "branded" EC license is for a specific product (for example, MicroStation Modeler), whereas "unbranded", available only to SELECT subscribers, does not specify a specific product. A single EC unbranded license can be used to run a session of MicroStation Modeler, MicroStation TriForma, MicroStation GeoGraphics, etc.
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Question 6: Can I move my existing license pools into a SELECTserver pool?
Answer: SELECTserver, with concurrent licensing, replaces the old concept of license pools. Instead of a pool that contains several licenses it is now a single license file with defined limitations for products and quantities.
Only Bentley's registration facilities can create and define license files. So while you cannot do this yourself, you can certainly direct Bentley registration to include your existing product licenses in a new concurrent license file to be managed by SELECTserver.
Question 7: I have a workstation that is unable to get a license from SELECTserver. What is wrong?
Answer: There are several possibilities why a workstation may not successfully get a license from SELECTserver, each with it's own error message. These errors and their respective fixes are covered in TechNote 8205.
TN 8205 - Troubleshooting Error Messages in SELECTserver License Manager
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Question 8: Why is computer name a requirement for new licenses?
Answer: Individual computer names are only requested when registering for nodelocked licenses. SELECTserver (concurrent licensing) does not ask for individual computer names when registering and obtaining a license. You do, however, need to supply the computer name (one name) for the server that hosts SELECTserver. Requesting computer names provides additional security and reduces the user's liability associated with fraudulent licenses.
Question 9: If there is a computer failure or a machine needs to be replaced, do I need to reregister and obtain a new license?
Answer: If the computer that failed contained a nodelocked license or was the host for SELECTserver; and if, for some reason, it was impossible to label the replacement machine with the name of the failed computer, then yes, you will have to obtain a new license.
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Question 10: What happens if the server crashes in the middle of the night on a holiday weekend and I am up against a Monday morning deadline for a major project?
Answer: If there is a crash, open sessions continue after a message box that announces that the heartbeat has been lost, and new sessions start in a by-pass mode. First, the user will receive a "no response from license server" message. The user clicks "OK" then get a second box that says "Wait for the OK button to activate". After about 30 seconds, the OK button will indeed become active. The user should click that and will be taken directly to the MicroStation Manager screen where he can open a file. We realize that in nearly every instance MicroStation is mission-critical software and we have taken every precaution possible to make sure that legitimate users always have access.
Question 11: How do I add new products and new purchases to my server license file?
Answer: Contact the Bentley Administration Center with the new registration information. This can be done by phone at 800-513-5103, or by email at licensing@bentley.com. They will append it to your existing licenses and issue you a new server license file with updated parameters.
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Question 12: Can I use the license management without using SELECTserver's deployment?
Answer: Yes, the license manager and SELECTserver Deployment (SSD) are independent functions. To attain maximum benefit of centralized software administration both licensing and distribution should be jointly addressed. However if the administrator has an alternative or preferred method for software deployment it can be used without compromising the license manager in any way.
SELECT subscription and SELECTserver Timeout
Question 1: Does this mean that I will need a new license file every two years when my SELECT contract expires?
Answer: Yes. As part of the renewal process you will see a warning message on the SELECTserver administrative interface 120 days before expiration, that will say when your Select subscription will expire. Contact Bentley Sales Support by phone at 800-513-5103, or by email at licensing@bentley.com. Doing this early will make sure that this renewed license file will be issued and in place well in advance of the expiration date, ensuring no interruption in service.
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Question 2: Will I lose access to my MicroStation seats when my SELECT contract expires and SELECTserver's license times out?
Answer: If your Select contract is not renewed, you will no longer be able to use SELECTserver as it is a benefit of the SELECT Program. If your contract is renewed, you can request a new SELECTserver license with a new expiration date. SELECTserver licenses will continue to work for 60 days past the expiration date, but only for dynamic licensing. The license check out utility (see question 8) will not function during the grace period.
Question 3: What do I do when SELECTserver's license file expires?
Answer: Contact the Bentley Administration Center by phone at 800-513-5103, or by email at licensing@bentley.com to obtain new license files. If the SELECT contract is renewed you will be able to request an updated server license file to reflect the new term. If the SELECT contract is not renewed you will request nodelocked licenses for the applications that were licensed via SELECTserver.
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Question 4: When I upgrade SELECTserver will I also have to request a new license file?
Answer: No. Your existing SELECTserver license file is compatible with newer versions of SELECTserver. There was an issue where updating or receiving a newer license file required upgrading the SELECTserver software but that only affected users of SELECTserver 7.0.