Installation and Licensing

If you received a license file (*.lic), you will be using locally hosted licensing. This allows you to manage available license seats or CRS units in-house without the requirement to connect to the ReliaSoft external license server.

There are two steps involved in installing your new software: a license administrator sets up the license server, then each client computer can be set up.

Setting Up the License Server

First, the administrator must configure the license server by following these steps. If you have already set up a license server for ReliaSoft or nCode products, you do not need to repeat this process. Note that a server can run only one *.lic file, so if you have multiple licenses, each will run on a separate server.

It is also important to remember that the license is customized to work only on the computer that you specified as your license server. This computer must remain on and accessible via the network to all client computers, with the license service running.

1. In the Windows Firewall control panel's advanced settings, add inbound rules to configure the Windows firewall to allow inbound connections on the following ports:
   
   TCP 6220
   UDP 6200
2. Open the ReliaSoft ePack and decompress the *.zip archive in the Locally Hosted Licensing Utility folder.
3. Install the HBM Prenscia Licensing Administration utility by double-clicking licinst.exe and following the prompts. The utility will start as soon as installation is complete.
4. On the Server tab of the license admin utility, click Configure License Server and enter the port number (this will be 6220 by default—if you must change it to fit your environment, you will need to adjust your Windows Firewall settings and the license path on the client computers accordingly). Then browse for the *.lic file.
5. Provide each client user with the path to the license server computer (e.g., 6220@servername).

Setting Up the Client Computer(s)

Once the license server has been set up, perform the following steps for each client installation. If you have previously connected the client computer to the appropriate license server, you can start at step 4.

1. Open the ReliaSoft ePack and decompress the *.zip archive in the Locally Hosted Licensing Utility folder
2. Install the HBM Prenscia Licensing Administration utility by double-clicking licinst.exe and following the prompts. The utility will start as soon as installation is complete.
3. On the Client tab of the license admin utility, click Set Client License Path and then click Add Network Host or enter the license path directly in the window (use the network host format; e.g., port@serverhostname).

The client computer will check for available license seats in the specified order (i.e., it will go to the top server listed and if no license seat is available there, it will check the next server down, and so on).

Note that you can delete a license location by highlighting the line and deleting it.

4. Install the ReliaSoft desktop applications by double-clicking the installation program from the ePack (e.g., ReliaSoft2024.exe) and following the prompts.

The first time you launch an application, you may be asked to provide your name and basic contact information. This is required to be eligible for technical support.

Note: Applications using locally hosted licensing must have an active connection to the license server unless you have borrowed a license. If you see a message that indicates that a license could not be obtained, this could be for a variety of reasons (e.g., you are not connected to the license server, the license server is down or there are no seats or CRS units available for the license). In addition, if you lose connection to the license server while you are using an application, you will see a message warning you to save your work before the application closes.

Ongoing License Administration

After initial installation and setup, there are various tasks that you may need to perform.

Required Task: Log Files

For each locally hosted license, the license administrator must remit log files to ReliaSoft on a quarterly basis, in accordance with the license agreement. When the license server has been started, the log file will be automatically generated in the directory <installation path>\HBM Prenscia\Licensing\log. At the end of each quarter, use a file compression utility to compress the quarter's *.csv file (indicated by a year and quarter abbreviation in the filename) into a *.zip file and send the compressed file to [email protected].

Licensing Administration Window

You will use the HBM Prenscia Licensing Administration utility when you set up the license server and the client computers. If you need to open the utility again at a later time, choose HBM Prenscia Licensing > Licensing Administration in the Windows Start menu. You can:

• Use Display Server Host IDs to copy or save the host ID information for the current computer if needed by ReliaSoft support.
• Use Configure License Server if you need to stop, change and/or restart the service on the license server. For example, when you renew your license or if your company purchases additional license seats, ReliaSoft will provide you with a new *.lic file.
  • If you are experiencing issues serving licenses, click Restart Service to force the service to reset.
  • To replace a *.lic file, click Stop Service, make the changes and click Start Service.
• Use View License Server Status to display the status of the license server and which license seats are currently in use. You can use this tool to view information for any of the license servers that your organization has set up.
  • Host: set to localhost to view the statistics for the current license server. To view stats from another license server, enter the name of the computer on the network or an IP address.
  • Port: 6220 is the default.

If you are requesting a demo or have already received a license key (a 32-digit alphanumeric code), you will be using ReliaSoft-hosted licensing.

If your computer has an active Internet connection and your firewall allows the software to access the ReliaSoft secure external license server at https://validate2.reliasoft.org* This license server is for Version 2022 and later. Previous versions will continue to use the license server at https://validate.reliasoft.org., only a few simple steps are required for activation:

1. Install the ReliaSoft desktop applications by double-clicking the installation program from the ePack (e.g., ReliaSoft2024.exe) and following the prompts.
2. The first time you launch an application, the activation wizard will appear. On the first page, select whether you want to activate a license or request a free demo license.
3. On the next page, enter a valid e-mail address to serve as your ReliaSoft ID. This is the e-mail address where you will receive confirmation e-mails from the ReliaSoft License Server. This must be your company e-mail address — not gmail, hotmail, etc.
   • Name and Contact Info: If this is the first time that you have registered a ReliaSoft desktop application on this computer with this e-mail address, the next page will request your name and basic contact information.
   • Demo License: If you need a demo license, most requests will be addressed immediately during normal business hours; for some locations, please allow up to 2 business days.
4. On the next page, enter the product license key provided to you. Tip: If you are able to copy the key from a product delivery e-mail, the Paste icon saves time by automatically entering each section into the appropriate input box.

• Confirmation Keys: If your license type requires a confirmation key, the next page requires you to copy/paste a key that you will receive via e-mail. Tip: If the e-mail does not appear in your Inbox within a few minutes, check your Junk mail or SPAM folders.
• Activate Multiple Applications: If your license key includes other ReliaSoft desktop applications that have not yet been activated on this computer, the next page gives you the opportunity to activate any or all of them at the same time.
5. When you see the "Your product has been activated” message, click Finish to start using the software.

Problems Communicating with the ReliaSoft License Server

Floating Licenses: If your organization has a Floating License, your access to the application at any given time depends on how many other users who share the license are accessing the application at the same time. After the initial activation (i.e., the steps described above), the software will automatically check the server each time you try to access the application. Therefore, the computer must have an active Internet connection and must be able to access the ReliaSoft license server whenever you wish to use the software. You may need to adjust your Internet and/or firewall settings and/or set the server as a trusted location in order to use the application.

Deactivation: The ReliaSoft license server will prohibit future activations that would exceed the limits of your license key; therefore, it is important to deactivate ReliaSoft desktop applications if they are no longer being used by a particular computer and/or user. You will be prompted to deactivate upon uninstall, and you also have the option to deactivate without uninstall if desired.

Personal or Corporate Firewalls: The software must communicate with the ReliaSoft license server each time you activate a particular application on a particular computer. Personal or corporate firewalls can block this communication. Possible solutions:

• Personal firewalls (Norton Firewall, ZoneAlarm, BlackIce, Outpost, McAfee Firewall, etc.) need to be configured to allow the software to communicate with the server. Generally, these products will ask for your authorization when the software first tries to establish communication with the server (e.g., "BlockSim.exe is attempting to access the Internet. Do you wish to authorize it?" or something similar). It is recommended to make this authorization permanent if possible.
• Some firewall configurations block all new programs without any warning. To activate the software, it will be necessary to manually add the software name to the authorized list. Provide for unlimited access for the software.
• If all of this still fails, try to deactivate the firewall temporarily until the software has been activated. The majority of firewalls have an option to suspend their action. If not, you will have to terminate the firewall. Activate the software and then reboot your machine to restore firewall action.
• For network or corporate firewalls, you may need to ask the network manager to make the required settings to allow the software to communicate with the ReliaSoft license server and/or add this domain to a trusted list.

Alternative Ways to Activate

If the software is not able to communicate directly with the ReliaSoft license server, there are alternative options. If all else fails, you can contact us via, phone, e-mail and/or fax to obtain an Activation Code.

Proxy Settings

If you have an Internet connection (green check mark) but the software is unable to communicate with the ReliaSoft license server (red x), you can attempt to use alternative credentials by clicking Proxy Settings.

IMPORTANT: For Floating Licenses, if your organization's proxy settings change regularly, we do not recommend using this process. Please consult your network administrator for setup assistance.

In the Proxy Settings window, enter the information required (you may need the assistance of your network administrator to complete this) and click Test Settings. The OK button will become enabled if the test is successful. If the proxy fails, you can click Cancel and try another method.

Note that if you have activated the software on your computer using a proxy and the proxy settings subsequently change, you will need to update the settings for the ReliaSoft desktop applications. The easiest way to return to the Proxy Settings window is to launch a ReliaSoft application that you have not activated on your computer. If you have activated all applications, please contact technical support for assistance.

Request an Activation Code via the Web

To request an Activation Code using our web form, you can select Use an Activation Code, continue until you reach the screen requesting your product license key and activation code and click the Get an Activation Code online link, or you can go directly to http://validate2.reliasoft.org/UserManagement/ActivationCode.aspx** This URL is for Version 2022 and later. For previous versions, go to http://validate2.reliasoft.org/UserManagement/ActivationCode.aspx in your web browser. Enter the required fields and click E-mail Activation Code.