Hi,
I am about to push 2015 Sketchup Pro upgrade to 50 or so computers via GPO.
I’ve noticed the network license approach has changed in 2015. Now I have to distribute “activation_info.txt” to all computers. In addition, end users now need to go through an extra step of adding a license. In 2014, I had to distribute server.dat to all computers which pointed to centralized shared folder with .LF file. No license-related interaction from end users was necessary.
My licenses are network licenses and I am able to “check out” a license. As per THIS LINK I should not be able to do that for network license. Not that it is an issue but I am concerned something is not right? Did you move away from “shared folder” , “server.dat” approach in 2015? or am i doing it wrong?
“Network Licenses
• License management now happens in the cloud! This is huge - no more creating a shared folder on a local server and no more “license file” that you need to generate.
• Network licenses are added the same way single user licenses are added. Just select Help > License (Microsoft Windows) or SketchUp > License (Mac OS X), copy/paste the serial number and authorization code you received via an e-mail and click the Add License button. Or click the Advanced… link, paste in your license information and click Add License.
• No setup is required by an IT manager to, well, manage the license. Trimble runs the licensing servers that SketchUp checks in with on startup to make sure you are not exceeding the licensed number of simultaneous users.
• No more LAN restrictions. Since the license exists in the cloud, the computers using network licenses just need an Internet connection. Your network will, however, need to allow access to ports 5053 and 50530. If you need to work offline, you can “check out” a floating license before you go offline for seven days, then return it to the pool of licenses when you get back online.”
On the other hand, no management of licenses by the user’s IT staff is possible at the moment (I have seen replies by the team members that could be interpreted as partial promises) so anyone in the Internet who gets hold of your network license number and activation code can use it and you cannot do anything about it.
Thank you for clarification. Then the 2nd link I posted above is outdated, which confused me.
Also to clarify 3 things:
I can deploy and “activate” sketchup on all of my 50 machines but only 4 (in my case) concurrent sketchups can be opened at any given time. I hope I wont need to run around and deactivate/activate licenses
If our internet connection goes down, we just use the “check out” feature to keep on working?
once “checked out”, can it be “checked in” before the 7 days period is expired?
Very valid point! Considering the “activation_info.txt” file that is distributed to all stations contains serial and activation code in clear form!!! This is a serious concern.
As with the previous posters, I’m also a little confused about the new network licensing arrangement. If we activate a PC does this permanently consume a license until it is deactivated on the PC (node locked)? Or can we activate the software on as many PCs as we want and the cloud server manages concurrency? We use streaming technology to make software available on as many machines as possible so our students are not tied to specific labs, so if we have to constantly deactivate licenses so they can be used elsewhere this will be quite limiting.
The activation process is also an issue for us, as we would rather there be no user interaction necessary to activate the software (as with the old licensing arrangement). I also second the concern about the activation code being in plain text for users to grab and use at will.
Thanks for clearing that up, itsupport. That should makes things somewhat easier to manage.
Now I just wish there was some way to add licenses automatically rather than make our users do it!