How to Use Reprise License Manager to License Software

Reprise License Manager (RLM) is designed to help independent software vendors enforce license agreements. Using RLM allows vendors to provide a variety of different license types to consumers and still keep track of all the usage data. Whether your client uses floating or node-locked licensing or a combination of both, the RLM license server uses a simple application programming interface to control all license authorizations.

Things You'll Need

• Reprise License Manager

Instructions

1. Incorporate Reprise License Manager (RLM) in your software to enforce software licenses. Including RLM adds license management components to the application file in the end-user's software. The extra files are: rlm utilities, rlm license server, a unique license file and your custom license server.

2. Use the RLM license server to help clients manage floating licenses. Since RLM has both a generic server and a software-specific server, you and your client can designate who has access to the licenses.

3. Secure your programs by controlling the use of floating licenses. In the Options File you can create allowed user groups, disallowed user groups and reserve licenses.

4. Access usage information via RLM's report log option. RLM collects and logs data related to the use of your program, which can then be printed as a report. RLM provides three different report formats (std, small and detailed) which, among other things, includes information about which user logged in to the program, how often, at what time and for what length of time.

Run the License Server

1. Run RLM server as a service on Windows. RLM will start automatically when the machine is booted and continue to run the entire time the system is up. This allows for continuous collection of data without having to manually run the license server at every login and logout.

2. Install RLM on the command line. Unless a different name is specified, sname will default to rlm. Use the following command in which logfile is the pathname for the server debug log and are any arguments you want to pass to rlm at startup.
   rlm -install_service -dlog [+]logfile [-service_name sname]
   

3. Use a startup script to run rlm at boot time on your Unix system.

Tips & Warnings

• RLM is an acronym for Reprise License Manager, while rlm refers to the server environment.

• Floating licenses provide a way for multiple users to share use of software. When a user is using it all other users will be locked out until he logs out and returns the software to the network pool.