So I saw this (below) in the stickies. Does this mean Microstation needs Connection Client to license properly? It doesn't say. Reason I ask is I remove stuff like Connection Client that serves me no purpose. I use Connect release 9.
CONNECT Licensing is Bentley's new process for product activation, enhancing our users' digital workflows and improving our licensing capabilities with features such as:
Hello Bob,
MicroStation CONNECT Edition Update 11 features Bentley’s new CONNECT Licensing. During the MicroStation 11 download, the CONNECTION Client will automatically be installed onto your machine if you do not already have it. The CONNECTION Client is required for this update and for all products on CONNECT Licensing as the licensing requires user sign-in to access the application. This user sign-in replaces the product activation key, offering enhanced security for your organization. For more information on CONNECT Licensing, please click here.
Thanks,
Dan
Answer Verified By: Bob Rayner
Good to know, thanks.
Can I assume we'll be O.K. if we happen to be without interweb access for a long period of time?
Connect r17 10.17.2.61 self-employed-Unpaid Beta tester for Bentley
Yes, perhaps even forever would be better. Am I to understand we just lease this software I thought I purchased and maintained ($7000 + $800+ a year)?
Guess I need to look into this "Reserve a License" option.
That's not exactly accurate. If you're unable to contact the Licensing servers after 7 days, then the product will go into Disabled mode. Disabled mode is different for different products, but many of our products implement 15-minut mode in that case.
This has been the same behavior for many years and we've carried it over into CONNECT Licensing.
Yes, I'm sure you're right. Never been without a connection for long, but never hurts to plan. 15 minute mode seems like some real bull stuff. I have had that situation, years and years ago, but never for more than day.
Thanks for the answers!
Hi Bob,
Bob Rayner said:but never hurts to plan.
well, a question is whether it makes sense to plan and cover 100% of possible situations or less. In normal life (not talking about nuclear power station operation or space rocket launch control ;-) to cover something like 95% scenarios is more than enough. Before the least probable 5% will happen, other conditions will change so much that existing plans will be not valid anyway ;-)
Bob Rayner said: I have had that situation, years and years ago, but never for more than day.
That's exactly the point :-) ... I heard from different customers complains that online licensing is not robust enough and different "what if" (sometimes bizarre) scenarios are discussed. But 7 days is quite long period and any companny will suffer from such long downtime from many other reasons than not functional MicroStation (which in addition can be probably solved using connection via mobile phone to refresh the license).
Customer I know who use checkout (fixed per computer) licenses (so they do not rely on Internet connection), do it often not because of expected problems with disfunctional Internet connection, but becaues of internal restrictions like closed connection to outside or not allowed connection from local computers to not approved servers through proxy/firewall.
Regards,
Jan
Bentley Accredited Developer: iTwin Platform - AssociateLabyrinth Technology | dev.notes() | cad.point
All good points Jan, thanks.
I guess my main problem is I thought I purchased software from Bentley. I spend a lot of money on software, Microstation is the only program I own with this limitation. I'm well aware of recent trends in revenue strategies of large software companies. They want me to own nothing.
All in all, I doubt I'll ever have an issue with my license. This started as a query into removing excess software/bloatware, which is somewhat of a point of focus for me. And I got the answer I needed, I will need to keep Connection Client junk installed and loaded. Now on to the hundreds of Connect bugs.......