I'm not sure if this is where I should be posting this question but,
With Select Server deployed on a local machine I would like to be able to see who has what application open at any given time. Back when we were using Mcrostation v8 (pre XM) we were able to go to the the license manager and see who had any of the Bentley products open at that moment. I could also revoke licenses, see the heartbeat count (I know the heartbeat is no longer used), tell what version of the software they were running, ect. I need to see this information because we have people who like to leave their software running overnight and lock there computers. As I try to make changes to resource file I am unble to delete or modify the directories because the files are being accessed by the product. It is impossible to go to everyone's machine to figure out who it is. Is this possible to see who is currently using Bentley software at any given time using Select Server for v8i?
Thanks,
Mike
Forgrt it I found a post on this subject
Hi Mike,
SELECTserver is not able to show who is using a microstation license right now because there is no longer a live connection between the client and the server. The heartbeat request that used to go between client and server does not exist in XM and higher versions of the applications.
Is it possible for SELECTserver to provide dynamic reporting so that I can tell who is using what software right now?
SELECTserver does not require real-time connectivity and it cannot produce real-time reporting, so reporting on a Site's "current" usage is not possible. The reason for this is that many disconnected machines may not have posted their usage logs to SELECTserver and the server cannot make "assumptions" in the absence of a usage log. However, usage can be posted at any time from any desktop that is connected by hitting 'Send Logs Now' on the License Tool.
Can SELECTserver enforce usage counts, or can I configure my SELECTserver to enforce usage counts?
No, SELECTserver is not capable of enforcing a cap on usage due to the elimination of a real-time connection between the licensed application and the license server. It will report overages, but cannot be configured to prevent using too many copies of an application. If application usage is exceeded, SELECTserver will continue to provide licenses for that application. The fundamental difference in XM-based Trust Licensing is that licensed applications can operate in a disconnected mode. In that, XM Edition and newer applications no longer require a constant connection to the license server, as long as they can connect at least once every 30 days. This is to ensure that users are not denied use of their mission-critical applications from Bentley.
Applications can be installed on many machines and there is a "usage count" in the license file (called a "Site" on SELECTserver). There's a fundamental difference in the "handshake" between the client and the license server, though, in the new SELECTserver. In the past, the handshake is based on a license request from the client application and a corresponding license grant by the server. If successful, the client will emit a "heartbeat" as long as the session is open. This is how SELECTserver historically determined that the license is in use and how usage was compiled. The problem with this model is that it requires a real-time connection to the license server and puts it in a precarious, mission-critical position. If this connection was broken or not available, users could not run their applications.
In Trust Licensing with SELECTserver, the model is different. Instead of a request-grant handshake, the application records usage locally. When a daily connection is made with the license server, the desktop application posts its usage log, including the application, version, and duration of use. In effect, the desktop is telling its SELECTserver, "This is what I used since the last time I was connected to post usage". This change in behavior puts SELECTserver into a position of primarily tracking and reporting usage, not granting licenses or enforcing the right for an application to run. And it ensures that users always "get a license", even if they are all used up at the time.
The fundamental reason for this is not to extract more licenses, but to guarantee that a user is never shut out of a Bentley application. Notifications inform you if and when you have exceeded your usage count. If usage counts are continuously exceeded, an account should consider adding more licenses for that application.
Is there actually a license file that XM and V8i applications use?
There are no actual license files for XM Edition applications. Product activation, including activation via a SELECTserver, is now stored in the operating system registry.
http://communities.bentley.com/products/licensing/w/licensing__wiki/selectsupport-technotes-and-faqs.aspx
Hope that helps,
Phil