Chapter 3: Frequently Asked Questions

This chapter gives answers to frequently asked questions.

3.1 Questions and Answers

Q. How do I add more users to an existing system?

Contact us or the product supplier for an additional license key. You then run the License Administration Services to add this license key into the license database.

Q. Can licenses for an old version of a product run a new version?

Yes. Licenses for a product can run with the original product (for example, Server Express 1.0) and any updates for that product (for example, Server Express 1.1). However, you cannot use licenses from earlier products, such as Object COBOL Development System with a later product such as Server Express. Also you cannot use licenses for 32-bit Server Express with 64-bit Server Express.

Q. Can licenses for a new version of a product still run the old version?

Yes, if the new version is an update to the old version. For example, a 32-bit license for Server Express 2.0 can be used with Server Express 1.1. It cannot, however, be used with older products, for example Object COBOL Development System.

Q. If different departments running on the same machine each have their own licenses, is there any way of stopping one department using another's license?

No. If users cannot run their products because users from other departments are using up the license units, you have insufficient licenses on your system and need to purchase and install additional ones.

Q. How do I distribute licenses among a pool of machines, because I cannot predict how many users will be on any particular machine.

If you want the flexibility of reconfiguring machines according to need, you need to uninstall a license from one machine and then install the license on another. Be aware that this is potentially time consuming, especially if you have many licenses, as you have to enter each one manually. Remember too that licenses are specific to hardware and operating system, as well as the product.

Q. I have two independent systems running. In an emergency, such as a hardware crash on one system, can I transfer the stranded users onto my second system?

Yes. Call us for a temporary license key to use on the machine that is running.

Q. What happens if the user kills the License Manager daemon?

Existing licensed tasks are unaffected. Restart the License Manager from the command line.

However, if there are any outstanding licensed tasks invoked by the previous License Manager, the new License Manager does not start. It closes itself down again. To start the License Manager in this situation, start it from the command line with the FORCE or WAIT directive. See the section on starting the License Manager in the chapter Administering the License Management Facility.

Q. What is the effect of starting multiple License Managers?

No damage results if you attempt this, because the newly started License Manager detects that another copy is running, and immediately closes itself down again.

Q. How does the License Management Facility withstand a system crash?

The License Management Facility is resilient to system crashes. However, in the unlikely event of the license database becoming corrupt, you can recover. A backup copy of the database is taken automatically after every run of the License Administration Services. When the License Administration Services starts up after a system crash, it notifies you of the failure, and you can choose to automatically restore from the backup.

If, on the very rare occasion, the backup is also corrupt, contact Product Support. You will need to delete the license database manually. The files to delete are mflmfdb, mflmfdb.idx, mflmfdbX, mflmfdbX.idx, and are in the directory in which the License Management Facility is installed. In addition, a copy of the corrupt database is made to MFLMFBAD and MFLMFBAD.idx. Unless our support staff request that you keep these two files for further investigation, delete them too. You must then run the License Administration Services and reinstall the licenses.

Q. What can I do if the License Management Facility behaves unexpectedly?

Contact Product Support. They will help resolve the problem. They might suggest suspending license checking for a short period while the problem is solved.

Q. Why doesn't installing a license key immediately enable users to use the product?

When you install a new license key, you are entering the new key into the license database. However, the license key is not yet in the License Manager's copy of the license database. After installing a new license key, you need to refresh the License Manager's copy of the database. To do this, go to the License Administration Services main menu, press F7=refresh. Alternatively, you can let the License Manager automatically refresh its copy of the license database the next time it is restarted.