License Borrow Tool Configuration

Environment

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The License Borrow Tool will allow you to use Tekla Structures offline by borrowing licenses activated on a computer server. The tool is beneficial to users who want to work in a location that does not have a reliable connection to the license server. See the linked article for detailed descriptions of the Borrow Tool's options and settings.

A Tekla Structures user can borrow licenses that are activated on the server for a defined number of days while connected to the office network or by temporarily connecting to the server via VPN. In short, while performing the process of borrowing (and returning) a license, the client computer needs to have a network connection to the license server.

As indicated in the linked article Set up license borrowing for offline use, each user must first receive a temporary local license configuration file that will communicate to their License borrow tool exactly which and how many licenses are active on the server and which ones are available to borrow. Keep in mind that borrowed licenses are reserved for the chosen duration of the borrowing even when they are not in use. Therefore they are not available to other users during this period.

The steps are as follow:

On the license server, open the LicenseAdministrationTool.exe located in C:\Tekla\License\Server (or C:\TeklaStructures\License\Server depending on the version that you have installed).
- Check that the License (s) are activated, and check which version of the Tekla License Administration Tool you are using.
  
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- While the Tekla License Administration Tool is still open, export the product ID file by pressing the Export button and saving the default standard.tpi on your computer.

This file will gather the current license information from the server, and it needs to be distributed to each license borrower to place on their computer(s).

On the client computer (that will be borrowing the License), download and install the version of the License Borrow Tool that corresponds to your version of the License Administration Tool from the Tekla Structures download site.

The License Borrow tool documentation will be placed, by default, in C:\Tekla\License\Borrow (or C:\TeklaStructures\License\Borrow depending on the version that you installed).

Navigate to the License> Borrow folder in Windows Explorer, and replace the default/existing standard.tpi by the one that was saved from the license server in prior steps.

From the License> Borrow folder, open the LicenseBorrowTool.exe and enter the Server name as is used in Tekla Structures: 27007@Servername. You can find parameter definitions for the server address on the linked article FLEXnet Licensing Help under section 7. Starting Tekla Structures with FLEXnet Licensing. The recently added Product ID file must also be uploaded into the Setup window as shown below:

Choose a date to Borrow Until and hit Borrow. The borrowed license should now show up under the Borrowed Licenses section.

The License Borrow Tool has a limit of days to borrow until. See the linked article For how long can a license be borrowed? to find out how many. As explained in the introductory information, users must be connected to the network to borrow and return licenses. If a user fails to return the license before on or on the set return date, the license will automatically return itself and become available on the date that was selected for return.

If you encounter errors in the borrowing process, see the linked articles Problems in Tekla license borrowing, and License Borrow Tool: Failed to connect to the license server for troubleshooting. If the issue persists, contact your local support.