Set up on-premises license borrowing for offline use

Tekla Structures
2022
Tekla Structures

Set up on-premises license borrowing for offline use

Users who want to work in a location that does not have a reliable connection to the on-premises license server can borrow an activated license from the Tekla license server before leaving the office. The user receives a temporary local license file valid for a set time period.

The information on this page is not valid for online subscriptions.

Users can borrow Tekla Structures on-premises licenses for offline use in Tekla License Borrow Tool. Users need to have a network connection to the license server to borrow and return a license.

Borrowed licenses are reserved for the duration of the borrowing even when they are not in use, so the borrowed license is not available for other users.

Configuration files

A product ID (.tpi) file is needed for borrowing licenses. If you use the licensing options file (tekla.opt) for managing license access rights, you must always provide a customized product ID file for users. The default file that lists all configurations will technically work in other cases, but administrators should still provide a customized product ID file. The customized file makes it easier for the users to select a license, because it includes just those licenses that you have actually activated on the server. For more information, see Provide offline users with a customized product ID file.

You can define which licenses are available for which users in the licensing options file (tekla.opt) on the license server. For more information, see Modify on-premises license access rights (tekla.opt).

How on-premises license borrowing works

License borrowing reserves and releases the on-premises licenses like this:

  • The maximum license borrow period is one month. The user defines the borrow expiration date when borrowing the license. The borrowed licenses are unavailable to other users until they are returned or the license borrow period ends.

  • The user can return a license before the license borrow period is over through the license borrow tool on the borrowing computer. Make sure your users return all borrowed licenses before a major operating system upgrade, reinstallation or major hardware changes on their computer.

  • Borrowed licenses must be returned before you deactivate those licenses on the license server, for example, to upgrade the licenses to a new version or to move the license server to new hardware. You can see who has borrowed which licenses by enquiring the license status in the LMTOOLS application on the license server.

Note:

If you do not follow the guidelines above, all users may lose the use of the borrowed licenses until the end of the license borrowing period, including the users who originally borrowed the licenses.

  1. Install the Tekla License Borrow Tool on the users' computers with customized product ID file(s).
  2. To borrow a license, users must open the Tekla License Borrow Tool installed on their computer when they are still online and can connect to the Tekla license server.

    The version of Tekla License Borrow Tool should be the same as the version of Tekla license server.

  3. After borrowing a license, users can go offline and freely work with, close and reopen Tekla Structures within the license borrow period.
  4. When the users are back online, they should return the borrowed licenses to the license server.

    If a user does not return the license, it becomes available for other users on the license server after the license borrow time is over. However, the license is still listed in the license borrow tool for the user until the user returns it.

For detailed instructions, see Set up Tekla License Borrow Tool for Tekla Structures offline use.

For end-user instructions, see Borrow a license from on-premises license server and Return a borrowed on-premises license.

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