This page gives details on how to install the online license system on medium to large networks for Chaos Group products.
Overview
An Online License Server that uses the same user account may be installed more than once on the same internal network when on different workstations or servers to act as a redundancy measure. This is to make sure licenses are still obtainable during server downtime due to failures or maintenance, which is especially useful for organizations with multiple locations that share the same internal network.
Installation
The installer is straight forward and easy to run, but if you need help, please see the Installing the License Server page for details on the process. Instructions there also include using your Chaos Group account to access your purchased licenses online.
Use-Case Examples
The following are a few examples of how to best deploy license servers in multi-machine environments, depending on the needs.
Two-Machine Setup
In a case where there are only a couple of machines, such as users with a workstation and a laptop, it's best to install and activate the License Server on both machines.
Please note that any borrowed licenses will be available only on the License Server from which they were borrowed. Also, any dongle licenses require that the dongle be attached to the same license server.
Small Studio Office
In a small office or studio environment, for example with 10 workstations, it's best to install and activate a single License Server for the office, that is activated by the user account. All of the workstations will then need their license settings configured to use the IP address of that one license server machine as their primary server.
The license server should be visible from the local network by default, however, you can check Settings > Expert mode to make sure that Network Visibility is set to local network.
To make configuration changes easier, a single vrlclient.xml file may be loaded from a shared network drive for all networked office machines requiring a license.
Large Studio Office
In a larger office or studio where there are many workstations and a render farm with multiple render nodes, install the license server on the network with a redundancy as discussed later in the page. In other words, the license server is installed on 2-3 machines on the network which are all activated by the same user account. All of the workstations in that office will need their license settings configured to use the IP addresses of those 2-3 license server machines as their primary and alternate server(s) as discussed in a following section: Setting up multiple license servers for redundancy.
Multiple Regional/Global Locations
In offices or studios with multiple regional or even global locations, install up to three license servers for each location, all activated on the same account. This way, each office will have a local redundancy. All the workstations in that local office would have their license settings configured to use the IP addresses of those 2-3 local license server machines as their primary and alternate server(s).
Note that installing a license server for one location in a remote location may lead to connection issues when obtaining a license.
Setting up multiple license servers for redundancy
To set up a license scheme to include a redundancy on the network, simply install two, or at most, three instances of OLS on separate machines, to provide for that added layer of safety in case a license server becomes unavailable. However, keep in mind that multiple instances of OLS do not run on the same machine: whether physical or virtual; license server redundancy requires installing OLS on different systems on the same internal network.
For example, in a 20-user environment on the same internal network, the OLS could be installed on two or three of the 20 workstations, all of which should be activated by the same user account. Then, all 20 of those workstations will need their license settings configured to use the IP addresses of those two or three machines as the primary and alternate server(s) as shown in the image below. This UI is accessed by running the Change V-Ray License Settings application included with your product's installation.
Example License Setting for a workstation using three OLS systems for redundancy.
This shows the use of two alternate servers in different locations, such as with a multi-office organization.
Having too many instances of OLS
Installing too many instances of OLS is unnecessary, even though it will not cause any actual network or licensing issues. Having too many instances of OLS most often happens when users install the OLS component along with the product on many or all workstations, even though OLS is already installed elsewhere on the internal network. In this case, when OLS is already installed on a network, users should simply disable the OLS installation option in the product installer when installing or upgrading products on a workstation. This prevents multiple necessary OLS instances as well as any confusion that may arise about the licensing scheme in that environment.
Of course, when initially installing a product on a machine that is to be a license server, users will want to enable the OLS install option in the product installer. In the case of upgrading a product on a machine that already acts as a license server, users can simply install OLS over the existing OLS instance.
Always re-installing the OLS on license servers is not necessary, unless the OLS component has been updated along with the updated software. For example; if a user is running V-Ray for SketchUp 3.40, they should already have installed the OLS version that came with that installer. If the user upgrades to 3.40.02, which was released not long after 3.40, they can skip the OLS part of the update installation, since there was no update to OLS in that short time period. The Online License Server updates itself and will notify users that an update is available when they log into the OLS web interface: localhost:30304, as shown below.
An exception to skipping the OLS installation is when migrating to a much newer version of the software, where the OLS shipped with the installer has been updated as well.