Vantage-Managed FlexLM Server Setup

Configure FlexLM license servers managed entirely by Vantage with zero maintenance overhead. Vantage-managed servers provide high availability, automatic updates, and comprehensive monitoring without requiring any infrastructure management on your part.

Overview

With Vantage-managed FlexLM servers, Vantage handles:

Infrastructure Management: Server provisioning, maintenance, and scaling
Software Updates: Automatic FlexLM updates and security patches
High Availability: Built-in redundancy and failover capabilities
Monitoring: 24/7 monitoring with alerting and reporting
Backup and Recovery: Automated backup and disaster recovery
Security: Enterprise-grade security and compliance

Prerequisites

Before setting up a Vantage-managed FlexLM server, you need:

Valid License Files: License files from your software vendor
Vantage Account: Active Vantage Compute account with license management permissions
Network Configuration: Proper network connectivity from your compute resources
Vendor Information: Details about your software vendor and license requirements

Setup Process

1. Access License Management

Log into your Vantage dashboard
Navigate to Licenses → Servers
Click Add License Server
Select FlexLM as the server type
Choose Vantage-Managed deployment option

2. Configure Server Details

Provide the following information:

Server Name: Descriptive name for your license server
Region: Geographic region for optimal performance
Software Vendor: Select from supported vendors or specify custom
License Type: Specify license model (floating, node-locked, etc.)

3. Upload License Files

# Prepare license files for upload
# Ensure files are in standard FlexLM format (.lic)
# Verify license files contain correct hostnames and vendor information

Upload your license files through the Vantage interface:

Click Upload License Files
Select your .lic files
Verify license information is correctly parsed
Review server configuration summary

4. Network Configuration

Configure network settings:

Access Control: Define which networks can access the license server
Port Configuration: Vantage automatically manages port allocation
DNS Settings: Optional custom DNS configuration
SSL/TLS: Enable secure communication (recommended)

5. Launch Deployment

Review all configuration settings
Estimate costs based on usage patterns
Click Deploy FlexLM Server
Monitor deployment progress in real-time

CLI-Based Deployment

Alternatively, you can provision your Vantage-managed FlexLM server using the Vantage CLI for automation and infrastructure-as-code workflows.

1. Install Vantage CLI

# Install via pip
pip install vantage-cli

# Or download binary
curl -L https://releases.vantage.io/cli/latest/vantage-linux-amd64 -o vantage
chmod +x vantage
sudo mv vantage /usr/local/bin/

2. Authenticate with Vantage

# Login with your Vantage credentials
vantage auth login

# Or set API token
export VANTAGE_API_TOKEN="your_api_token"
vantage auth token-login

3. Create FlexLM Server Configuration

Create a configuration file for your FlexLM server:

# flexlm-config.yaml
apiVersion: v1
kind: LicenseServer
metadata:
  name: "flexlm-production"
  description: "Production FlexLM server for engineering team"
  tags:
    environment: "production"
    team: "engineering"
    cost-center: "eng-001"

spec:
  type: "flexlm"
  deployment: "vantage-managed"
  
  infrastructure:
    region: "us-east-1"
    instance_type: "professional"
    multi_az: true
    
  configuration:
    server_port: 27000
    vendor_daemon_port: 27001
    ssl_enabled: true
    web_interface: true
    
  licensing:
    concurrent_limit: "unlimited"
    borrow_enabled: true
    timeout: 1800
    
  security:
    authentication: "ldap"
    access_control:
      allowed_networks:
        - "192.168.1.0/24"
        - "10.0.0.0/8"
      denied_networks:
        - "0.0.0.0/0"
        
  monitoring:
    enabled: true
    retention_days: 90
    alerts:
      license_exhaustion:
        enabled: true
        threshold: 90
        notifications: ["email", "slack"]
      server_health:
        enabled: true
        notifications: ["email", "pagerduty"]
        
  backup:
    enabled: true
    schedule: "0 2 * * *"
    retention_days: 30

4. Deploy FlexLM Server

# Create the FlexLM server
vantage license-servers create --config flexlm-config.yaml

# Monitor deployment status
vantage license-servers status flexlm-production

# Get detailed information
vantage license-servers describe flexlm-production

5. Upload License Files

# Upload license files
vantage license-servers upload-licenses flexlm-production 
  --files license1.lic,license2.lic 
  --validate

# Verify license upload
vantage license-servers list-licenses flexlm-production

6. Configure Advanced Settings

# Configure user groups
vantage license-servers configure flexlm-production 
  --user-groups engineering:50,design:30,students:10

# Set up LDAP authentication
vantage license-servers configure flexlm-production 
  --auth-type ldap 
  --ldap-server ldap://company.com 
  --ldap-base-dn "ou=users,dc=company,dc=com"

# Configure high availability
vantage license-servers configure flexlm-production 
  --enable-ha 
  --backup-region us-west-2

# Set up monitoring
vantage license-servers configure flexlm-production 
  --enable-monitoring 
  --webhook-url https://company.slack.com/webhooks/license-alerts

7. Advanced CLI Operations

License Management

# Check license status
vantage license-servers licenses status flexlm-production

# Add new license file
vantage license-servers licenses add flexlm-production 
  --file new-license.lic 
  --auto-reload

# Remove expired licenses
vantage license-servers licenses remove flexlm-production 
  --expired-only

# Export license usage report
vantage license-servers licenses report flexlm-production 
  --format csv 
  --date-range "2024-01-01,2024-12-31" 
  --output usage-report.csv

User Management

# List users
vantage license-servers users list flexlm-production

# Add user to group
vantage license-servers users add flexlm-production 
  --user john.doe 
  --group engineering 
  --priority high

# Set user limits
vantage license-servers users configure flexlm-production 
  --user john.doe 
  --max-licenses 5 
  --max-duration 8h

Monitoring and Alerts

# Get real-time status
vantage license-servers monitor flexlm-production --real-time

# Set up custom alerts
vantage license-servers alerts create flexlm-production 
  --name "high-usage-alert" 
  --condition "usage > 85%" 
  --action "email:admin@company.com"

# View alert history
vantage license-servers alerts history flexlm-production

Backup and Recovery

# Create manual backup
vantage license-servers backup create flexlm-production 
  --description "Pre-maintenance backup"

# List backups
vantage license-servers backup list flexlm-production

# Restore from backup
vantage license-servers backup restore flexlm-production 
  --backup-id backup-20240315-001 
  --confirm

8. Update and Maintenance

# Update server configuration
vantage license-servers update flexlm-production 
  --config flexlm-config-updated.yaml

# Scale server resources
vantage license-servers scale flexlm-production 
  --instance-type enterprise

# Restart server
vantage license-servers restart flexlm-production 
  --maintenance-window "2024-03-15T02:00:00Z"

# Update FlexLM version
vantage license-servers upgrade flexlm-production 
  --version latest 
  --schedule-window "2024-03-15T02:00:00Z"

9. Destroy Server

# Destroy the FlexLM server (with confirmation)
vantage license-servers destroy flexlm-production 
  --backup-before-destroy 
  --confirm

# Force destroy without backup (use with caution)
vantage license-servers destroy flexlm-production 
  --force 
  --confirm

10. Automation Examples

Infrastructure as Code

# Deploy multiple servers from configuration
for config in configs/*.yaml; do
  vantage license-servers create --config "$config"
done

# Bulk operations
vantage license-servers list --tag environment=staging | 
  xargs -I {} vantage license-servers destroy {} --confirm

CI/CD Integration

#!/bin/bash
# deploy-flexlm.sh - CI/CD deployment script

set -e

# Validate configuration
vantage license-servers validate --config flexlm-config.yaml

# Deploy server
vantage license-servers create --config flexlm-config.yaml --wait

# Wait for deployment completion
while [ "$(vantage license-servers status flexlm-production --output json | jq -r '.status')" != "running" ]; do
  echo "Waiting for deployment..."
  sleep 30
done

# Upload licenses
vantage license-servers upload-licenses flexlm-production 
  --files "$LICENSE_FILES" 
  --validate

# Run health check
vantage license-servers health-check flexlm-production

echo "FlexLM server deployed successfully!"

Configuration Management

# Export current configuration
vantage license-servers export flexlm-production 
  --output flexlm-current-config.yaml

# Compare configurations
vantage license-servers diff flexlm-production 
  --config flexlm-new-config.yaml

# Apply configuration changes
vantage license-servers apply flexlm-production 
  --config flexlm-new-config.yaml 
  --dry-run  # Preview changes first

Server Management

Dashboard Overview

The Vantage dashboard provides:

Real-time Status: Current server status and health metrics
License Utilization: Active licenses and usage patterns
Performance Metrics: Server performance and response times
Historical Data: Usage trends and analytics

Configuration Updates

To modify server configuration:

Navigate to Licenses → Servers
Select your FlexLM server
Click Configure
Make necessary changes
Apply configuration updates

License File Management

Update license files when needed:

Access server configuration
Click Manage License Files
Upload new or updated license files
Vantage automatically handles server restart and validation

Integration with Compute Resources

Client Configuration

Configure your compute resources to use the Vantage-managed license server:

# Set license server environment variables
export LM_LICENSE_FILE=@hostname:port

# For applications requiring specific vendor daemons
export VENDOR_LICENSE_FILE=@vantage-flexlm-server.compute:27000

Application Setup

Most applications automatically detect license servers through:

Environment variables (LM_LICENSE_FILE)
License file paths
Registry entries (Windows)
Application-specific configuration

Verification

Test license server connectivity:

# Check license server status
lmutil lmstat -a -c @vantage-flexlm-server.compute:27000

# Verify specific vendor daemon
lmutil lmstat -a -c @vantage-flexlm-server.compute:27000 vendor_daemon

Monitoring and Analytics

Real-time Monitoring

Vantage provides comprehensive monitoring:

License Usage: Current license checkouts and availability
User Activity: Who is using which licenses
Performance Metrics: Server response times and throughput
Alerts: Automatic notifications for issues or threshold breaches

Usage Analytics

Access detailed analytics:

Utilization Reports: License usage patterns and trends
Peak Usage Analysis: Identify peak demand periods
Cost Optimization: Recommendations for license allocation
Forecasting: Predict future license requirements

Custom Alerts

Configure alerts for:

License server downtime
High utilization thresholds
License expiration warnings
Performance degradation

Security and Compliance

Built-in Security

Vantage-managed servers include:

Encryption: All communication encrypted with TLS 1.3
Access Controls: IP-based and identity-based access restrictions
Audit Logging: Comprehensive audit trails for compliance
Regular Updates: Automatic security patches and updates

Compliance Features

SOC 2 Type II: Compliance with security standards
Data Residency: Control over data location and processing
Audit Reports: Regular compliance and security reports
Backup and Recovery: Automated backup with retention policies

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

License Server Not Responding

Check network connectivity from client systems
Verify license server status in Vantage dashboard
Review access control settings

License Checkout Failures

Verify license availability in dashboard
Check application configuration
Review license file validity

Performance Issues

Monitor server metrics in dashboard
Check for network latency issues
Contact Vantage support for optimization

Support Options

24/7 Support: Round-the-clock technical support
Documentation: Comprehensive online documentation
Community Forums: Access to user community and experts
Dedicated Support: Enterprise customers receive dedicated support

Pricing and Billing

Cost Structure

Vantage-managed FlexLM servers are billed based on:

Server Instance: Base cost for managed infrastructure
License Monitoring: Cost per monitored license
Data Transfer: Network usage for license transactions
Support Level: Enhanced support options available

Cost Optimization

Right-sizing: Vantage automatically optimizes server capacity
Regional Placement: Optimal placement reduces latency and costs
Usage Analytics: Identify opportunities for license optimization
Reserved Capacity: Discounts for committed usage

Migration from Self-Managed

Migration Process

To migrate from self-managed to Vantage-managed:

Assessment: Vantage team assesses current setup
Planning: Create migration plan with minimal downtime
Preparation: Set up Vantage-managed server in parallel
Migration: Coordinated cutover to new server
Validation: Verify all applications and users have access

Migration Support

Professional Services: Vantage team assists with migration
Documentation: Step-by-step migration guides
Testing: Comprehensive testing before final cutover
Rollback Plan: Ability to rollback if issues arise

Best Practices

Initial Setup

Plan license server placement for optimal performance
Configure appropriate access controls from the start
Set up monitoring and alerting early
Document configuration for team reference

Ongoing Management

Regularly review usage analytics
Monitor license expiration dates
Keep application configurations updated
Maintain communication with software vendors

Optimization

Use analytics to optimize license allocation
Consider license pooling strategies
Implement usage policies and governance
Plan for future license requirements

Next Steps

After setting up your Vantage-managed FlexLM server:

Monitor Performance: Review initial usage patterns and performance
Optimize Configuration: Adjust settings based on actual usage
Train Users: Provide training on new license access methods
Plan Scaling: Prepare for future growth and requirements

For advanced features and enterprise options, contact your Vantage representative or explore additional documentation in the Vantage dashboard.

Overview​

Prerequisites​

Setup Process​

1. Access License Management​

2. Configure Server Details​

3. Upload License Files​

4. Network Configuration​

5. Launch Deployment​

CLI-Based Deployment​

1. Install Vantage CLI​

2. Authenticate with Vantage​

3. Create FlexLM Server Configuration​

4. Deploy FlexLM Server​

5. Upload License Files​

6. Configure Advanced Settings​

7. Advanced CLI Operations​

License Management​

User Management​

Monitoring and Alerts​

Backup and Recovery​

8. Update and Maintenance​

9. Destroy Server​

10. Automation Examples​

Infrastructure as Code​

CI/CD Integration​

Configuration Management​

Server Management​

Dashboard Overview​

Configuration Updates​

License File Management​

Integration with Compute Resources​

Client Configuration​

Application Setup​

Verification​

Monitoring and Analytics​

Real-time Monitoring​

Usage Analytics​

Custom Alerts​

Security and Compliance​

Built-in Security​

Compliance Features​

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Support Options​

Pricing and Billing​

Cost Structure​

Cost Optimization​

Migration from Self-Managed​

Migration Process​

Migration Support​

Best Practices​

Initial Setup​

Ongoing Management​

Optimization​

Next Steps​