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User-Managed LS-DYNA Server Setup

This guide walks you through setting up your own LS-DYNA license server that will integrate with Vantage License Manager. LS-DYNA uses a proprietary license management system specifically designed for finite element analysis workloads.

Prerequisites​

Before setting up your LS-DYNA license server, ensure you have:

  • License Agreement: Valid LS-DYNA license agreement with LSTC
  • License Files: LS-DYNA license files (.key or .lic format)
  • Server Hardware: Dedicated server meeting LSTC requirements
  • Network Access: Connectivity between your license server and Vantage infrastructure
  • Administrative Access: Root/administrator privileges on the target server
  • LSTC Account: Valid account with Livermore Software Technology Corporation

Supported Operating Systems​

LS-DYNA license servers are supported on:

  • Linux: RHEL 7/8/9, CentOS 7/8, SUSE Linux Enterprise
  • Windows: Windows Server 2016/2019/2022
  • AIX: IBM AIX 7.1+ (for high-performance computing environments)
  • Solaris: Oracle Solaris 11 (legacy support)

Installation Steps​

1. Download LS-DYNA License Server​

# Contact LSTC for license server software
# Download from LSTC FTP or customer portal
# Files typically named: lstc_qrun_server_<version>_<platform>

# Extract license server package
tar -xzf lstc_qrun_server_linux.tar.gz
cd lstc_qrun_server

2. Install License Server​

# Create LS-DYNA directory structure
sudo mkdir -p /opt/lstc/server
sudo mkdir -p /opt/lstc/licenses
sudo mkdir -p /opt/lstc/logs

# Copy license server binaries
sudo cp lstc_qrun_server /opt/lstc/server/
sudo cp lstc_qrun_server_util /opt/lstc/server/

# Set executable permissions
sudo chmod +x /opt/lstc/server/*

# Create lstc user
sudo useradd -r -s /bin/false lstc
sudo chown -R lstc:lstc /opt/lstc/

3. Configure License Files​

# Copy LS-DYNA license files
sudo cp *.key /opt/lstc/licenses/
sudo cp *.lic /opt/lstc/licenses/

# Set appropriate permissions
sudo chown lstc:lstc /opt/lstc/licenses/*
sudo chmod 644 /opt/lstc/licenses/*

# Verify license files
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -licstat

4. Create Server Configuration​

# Create LS-DYNA server configuration
sudo cat > /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf << EOF
# LS-DYNA License Server Configuration
LICENSE_PATH=/opt/lstc/licenses
LOG_FILE=/opt/lstc/logs/lstc_server.log
LOG_LEVEL=INFO
SERVER_PORT=31010
QUEUING_ENABLED=YES
MAX_QUEUE_SIZE=100
QUEUE_TIMEOUT=3600
MEMORY_LIMIT=unlimited
EOF

5. Start LS-DYNA Server​

# Create systemd service file
sudo cat > /etc/systemd/system/lstc-server.service << EOF
[Unit]
Description=LS-DYNA License Server
After=network.target

[Service]
Type=forking
User=lstc
Group=lstc
ExecStart=/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server -config /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf
WorkingDirectory=/opt/lstc/server
Restart=always
RestartSec=10

[Install]
WantedBy=multi-user.target
EOF

# Start and enable service
sudo systemctl daemon-reload
sudo systemctl start lstc-server
sudo systemctl enable lstc-server

Network Configuration​

Required Ports​

Configure your firewall to allow:

  • Port 31010: Default LS-DYNA license server port
  • Port 31011: LS-DYNA status port
  • HTTPS (443): For Vantage integration
  • SSH (22): For remote administration

Firewall Configuration​

# Configure iptables
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 31010 -j ACCEPT
sudo iptables -A INPUT -p tcp --dport 31011 -j ACCEPT

# Save iptables rules
sudo iptables-save > /etc/iptables/rules.v4

LS-DYNA Specific Configuration​

Queuing System Setup​

# Configure advanced queuing
sudo cat >> /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf << EOF
# Advanced Queuing Configuration
QUEUE_PRIORITY_ENABLED=YES
USER_PRIORITY_FILE=/opt/lstc/server/user_priorities.conf
MEMORY_BASED_QUEUING=YES
SMP_LIMIT=128
MPP_LIMIT=1024
EOF

# Create user priority file
sudo cat > /opt/lstc/server/user_priorities.conf << EOF
# User Priority Configuration
# Format: username:priority (1-10, 10 being highest)
admin:10
engineering:8
students:5
default:3
EOF

Memory Management​

# Configure memory-based licensing
sudo cat >> /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf << EOF
# Memory-based Licensing
MEMORY_LICENSING=YES
MEMORY_UNIT=GB
MEMORY_INCREMENT=1
MAX_MEMORY_PER_USER=64
MEMORY_CHECKOUT_TIMEOUT=300
EOF

Vantage Integration​

1. Register Server with Vantage​

  1. Log into your Vantage dashboard
  2. Navigate to Licenses → Servers
  3. Click Add License Server
  4. Select LS-DYNA as the server type
  5. Choose User-Managed deployment
  6. Enter server details:
    • Server Hostname/IP
    • Port Number (typically 31010)
    • License Type (SMP, MPP, or both)
    • Memory Licensing (if enabled)

2. Configure Monitoring Agent​

# Download Vantage monitoring agent
curl -O https://vantage-agents.s3.amazonaws.com/license-monitor/latest/vantage-license-monitor

# Install and configure for LS-DYNA
sudo chmod +x vantage-license-monitor
sudo ./vantage-license-monitor install --server-type ls-dyna --server-port 31010

3. Verify Integration​

# Test LS-DYNA server
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -licstat

# Test Vantage connection
vantage-license-monitor test-connection

Advanced Configuration​

High Availability Setup​

# Configure redundant server
sudo cat >> /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf << EOF
# High Availability Configuration
BACKUP_SERVER=lstc-backup.domain.com:31010
HEARTBEAT_INTERVAL=30
FAILOVER_TIMEOUT=120
SYNC_LICENSES=YES
EOF

Load Balancing​

# Configure load balancing for multiple servers
sudo cat > /opt/lstc/server/loadbalance.conf << EOF
# Load Balancing Configuration
SERVERS=lstc1.domain.com:31010,lstc2.domain.com:31010
ALGORITHM=round_robin
HEALTH_CHECK_INTERVAL=60
STICKY_SESSIONS=YES
EOF

Performance Tuning​

SMP/MPP Optimization​

# Optimize for SMP workloads
sudo cat >> /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf << EOF
# SMP Optimization
SMP_CORES_PER_LICENSE=1
SMP_MAX_CORES=64
SMP_QUEUE_PRIORITY=HIGH
EOF

# Optimize for MPP workloads
sudo cat >> /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf << EOF
# MPP Optimization
MPP_CORES_PER_LICENSE=1
MPP_MAX_CORES=1024
MPP_INTERCONNECT_AWARE=YES
EOF

Memory Optimization​

# Configure memory-efficient settings
sudo cat >> /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf << EOF
# Memory Optimization
MEMORY_CLEANUP_INTERVAL=300
MEMORY_WARNING_THRESHOLD=80
MEMORY_CRITICAL_THRESHOLD=95
AUTO_MEMORY_RECLAIM=YES
EOF

Monitoring and Logging​

Enhanced Logging​

# Configure comprehensive logging
sudo cat >> /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf << EOF
# Logging Configuration
DEBUG_LOGGING=YES
AUDIT_LOGGING=YES
PERFORMANCE_LOGGING=YES
USER_ACTIVITY_LOGGING=YES
LOG_ROTATION=daily
LOG_RETENTION_DAYS=30
EOF

Real-time Monitoring​

# Monitor LS-DYNA server status
watch -n 5 "/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -licstat"

# Monitor system resources
htop
iostat -x 1

License Management​

Adding New Licenses​

# Add new LS-DYNA license file
sudo cp new_license.key /opt/lstc/licenses/

# Reload license configuration
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -reload

# Verify new licenses
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -licstat

License Validation​

# Validate license files
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -validate

# Check license expiration
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -expiry

# Test license checkout
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -checkout SMP 4

User Management​

User Configuration​

# Create user access configuration
sudo cat > /opt/lstc/server/users.conf << EOF
# User Access Configuration
[admin]
max_smp_cores=64
max_mpp_cores=512
priority=10
memory_limit=unlimited

[engineering]
max_smp_cores=32
max_mpp_cores=256
priority=8
memory_limit=64GB

[students]
max_smp_cores=8
max_mpp_cores=64
priority=5
memory_limit=16GB
EOF

Group Policies​

# Configure group-based policies
sudo cat >> /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf << EOF
# Group Policies
GROUP_BASED_LICENSING=YES
GROUP_CONFIG_FILE=/opt/lstc/server/groups.conf
DEFAULT_GROUP=users
EOF

# Create group configuration
sudo cat > /opt/lstc/server/groups.conf << EOF
# Group Configuration
research:max_cores=1024,priority=9
development:max_cores=512,priority=7
training:max_cores=128,priority=5
EOF

Security Configuration​

Access Control​

# Configure IP-based access control
sudo cat >> /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf << EOF
# Access Control
ALLOWED_NETWORKS=192.168.1.0/24,10.0.0.0/8
DENIED_NETWORKS=0.0.0.0/0
AUTHENTICATION_REQUIRED=YES
EOF

SSL Configuration​

# Generate SSL certificates
sudo openssl req -x509 -newkey rsa:4096 -keyout /opt/lstc/server/server.key -out /opt/lstc/server/server.crt -days 365 -nodes

# Configure SSL
sudo cat >> /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf << EOF
# SSL Configuration
SSL_ENABLED=YES
SSL_CERT=/opt/lstc/server/server.crt
SSL_KEY=/opt/lstc/server/server.key
SSL_PORT=31443
EOF

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

Server Startup Problems​

# Check configuration syntax
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server -config /opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf -test

# Verify license files
ls -la /opt/lstc/licenses/
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -validate

# Check system logs
sudo journalctl -u lstc-server -f

License Checkout Failures​

# Check license availability
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -licstat

# Verify network connectivity
telnet lstc-server 31010

# Review server logs
sudo tail -f /opt/lstc/logs/lstc_server.log

Performance Issues​

# Monitor server performance
top -p $(pgrep lstc_qrun_server)

# Check memory usage
free -h
cat /proc/meminfo

# Monitor network connections
netstat -tuln | grep 31010

Backup and Recovery​

License Server Backup​

# Create backup script
sudo cat > /opt/lstc/backup-lstc.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
BACKUP_DIR="/backup/lstc"
DATE=$(date +%Y%m%d_%H%M%S)

mkdir -p $BACKUP_DIR

# Backup configuration and licenses
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/lstc-config-$DATE.tar.gz /opt/lstc/server/
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/lstc-licenses-$DATE.tar.gz /opt/lstc/licenses/
tar -czf $BACKUP_DIR/lstc-logs-$DATE.tar.gz /opt/lstc/logs/

# Database backup (if applicable)
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -backup $BACKUP_DIR/lstc-db-$DATE.sql

# Cleanup old backups
find $BACKUP_DIR -name "*.tar.gz" -mtime +30 -delete
find $BACKUP_DIR -name "*.sql" -mtime +30 -delete
EOF

sudo chmod +x /opt/lstc/backup-lstc.sh

# Schedule backup
echo "0 2 * * * root /opt/lstc/backup-lstc.sh" | sudo tee -a /etc/crontab

Integration with LS-DYNA Applications​

Environment Configuration​

# Set LS-DYNA environment variables
export LSTC_LICENSE_SERVER=lstc-server:31010
export LSTC_MEMORY_LICENSING=yes
export LSTC_MAX_MEMORY=32GB

# For multiple servers
export LSTC_LICENSE_SERVER=lstc1:31010,lstc2:31010

Application Testing​

# Test LS-DYNA application with license server
ls-dyna i=test.k memory=4gb ncpu=8

# Verify license usage
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -licstat

Performance Monitoring​

Server Metrics​

# Create monitoring script
cat > /opt/lstc/monitor-lstc.sh << 'EOF'
#!/bin/bash
echo "=== LS-DYNA License Server Status ==="
/opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server_util -licstat

echo "=== System Resources ==="
echo "CPU Usage:"
top -bn1 | grep "Cpu(s)" | awk '{print $2 $3 $4}'

echo "Memory Usage:"
free -h

echo "Disk Usage:"
df -h /opt/lstc

echo "Network Connections:"
netstat -tuln | grep 31010
EOF

chmod +x /opt/lstc/monitor-lstc.sh

# Run monitoring every 5 minutes
echo "*/5 * * * * root /opt/lstc/monitor-lstc.sh >> /var/log/lstc-monitor.log" | sudo tee -a /etc/crontab

Docker Deployment​

Container Setup​

# Create Dockerfile for LS-DYNA server
cat > Dockerfile << EOF
FROM centos:8

# Install dependencies
RUN yum update -y && yum install -y \
    glibc \
    libstdc++ \
    net-tools \
    && yum clean all

# Create lstc user
RUN useradd -r -s /bin/false lstc

# Copy LS-DYNA server
COPY lstc_qrun_server /opt/lstc/server/
COPY lstc_qrun_server_util /opt/lstc/server/
COPY lstc.conf /opt/lstc/server/

# Copy licenses
COPY licenses/ /opt/lstc/licenses/

# Set permissions
RUN chown -R lstc:lstc /opt/lstc/ && \
    chmod +x /opt/lstc/server/lstc_qrun_server*

# Expose ports
EXPOSE 31010 31011

# Start LS-DYNA server
USER lstc
WORKDIR /opt/lstc/server
CMD ["./lstc_qrun_server", "-config", "/opt/lstc/server/lstc.conf"]
EOF

# Build and run container
docker build -t lstc-server .
docker run -d -p 31010:31010 -p 31011:31011 --name lstc-server lstc-server

Next Steps​

After setting up your user-managed LS-DYNA server:

  1. Performance Optimization: Monitor and optimize for your specific workloads
  2. User Training: Train users on LS-DYNA-specific features and queuing
  3. High Availability: Configure redundant servers for critical workloads
  4. Integration Testing: Validate with all LS-DYNA applications in your environment
  5. Monitoring Setup: Implement comprehensive monitoring and alerting

For advanced LS-DYNA configurations and optimization, contact LSTC or see additional documentation in the Vantage dashboard.