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Re: how to use server license?

• To: mathgroup at smc.vnet.net
• Subject: [mg8738] Re: how to use server license?
• From: "P.J. Hinton" <paulh>
• Date: Sat, 20 Sep 1997 22:28:05 -0400
• Organization: Wolfram Research, Inc.
• Sender: owner-wri-mathgroup at wolfram.com

Hsu, Chang Cheng wrote:
 
> Hi, when i start mathematica, it keeps asking me for a local machine
> license, eventhough there is a license server in the mathpass file. how
> do i get it to use the license on the license server?

I'm not sure I fully understand the description of your problem.

First of all, usage of Mathematica on a "network" configuration depends
on the platform you are using.  Is this for a Unix, NeXT, Macintosh, or
Windows?

What version of Mathematica are you trying to use?

If you are using a Unix version, have you made sure that you have
followed the network installation and setup instructions as spelled
out in the _Mathematica Installation Guide for Unix Systems_ (version
2.2) or _Mathematica System Administrator's Guide_ (version 3.0)?

be trying to use a Unix version of Mathematica 3.0.  If that is the
case, then a prompt for a single machine password could mean a 
few of things --

1) The person who maintains the Mathematica installation (and has
   root access) has not started the license manager (mathlm).

2) The copy of Mathematica being loaded into the client machine
   cannot access the mathpass file (either because of a lack
   of read permission or because the file is not visible via NFS).
   The format of the mathpass file may be incorrect as well.

3) In the process of loading, the kernel or front end has tried 
   to query mathlm to see if a process available and there 
   has been some sort of timeout.

The diagnosis and solutions to the respective problems are:

1) Log into the license server host and get a process listing to
   see if there is a mathlm process running.  If no, then get the
   system administrator to start mathlm.  This is spelled out in 
   the _Mathematica System Administrator's Guide_.

2) From a shell on the client machine, change your working directory
   to the top level Mathematica directory (default location is
   /usr/local/mathematica, but several institutions have their
   own system organizing installation locations of software,
   so it might not be there.  From this directory, issue the following
   command

	ls -l Configuration/Licensing/mathpass

   verify that the file is world readable.  The contents of the file 
   should look like

   !hostname 	MathID		License Number		Password	
  
   The exclamation point *must* appear in front of the hostname for
   the password to be processed properly.  The MathID is a machine
   specific serial number.  The hostname is that of the license
   server.  The license number is of the for LXXXX-XXXX.  The
   password is a multi-digit number terminated with the letters "CB".
   The entries should at least be delimited by tabs.  An optional
   fifth and sixth field can contain the organazation and name of 
   the licensee.

3) If (1) and (2) have been ruled out, one can use the -lmverbose
   command line switch with either mathematica or math to print
   diagnostic information about communication with the license
   server to stderr.  If you see information that seems to indicate
   a timeout our an inability to connect to the server, forward 
   this information to your support contact and have him or
   her contact Wolfram Research's technical support for additional
   guidance.
 	
--
P.J. Hinton	
Mathematica Programming Group           paulh at wolfram.com
Wolfram Research, Inc.                  http://www.wolfram.com/~paulh/