Creating a License Server (Windows)

Overview

The process and guidelines in this article has been update for the Lumerical license that is running on the Ansys License Manager 

Note: We recommend using Amazon Linux for the license server. It can run a smaller instance (t3.nano) and the OS Licensing cost is much lower (resulting in 1/3 the cost) and simpler when using our AWS Linux AMIs. Create a Linux License Server here.

Important

DO NOT TERMINATE your license server instance - you will lose the HostID information used to activate your license. 

Create the license server

1. From the EC2 dashboard,  select Instances on the left column and Launch instance.
2. Choose Windows Server 2016 base, from the Amazon's quick start AMIs.
3. Select the instance type, t2.micro.
4. Configure instance details, using your VPC and Subnet.
5. Use default settings for everything else.
6. Add your storage size, Volume type as General purpose SSD (gps)
7. Use your existing security group you created.
8. Review and Launch instance
   This might take a few minutes to create and have the new instance running.
9. Once the instance is Running, Connect to this instance
10. Download the Remote Desktop connection shortcut.
11. Copy the Public IP shown and click Get Password 
12. Choose the key pair file that was created and saved from the previous step. 
13. Decrypt Password and save the Public IP, Username and Password shown.
14. Configure server to allow Internet or web access to 'Administrators' 
    

Install the license manager

1. Download and install the Ansys License Manager.
2. Obtain the instance/machine HostID information from the Ansys LM Center.
3. Activate your entitlement from the Ansys Licensing Portal.
4. Configure the license file with static ports and add/install this into the Ansys LM on your server/instance. 
5. Log off or disconnect from your license server. 
6. Ensure that this license server instance is always up and running when you run simulations on your compute node.
7. Take note of your license server's 'private IP address'from the AWS management console.
8. You will use this for the Lumerical license configuration on your compute instance.
   

Checking the license server status

1. Connect to the license server instance and run the Ansys License Management Center from the Windows Start Menu.
2. Navigate to the Display FlexNet license status to confirm that the LM is up and running and the licenses are available for checkout.

See also

Ansys entitlement activation  

Ansys license manager configuration and license file installation 

Checking the ANSYS license server status and license usage from the client machine