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License configuration using the Ansys Client Licensing Settings

Starting with Lumerical 2022 R1.2 and Zemax 2023, the Ansys client settings utility is bundled with Ansys simulation tools. This article shows how to configure access to a local or cloud license server using the utility and the various features of the utility.  

Important

Ansys Optics Launcher configuration 

  • Open the "Ansys Optics Launcher" from the Start Menu -> All apps or All Programs -> Ansys Optics [[verpath] on your Windows PC. 
  • Open the Ansys Optics launcher -> License configuration.
  • Select "Use Ansys Client Settings" from the 'Lumerical license configuration options'.
  • "Apply" and restart the Optics Launcher when prompted.
  • "Open Ansys Client Settings".

optics-launcher-client-settings.png

Ansys Licensing Settings 

Open the GUI from Windows Start > All Apps menu: 

 

Open from the Windows command prompt: (current release shown) 

"/<install_path>\[[verpath]]\licensingclient\winx64\LicensingSettingsUtility\LicensingSettingsUtilityWindows.exe"

Open the Ansys Licensing Settings on Linux: 

/<install_path>/[[verpath]]/licensingclient/linx64/LicensingSettings

Note

  • Starting with 2025, the licensing settings can be configured with or without administrator privileges.
  • 'Installation' settings will require administrator access. This option will be used for all users on the machine without the 'User' settings. 
  • Select 'User' from the top right drop down menu if you do not have administrator access on the machine.  

The Ansys Client Licensing Settings will be stored in the 'ansyslmd.ini' file if you need to manually edit the settings or deploy a copy of the settings file. The corresponding location of the 'Installation' (system-wide) and 'User' settings are shown below.  

Ansys Licensing Settings priority/precedence: 

  1. ANSYSLMD_LICENSE_FILE  
  2. USER options  
  3. INSTALLATION options

Installation: (Administrator Access) 

Windows:

"C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\Shared Files\licensing\"

Linux: 

/ansys_inc/shared_files/licensing/

User:

Windows: 

%AppData%\.ansys_licensing\

Linux: 

~/.ansys_licensing

Installation: (Administrator Access) 

Windows:

"C:\Program Files\ANSYS Inc\Shared Files\licensing\"

Linux: 

/ansys_inc/shared_files/licensing/

Flexnet Publisher - license server 

This section applies if you are setting to connect to a company server on your organization's network.  

  • "Enable" the License Servers in the FlexNet Publisher section.  
  • Enter the port and the hostname or IP address of your organization's license server. If you activated the entilement and installed the license file on the same machine where you are running both Ansys application and the Ansys license manager, use 'localhost' in 'Server 1'. 
  • If you are not sure of the port, try 1055 as this is the default. 
  • "Test" the setting to confirm the license server configuration. 
  • "Save" your settings in the utility. 

If you get an error when saving settings, see "Unable to save licensing settings" at the bottom of this page. 

Triad redundant license servers configuration

This section applies if your organization has either multiple servers with licenses, or a set of redundant (backup) servers.

  • For triad redundant license servers, enter all 3 servers' hostnames or IP addresses. 
  • "Test" the setting to confirm the license server configuration. 
  • "Save" your settings in the utility. 

    If you get an error in pink when saving settings, see "Unable to save licensing settings" at the bottom of this page. 

Multiple license server configuration

  • For multiple single license servers or fallback license server configurations, add each of the individual license servers into the client settings. This will check out licenses based on the license servers configured in the client settings. If the license feature is not available on the first server, it will try the next server on the client settings and the next, until it obtains the license or reports a license denial if it's not available from the servers in the list.  
  • "Save" to apply settings and close the utility. 

    If you get an error in pink when saving settings, see "Unable to save licensing settings" at the bottom of this page. 

single servers fall back configuration

triad redundant license servers fall back configuration

Borrowing

This feature allows you to pull a license off an organization's server for temporary use offline. Not all products support this feature. 

Features in use

Allows you to see what products, how many licenses for each product, and who is using the licenses on the specified license server.  

Web licensing

Notes 

  • User needs to be added for web licensing access by the ASC/admin of your organization. 
  • These are web based licenses that are hosted by Ansys and shared by users on the account.
  • Licenses are accessible from any computer connected to the Internet. 
  • Enable this in the Web Licensing > Products section. 
  • Log into your Ansys user account when prompted and you can see the list of available licenses. 
  • These licenses are also available for "Roaming" or "checked out into your computer" for a maximum of 30 days. An active Internet connection to the web license server is not required when the license feature is in Roaming.  
  • Select USER option if you do not have admin access and unable to save the settings for the INSTALLATION option. See here for details. 
  • Contact your Ansys account manager or 'contact us' for more information on Ansys web licensing.

Roaming

This feature is similar to "Borrowing" and allows you to pull web licenses off the cloud server and onto your machine for temporary offline use.  

  • Search for the license feature and select "Check out".
  • Set the license count and end date.
  • Select "Check Out" to check out the license into your local computer. 

shared web licensing

'Roaming/Borrow' license feature

Elastic

  • These are web licenses that are subscription-based and "pay-per-use" (on-demand licensing). 
  • These licenses are user and account specific.
  • Licenses are accessible from any computer connected to the Internet.

License service priority

  • Click and drag to arrange the primary and fall back licensing services.  

HPC priority 

  • Select the Ansys HPC license increment that will be available for checkout.  
  • Click and drag to arrange the HPC licensing priority. 

Diagnostics

Allows you to generate the Ansys client/common licensing logs if you are unable to reach the license server. 

  • Generate the diagnostic files. 
  • Send the saved (zip) file to debug issues with your case in Ansys support (ACSS).

Unable to save licensing settings

If you get an error in pink saying something like "could not set flexnet servers", this means the utility doesn't have rights to save the settings. Here's how to resolve this issue. 


2025 R1 or newer release 

Set it to "User" instead. See the below picture. This saves settings for the current user and does not require admin access. The "Installation" option is for system wide settings (requires admin access).


Older releases

  • Administrator access is always required. 
  • In this case, relaunch the application as administrator. 
  • Right-click the Ansys Licensing Settings shortcut in the start menu and select "Run as Administrator" instead. 

See also

License borrowing on the Ansys Enterprise products  

HPC license preferences

Associated files

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