Today I want to share some information I gathered last week for a KB article about the frequently asked question in regards to the (network-) licensing and originally can be found in article:

#8417 | Frequently asked questions about Licensing of SDL Trados Studio and SDL Passolo 2015 (and later)

 

SDL Trados Studio 2015

• Can you use your SDL Trados Studio 2015 license to license SDL Trados Studio 2014?
  No, SDL Trados Studio 2015 is unable to also activate SDL Trados Studio 2014 as they are on different license technologies.

• I purchased an upgrade to SDL Trados Studio 2015, how do I get my Studio 2015 License?
  See: KB #4007 | SDL Trados Studio license upgrade process

• How can I activate my SDL Trados Studio 2015 license online?
  See: KB #8295 | Online activation of a Single User License for SDL Trados Studio 2015 and later

• How can I deactivate my SDL Trados Studio 2015 license online?
  See: KB #8297 | Online deactivation of a Single User License for SDL Trados Studio 2015 and later

• How can I activate/deactivate my SDL Trados Studio 2015 license offline?
  See: KB #8287 | Offline activation and deactivation of a Single User License for SDL Trados Studio 2015 and later

• How can I activate/deactivate my SDL Trados Studio 2015 Network license online?
  See: KB #8349 | Online activation and deactivation of a Network License for SDL Trados Studio 2015 and later

• How can I activate my SDL Trados Studio 2015 Network license offline?
  See: KB #8286 | Offline activation of a Network License for SDL Trados Studio 2015 and later

• How can I deactivate my SDL Trados Studio 2015 Network license offline?
  Go to http://kb.sdl.com and click on the tab Solution Finder and follow the tree:

  • Licensing Problems
  • • I use SDL Trados Studio 2015/Passolo 2015
    • • I need instructions on how (de) activate my software
      • • I have a Network license
        • • I want to deactivate my license
            

   

• I'm upgrading from a previous version of SDL Trados to SDL Trados Studio 2015, will I still keep my previous Studio license?
  Once you complete the upgrade process, your original license will be automatically removed from the SDL Account (if not in use) or will be marked as inactive (if license is in use) and replaced with a SDL Trados Studio 2015 license.
  NOTE: If the license is marked as inactive, you will need to deactivate the license so that it is removed from the SDL Account.

• I have paid for my Studio 2015 licenses, but they are still time limited.
  Any SDL Trados Studio / SDL MultiTerm / SDL Passolo 2015 order that is time-limited is usually when the order is not paid yet.

• I paid my order, but it is still showing an expiry date in SDL Trados Studio.
  When our Finance Department release the permanent licenses, the system removes the expiry date from the original licenses that are in the account. You'll need to deactivate and then reactivate the original code(s) so that the change is applied.

 

Network Licenses

• Can I install the SDL License Server Manager on the same machine as the client application (SDL Trados Studio / SDL Passolo) ?
  Yes, with the move to the license provider SafeNet, you can have the SDL License Server Manager on the same machine as the client.

• Can I have SDL Trados Studio 2014 network license (SafeNet) on the same server as the SDL Trados Studio 2015 network license (SafeNet)?
  No, currently this is not possible, you'll need to have 2 machines with the SDL License server Manager installed with the 2014 license on one server and the 2015 license on the other server activated.

• Can I have both the network license from Nalpeiron (previous license provider) on the same server installed as the SDL Trados Studio 2015 network license (SafeNet)?
  Yes this is possible, as Studio (2014) will first check for the License Server Tookit (Nalpeiron) license and use it if it finds it. If not it will fall back onto the SDL License Server (Safenet) license next. Studio 2015 will not see the License Server Toolkit (Nalpeiron) and will just check for the SDL License Server (SafeNet). So the one supported side by side scenario will be the License Server Toolkit (Nalpeiron) serving Studio 2014 SP2 and SDL License Server (Safenet) serving Studio 2015, and both license servers can be installed on the same machine.

• Can I have SDL Trados Studio 2014 (SafeNet) and SDL Trados Studio 2015(SafeNet) licenses on the same license server?
  No, each license would need to have its own SDL License Server Manager installed on separate machines.

• How can I change the SDL License server details in SDL Trados Studio 2015
  See: KB #8311 | Changing the SDL License Server details in SDL Trados Studio 2015 (or later)

• Can I install the SDL License Server Manager on a virtual machine (VM)?
  Yes, you can also install the SDL Product on a VM and access the License Server from there.

• Does network licensing support VPN connections?
  Yes, the SDL License Server Manager supports accessing the network licenses over private network (VPN) connections.

• Can I connect to a network license server over the internet?
  Yes.

• I have SDL Trados Studio 2015 network licenses and SDL Studio GroupShare 2015, can I have both the SDL License Server and the server for GroupShare 2015 (Product Activation Wizard) on the same machine?
  Yes, with the 2015 release you can have both the SDL License Server Manager and the Product Activation Wizard (GroupShare Activation) installed on the same machine.

• Which operating systems (OS) can I install the SDL License Server Manager?

  • Microsoft Windows 7 / 8 / 10
  • Windows Server 2008 / 2012
  NOTE: You need to ensure the machine/Pc where the SDL License Server is running is turned on when users request network license seats.

• Can I install the License Server Manager on UNIX OS?
  No, the License Server Manager does not support UNIX OS

• What is the default location for the installed License Server Manager?

  • 32-bit OS: C:\Program Files\Common Files\SDL\Sentinel
  • 64-bit OS: C:\Program Files (x86)\Common Files\SDL\Sentinel
    
    

• Can I install different editions of an SDL product or different add-in’s on one license server?
  No, you cannot install, for example two instances of Studio (Professional & Workgroup) or two editions of Passolo e.g. Team Unlimited and Collaboration.

• How can I contact a user who has checked out a license seat?
  The Client Info tab in the SafeNet License Manager (WImAdmin) shows the user name of the client and the name of their client computers. You can use these details to contact them offline.

• What happens if the running client loses connection to the license server?
  The SDL product shows the Product Activation dialog box and requires the client to restore the connection or exit the application.

• What is the timeout for idle license seats?
  If there is no user activity on the SDL Product for more than 30 minutes, the license seat is automatically returned to the license pool. This is to avoid licenses being stranded on a client computer after a crash or a power failure.

• The Licensing Server Manager is administered by my IT department. Can I borrow a license without their help?
  Yes, you can borrow a license directly from your SDL product. This does not require any request or approval numbers.

• What happens when the borrowing period expires?
  The SDL Product stops working and the client user is required to connect to the company’s network.

• Do I need access to the licensing server in order to return a borrowed license?
  No, once the borrowing limit is reached, the license is automatically returned to the server. 

• Are we able to borrow all the license seats we have purchased?
  You will not be able to borrow the last license seat available on the network license. This is because connecting to the server in order to borrow a license already requires a license seat. Borrowing is not possible without an available license seat. The seat required for the connection is returned back to the license pool immediately after the server grants the borrowed license.

• How long can I borrow a license for?
  By default, you can borrow a license for a maximum of 30 days. If you need to borrow a license for more than that, return the license to the server and borrow again. When the borrowing period expires, the SDL product stops working and the client user is required to connect to the company’s network.

• Can I split my network license to be used on different servers?
  Yes, when activating online, you have to specify the number of activations that you wish to use. Once activated, you can then activate the remaining number of activations on your second server.
  NOTE: For offline activation, you can still specify number of users, but would do this through the License section of their SDL Account.

 

SDL Passolo 2015

• Does network licensing work in build server environments?
  Yes.

• Can I preselect the license configuration automated via COM object model?
  No, the License Server Manager does not currently support this licensing option.

• Can I detect a license (or license configuration) is available (via command line and via COM object model)?
  No, the License Server Manager does not currently support this licensing option.

 

General FAQ’s - Network licensing

• What technology does the License Server Manager use?
  The License Server Manager is based on third- party technology from SafeNet. It uses TCP/IP protocol for dispensing licensing seats across the network.

• Which port allows communication between the client computer and the licensing server?
  Port UDP 5093 needs to be open to allow communication where the SDL product is installed.

• Can I change the default port number?
  Yes, to change the default port number, open the SafeNet License Manager (WImAdmin) application and go to Edit > Preferences > Server Port.

• Can I have a Flexnet license installed on the same machine as a SafeNet License?
  Yes, you can and they should be fine together on the same machine.

• Can I connect to a network- licensing server from a Remote Desktop environment?
  Yes, when you are using an SDL product on a virtual machine and you want to activate it with a network license, the licensing server grants you a license seat just as if you were connecting from a physical computer.

• What information do client users need for connecting to the network license server?
  To connect to the license server manager and activate an SDL product with a network license, the client users either need the host name, the FQDN (Fully Qualified Domain Name) or the IPv4 address.

• Can I connect to a network- licensing server via Remote Desktop Services (formally Terminal Services)?
  Yes. When using Remote Desktop Services, you can only activate SDL products with a network license. Each user consumes a network seat.

• Do I have to install the SDL License Server Manager on the same Remote Desktop Services computer where Studio is installed?
  This is no longer a requirement- you can now use any other computers in the network.

• Does network licensing work over multiple network segments?
  Yes. The network license server and the client machine do not need to be on the same network. As long as there is direct communication between the two hosts and the client can access the network server via the port, network licensing works over multiple network segments.

• How many license seats are checked out when connecting from a computer with two active network adapters (Cable and wireless)?
  Only one license is checked out

• Can I withdraw a license from a specific user?
  No. To free up a license seat, the client user would need to return the license seat.