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Colin_McCrae's avatar
Colin_McCrae
Community Hero
9 years ago
Solved

Problem - using a virtual machine with TestComeplete

Hi

 

I've been using TestComplete with a node locked license on my physical PC for over two years now. Which is fine.

 

However, I now need to be more mobile and can't have it tied to a single PC if possible. The obvious solution is to run it within a VM which makes it portable.

 

Now, your own documentation implies that this is possible:

 

http://support.smartbear.com/viewarticle/63455/

 

That support documentation implies that if you can force a static MAC address on the VM, you can install to it. So I've modified the configuration of my VM to that the MAC address is indeed static. Starting and stopping it etc has verrified that this works. The MAC address is solid. The VM has also only ever been run on a single PC (my PC, the one with TC currently installed on it) thus far.

 

So, according to YOUR documentation, I should now be able to install to it.

 

Worst case scenario, the MAC address changes and my license de-activates and I have to set up a new one. And probably move it back to a physical PC.

 

But no.

 

It installs just fine. But when I run it, and try and activate, I get an error message on step 3 of 3 of the activation process.

 

"Virtual machine detected. To run the product on a virtual machine, you need a Floating User License which must be activated on a physical computer."

 

No way out. Nothing else I can change to make it work.

 

In short - it actively BLOCKS you from activating on a virtual machine. Regardless of the state of the MAC address on it, static (as mine is) or otherwise.

 

A floating user license would cost an additional $1300 on top of what we already paid for the node locked one. No way management here will go for that. Mainly due to me telling them that with the correct setup, a virtual machine will be fine.

 

It's not.

 

In my eyes, your documentation is at best incorrect, at worst, a blatant lie (as far as installing on VM's go).

 

I'm not happy. Why is it set up to actively block this way? This is NOT how YOUR documentation say it's supposed to work.

  • joseph_michaud's avatar
    joseph_michaud
    9 years ago

    Licenses must be specially marked ("VM-enabled") to allow them to be served by virtual machines.  Yours are not.

    Please open a support case for help with what you're trying to do.

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  • joseph_michaud's avatar
    joseph_michaud
    Moderator
    9 years ago

    Licenses must be specially marked ("VM-enabled") to allow them to be served by virtual machines.  Yours are not.

    Please open a support case for help with what you're trying to do.

    • Colin_McCrae's avatar
      Colin_McCrae
      Community Hero
      9 years ago

      Thanks for the speedy feedback.

       

      It would be nice if your documentation reflected this point.

       

      It's a pretty key piece of information!

       

      I'll send off the support request to get it changed.

      • Colin_McCrae's avatar
        Colin_McCrae
        Community Hero
        9 years ago

        Many thanks to Joseph for his support assistance with this.

         

        Just to add some extra info in case anyone else runs into it ....

         

        • If you have a Node Locked license, SmartBear need to enable it for VM activation. This has to be done though a support ticket. By default, this is not enabled.
        • A node locked license, on a VM, binds itself to several elements of the VM. In order to remain valid, these elements must remain unchanged.
        • The elements which must remain static are: The CPU type, the MAC address of the network adapter and the VM UUID.
        • I use VMWare. You will need access to the .VMX file for the VM using to host node locked TestComplete. You need to update the .VMX file with a couple of elements to force the MAC address and VM UUID to remain static. Links below.
        • Static MAC address: http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=219
        • Static VM UUID: http://kb.vmware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?language=en_US&cmd=displayKC&externalId=1541
        • And obviously don't change the CPU type on the VM once it's up and running! (There may also be a dependency on the underlying CPU of the machine hosting the VM. All our dev machines use the same CPU type so I'm hoping this won't be an issue for me!)

         

        I caveat all the above by adding that this is using VMWare and assuming you have access to the VMX file of the VM you are trying to use. No idea for other VM managers/hosts. Also, according to the above, my license *should* remain active, I haven't actually tested the theory yet!

         

        I'll update here as and when I do.

         

        If I have problems moving a copy (not a clone, that comes with a further set of problems) from machine to machine, I'll switch to a static hosted VM that I'll remote into using VNC (as it doesn't cause session problems when dropping in and out like RDP does...).