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Everseeker's avatar
Everseeker
Contributor
9 years ago
Solved

License Server Machine Question

OK, My company was midway through provisioning the system for my testing when they came upon a line in one of the install documents

  • It must be a physical machine (not a virtual machine).

Am I misreading that?

My company has a TON of server hardware... blades & such... high level, high speed.

ALL of the servers are virtual, allowing the operations center to add/subtract cores, RAM, and drive space as needed

 

Do you REALLY need me to go up to the department manager and tell him I need a PHYSICAL MACHINE ?

REALLY?

He will think I am a throwback to the 1980s

  • Everseeker's avatar
    Everseeker
    9 years ago
    I have a pretty definitive answer, from the TestComplete Support team: Copied here since it is VERY important, given that more and more companies are going 100% Virtual Server......

    Some restrictions of using a VM as the License Manager host you need to be aware of:

    • You can not move the VM from one physical host to another (the protection system will detect the hardware changes and disable the licenses);
    • You can not clone the VM (the protection system will disable the licenses);
    • You can not change the hardware of the physical host (the protection system will detect the hardware changes and disable the licenses);
    • You can not use a cloud PC as the License Manager host (due to possible hardware changes)

     

    They also sent me a more comprehensive text file on the subject (It is only a draft... be aware... ask them if you have questions)

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  • Marsha_R's avatar
    Marsha_R
    Champion Level 3
    9 years ago

    I think virtual is fine as long as it has a fixed address.  The TC client is going to look in the same place every time to try to find your license.

  • mes6073's avatar
    mes6073
    Contributor
    9 years ago

    That must be outdated or slipped though the document review as our test infastructure, including the license server, is 100% based virtualized and other than the license server, TestComplete and TestExecute are installed on VM's that use DHCP.

    • Everseeker's avatar
      Everseeker
      Contributor
      9 years ago
      I have a pretty definitive answer, from the TestComplete Support team: Copied here since it is VERY important, given that more and more companies are going 100% Virtual Server......

      Some restrictions of using a VM as the License Manager host you need to be aware of:

      • You can not move the VM from one physical host to another (the protection system will detect the hardware changes and disable the licenses);
      • You can not clone the VM (the protection system will disable the licenses);
      • You can not change the hardware of the physical host (the protection system will detect the hardware changes and disable the licenses);
      • You can not use a cloud PC as the License Manager host (due to possible hardware changes)

       

      They also sent me a more comprehensive text file on the subject (It is only a draft... be aware... ask them if you have questions)

      • joseph_michaud's avatar
        joseph_michaud
        Moderator
        9 years ago

        I wrote that doc over time as I discovered more about the licensing system and its limitations, so you can blame me for any errors in it.

         

        The end result is that, while serving licenses from a VM is certainly possible, there is still an unfortunate connection to the physical hardware that limits what you can do with that VM.  If you can't control your VM (ie cloud machine) then it makes the VM poorly suited to serving licenses in general and node-locked licenses in particular.  If you *can* control the VM then you have a much better chance of avoiding any problems with the licenses.

         

        Please make any requests for improvements or changes to the licensing system, or any other suggstions, in our TestComplete Feature Requests Forum.