Intel® FPGA Software Installation and Licensing

ID 683472
Date 7/05/2023
Public

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6.3. Using a FLEXlm Options File

If the license file contains FEATURE and INCREMENT lines for the same software but different maintenance dates, the license server may grant newer licenses from the FEATURE line to users running older versions of software, which leaves fewer licenses for users running newer versions of software.

By default, the license server grabs licenses from the first matching FEATURE or INCREMENT line in the license file. If all the licenses in the first FEATURE or INCREMENT line are in use, the license server attempts to grab licenses from the next FEATURE or INCREMENT lines, until the end of the license file. A FLEXlm options file allows you to control which users can grab which licenses by creating pools of licenses for each FEATURE and INCREMENT line.

To create a FLEXlm options file that controls a floating license server:

  1. In a new text file, add a GROUP line for each user group you want to create, with a list of user names, separated by spaces for each group, as follows:
    GROUP <group name> <username 1> <username 2>
    Users can be members of more than one group as shown in the following example:
    GROUP quartus2010 kjones bknight root administrator
    GROUP quartus2009 bknight cface root administrator
  2. Add an INCLUDE line for each INCREMENT and FEATURE line in the license file for the product you want to control.
    Set the VERSION keyword to the maintenance date or version date on the INCREMENT or FEATURE line from the license file. The GROUP field controls which group or groups can use the license line as follows:
    INCLUDE <product name>:VERSION=<maintenance date> GROUP <group name>
    For example:
    INCLUDE quartus:VERSION=2010.12 GROUP quartus2010
    INCLUDE quartus:VERSION=2009.06 GROUP quartus2009
    INCLUDE ip_base:VERSION=2010.12 GROUP quartus2010
    INCLUDE ip_base:VERSION=2009.06 GROUP quartus2009
  3. Save the options file <filename>.dat.
  4. Add the options file as the last option on the VENDOR line in the license file, as shown in the following example:
    VENDOR alterad "C:\lic\alterad.exe" "C:\lic\alteraOptions.dat"
  5. Restart the FLEXlm license server, or reread the license file.