The NetPhantom License Manager has been enhanced with the following new features:

• Support for multiple backup License Managers when several NetPhantom Servers are used for redundancy on multiple machines.
• License Manager enhanced to support "even license distribution" by means of a new setting in "license.ini". The previous distribution mechanism "first come, first served" works well for smaller NetPhantom Server installations, but the new mechanism is required for large installations where redundancy is of importance.
• New license code "0000 0000 0000 0000" enabling the License Manager to be set to all possible settings (e.g. huge amounts of clients, lots of features) for testing purposes. A NetPhantom Server connecting to such a License Manager will automatically shut down after 2 (two) hours unless it connects to another License Manager with a normal or demo license.

 
Multiple backup License Managers

When several NetPhantom Servers are used over multiple physical machines, e.g. for redundancy purposes, the License Manager had previously to be run on yet another machine to provide some level of hardware redundancy. With the new backup solution for License Managers, it is recommended to have a License Manager installed on each physical server where on or more NetPhantom Servers reside.

The backup solution enables a list of License Managers to interconnect in order to establish who is the active License Manager. Only active License Managers distributes licenses to the server(s). When a License Manager in the backup solution is somehow not running or is not contactable, the closest License Manager in the ranked list will become activated. If a License Manager is started with a "higher rank" than all other ones, it will become the active one, and will also deactivate the previous active License Manager (that in turn will close all connections to its connected servers).

An advanced keep-alive, alive-check and "do you get any CPU" algorithm is used between the License Managers in order to constantly check network, machine and program functionality. Each License Manager in the solution will establish a link to the other ones (except himself). This results in dual full-duplex communication link between each License Manager.

License Manager setting in "license.ini"

The NetPhantom Servers do not provide a GUI interface to configure the License Managers for a backup solution; it has to be done by editing the "license.ini" file for each License Manager. The following settings apply and should be entered in the [base] section:

• lmList or LMLIST
  All License Managers must be listed here in the form "IPaddress:portNumber" with a comma sign between each "address:port", e.g. "192.10.118.30:1791, 192.10.118.31:1791". This list must be identical on all License Managers used in the backup solution! Failure to keep it identical will result in a License Manager in the solution not being able to contact the others.
   
• bindAddress and port
  The License Manager being configured must also specify a "bindAddress" and "port" that is included in the "lmList". Failure to do so will result in the License Manager not starting.

Setting for NetPhantom Server in "server.ini"

The NetPhantom Servers must be configured to use the backup License Manager solution. This can be done using the Server Administration program, from the License panel using the button Configure License Manager. This panel contains a multiple-line entry field that should contain all backup License Managers, i.e. not the primary one, as a list of entries in the form "address:port" that can be line, space or comma separated.

The setting is also available in "server.ini" in the [LicenseManager] section as the entry "backups=address1:port1,address2:port2,..." (must be comma separated).

 
Even license distribution mechanism

The previous license distribution mechanism "first come, first served" has now been enhanced with an "even license distribution" mechanism. This mechanism enables the License Manager to distribute all licenses "evenly" to all connected servers.

To enable "even license distribution", use the setting "evenDistribution=1" in "license.ini" under the [base] section. There is no GUI interface available to configure the License Manager for this setting; it must be done manually by editing the "license.ini" file.

For example: 5 servers want 750, 750, 750, 500 and 500 licenses respectively, but the License Manager is providing a maximum of 2500 in total. Using the "first come, first served" mechanism, the first 3 servers connecting to the License Manager would receive 750 licenses each (remains 250), the 4th server 250 and the 5th no licenses at all. With the new "even license distribution", the total amount of licenses is first computed, in this case 3250. If the first 3 servers connect, they will get 750 each, and 250 licenses would remain. But when the 4th server connects, the available license count is exceeded by 250. The first 3 servers would then receive 750*2500/2750 = 681 and the 4th server 500*2500/2750 = 454 (a perceptive reader will note that 3 licenses will remain). When all 5 servers connects, the 3 first will get 750*2500/3250 = 576, server 4 and 5 gets 500*2500/3250 = 384 (and 4 licenses will remain).

 
Test license code

In order to enable testing a complex and large NetPhantom solution using load balancing, backup servers and perhaps also inactive machines that quickly can be put into production, a "test license code" is now available for License Managers. This license code grants all settings and features for a License Manager and thus for connecting servers, but only for a period of 2 (two) hours. A NetPhantom Server that connects to a License Manager with a test license code will automatically shut down after 2 hours, unless it connects to another License Manager with either a permanent (normal) license code or a demo license code.