2014

downgrade your suite license to a single AutoCAD license if the suite license
is required by another user. In this situation, AutoCAD is holding onto a suite
license that it may not need. The only way to return that license to NLM is
to shut down AutoCAD.
License cascading is a process by which network licenses are automatically
switched or substituted by the NLM according to a hierarchy of value. It occurs
in order to distribute licenses most efficiently among a group of users, subject
to the limitation that licenses can be upgraded but not downgraded. The basic
principles are that lower-cost licenses are used when possible, and higher-cost
licenses are used only when required, such as when a user is running two or
more suite products, or when all the lower-cost licenses are in use.
The NLM surveys license usage every two minutes; if possible, it redistributes
licenses among users, and takes back licenses that have been unused for longer
than the allowed idle time, or timeout period. For more information on license
timeout, see
Set Up License Timeout (page 100).
License cascading is most effective in a large user group when the NLM has a
pool of different license types available for distribution. For example, if the
pool includes product-specific licenses for several products, some licenses for
a standard suite, and some licenses for an ultimate suite, the NLM has many
options for efficient license management. It can assign single-product licenses
as individual products start up, replace these with a suite license if a user runs
multiple products, and upgrade a standard suite license to an ultimate one if
a user invokes an advanced operation that requires a product from the ultimate
suite.
For more information, see the Services & Support topic
Understanding Cascade
Licensing for Autodesk Products
.
Interpreting Your License File
The network license file you receive from Autodesk contains licensing
information required for a network installation. You obtain license file data
when you register your Autodesk product.
The license file contains information about network server nodes and vendor
daemons. It also contains an encrypted digital signature that is created when
Autodesk generates the file.
The license file configures network license servers to manage licenses. When
creating a deployment, the network license server name(s) are specified so
that each product instance knows which server(s) to contact to obtain a license.
68 | Chapter 3 Autodesk Licensing Guide