License Server Tool: Non-GUI-interface?

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bru
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License Server Tool: Non-GUI-interface?

Post by bru » Wed Dec 04, 2013 1:38 pm

Our floating license is installed on a server our company IT does maintain.
Therefore I cannot (easily) connect to this computer and open the GUI of the license server tool.

Therefore I would like to create a service (or something similar) that
(1) periodically saves the server's log file into a public directory
(2) releases licenses in use.

Ad (1): This helps me to identify the user/computer that currently occupies a license.
Ad (2): Sometimes colleagues forget to close Ranorex Studio when they leave the office thus occupying the license without using the tool. I'm not sure if it is possible to release a license from a computer, but that would be my usecase.

Is this possible (at least action (1))?

Thanks,
Juergen

krstcs
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Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:14 pm
Location: Austin, Texas, USA

Re: License Server Tool: Non-GUI-interface?

Post by krstcs » Wed Dec 04, 2013 2:53 pm

This sounds like a user education issue. You should make sure you users (and their supervisors, if necessary) understand that others may not be able to get their work done if the user doesn't close their instance of Ranorex when they are done.

You could also ask IT to implement forced log off for inactivity, which is a good security practice anyway and will help solve part of the problem.

I do not believe that Ranorex offers either option that you are asking for (could be wrong), but maybe your IT shop could give you read-only access to the log folder for the Ranorex License Server?
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bru
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:22 am
Location: Linz / Austria
Contact:

Re: License Server Tool: Non-GUI-interface?

Post by bru » Wed Dec 04, 2013 3:17 pm

Thanks for your answer!

Read-only access to the log folder would be possible, but as far as I understand the Ranorex License Server tool, the server log will only be written when pressing the button "Save Server Log".
Is this right or is there a log that will be written continuously?

Thanks!
Juergen

krstcs
Posts: 2683
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:14 pm
Location: Austin, Texas, USA

Re: License Server Tool: Non-GUI-interface?

Post by krstcs » Wed Dec 04, 2013 3:30 pm

Yeah, I hadn't noticed that the log is only written on demand. Maybe the Ranorex guys have a better solution. Or maybe it is written somewhere else continuously, but that button just allows us to save it somewhere besides the "normal" location.

Could you get user access to the server that Ranorex License Server is installed on? Even a normal user account should allow you to save the log somewhere you can access it. And, if your system can see the Ranorex License Server then it should be able to Remote Desktop to the server, unless the IT shop has it fire-walled.
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bru
Posts: 18
Joined: Thu Oct 31, 2013 11:22 am
Location: Linz / Austria
Contact:

Re: License Server Tool: Non-GUI-interface?

Post by bru » Wed Dec 04, 2013 3:55 pm

Exactly that's the problem: The IT has blocked remote desktop access to the license server and is not willing to release it for me.
So I was thinking of running a service that will do these actions for me ...

Or the license server tool has a command line option like "save server log every minute" ...?

krstcs
Posts: 2683
Joined: Tue Feb 07, 2012 4:14 pm
Location: Austin, Texas, USA

Re: License Server Tool: Non-GUI-interface?

Post by krstcs » Wed Dec 04, 2013 6:43 pm

If your IT shop is not willing to give you access to a tool that is part of your work requirements, I would suggest that you need to take it to leadership and help them understand the need you have for the information and access you are requesting.

I would also guess that if they won't let you RDP into the system, they aren't going to let you put a service on there that they can't control.

Ranorex assumes that you have access and control of the server/system you have installed their software on.

This appears to be a political issue that you will need to work out internally. There may be nothing Ranorex are able to do.
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