If you’ve just purchased a new network license and you’re stressing about how to add this to your existing license pool, you can relax – we’re here to save the day! This blog will show you how easy it is to add your new network serial number to a previously installed SolidNetWork License (SNL) Manager, and/or configure it to reflect the increased seats of the product.
You might be thinking, what is this SNL Manager? Well, simply put, SNL Manager is responsible for managing and distributing all your network licenses, including SOLIDWORKS PDM Licenses (both Standard and Professional). The SNL Manager is installed on the server, and the regular SolidWorks software is installed on the users’ computer. When a user opens SOLIDWORKS on their computer, the software will connect to the License Manager on the server and retrieve an available license.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s dive in and take a look at how to add and activate your new network license serial numbers.
NOTE: If you’ve added seats to your existing network license serial number, jump ahead to STEP 4 on how to reactivate your license manager.
If you’ve purchased an additional license to add to your network license pool, you should receive a notification from your VAR indicating that this has been processed along with the new serial number. If you do not receive this and don’t know your serial number, please contact your VAR.
The installation of the SNL Manager needs to be modified in order to add the new network license serial numbers. But firstly, you will need to identify the machine where your SNL Manager Server is loaded and make sure that you have administrative access to this machine. You can determine the server machine by either using the SolidNetWork License Manager Client and/or the PDM Administration tool – we’ll show you how in the section below.
If you are already using a network license to use SOLIDWORKS or any other SOLIDWORKS add-on, you can use the SolidNetWork License Manager Client to locate your server. First navigate to Windows ->SOLIDWORKS Tools {year} -> SolidNetWork License Manager Client. This will launch the SNL License Manager where you can access the “Sever List” tab to find out the list of license servers being used.
If you are only using PDM licenses on a network, using the first method won’t work. Instead you will have to navigate to WindowsàSOLIDWORKS PDMà Administration. This will launch the PDM Administration Tool where you will connect to your vault as a user with the administrative permission: “Can update license keys” or as PDM Administrator. After logging in, you just have to locate the “License” node and open this to access the license server information under the “Server List” tab.
Once you have full access to your Server Machine, you can then navigate to Windows Control Panel -> Programs and Features -> SOLIDWORKS SolidNetWork License Manager.
You can either select the installation for the SNL Manager and click on the “Change” button in the top toolbar, or you can right-click on the line item and click “Change” from the context menu.
Once you hit the change button, the SOLIDWORKS SolidNetWork License Manager Setup will be launched where we can modify our network serial numbers. Hit the “Next’ button.
This will take you to the Program Maintenance step, where you can modify, repair, or remove the program. Since we are adding a new serial number, make sure “Modify” is selected and go “Next”.
This will take you to the License Information screen where you can enter your new serial number(s). Multiple serial numbers can be entered by separating them with a comma. Hit “Next” once you’ve entered your number(s).
This will take you to the final step of the Installation Wizard. If you have already verified all the changes you made, you can click “Install” to begin the installation.
Activating/Reactivating the SolidNetwork License Manager Server is the last vital step you need to do to use you newly added licenses. This must be done whether you’ve added a new network license serial number or a new license to float on your existing network serial number.
Navigate to Windows -> SOLIDWORKS Tools {year} -> SolidNetWork License Manager Server.
Note: Ensure that you click the SolidNetWork License Manager Server program and not the SolidNetWork License Manager Client.
This will launch the SNL Manager Server where you will have access to the “Server Administration” tab. Select “Modify” under License Information to start the process.
This will take you to the product activation screen. Choose the option to “Activate/Reactivate your product license” and click “Next”.
This will take you to the SolidNetWork License Server Information Screen. Select ‘Next’ to continue using the same firewall ports and options file settings as you had before to proceed.
When you get to the “Activate/Deactivate Your SOLIDWORKS Product” window, click on the “Select All” button and click “Next”.
NOTE: You should verify that all the network serial numbers you previously entered are listed on the serial numbers window and reactivate them all. This is extremely important if your serial number includes products such as Visualise and CAM that are subscription based. After you renew your subscription, please ensure you perform this step so that the products reflect the correct Entitlement End Date, and your users can continue using these products seamlessly.
You should see the Activation/Reactivation Succeeded page after a few seconds. This means your additional SNL serial numbers are now activated and you should have access to the newly added assets. If you do not receive this message or receive an error, please contact your VAR. Click “Finish” to complete the process.
Note: As a good practice we recommend opening the SolidNetwork License Manager Server again to double-check that the server has been started.
With a few simple steps, you have successfully added your newly purchased Network serial number/seat to the SNL Manager and it’s now ready to be used.
The ease of using a reliable client/server license distribution approach means you are no longer constrained and can easily control the flow of your “Floating” licenses. SNL Manager provides WD-40 like lubricity to diminish any “friction” for organisations when it comes to stretching your investment across the users. With that said, this BLOG is sure to be a go-to document for your administrator within the company, to manage your licenses and hence make sure to bookmark it!
Please feel free to reach out to our experienced Technical Support Team at CADspace if you need help activating/adding your new Network Licenses.
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