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Detailed Vericut Configuration Tasks

Windows Start Menu License Administration Choices

The following describe the different Windows "Start Menu" choices under Start > All Programs > Vericut Vericut 9.7 > License Administration. Some of these choices only display information and some require a Windows administrative user in order to make changes to system settings.

License Utilities

"License Utilities" choices are intended to help setup licensing or diagnose license problems on either the license server computer or the Vericut client computer.

Display Local License Servers

View all Sentinel RMS license servers on this subnet. This choice uses the Sentinel RMS lswhere utility to display all Sentinel RMS license servers that can be communicated with. It uses Sentinel RMS's 'broadcast' feature to contact and collect information about various Sentinel RMS license servers on the same subnet as the current computer. It reports on any Sentinel RMS license servers, which may or may not have Vericut licenses. For more information about advanced license server configuration options, see the

Sentinel — Sentinel RMS License Manager System Administrator's Guide

Display Network Information

Check IP and Ethernet addresses of network devices on this computer. This choice uses the Windows' command IPCONFIG /ALL to display important network information, especially TCP/IP configuration information. This can be used to determine if the TCP/IP configuration is valid (i.e. displays a valid IP address of the current computer). It also shows if multiple network devices are present, and their status.

Sentinel RMS License Administrator (WlmAdmin)

View licenses and status of running Sentinel RMS license servers using the Sentinel RMS Windows’ license utility WlmAdmin. WlmAdmin is configured with the Vericut license server identified during installation as a "Defined Server" in WlmAdmin's defined server list. For more information about the WlmAdmin utility see the Sentinel RMS License Manager System Administrator's Guide.

Specify License Server Computer

(requires privileges to write to the Vericut installation folders)

Direct Vericut to get its licenses from a different license server computer. The choice opens the Vericut configuration file, cgtenv.bat in Windows' Notepad text editor. Comments in the file identify the LSHOST environment variable and how to change it to specify a different Vericut license server computer's host name.

The LSHOST environment variable is used on a computer that is running a protected application. It tells the application about one or more License Managers that it can contact.

When this variable is not set then the application will perform a broadcast for any License Manager that is available and can authorize the application to run.

When the variable is set, the application will send directed call to the License Managers that are in the LSHOST list along with broadcast to the network. The application will traverse the list of License Managers that respond beginning with the first License Manager in the list and moving down the list. If none of the specified License Managers is found, then the application will pick the first License Manager that responds to the broadcast call. The wait during the License Manager response time when LSHOST is set is same as the broadcast interval.

Separate License Manager host names with a tilde (~).

📝 NOTE: A colon (:) was used to separate License Manager host names up to RMS v8.2.x (Windows) and 8.4.x (UNIX).

For example:

Operating System Example Outcome
Windows SET LSHOST=ACCT_SERVER~FINANCE_SRV
Tells licensed applications to send license requests first to ACCT_SERVER and thereafter FINANCE_SRV
UNIX export LSHOST=ACCT_SERVER~FINANCE_SRV

For more information about the LSHOST environment variable see the Sentinel RMS License Manager System Administrator's Guide.

License Server Only

"License Server Only" choices are only intended to be used on the license server computer, to help setup licensing or diagnose license problems.

Configure License & Setup Server

📝 NOTES:

  1. Requires administrative privileges

  2. If you are installing on a computer running Windows 10 Pro you will need to do the following before continuing with the Configure License & Setup Server steps.

    • Go to Control Panel > User Accounts > Change User Account Control settings (aka UAC).

    • Change it from Default to Never notify

The Never Notify setting is to be used when using a program not certified for Windows 10 because it does not support User Account Control (like Sentinel or Vericut).

This is typically the only selection used when setting-up a Windows license server. It does the following:

  1. Opens the Create License program and instructs the administrator to drag/drop the Vericut license email into the screen. This creates the 'cgtech.lf' license file in the license folder.

  2. Sets the system environment variable LSERVOPTS to point to the license file just created.

  3. Removes any previous Sentinel RMS license server service, then adds and starts the license server service from the current installation folder. When the server starts (via the service) it looks for the license file defined in LSERVOPTS, and adds the license keys.

Display Host ID

Display the Ethernet address of all enabled network adapters on this computer. The user selects one of these displayed Ethernet addresses as the HOST ID used to lock the license server to this computer. The program that displays the Ethernet addresses uses the exact same logic as the license server program. When a license is added to the license server program, it is compared against enabled network adapters. If the network adaptor encrypted in the license key does not match any of the enabled network adaptors, the key is not added to the license server.

Remove License Server Service

(requires administrative privileges)

Stops the license server and removes the license server service on this computer. You can use Start License Server Service to restart a license server that is installed as a service.

Run Temporary License Server

(requires administrative privileges)

Starts a temporary license server from the current user's login. You may use this choice to temporarily start the license server program, such as for testing or if it is not possible to add a service. The license server is temporary because it is terminated when the user logs-out of the current session. Use Configure License & Setup Server for a permanent installation of the server via Windows Services.

Save License File from License Email

(requires privileges to write to the Vericut installation folders)

Creates the Vericut license file from a license email or text file containing the license keys. This choice opens a utility program that reads the license keys in the Vericut license email and creates the cgtech.lf license file in the local installation's 'license' folder. The utility program reads the license email via:

  1. Drag/drop the email directly from Microsoft Outlook or Outlook Express.

  2. Drag/drop a saved email message file (.msg or .eml).

  3. Copy/paste the email's text. For example you can select all the text (typically Edit > Select All in your email program), then paste it into the Create License panel with the right-mouse menu > Paste menu button.
  4. Drag/drop a plain text file saved from the license email.

The Create License panel's text area displays all the added license keys, followed by the message "License file C:\cgtech70\windows\license\cgtech.lf created successfully". The license server program reads the cgtech.lf license file when it starts, and adds valid license keys to the running license server.

Set License File Environment Variable

📝 NOTES:

  1. Requires administrative privileges

  2. If you are installing on a Windows 10 Pro computer you will need to do the following before continuing with the Configure License & Setup Server steps.

    • Go to Control Panel > User Accounts > Change User Account Control settings (aka UAC).

    • Change it from Default to Never notify

The Never Notify setting is to be used when using a program not certified for Windows 10 because it does not support User Account Control (like Sentinel or Vericut).

Sets the LSERVOPTS system environment variable, used by the license server to find the cgtech.lf license file when the Windows service starts the license server. This setting is only used by the license server started as a Windows service. For more information about LSERVOPTS and its options see the Sentinel RMS License Manager System Administrator's Guide.

📝 NOTE: A restart is required after the environment variable is changed.

Start License Server Service

(requires administrative privileges)

Stops and removes any existing license server service, then installs and starts the license server service from the current installation. This choice is only effective when using a license server service.

Stop License Server Service

(requires administrative privileges)

Stops a running license server service on this computer. The service is not removed, only stopped.

Update Licenses on Running Server

(requires administrative privileges if used on a license server service)

Causes the running license server to re-read the license file. The server must be running when this selection is used. This selection uses the Sentinel RMS lslic program to remove the current licenses, then re-reads the license keys in the cgtech.lf license file and adds them to the running license server. For more information about the lslic program see the Sentinel RMS License Manager System Administrator's Guide.

Alternate Method to Determine Your Windows License Server Computer’s HOST ID

If you do not have access to the Vericut DVD you can display the HOST ID as follows:

  • Open a Command Prompt window (also called a DOS window)

  • Type in the window:Ipconfig /all

The value shown to the right of "Physical Address" is typically the HOST ID. Valid IDs are 12 characters and contain only the characters 0-9 and A-F. If your computer has multiple network adapters, the license server program compares the address encrypted in the license keys with enabled network adapters. If a network adapter address matching the encrypted key address is found then the license is added to the server.

The following Physical Addresses are not valid, and indicate something is wrong with the TCP/IP network protocol configuration for the Ethernet device, or indicates the card is not enabled or available:

000000000000

204c4f4f5020

ffffffff

ffffffffffff

📝 NOTE: The license server delivered with this version of Vericut only requires the device to be enabled. It no longer requires it to be connected or have an active network transport such as IPX/SPX.

See the section on Check Windows Network Configuration if you are having trouble getting a valid Physical Address.

Check Windows Network Configuration

In any Vericut installation there is a computer that functions as the license server computer. There are also one or more client computers that run Vericut and communicate with the license server computer to get licenses. In a stand-alone configuration the license server computer and the Vericut client computer are one-in-the-same, but the same network communication requirements apply. The following checks ensure that the license server computer and the Vericut client computer(s) can communicate, and that the Vericut client computers can successfully run Vericut.

Checks for both the License Server Computer and Vericut Client Computers

  1. Check the network hardware.

    Ensure that you have a network adapter installed and enabled on the license server computer. You can use the Windows Device Manager (available under the Control Panel's System icon) to see if you have an installed network adapter. The Vericut license keys are encrypted to match the physical address of an enabled network adapter. When the license server program initially starts it finds enabled network adapters and compares each license key with the physical address of the adapter(s). If a match is found the license key is added to the license server.

  2. Check the network software.

    Vericut and the license server program use TCP/IP network protocol to communicate with each other, even when running Vericut on a single stand-alone computer (where both Vericut and the license server program run on the same computer). TCP/IP network protocol must be installed on the enabled network adapter that matches the Host ID encrypted in your Vericut license.

    If you need to add TCP/IP protocol and your computer is on a company network you should consult with your network administrator. If you are on a computer with no network connection and you need help on how to add TCP/IP protocol, see the section, Basic Windows Network Configurations.

Checks for the License Server Computer

  1. Serving licenses to other client computers.

    In addition to having a network adapter and TCP/IP network protocol installed, the license server computer must have a valid IP address in order to serve licenses to other computers. A static IP address should be used. If a dynamic IP address is assigned using a DHCP server, then Vericut license check-out on client computers may be slow and/or inconsistent. Static IP addresses are required for all license server computers in a redundant server configuration.

    Use the ipconfig command to verify there is an enabled network adapter with TCP/IP protocol installed and that it is properly configured to be the license server computer. Type the following command in a command prompt window (also called a 'DOS' window):

    ipconfig /all

    The ipconfig command returns information about your computer's network configuration. Only a few items are important for your Vericut installation. If your computer is connected to a network and TCP/IP protocol is installed and configured correctly, the following lines should have values in order for the license server program to provide licenses to Vericut on another computer:

    Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : mycomputer

    Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-AB-77-34-64

    IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 199.1.1.123

    Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

  2. No network connection, stand-alone configuration.

    If your computer is not connected to a network, or your computer is sometimes disconnected from a network when you want to use Vericut (thus it is a stand-alone configuration with Vericut and the license server program running on the same computer), then at a minimum you must have an enabled network adaptor.

    When disconnected from a network, ipconfig may not display an IP address. This does not cause a problem for Vericut or the license server program because the IP loopback address (127.0.0.1) is used automatically. A Host Name is required, but the default name, "localhost" is sufficient.

    The following values should be displayed by ipconfig for a stand-alone configuration:

    Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : mycomputer (or localhost)

    Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-AB-77-34-64

Checks for Vericut Client Computers

  1. Set the optimum color display for Vericut

    True or high color display provides optimum Vericut performance. Desktop color display is changed by opening the Display icon in the Control Panel, or by right-click > Properties on the desktop.

    📝 NOTE: The following checks are not necessary for a stand-alone configuration where Vericut and the license server program run on the same computer.

  2. Check the Vericut client computer's network software configuration.

    In addition to having a network device and TCP/IP network protocol installed, the device must have a valid IP address (either statically assigned, automatically created, or dynamically provided by a DHCP server).

    Use the ipconfig command to verify that there is an active network device with the TCP/IP protocol installed and that it is properly configured with a host name and IP address. Open a command prompt window (also called a 'DOS' window) and type:

    ipconfig /all

    The ipconfig command returns information about your computer's network configuration. Only a few items are important for your Vericut installation. If your computer is connected to a network, and TCP/IP protocol is installed and configured correctly, the following lines must have values in order for Vericut to work correctly:

    Host Name . . . . . . . . . . . . : mycomputer

    Physical Address. . . . . . . . . : 00-0B-AB-77-34-64

    IP Address. . . . . . . . . . . . : 199.1.1.123

    Subnet Mask . . . . . . . . . . . : 255.255.255.0

  3. Verify client and license server computers can communicate with each other.

    Both client and license server computers must have host names and valid IP addresses. The mechanism for assigning host names and IP addresses varies with the network configuration. See your site's network administrator if you are not familiar with how your network is configured.

    The easiest way to verify communication between computers is to "ping" each one from the other. Open a command prompt window and type:

    ping COMPUTER1

    (where 'COMPUTER1' is the host name of the computer you need to communicate with)

If the computers can communicate you should see something like:

Pinging COMPUTER1 [199.1.1.123] with 32 bytes of data:

Reply from 199.1.1.123: bytes=32 time=48ms TTL=127

Reply from 199.1.1.123: bytes=32 time=46ms TTL=127

Reply from 199.1.1.123: bytes=32 time=43ms TTL=127

Reply from 199.1.1.123: bytes=32 time=41ms TTL=127

Ping statistics for 199.1.1.123:

Packets: Sent = 4, Received = 4, Lost = 0 (0% loss),

Approximate round trip times in milli-seconds:

Minimum = 41ms, Maximum = 48ms, Average = 44ms

You should ping the client from the license server computer and the license server computer from the client since both computers must know about each other for proper communication. If the ping test fails contact your site's network administrator to correct the problem.

In some network configurations there may be a router, gateway or other network device that acts like a firewall between the client and license server computer. In this case, the ping test will succeed but licensing will fail since the router or firewall must be configured to allow TCP/IP to pass UDP packets through port 5093. For this and other complex network configurations contact your site's network administrator and see the Sentinel RMS License Manager System Administrator's Guide for more information about configuring the Sentinel RMS license server and clients.

Basic Windows Network Configurations

Use the appropriate section below to properly configure your network device for Vericut on Windows computers.

To check for network software on Windows:

When using the Start Menu,

  1. Taskbar: Start > Control Panel > Network Connections

  2. Double click on the Device icon.

  3. Select Support tab.

Installed software must include "Internet Protocol TCP/IP".

When using "classic" Start Menu,

  1. Taskbar: Start > Settings > Network Connections

  2. Double click on the Device icon.

  3. Select Support tab

Installed software must include "Internet Protocol TCP/IP".

Configuring Vericut to Read an NX Part File

An NX part file can be opened directly in Vericut. The following describe the environment variables that need to be set.

The following environment variables need to be set in Vericut's environment:

UGII_BASE_DIR

  UGII_BASE_DIR is setup by an NX installation in the system environment space and typically points to the place where NX is installed, for example C:/Program Files/UGS/NX <version number>/.

UGII_ROOT_DIR

  UGII_ROOT_DIR is setup by an NX installation in the system environment space and typically points to the location of the NX executable files, for example C:/Program Files/UGS/NX <version number>/UGII/.

Also, UGII_ROOT_DIR must be set in the execution path (the "path" environment variable).

Additional requirements:

  1. The most recent version of NX should be installed on the computer that is running Vericut.

  2. An NX license must be available.