Red Transit Consultants, LLC uses the well-established FlexNET License Manager from Flexera Software, this is the same software that Autodesk uses for their licensing system. Network Licensing allows a license to “float” among various workstations on a network and is sometimes referred to as a “floating license”. Red Transit Consultants, LLC software is designed to obtain a license from the network when the tool is used inside of the root product AutoCAD, AutoCAD Civil 3D or AutoCAD Map 3D. To return a license, the root product must be closed down.

Setting up a Network License involves configuring a License Server and one, or more, Application Clients. The License Server is the computer that runs the Network Licensing software. It can be any Windows Workstation or Server machine in a network. It can be, but need not be, the network file server. The Application Client is the computer running the Red Transit Consultants, LLC application. The License Server can also be an Application Client. The Application Client must be able to communicate with the License Server via the TCP-IP protocol. The advantage is Red Transit Consultants, LLC may be installed on multiple workstations. However, only the number of licenses purchased may use the software at the same time within the root product.

System Requirements

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Red Transit Consultants, LLC's Vendor Daemon unfortunately only supports Windows servers. Please refer to the Autodesk System Requirements page for more information on server specifications. Installation size is roughly 1100kb. Here's what an installed directory looks like:

Server Setup Support

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Most Network licensing setups are fairly straightforward and the documentation below demonstrates the workflow to setup network licensing. Given the support documentation below and the wide array of networking situations, issues encountered in network license setup can take time to resolve. We can provide support in setting up the Network License Server for a fee of $150 / hr with a minimum charge of 30 minutes to be billed after successful setup.

YouTube Video Demonstration of Server and Client Computer Setup

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To view the process outlined in the following instructions, a 14 minute video can be followed along with at this link: https://youtu.be/U_2KKVEK8yE

Install Network License Manager on the Server

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If you don't have a Network License Manager running currently for Autodesk Software, you'll need to download and it install it from this Autodesk Knowledge Page. Please note that our vendor daemon only works on Windows based servers currently. You may also need to download the LMGRD.exe file and place in this directory: C:\Autodesk\Network License Manager

LMGRD

LMGRD Version 11.12.0.0 (ACAD 2013-2014): https://www.dropbox.com/s/ppnfjr8q08nsip4/lmgrd.exe?dl=0

LMGRD Version 11.13.1.0 (ACAD 2015-2017): https://www.dropbox.com/s/6pocg64h781iosj/lmgrd.exe?dl=0

LMGRD Version 11.14.1.0 (ACAD 2018-2019): https://www.dropbox.com/s/r5lnjgah5j8hc96/lmgrd.exe?dl=0

LMGRD Version 11.16.2.0 (ACAD 2020-Current Version): https://www.dropbox.com/s/5ta6w0yqfymk1q4/lmgrd.exe?dl=0

NOTE ON FILE DOWNLOADS

You may need to unblock files before using them. Windows sometimes blocks files download from the internet. Here's how to unblock.

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/fix-windows-blocked-access-file

If you have any issues installing the Network License Manager, please visit the Troubleshooting Network Licenses page.

Obtain Your Network License File

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1. Start lmtools.exe to obtain your server information. On the System Settings tab, copy down the Computer/Hostname and Ethernet/MAC Address. For the Ethernet/MAC Address, some servers have multiple network cards and thus LMTOOLS will display multiple addresses. Please only use the first MAC Address in the list as this is what LMTOOLs uses. Fill out the data below and send the information to Red Transit Consultants, LLC Licensing Department at the following email address: licensing@redtransitconsultants.com.

NOTE: It is critical that your server is setup with a static MAC Address. The license file embeds the MAC Address into it and if the server changes the MAC, this will break the licensing.

Please use fill out the following information to include in the email:

Network Server License Activation:

Purchase Order Number: <Bluesnap Order Number - Or attach receipt>

Company Name: <Please fill in>

Contact Name: <Please fill in>

Address: <Please fill in>

City: <Please fill in>

State / Providence: <Please fill in>

Country: <Please fill in>

Zip / Postal Code: <Please fill in>

Phone: <Please fill in>

Purchasing Email: <Please fill in>

Alternate Email: <Please fill in>

Computer/Hostname: <Please fill in>

MAC Address: <Please fill in>

Desired Port Number: <Please fill in>

2. Within 48 hours a license file will be replied to you via email from Red Transit Consultants, LLC with additional instructions in the email – essentially, the remaining steps below.

Obtain the Server Name and MAC Address

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1. Install the Network License Manager (LMTOOLS) if you haven't done so already.

2. Start lmtools.exe to obtain your server information. On the System Settings tab, copy down the Computer/Hostname and Ethernet/MAC Address. For the Ethernet/MAC Address, some servers have multiple network cards and thus LMTOOLS will display multiple addresses. Please only use the first MAC Address in the list as this is what LMTOOLs uses.

NOTE: It is critical that your server is setup with a static MAC Address. The license file embeds the MAC Address into it and if the server changes the MAC, this will break the licensing.

Installing the Network License

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1. Firewalls

The FLEXnet licensing software uses two TCP/IP ports, called the LMGRD port and the Red Transit Consultants, LLC or vendor daemon port, for communications between client and server. You can allow both of them to be chosen dynamically (the typical setting), or you can specify one or both of them.

By default and to prevent confusion with other applications using Flexera licensing (particularly Autodesk) we set both ports to 27010 and 2081 respectively. You may change these defaults if you wish in the license file. See the license file section below on how to do that.

Prior to moving forward, it's recommended that you verify if your network is using firewalls and that the all of the ports specified in the license file are opened for UDP and TCP/IP.

2. Obtain the Vendor Daemon

Check your LMTools version number to determine which Vendor Daemon you require. Vendor Daemons must be version equivalent or older than LMTools version to be supported. LMTools 11.16.2.0 will not support 11.14.1.0 and older. Save the Vendor Daemon in the same folder as the LMGRD, default path is C:\Autodesk\Network License Manager

Vendor Daemons

Version 11.12.0.0 (ACAD 2013-2014): https://www.dropbox.com/s/qk2mn8z2kgwr5jx/FLEXRTC.exe?dl=0

Version 11.13.1.0 (ACAD 2015-2017): https://www.dropbox.com/s/g9riu6ian4kv01p/FLEXRTC.exe?dl=0

Version 11.14.1.0 (ACAD 2018-2019): https://www.dropbox.com/s/1igc6oyyjw1zhyg/FLEXRTC.exe?dl=0

Version 11.16.2.0 (ACAD 2020-Current Version): https://www.dropbox.com/s/ruqv85zpfcnuk8s/FLEXRTC.exe?dl=0

NOTE ON FILE DOWNLOADS:

You may need to unblock files before using them. Windows sometimes blocks files download from the internet. Here's how to unblock.

https://www.thewindowsclub.com/fix-windows-blocked-access-file

3. Create a debug file for Red Transit Consultants vendor daemon. This file can be saved anywhere you like, but we recommend the default path of C:\Autodesk\Network License Manager\

To create the debug file, simply create a new text document and save to your path with a file name such as "DebugRedTransitTools.log". The file extension must be ".log".

4. Create a new Service.

a. To do this, go to the Config Services tab of LMTOOLS

Where it says Service Name, Type a name for the service. If there's already a service in place, to add new, just type over top of it. LMTOOLS will start adding a new service when you click into the next field. We recommend using "RedTransitTools".

b. In the LMGRD file field - provide the path to the LMGRD file. Default path is C:\Autodesk\Network License Manager\

c. In the License file field - browse to where you have saved the license file provided to you by Red Transit Consultants, LLC. NOTE: DO NOT MERGE THIS LICENSE WITH OTHER VENDOR LICENSE FILES - IT IS NOT NECESSARY.

d. In the Debug log field - browse to where you have save the debug log file saved in Step 2.

e. Check the boxes, Use Services and Start Server at Power Up.

f. Click Save Service.

5. Close down LMTOOLS.

6. Go to Start > Run and type SERVICES.MSC to launch windows services.

Click the Windows Start button, Administrative Tools, Services. For Windows 10, click Windows Administrative Tools, Computer Management, Services and Applications, Services.

7. Find the service you created in step 3 - it should be the same name you used so if you used our recommendation, look for "RedTransitTools".

8. Right click on the service and select Properties

9. Click the Log On tab, then select Local System account, then click Apply. Click Ok to close, and then close the Services app.

10. Open LMTOOLS and switch to the Start/Stop/Reread tab. Change to the "RedTransitTools" service, or whatever name you chose for it. Then click Start Service. If all of the above was performed correctly, you should see the server startup fairly quickly.

If the service does not start, go to the Config Services tab and click View Log. Browse to the end of the log and read the last 10 lines or so. You should see an error in those last lines that you can correspond to the Troubleshooting Network Licenses page or Common Error Codes page.

11. Switch to the Server Status tab, click Perform Status Enquiry. Licenses should display as active.

How to Set the Client Variable

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If the license server is also a workstation that will be using Red Transit Consultants, LLC Software, the same Environment Variable must be set on it as well.
Verify that the license server Vendor Daemon status is UP running.
If desired for better automation, your IT group may be able to push out Environment variables to specific users in your company via Group Policy; see this help page for assistance in setting that up..

1. Open the System Settings at Control Panel / System and Security/System and pick the Advanced System Settings option. Windows 10, click start and type “Env” then click on “Edit System Environment Variables”

Note: If multiple users, it’s suggested to edit the system environment variables vs the user environment variables so that all users can access the tools when using the computer.

2. Select the Advanced tab, then pick the Environment Variables button.

3. In the System variables area:

4. Pick the New button and the New System Variable dialog box appears:

a. In the Variable Name edit box, type FLEXRTC_LICENSE_FILE

b. In the Variable Value edit box, type the port@hostid information or port@ipaddress information. You may also include multiple locations to look for a license to ensure one can be obtained by separating each entry with a semi-colon - ";", as shown in the screenshot above. This can be used if you choose to set your licenses up in a redundant server system where licenses may be broken up and located on different servers, or in events where some networks have trouble finding the HostName or the IPAddress; adding both can help.

Red Transit Consultants, LLC recommends using the LMGRD port of 27010 on the license server since Autodesk uses 27000-27009. This may vary depending on other applications you have installed in LMTOOLS. We recommend using the port 2081 in the license file since Autodesk uses 2080. Users can use another port if needed by changing in the LIC file. If you are unsure of what port you should be calling, see Network License File Breakdown section below.

5. Pick Ok.

6. The variable is now set.

7. Pick Ok on the remaining dialog boxes

Network License File Breakdown

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The network license files are setup like the following screenshot. If you have multiple products of Red Transit Consultants, LLC, then you may see multiple Feature lines of code.

1. To open your License File, you may use any ASCII text editor such as Notepad.

2. Breakdown of data in the license file

a. Green underline = Server HostName

b. Blue underline = Server MAC Address

c. Red box = LMGRD Port

d. Yellow box = Vendor Port

e. Purple underline = Feature ID

f. Brown underline = Feature Expiration Date in Day-Month-Year format

g. Orange underline = Feature Number of Licenses

3. LMGRD Port:

You may change the LMGRD Port in the license file and use the Start/Stop/Reread tab in LMTOOLs to reload the license, if desired. Just be sure to unblock this port in any firewalls. If you are using the LMGRD port, then your client computers should be specified to the LMGRD port number.

You may also clear out this port from the license file if you wish to not use the LMGRD port. If you choose this option, be sure to clear out any data on the line after the MAC Address WITHOUT effecting the MAC Address itself. If you are not using the LMGRD port, then your client computers should be specified to the Vendor port number.

4. Vendor Port:

You may change the Vendor Port in the license file and use the Start/Stop/Reread tab in LMTOOLs to reload the license, if desired. Just be sure to unblock this port in any firewalls. At a minimum, this port must exist in the license file. If you are only using the Vendor port and not the LMGRD Port, then your client computers should be specified to the Vendor port number.

5. Revisions to the License File:

Other than the Port numbers mentioned above, no other text should be manually revised in this license file as it may cause issues with reading your licenses. If you need to make changes, please contact support@redtransitconsultants.com.