Chapter 3. The License Finder
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## Chapter 3. The License Finder

This chapter explains the use of the License Finder and includes the following topics:

- “The Purpose of the License Finder”

- “Starting the License Finder”

- “Finder File Format”

## The Purpose of the License Finder

The license finder provides license file path information to FLEXlm clients so that you do not have to configure LM_LICENSE_FILE environment variables for all your users. The license finder provides a single license file path to all clients.

| Note: The license finder is available in FLEXlm v4.0 and later.

| Note: Only applications linked with FLEXlm v4.0 (or later) will be able to use the license finder.

A FLEXlm application determines the name of the license file using the following algorithm:

1. Looks for LM_LICENSE_FILE; if set, uses this path.

2. Looks for the “license finder” if step (1) fails.

   - Uses port “FLEXLM” from the services map; if not present it uses port 744 (the “official” FLEXlm port)

   - attempts to connect to this port on flexlm_license_finder, flexlm_license_finder2, flexlm_license_finder3 in order. Connect timeout is fixed at 2 seconds. This is done with TCP/IP. No broadcasts are involved. (For debugging, the connect timeout can be modified by setting FLEXLM_FINDER_TIMEOUT to an integer). If the lookup of flexlm_license_finder fails, this step terminates.

   - If it can connect to any license finder, it gets the license file path from the finder.

3. Uses the default license file path if (1) and (2) fail.

## Starting the License Finder

To start the license finder, execute the following command on the node flexlm_license_finder:

    lmgrd -f finder_file

where: |  | is the:
finder_file |  | license finder file

`lmgrd`, when it is operating as a license finder (-f finder_file option), will ONLY process license finder request messages, and sends the license file path back to the client. This `lmgrd` will NOT start any vendor daemons or process any other client request. This functionality is delivered in `lmgrd` so that you do not need a separate executable.

## Finder File Format

The “finder file” format is:

    DATA lfpath license_file_path

for example:

    DATA lfpath /usr/local/flexlm/licenses/license.dat:1234@host2

| Note: The license finder is not available on VMS systems.

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Chapter 2. The License File |  | Chapter 4. Combining License Files