Frequently Asked Questions on Options

File use with Cadence License Manager

Product Version: Cadence License Manager 12.03
July 17, 2015
Copyright Statement

© 2015 Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All rights reserved worldwide. Cadence and the
Cadence logo are registered trademarks of Cadence Design Systems, Inc. All others are the
property of their respective holders.

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 Cadence Licensing Options File FAQs

Contents
Purpose ....................................................................................................................... 4
Audience ..................................................................................................................... 4
Pre-requisites .............................................................................................................. 4
Frequently Asked Questions ....................................................................................... 5
What is a license options file?...................................................................................5
How do I use options file with Cadence licensing? ...................................................5
Where can I find information on options File? ...........................................................6
Will Cadence License Manager accept options file without editing license file? .......6
How to check if the License Manager has parsed the options file? ..........................7
Is the GROUP keyword is equivalent to operating system GROUPS? .....................8
Why is FLEXnet ERROR (-194, 0, 0) thrown, when trying to invoke a tool? .............9
Why does the RESERVE keyword fail for same license features? .........................10
Can I use lmreread command after making changes in the options file? ................11
Cadence tool fails to invoke with “FLEXnet ERROR (-38, 0, 0): User/host on
EXCLUDE list for feature” message. ......................................................................11
Cadence tool fails to invoke with “FLEXnet ERROR (-39, 0, 0): User/host not
on INCLUDE list for feature” message. ...................................................................11
Flexera Software has a functionality for project association, does it work in
Cadence licensing environment? ............................................................................12
Why network disruption causes Cadence applications to check out an
additional license? ..................................................................................................14
Support ...................................................................................................................... 15
Feedback................................................................................................................... 15

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 Cadence Licensing Options File FAQs

Purpose
This document endeavors to answer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about the usage of the
Options file with Cadence License Manager.

Audience

The application note is targeted to license administrators and IT personnel who monitor the use of
licenses features’ in their users’ community. The option file is used to optimize licenses as per the
needs of various design teams.

Pre-requisites
Knowledge of starting License Manager on supported operating systems. Basic understanding of
Cadence license file. Usage of license manager related commands, such as, lmstat, and lmhostid,
would be beneficial. It is also essential to know the location of debug.log or the location of the
License Manager log file.

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 Cadence Licensing Options File FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a license options file?

A license options file, cdslmd.opt, is a text file that is used with the license file, to control
consumption of license features from the license server. Cadence License Manager parses the
cdslmd.opt automatically.

Main functions of the license options file are:

• Identify specific users or groups of users for certain Cadence products

• Avoid usage of specific license or suite by users working on different technology

• Reserve licenses for certain users for exclusive use

• Limit the number of license feature seats to be consumed by a certain user or a group of users

• Generate report log for more granular level usage of license features that can be read by third
party applications

How do I use options file with Cadence licensing?

Append the path to the options file at the end of the DAEMON line of the license file.

Start the path with the options= keyword, followed by the absolute path to the options file, as
shown in the following example, in red.

SERVER Cadence_Server 3417EBD8E918 5280

DAEMON cdslmd. C:\cadence\licensemanager\cdslmd.exe options=c:\options.txt
USE_SERVER
# DO NOT REMOVE THE USE_SERVER LINE

FEATURE 32500 cdslmd 16.6 10-may-2015 5 3E2637FEDE29765B4073 \

VENDOR_STRING=UHD:DEMO DUP_GROUP=UHD vendor info=30-apr-2015 \
ISSUED=30-apr-2015 SN=2015-04-30T00:32:14:553 SIGN2="1357 7DE2 \
4CEA 7741 4A5C 56CF D649 03EF 90B3 5EC0 A18E E21F 8340 10EC \
D9BD 1D37 2FB9 1F74 209F 6110 47CE 430C C482 B450 5D73 12DF \
BDB0 C4B7 4550 175A" V7.1_LK=2EC627DEE92775475386
FEATURE Advanced_Package_Designer cdslmd 16.6 10-may-2015 5 \
DEC6E79ECC0570FCEBB9 VENDOR_STRING=J:DEMO DUP_GROUP=NONE \
vendor_info=30-apr-2015 ISSUED=30-apr-2015 \
SN=2015-04-30T00:32:14:553 SIGN2="11C5 CFE6 D08A 2564 9D78 \
F41C 5B72 490A 3C70 75A3 7AC9 F199 D1CC 28B8 5973 023D DFDE \
2584 1429 D459 78A4 3395 4A6E 69CE 7DD8 1994 BA5E 274D 4EEE \
A4EA" V7.1_LK=BEF6B7CEE6150436E8AE

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 Cadence Licensing Options File FAQs

Where can I find information on options File?

You can refer the following documents.

• Section on “Creating an Options File” in Chapter 2, “How to Configure Licensing” of the

Cadence License Manager User Guide from Resources > Product Manuals > Silicon-
Package-Board Co-Design
• Chapter 13, “Managing the Options File” of 'Related Solutions' sections below the PDF.
This FAQ can be searched with the document title on https://support.cadence.com
Note: The links for the documents listed above, point to Cadence Online Support portal at
https://support.cadence.com. You need a login and password to access Cadence
Online Support portal.
In case any further help is required, you can create a new case on https://support.cadence.com.

Will Cadence License Manager accept options file without editing license file?
To specify the options file, without editing license file, perform the following tasks.

• Create a text file named cdslmd.opt using Notepad on Windows. Use vi, vim, or any other
text editor on Linux or Solaris

• Add relevant contents in the cdslmd.opt file.

• Save cdslmd.opt file in the same directory where license.dat is located.

• Restart License Manager.

• Check debug.log, to verify if the keywords used in cdslmd.opt file have been registered.

Note: The options file must be named cdslmd.opt. The License Manager is coded to read
this name of the file by default.

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 Cadence Licensing Options File FAQs

How to check if the License Manager has parsed the options file?
The debug.log file gives the information that the options file has been parsed by the License
Manager.

For Windows operating system, following steps can be used to check debug.log

• Open Lmtools.exe

• Select Config Services Tab

• Click on View Log Button

The vendor daemon (cdslmd.exe is Cadence daemon) gives out the information as shown in the
following example.

(cdslmd) Using options file: "c:\cadence\options.txt"

Find a snapshot from the debug.log below:

16:14:48 (lmgrd) FlexNet Licensing (v11.11.1.1 build 120142 x64_n6)

started on Cadence_Server (IBM PC) (4/30/2015)
16:14:48 (lmgrd) Copyright (c) 1988-2013 Flexera Software LLC. All Rights
16:14:48 (lmgrd) World Wide Web: http://www.flexerasoftware.com
16:14:48 (lmgrd) License file(s): C:\cadence\LicenseManager\license.lic
16:14:48 (lmgrd) lmgrd tcp-port 5280
16:14:48 (lmgrd) Starting vendor daemons ...
16:14:48 (lmgrd) Started cdslmd (pid 3208)
16:14:48 (cdslmd) FlexNet Licensing version v11.11.1.1 build 119913 x64_n6
16:14:49 (cdslmd) Using options file: "c:\cadence\options.txt"

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 Cadence Licensing Options File FAQs

Is the GROUP keyword is equivalent to operating system GROUPS?

No, it is not.

The GROUP keyword defined in the options file has nothing to do with groups created in Windows or
Linux operating system. In options file, the GROUP keyword assembles predefined operating system-
level user-names in a logical grouping. This grouping is then used to deny, grant, or restrict usage of
license features.

GROUP keyword supports operating system user names, IP addresses, and hostnames to control
access to license features.

The syntax is as follows:

GROUP <name_of_group> <user1> <user2> <user3>

In some environments, common user names may not be used across heterogeneous operating
systems. In such cases, use the HOST_GROUP keyword to identify hostnames of various system on
the network.

The syntax is as follows:

HOST_GROUP <name_of_group> <system1> <system2> <system3>

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 Cadence Licensing Options File FAQs

Why is FLEXnet ERROR (-194, 0, 0) thrown, when trying to invoke a tool?

The complete error for the error code FLEXnet ERROR (-194, 0, 0), has following information:

FLEXnet ERROR (-194, 0, 0): Checkout request denied as it exceeds the MAX
limit specified in the options file.

Run 'lic_error LMF-02194' for more information.

As the information indicates, this error is related to the MAX keyword in the options file. MAX is used
to limit usage of license for an individual user, a system, or a group of systems, users, and IP
addresses.

In this case, Cadence application at the user-end, tried to check out more licenses than the user is
entitled to. This is possible in multiple situations:

• User tried to open multiple sessions of an application, and each session needs a separate
license.

• User is running a Cadence multi-threaded application that uses a separate license for
operations on different threads.

If the license request for a specific user crosses the limit specified by the MAX keyword, this error is
displayed. As a solution, either the user should be advised not to request for more licenses or license
administrator needs to increase the MAX value for the user or the group.

The following example shows the syntax of the MAX statement, when group ABC can check-out only
one license of Allegro_PCB_Design_Planner.

MAX 1 Allegro_PCB_Design_Planner GROUP ABC

To increase the license limit to 2, update the MAX statement as shown in the following example.

MAX 2 Allegro_PCB_Design_Planner GROUP ABC

Note: For the changed settings to take effect, restart the License Manager.

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 Cadence Licensing Options File FAQs

Why does the RESERVE keyword fail for same license features?
When there are multiple versions of the same feature, included in the license file, there is no way for
Cadence License Manager to decide which versions to hold for the RESERVE keyword and it
behaves unpredictably.

Consider an options file that reserves 7 licenses of 'Allegro_studio' for the 'allegro' group, as shown in
the following example.

GROUP allegro <user1> <user2> <user3>

RESERVE 7 Allegro_studio GROUP allegro

If this options file was to be used with a license file shown in the following example, with two
instances of the 'Allegro_studio' feature, one for 16.6 release and another for 16.5, there is a
possibility that the RESERVE keyword fails to reserve the licenses as per your expectation.

FEATURE Allegro_studio cdslmd 16.6 29-may-2015 5 1E26C923C69C5E39CF84 \

VENDOR_STRING=J:DEMO DUP_GROUP=NONE vendor_info=19-may-2015 \
ISSUED=19-may-2015 SN=2015-05-19T04:36:18:426 SIGN2="1423 680A \
065E A9AB 22CD F62C 845F D3B9 8C3E 77D9 989F FB10 46A4 7791 \
68E9 1F0F 9A30 AD2E 7263 88FB 3BE2 5B28 BCE8 416B 5913 FD86 \
58FD CC50 41F6 F881" V7.1_LK=2EC609B392D3DB49A2F6
FEATURE Allegro_studio cdslmd 16.5 29-may-2015 2 BE9648FC2D0F84CD1920 \
VENDOR_STRING=J:DEMO DUP_GROUP=NONE \ vendor_info=12-may-2015 \
ISSUED=19-may-2015 SN=2015-05-19T04:36:18:426 SIGN2="19A0 9CF1 \
9B9B B62A 7A83 84DA 1893 5725 C690 EC00 EEF3 5A3B 9BE1 F683 \
7743 0564 F7FE EBA8 8399 785A 7E65 A766 7FD8 BAC0 AA44 19DC \
CD47 851A 8BB9 D479" V7.1_LK=9E76380CC3B04D8BA6F2

To resolve this problem, use the encryption code for a specific version (bold text in the license file
example), in the KEY field of the RESERVE keyword.

For this, the RESERVE line in the options file should be modified as shown in the following example.

GROUP allegro <user1> <user2> <user3>

RESERVE 5 Allegro_studio:KEY=2EC609B392D3DB49A2F6 GROUP allegro

RESERVE 2 Allegro_studio:KEY=9E76380CC3B04D8BA6F2 GROUP allegro

Note: For the changed settings to take effect, restart License Manager.

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Can I use lmreread command after making changes in the options file?
Cadence does not recommend usage of lmreread during license file updates.

lmreread is known to cause more instability when options file is used. Hence, lmreread should not be
used after making change in the options file. Restarting the license server after making changes in
the options file is recommended.

Cadence tool fails to invoke with “FLEXnet ERROR (-38, 0, 0): User/host on
EXCLUDE list for feature” message.
This error message indicates that the user name is listed in the EXCLUDE list to deny user from
using a particular feature. License administrator needs to be contacted to remove the user name from
the EXCLUDE list.

For all such scenarios, the options file has a line with EXCLUDE keyword, as shown in the following
example text.

EXCLUDE Allegro_studio USER <username>

To remove a specific user from the list of EXCLUDE statements, add "#" at the starting of the line.

Note: For the changed settings to take effect, restart License Manager.

Cadence tool fails to invoke with “FLEXnet ERROR (-39, 0, 0): User/host not on
INCLUDE list for feature” message.
INCLUDE keyword is used to allow the usage of a license feature to specific user or groups. This
error message indicates that the user name is not included in the INCLUDE list. To resolve this,
license administrator needs to add the user name in the INCLUDE list.

Syntax for using the INCLUDE keyword in the options file is:

INCLUDE <license_feature> USER <username>

To add new users to the list, add a new line with the name of the user or group

Note: For the changed settings to take effect, restart License Manager.

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 Cadence Licensing Options File FAQs

Flexera Software has a functionality for project association, does it work in

Cadence licensing environment?
Yes, Cadence licensing environment supports assigning systems to specific projects. In Cadence
environment, project association is a two-step process.

1. Set the LM_PROJECT environment variable

2. Add PROJECT keyword to the RESERVE line in the options file.

Setting LM_PROJECT

Certain client machines connected to Cadence License Server can be assigned to a specific
project using LM_PROJECT environment variable. The environment variable can be set using
steps shown below:

To set LM_PROJECT environment variable on Windows, perform the following steps.

a) Invoke the System Properties dialog box, by typing sysdm.cpl in the Run window

b) In the Advanced tab, select Environment Variables.

c) Click on New button in the User variable section.

d) In the User variable group box, enter the variable name as LM_PROJECT, and the
project name as Variable value.

Note: If all Users on the specific machine are required to be part of project, the variable
should be added in System variable section

e) Click OK, to save your changes.

f) Close the Environment Variables and System Properties dialog boxes.

To set LM_PROJECT environment variable on LINUX, perform the following steps.

 At the C-shell prompt enter the following command.

$ setenv LM_PROJECT AllegroDesignProject

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 Cadence Licensing Options File FAQs

Modifying the options file

The license seats for the project specified using LM_PROJECT environment variable, can be
reserved in the file using PROJECT keyword along with the RESERVE keyword. The syntax
is:

RESERVE <No. of seats> <Name_of_the_feature> PROJECT <Name_of_the_project>

For instance, the options file may have the following entry, this entry reserves 5 seats of
Allegro_Studio for the Project AllegroDesignProject :

RESERVE 5 Allegro_studio PROJECT AllegroDesignProject

The advantage of using LM_PROJECT is that the variable may be defined in specific client
systems for resource allocation to a project. And this project nomination is used to control
access to the options file.

In turn, it reduces number of License Server down time because the options file is not required
to be changed for resource relocation to a specific project. All that needs to be done is ask the
users to create the LM_PROJECT environment variable and assign the project name as the
value for this variable on their systems.

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Why network disruption causes Cadence applications to check out an additional

license?
Network disruptions are accompanied by errors "LM -702" and "LM -703", at the client machine
running the application.

Cadence applications send a heartbeat signal to the license server every 5 minutes to check the
availability of the license. If either the network is disrupted or if the license server is down, the
following sequence of events is triggered.

• The application generates Error LM -702 to indicate this to the user.

• If the license is still not available on next heartbeat check, it gives out Error LM -703.
• On the third heartbeat, the application stops functioning and waits for the license server to
come online.
• On restoration of connectivity, even if the previously held license feature is not returned to the
license pool, the Cadence application automatically consumes another license for continuing
with the operation.

This causes loss of valuable resource. Use the TIMEOUTALL keyword in the options file to retrieve
such orphan licenses, and return them to the license pool.

The syntax for the TIMEOUTALL keyword is:

TIMEOUTALL <time in seconds>

For example, TIMEOUTALL 3600

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 Cadence Licensing Options File FAQs

Support
Cadence Online Support provides access to support resources, including an extensive knowledge
base, access to software updates for Cadence products, and the ability to interact with Cadence
Customer Support. Visit https://support.cadence.com.

Feedback
Email comments, questions, and suggestions to content_feedback@cadence.com.

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