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Running multiple sessions of CREO without consuming multiple licenses

bherr
5-Regular Member

Running multiple sessions of CREO without consuming multiple licenses

Hey there WC gurus, I've worked in different CAD/CAM packages before that would allow multiple sessions to run without tying up additional licenses. This would allow you to be working on multiple projects at a time. Especially when loading a model, updating or saving takes a while, it's nice to be able to work on a lower end project like updating some hardware or adding some finishing touches.
If there is a way to allow this in CREO 2.0, this would be great.

We use network floating licenses here.

I know that if I check out a license, I can run multiple sessions as long as I'm not connected to the network.

Thoughts? Thanks in advance. - Brian

1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
TomU
23-Emerald IV
(To:bherr)

PTC just released an update to how licenses work.  Multiple sessions of Creo running on the same computer will now pull only one floating license.

https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS234779

  • The requested change has been implemented into the license cutting tool
  • All newly retrieved or generated license files will have this function included
  • Launching multiple sessions using floating license will consume only one license for a single host

View solution in original post

9 REPLIES 9
ChrisPLM
9-Granite
(To:bherr)

Hello Brian,

This reminds me questions of some of my engineers a few years ago when they moved to PDMLink. I stopped them using more than one licence per workstation.

They took, what I call, the bad habit to open several sessions of Creo (ProE at that time) for the reasons you mentioned. At that time we were with Intralink for some and others without any connection to any database.

Once they got used to the PDMLink workspaces, they realized they did not need to take more than one licence.

I do not know if you use Creo as standalone or with PDMLink.

It is also your company decision to either have the appropriate number of licences for your usage, or have an excess so users can run multiple sessions.

I personally recommend to have the least number of licences as possible and ensure users know how to work with a workspace.

Best regards

bherr
5-Regular Member
(To:ChrisPLM)

We are using Windchill with CREO 2.0.

My question isn't so much about whether using multiple licenses is good or bad.

CREO has the tendency to grab additional licenses if they are available when you open additional sessions.

My question is about how to force CREO to only use 1 license for multiple sessions. As I mentioned, I know this is possible when I have a checked out license, so it should be possible to do with network licenses.

Whether running multiple sessions of CREO is good or bad is more of a matter of opinion. If there is some fundamental issue with multiple sessions, then I place the blame on CREO.

I was formerly a CATIA V5 and ENOVIA PLM instructor and CATIA would allow you to run multiple sessions on a single license and even maintain connectivity to ENOVIA. Now, ENOVIA handled PLM a little different and much better than Windchill does, but that is a different discussion.

So, to your last sentence, YES, I am trying to limit the number of licenses to the minimum.

Thanks

Marco_Tosin
21-Topaz I
(To:bherr)

I agree with Chris.

You can force user to use only one license at a time following this suggestions from David Haigh

You can also use your licenses in a better way, again with a great presentation from David.

Marco

Actually there is a very good reason to have 2 sessions of creo open at once and I used to use this all the time back in the day.

Say you have a part in a complicated assembly that has assembly references.  Let's say that some part has dramatically changed and now you have a part that has missing references all over the place and you need to babysit this 1500 feature part in as short a time as possible.

You can't really analyze the part and repair it while it's in session and broken.  Yes PTC has added a number of tools to help repair broken parts, but sometimes they still fail to help.

So you open a second session of pro/e...er I mean... creo, and open ONLY the part that's failing.  Because it does not have the assembly or other parts in-session, the geometry references won't update.  you can walk from feature 1 thru 1500 and see exactly how a reference or feature impacts the rest of the model.  It's beneficial to know what the failing feature has referenced, but sometimes it's even more beneficial to be able to see what that feature does down the line when it's not failing.

It's definitely not the most fun way to repair messed up parts, but there are occasions (once or twice a year) where you're working on someone else's part and it's turned into a cluster f because of bad references, or missing parts.  sure you can be a stickler and ask them to fix it, but often that's not as cost effective as just fixing it fast and dealing with it.  and besides the creator might not even be in the picture any more, and I'm not about to go recreate a 1500 feature part just because it's not "elegant". If the geometry is good for tooling, then I'll get it done however I can with the least pain. SxS sessions are sometimes just that - the least painful way to repair things.

I for one and thrilled that I again have the option to use this technique!  sooo thankful.

TomU
23-Emerald IV
(To:bherr)

A node locked license will allow unlimited local sessions on that one computer.  On the other hand, a floating license will only allow a single session.  Starting additional sessions will pull additional floating licenses.  Borrowing a floating licenses makes it act like a node locked license for the duration of the borrowing period.

As others have noted, there are some limitations with when the same user can run multiple sessions of Creo while connected to the same cache.

From CS131176

TomU
23-Emerald IV
(To:bherr)

PTC just released an update to how licenses work.  Multiple sessions of Creo running on the same computer will now pull only one floating license.

https://support.ptc.com/appserver/cs/view/solution.jsp?n=CS234779

  • The requested change has been implemented into the license cutting tool
  • All newly retrieved or generated license files will have this function included
  • Launching multiple sessions using floating license will consume only one license for a single host
STEVEG
21-Topaz I
(To:TomU)

Unfortunately that document is no longer viewable.  Internal PTC document.

The doc is available to all on the Knowledge Base again, with a couple additions, including a link to this thread.

Gagan
7-Bedrock
(To:TomU)

Very useful Document

Thank you

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