Installing Agreement License Files

Use the Agreement License File Installation Wizard to install a new agreement license file into NI VLM and transfer permissions from your old licenses to your new licenses.

The Agreement License File Installation Wizard performs the following tasks:

  • Automatically backs up NI VLM before applying the new agreement license file
  • Migrates permissions from the old agreement license file to the new agreement license file
  • Allows you to reassign permissions, use overdraft, or delete permissions to bring the current permission assignments into compliance with the new volume license agreement file.

Selecting the Agreement License File

Click the ellipsis () to navigate to the agreement license file you want to install.

NI VLM automatically creates a backup before installing the new agreement license file. The backup is stored in the default backup directory you specified in Tools » Preferences.

Note
  • If the agreement license file you selected is an NI VLM 2.x version, you will not be able to take advantage of all NI VLM 3.x features. Clients will still be able to check out and check in licenses.
  • You cannot install an NI VLM 1.x license file to NI VLM 3.x. Refer to Obtaining an Agreement License File for information on how to request a new license file from NI.

Confirming Agreement License File Downgrade

Some or all of the licenses in your new agreement license file have earlier versions than the licenses currently in NI VLM. If you continue, your permissions will be downgraded to match this version of the agreement license file.

Click Next if you want to continue installing the new agreement license file. Click Back to select a different agreement license file. Click Cancel to cancel agreement license file installation.

Note
  • In normal operation, a downgrade should never happen. You may be attempting to install an incorrect agreement license file. If you have questions about your agreement license file, email services@ni.com.
  • Clients using software versions earlier or the same as the version in the new license file will continue to have access to their software.

Transferring Permissions

You can transfer the permissions of an old license to a new license of the same model. You can also remove the old permissions.

Some or all of the licenses in your old agreement license file do not have an exact match in your new agreement license file. During agreement license file installation, NI VLM automatically matches licenses in the old agreement license file with licenses in the new agreement license file that have the exact same product and licensing model and then transfers permissions associated with the old license to the new license. In this section of the wizard, you will be given a chance to reassign or delete the permissions associated with any licenses that NI VLM could not automatically match.

Click Next to reassign or delete old permissions. Click Back to select a different agreement license file. Click Cancel to cancel agreement license file installation.

To transfer permissions, select either of the following options:

  • Select Transfer the permissions to another [license model] license to update all groups, users, and computers that had permissions for the old license to have the permissions for the new license that you select. This option is not available if there are no licenses of the same license model in the new license file.
    Note
    • If you transfer more permissions to a license than there are available seats or if the transfer consumes new overdraft permissions, you will be given the opportunity to remove excess permissions before completing agreement license file installation.
    • If you want to transfer permissions to multiple licenses, you may want to remove all permissions and reassign them in NI VLM after agreement license file installation completes. Alternatively, you can select one destination license and manually reassign the other permissions in NI VLM.
  • Select Remove all permissions assigned to this license to remove all permissions from groups, users, and computers for the old license. Use this option if you are not replacing this license or if you are moving to another license model.

 

Finishing Agreement License File Installation

If there are now more permissions for a license than there are seats available in the new agreement license file, you must modify permission assignments to resolve any errors when the Agreement License File Installation Wizard finishes.

Click Back to modify agreement license file installation settings or select another agreement license file. Click Finish to close the wizard, return to NI VLM, and modify permissions using the Agreement License File Installation panel as a guide. Click Cancel to cancel agreement license file installation.

The Agreement License File Installation panel appears in NI VLM when the wizard closes to help resolve any issues. You can remove permission assignments by modifying groups or explicit permissions or you can increase the overdraft limit to reduce or eliminate excess permissions.

If there are no warnings or errors, click Finish to install the agreement license file. You can now use the Licenses, Users, Computers, or Groups views to assign new permissions, if needed.

Using the Agreement License File Installation Panel in NI VLM

Use this panel in NI VLM to help resolve any permission assignment issues and authorize any new overdrafts. You can remove permission assignments by modifying groups or explicit permissions or you can increase the overdraft limit to reduce or eliminate excess permissions.

Use the Groups, Licenses, Users, and Computers views to adjust the number of permission assignments as needed. You must resolve all errors before you can exit this panel.

Click OK to accept your changes and to authorize any new overdrafts, if necessary.

Note Clients continue to use the old agreement license file and permission assignments while the Agreement License File Installation Panel is present. If you cancel agreement license file installation at any time, NI VLM returns to the state it was in before installation started.