Introduction

Scope

This application note details the migration of FlexNet Publisher (FNP) based licensing to its successor FlexNet Embedded (FNE). This is due to ETAS improving its licensing technology, and as of March 2022 has been fading out support for the old less secure mechanism and selling new machine based licenses using FNE only. This application note is intended to aid in the migration of a customers license so they can continue to use their ETAS product together with future updates.

Definitions & Abbreviations

FNP: FlexNet Publisher

FNE: FlexNet Embedded

FNO: FlexNet Operations

Tool-chain

It is assumed the user has access to the latest version of ETAS License Manager (LiMa), or a version between:

Prerequisites

In order to complete this guide, the user must own an ETAS registered FNP License for at least one of our products/software. Should the user still have the license file but not installed on their machine (ensuring the license is intended for that machine), here is a quick overview of how to implement the license before continuing on with migration:

Install FNP License

Step 1:  Open ETAS License Manager

Step 2: Navigate to File → Add License file...

Step 3: A window shall pop-up, here select the '...' button to locate the license file

Step 4: Select the license file containing the FNP license

Step 5: Ensure the license file contains the license for migration

Now the license should appear in ETAS License :

Workflow

Workflow Summary

1. Online Migration
   
   1. Device Menu
   2. Activation ID Selection
   3. Migration
2. Offline Migration
   1. Device Menu
   2. Activation ID Selection
   3. Create request
   4. Upload request
   5. Process response

Workflow: Online Migration

The online migration is the most convenient way of migration. (Note: An internet connection is required)

Device Menu

Step 1: Navigate to the Device menu and select Online Migration.

A window will appear, showing activation ID, feature name and version for each feature that can be migrated in a separate line.

Activation ID Selection

Step 2: Select the desired license(s) for migration to the new FNE type.

After selecting the license(s) button below the selection should now become operable.

Migration

Step 3: Click on the Migrate Selected Licenses button, which will begin migrating the chosen license(s).

After the migration has been selected, these windows can be closed. Bringing the user back to the main-screen, where (after enabling the Type field in settings) the license(s) should now show type: Embedded.

Workflow: Offline Migration

If there is no internet connection available on the PC running ETAS software you can use the offline migration, where another PC is used to transmit the data to the ETAS licensing portal.

Device Menu

Step 1: Navigate to the Device menu and select Online Migration. 

A window will appear, showing activation ID, feature name and version for each feature that can be migrated in a separate line. As well as displaying a number of steps to be taken within this window.

Activation ID Selection

Step 2: Select the desired license(s) for migration.

Create request

Step 3: After selecting the license(s) for migration, click Create Request

This will bring up a window within the systems file explorer, this file must be saved somewhere notable for transferring to a PC with internet connection. Required for the next step.

Step 4: Save file and transfer to internet able computer with ETAS License Manager also installed.

Upload request

Moving to the PC with an internet connection follow the previous steps to reopen the Offline Migration window. Now there is an internet connection and the file has been transferred, it is time to upload it to the FNO in order to get a response to pass back to the original machine.

Step 5: Click Upload Request...

Step 6: Select the transferred file and click Open

This will open yet another window, this time for saving a response to our request.

Step 7: Save the response file in a notable location and then transfer it back to the original machine.

Process response

Now back on the original machine with not internet capabilities, make sure the Offline Migration window is open. Here we will process the response file given by the internet capable machine, which will migrate our FNP license(s) to the new FNE type.

Step 8: Select Process Response...

Step 9: Select the response file transferred back to the original machine

After this, close the window bringing the user back to the main-screen, where (after enabling the Type field in settings) the license(s) should now show type: Embedded.