License frustration

[TimW]

We recently upgraded fro X9 to 2017 and are quite impressed with the improvements. One area we are struggling with is some apparent changes to the way the NetHasp seems to work.  With X9 if I launched Mastercam from my desktop, it would simply log off anyone else using it, giving them one chance to save the work before it closed.

 

Now, if one instance of Mastercam is open elsewhere, I get a "License not found" error when I attempt to launch. This means I need to walk out to the shop floor to shut down the other instance before I can launch, a huge PITA!

 

Speaking with tech support, they let slip that previous versions of Mastercam would allow multiple seats open at the same time, but that had be fixed with 2017, which I suspect is causing this behavour.

 

Anyone else finding this? Is there a way to get it to simply log off another user without requirement me to go for a hike 5 times a day to shut down the other seat? 

 

This is definitely not making this software friendly to use, in fact it's a constant struggle to use it at all the way it is working....

 

 

[Guess_who]

Well I think it's working as intended. If it kicked people off when other logged in, then you would constantly get kicked out when someone else logged in. And I know of know way of kicking someone out remotely.

 

But there is a software that can at least identify who is logged in. We use it here. It's called nethasp Monitor and it can be downloaded from the mastercam site.

[wdg5555]

You could use remote desktop to remotely log into the computer you want to close mastercam on.

[TimW]

Logging in remotely is what we will likely have to do, but that's a pain as well. Odd that this was never an issue until this release. I hate these kind of "improvements"....

[Guest]

How you were having other people get logged off if someone else launched is beyond me. I have never seen that behavior.

 

Not once in my 6+ years of Mastercam support. Nor have I ever seen it allow multiple instances on different computers.

 

Typically, the behavior is exactly as you see now.

 

It's working exactly as it's supposed to....

[RaiderX]

You could use remote desktop to remotely log into the computer you want to close mastercam on.

 

Excelent plan there, just make a shortcut to logon. if some one in shop is using it they will be sol tho

[gcode]

I would review your X9 nethasp.ini file

This is not normal behavior and someone has done some custom work to either

the nethasp.ini file... or the X9  license server configuration

 

You may want to check out the Admin Guide

"C:\Program Files\mcamX9\documentation\Administrator_Guide.pdf"

 

and contact your dealer..

I think someone has done some pretty slick work to your system

as I've never seen a nethasp install behave this way

[Colin Gilchrist]

Everyone else is spot on in their responses. I helped diagnose NetHasp issues, and never have I seen a user be kicked off when a new user attempted to check out a license. It simply tells you the licenses are all in use. That's exactly how it is supposed to work.

 

I understand costs are involved, but if you are fighting over access to a Mastercam license, it's time to purchase another one and add it to the license pool. Then you aren't trying to kick someone off who might be working.

[jlw™]

Or get a dedicated one for you and let the commoners fight over it.

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

Everyone here seems to be giving you good advice ... there is not a way to set up Mastercam to boot other users.

As stated above, it sounds like you need a dedicated license for your computer ... or perhaps additional seats on your networked license.

Couple questions:

How many seats are on the networked license? Is the red nethasp plugged into your computer?

Edited October 28, 2016 by Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.

[TimW]

Thanks for the responses. Sinking another $$$$$$$K into an additional seat of Mastercam is not realistic. Wasn't worth the $**K for the single seat we have...  Odd, as for the last year, it has worked exactly as I have described. The install was done by a Mastercam rep, so no one has made any mods to how it works. 

 

The machine operator only uses Mastercam to post files and get some detail from the 1500+ designs we work with. Their use is pretty limited so kicking them off remotely isn't an issue. Will have to set up a remote so I can do it from my office when I need the seat.

Edited October 28, 2016 by gcode
Removed pricing - pricing is not allowed on the forum

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

TimW,

Is the red NetHasp plugged into your computer?

In the past, would the other users bump you out of your MC session off if they launched Mastercam?

Or, if they launched Mastercam while you had it open, were they able to run successfully?

[TimW]

The NetHasp is plugged into my machine. In the past, if I launched Mastercam from my machine, the other would get a pop up saying it has to close and there would be one chance to save open work. Worked that way for a year...

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

What about the cases where you're running MC and then they start a MC session?

 

In the past, would the other users bump you out of your MC session off if they launched Mastercam?

Or, if they launched Mastercam while you had it open, were they able to run successfully?

[gcode]

The NetHasp is plugged into my machine. In the past, if I launched Mastercam from my machine, the other would get a pop up saying it has to close and there would be one chance to save open work. Worked that way for a year...

If the nethasp is on your machine you control the license server software.

You can stop the service, which will kill anyone using the license

Then you can restart it and go to work..

Its not automatic, but it's better than walking all over the plant looking for whoever is using Mastercam

[Mjölnir]

If the nethasp is on your machine you control the license server software.

You can stop the service, which will kill anyone using the license

Then you can restart it and go to work..

Its not automatic, but it's better than walking all over the plant looking for whoever is using Mastercam

 

you can use the aladdin hasp monitor to determine which computers have mastercam licenses checked out.

 

http://www3.safenet-inc.com/support/hardlock/downloads.aspx

 

aksmon.zip

 

if you use the monitor on the hasp server, you can control the services with it also.

[TimW]

If the nethasp is on your machine you control the license server software.

You can stop the service, which will kill anyone using the license

Then you can restart it and go to work..

Its not automatic, but it's better than walking all over the plant looking for whoever is using Mastercam

 

Tried this, but there doesn't seem to be a way to kill the other machines using it.

[gcode]

stop the service

wait  10 seconds or so then restart it

 

 

Control Panel

Administrative Tools

Find the Nethasp server and stop it

then restart it.

 

Someone who knew what they were doing could write a script for this

[Mjölnir]

stop the service

wait  10 seconds or so then restart it

 

 

Control Panel

Administrative Tools

Find the Nethasp server and stop it

then restart it.

 

Someone who knew what they were doing could write a script for this

 

simple batch file;

 

 

net stop HASPLoader
net stop HLServer
timeout /t 60 /nobreak
net start HASPLoader
net start HLServer

 

but it's easier to just use the aladdin monitor program i posted above.

[TimW]

Hi,

 

Thanks for the batch file, I'll give it a try.

 

I tried Aladdin, but it also had all the functions to stop the service greyed out.

 

-T.

[Mjölnir]

 

I tried Aladdin, but it also had all the functions to stop the service greyed out.

 

 

that sounds like a permissions issue. our nethasp is on a windows server 2012 r2 machine and i don't have any trouble controlling the hasp services with the aladdin monitor when logged in with administrator privileges.

[Pete Rimkus from CNC Software Inc.]

What about the cases where you're running MC and then they start a MC session?

 

In the past, would the other users bump you out of your MC session off if they launched Mastercam?

Or, if they launched Mastercam while you had it open, were they able to run successfully?