Rockwell Automation Activation through VMware

Hi

I have set up a new laptop with a high speed SSD Win 7 SP1 64bit host with a Win XP SP3 virtual operating system through VMware V10.

The host PC has RSLogix 5000 V19 and above installed and activation manager with 1 Enterprise toolkit license, this covers all the products we need.

The Virtual O/S points to the host PC to get any license it needs to run the software. Every now and then however, when starting for example RSLogix V18 on the virtual O/S you get the grace period message as no license could be found. If you close the program and restart it the error goes away as it has found a license.
Is there any tweaks I can make so this grace period message doesn't appear? The laptop is super quick with its SSD and its as if the program loading is too quick for it.

Thanks

Neil

I'll be watching this thread as I have similar issues. I've tried using both NAT and Host-Only network adapters in VMWare but it's still as if the activation service loses its connection every so often and needs to reconnect. I've been living with it for a couple years now as a minor annoyance.

Have you considered using a "Bridged" type Network Adapter for the Guest machine? It does require a different IP Address than the Host's one, however, I think this will solve the issue since it will "replicate" the Client/Server FT Activation Services "connectivity".

I use the Host Only network and also live with the occasional disconnect that requires a reboot of the guest OS to resolve. Usually it's because I've been fiddling with adapters on my Windows 7 host, but sometimes "it just happens".

It is a minor problem and I don't worry about it much, especially because Grace Period allows the software to run for a week.

...The Virtual O/S points to the host PC to get any license it needs to run the software...

Click to expand...

License files are allowed to be stored in more than one location, as it is the hardware Host ID that activates them. So you can store them on both the Host PC and the Virtual OS simultaneously. What I do, to make things simpler, is copy the license files (*.LIC) from the Host PC to the Local Activation Server Directory in the Virtual OS. This eliminates having to point to the Host PC at all for the license files. So all the Virtual OS needs to see is the hardware HOST ID to activate the licenses. In my case this is a USB Dongle.

Local Activation Server License Files Directory:-

Host PC OS = Windows 7:

C:\Users\Public\Documents\Rockwell Automation\Activations

Virtual Client OS = Windows XP:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\Rockwell Automation\Activations

If for some reason you cannot store the license files locally in the Virtual OS, and have to browse to the Host PC, another thing to consider is the search order.

In FactoryTalk Activation Manager, under Manage Activations tab, you should see Path to Activations at the top. Here you will see the default path for Windows XP, as above. As this is the default path for the Local Activation Server, it cannot be removed, but other Activation Servers can be added. So you should also see a path listed that was created to search for activations on the Host PC. This will either be the IP Address, or HOSTNAME of the Host PC.

Note which is listed first. If the Local Activation Server is top, it will be searched first. This will usually be empty for most of you, so then secondly the Host PC is searched. This can cause some delay in finding the license files. To change the search order, select Update Activation Search Path. With the black arrow pointing to the Host PC address, select Up and the Host PC will move to the top.

Now when you open RA software, it will always look to the Host PC Activation Server for licenses first.

G.