RA activation's with dongle

the_msp

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Join Date
May 2008
Location
Northern Ireland
Posts
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I purchased studio 5K in July with the 9509-USB-dong2. To cut a long story short, if I want studio 5K installed on two separate computers, if it is set up correctly, is it as simple as plugging the dongle into the computer you want to use the software on and that's it?
 
One dongle

Three single seats.

RS 500 micro developer
RS 5000 studio
FTV Machine

Used on my desktop and laptop

Never had any issues.
 
OK thanks, I was 1/2 hour on the phone with RA tech support and he told me every time I want to go from laptop to desktop I need to re-host... which surely defeats the purpose of the dongle...
 
I use the dongle as well.
Works fine. 50 percent of the time when i first plug it in for the day I have to refresh the server in factory talk activation manager to see the dongle for some reason, but that takes about 15 seconds to do that.
 
USB dongles are definitely my preferred option. I like work across several computers and VMs to support multiple RSLogix versions and to keep projects separated.

I have one situation where Studio 5000 is installed on two computers on the same network but I typically leave the dongle plugged into the first computer. On the second computer, I have FactoryTalk Activation configured to look for an activation on the first computer if it can't find the dongle on the second computer. I don't have to move the dongle each time I switch computers and FactoryTalk is smart enough to only allow one activation at a time.

I have another situation where, on rare occasions, I need to run Studio 5000 on a remote VM that I can't physically access. For this, I use a utility called USB Network Gate that can virtually connect the USB dongle over ethernet.
 
The MSP, There are 2 different Dongles. The old one you would need to move the LIc. from one to the other.
The newer, 9509-USB-dong2, you do not. Just plug it in a give it a couple sec. for the computer to find the needed files.
 
The old one you would need to move the LIc. from one to the other.
Just to clarify for those with the old model. You do not need to move the license, rather you copy the *.LIC file from one computer to another. This only needs to be done once per computer prior to the first use of the dongle. Once the *.LIC file is on a particular computer, you just need to insert the dongle (oh and be sure the dongle drivers are installed).
 
the_msp said:
...I was 1/2 hour on the phone with RA tech support and he told me every time I want to go from laptop to desktop I need to re-host... which surely defeats the purpose of the dongle...

Were ye specifically discussing the USB Dongle Host ID option and they said you'd need to Rehost the Activation everytime you move the USB Dongle from one machine to the other?

Please, say it ain't so?

The answer to your opening question is, of course, yes. But, what you did not mention requiring, or perhaps do not realise, is this - you can use both copies of the software simultaneously.

Each time you plug in the USB Dongle, and sucessfully Activate the software, you will have a 7 day grace period without the USB Dongle before the software will stop working, requiring Activation again. Plugging in the USB Dongle once more will reset the grace period and you will have another 7 days grace without the USB Dongle.

In other words, after Activating the software on both machines, you can leave the USB Dongle in one machine, or neither, and continue to use the software on both machines. Another option is to Activate the software, remove the USB Dongle, and leave the software open and the machine running. This keeps the Activation current, without grace period prompts, for 4 hours, after which FactoryTalk Activation Manager will again check that the hardware Host ID is still present i.e. USB Dongle. If not, it will then start prompting that the software is now running under the grace period.

I just read this latest post while composing this, so I'll comment on it now...

Racer5039 said:
The MSP, There are 2 different Dongles. The old one you would need to move the LIc. from one to the other.
The newer, 9509-USB-dong2, you do not. Just plug it in a give it a couple sec. for the computer to find the needed files.

Hi Racer5039,

Just a couple of minor, but important corrections here, if you don't mind?...

First, for the older 9509-USB-DONG - you do not need to "move" the licence files, from one machine to another, each time you move the USB Dongle between machines. At initial Activation setup, you simply copy the licence file(s), to the necessary Activations folder on each machine, and then no more needs be done with the licence file(s). You then just move the USB Dongle to each machine, where a copy of the same licence file(s) already reside, and the software product(s) should be Activated.

Secondly, for the 9509-USB-DONG2 with storage - you must manually, and explicitly, create a folder named "Activations" on the root of the USB storage and then place a copy of the licence file(s) in this folder. Only then will FactoryTalk Activation Manager (v3.50 or higher) automatically detect the licence file(s), once the USB Dongle has been plugged in to the machine.

You might be fully aware of that second part, but your statement suggests, to me, that it somehow happens automatically.

Now I see Timbert has also semi corrected you. Keen eyes indeed.

Regards,
George
 
Were ye specifically discussing the USB Dongle Host ID option and they said you'd need to Rehost the Activation everytime you move the USB Dongle from one machine to the other?

Please, say it ain't so?

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news George, it's so. We were specifically talking about the dongle.
 
the_msp said:
Sorry to be the bearer of bad news George, it's so...

That is worrying to read? Either they have not received good training, or they have failed to understand the training.

I am constantly striving here, where and when I can, to explain the intricacies and nuances of FactoryTalk Activations. From what I read, many have a good to near perfect grasp of how it all works. But sometimes their understanding or recollections are a little wide of the mark and that is where I try to step in, if I think I know better. The devil is always in the detail, and misinformation, even though not intended, can often easily lead a person down the wrong path. Although, I often wonder if there is a "right" path for Rockwell?

The "...if it is set up correctly..." in your opening post is the key here...

If the Studio 5000 installation on the first workstation has already been Activated, using the USB Dongle as the hardware Host ID, and the license file for that Activation is on the first workstation in the designated Activations folder, then you could copy that license file to the equivalent Activations folder on the second workstation. You would then refresh FactoryTalk Activation Manager on the second workstation so that it detects this licence file as available. Then, once the software is installed, plug in the USB Dongle and Studio 5000 should Activate.

Or, if the license file is currently stored on the USB Dongle storage i.e. is mobile, and in the correct Activations folder, and that is how the first workstation has been Activating its software, then all you need do is install the software on the second workstation and plug in the USB Dongle, checking that FactoryTalk Activation Manager detects the license file as available, and then Studio 5000 should successfully Activate.

Some further advice...

If the first scenario is the case here, and not the second, meaning the original license file is stored on the first workstation, in the designated Activations folder - then I would better advise you to, rather than copy the license file to the equivalent folder on the second workstation, instead move it to the USB Dongle for mobile license file storage. This way the license file is always with the USB Dongle and is more convenient for Activating software products.

Note: I would always advise users to keep a backup copy or copies of Activation license files for safe keeping, off of USB Dongles and workstation machines. Either of these two can possibly go faulty, or even missing.

Regards,
George
 
That is worrying to read? Either they have not received good training, or they have failed to understand the training.

I am constantly striving here, where and when I can, to explain the intricacies and nuances of FactoryTalk Activations. From what I read, many have a good to near perfect grasp of how it all works. But sometimes their understanding or recollections are a little wide of the mark and that is where I try to step in, if I think I know better. The devil is always in the detail, and misinformation, even though not intended, can often easily lead a person down the wrong path. Although, I often wonder if there is a "right" path for Rockwell?

The "...if it is set up correctly..." in your opening post is the key here...

If the Studio 5000 installation on the first workstation has already been Activated, using the USB Dongle as the hardware Host ID, and the license file for that Activation is on the first workstation in the designated Activations folder, then you could copy that license file to the equivalent Activations folder on the second workstation. You would then refresh FactoryTalk Activation Manager on the second workstation so that it detects this licence file as available. Then, once the software is installed, plug in the USB Dongle and Studio 5000 should Activate.

Or, if the license file is currently stored on the USB Dongle storage i.e. is mobile, and in the correct Activations folder, and that is how the first workstation has been Activating its software, then all you need do is install the software on the second workstation and plug in the USB Dongle, checking that FactoryTalk Activation Manager detects the license file as available, and then Studio 5000 should successfully Activate.

Some further advice...

If the first scenario is the case here, and not the second, meaning the original license file is stored on the first workstation, in the designated Activations folder - then I would better advise you to, rather than copy the license file to the equivalent folder on the second workstation, instead move it to the USB Dongle for mobile license file storage. This way the license file is always with the USB Dongle and is more convenient for Activating software products.

Note: I would always advise users to keep a backup copy or copies of Activation license files for safe keeping, off of USB Dongles and workstation machines. Either of these two can possibly go faulty, or even missing.

Regards,
George

Nuts and bolts of this - I do both, and more....

I have my activation License files on the dongle, but I also copy them to the Activations file on whichever PC I want to use, and that includes clients PC's where my dongle is the activation hardware host. I also have a backup of the activation files on my home backup server drive, AND I have a CD with them on, which I always carry around with me as well as the dongle.

In doing so, I've got a good array of backups of the license files.


However, I must point out that your suggestion of starting the software on one PC then moving the dongle to a second, or more PCs is potentially in violation of the "Grant of License". If you want to activate more than one user, concurrently, then each user must have a purchased license.

To quote from the Grant of License Agreement....

"Should you choose to install the Software on additional computers, or increase user access via a network server, you must first acquire a license for each additional user who will use the Software, with the understanding that at any one point in time (regardless of the the number of media sets included with the Software), the number of users who are permitted to use the Software may not exceed the number of single-user licenses you have acquired"

What I believe this boils down to is "bums on seats", and a single user can activate more than one PC as you have described, providing he or she is the only user who will concurrently "use" the respective machines.
 

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