FT Activation Server / VM

[johnd_125]

I have an issue that has me befoozled.

I have FT Activation Manager loaded on my base, W10 machine, to be used as a server.

I also have FT Activation Manager and Rockwell Software loaded on a VMWare machine. The search path points to the IP address of the server machine. Activations work.

However, it makes me nervous pointing to an IP address, which may change. I would like to point to the name of the computer. I click on the ellipsis next to the "add server" and "NETWORK" is listed, but no machines to select.

It seems like my VM (VMWare) is not seeing my server machine name. I have my VM set up to "bridged" mode and its obviously connected in order to see the IP of the server. Is there some DNS setting at work, here?

What is interesting is that I can go to a totally separate Win7 computer, open FT Activation Manager and under NETWORK it sees my server machine name.

Any thoughts before I call Tech Support on Monday?

 

[JTCat]

Can you just fill in the server name manually instead of the IP address? I've never had the browse function actually work for me.
We do it this way in the field over VPN so we don't have to junk with all the IP address tunneling and whatnot.

Activation server path is just \\Servername. When VPN is loaded it finds activations. When VPN is not, it can't see them because we aren't using the IP address just for the reason you stated. It changes.

(Sometimes the \\ isn't needed. I don't know why. I just checked. On my Win 10 PC it isn't needed but on my XP VM it has to be there.)

 

[Dravik]

You should be able to just enter the fully qualified host name as JTCat mentioned.

Simply verify that you can ping via cmd prompt to check the name resolution.

 

[Nova5]

Don't point it to a name. That will not work if you are not connected to a network, DNS will fail.

WHat I've done to make VMs read the host machine's activation server. Virtual network cards.

Setup a virtual network card on the host PC (Microsoft KM-TEST Loop Back Adapter) Set IP to something in the range of 172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255,
Do the same in your VM, just make the 4th octet one higher. Now in the VM program settings, bind those two cards together. You now have a virtual network between the two systems that won't fail. You now point the VMs license server at the Host's virtual network card IP address. it will then read the hosts licenses and interact with at as it would any network based license server. being a software based network, this will work in the middle of the desert with no network connections.

 

[Phil Buchanan]

Is it a domain or a workgroup? Even if it's a Host and Guest VM you still must have something to do name resolutions if you want to use machine names to resolve with.

If it's a domain they both share (physical or Virtual) you should be good otherwise you will need to set up DNS, HOSTS file, or WINS.

An external device on the LAN such as a Pro or Home grade router could be set up to handle the DNS also.

I normally like to make a virtual DC in addition to a virtual FT Activation server to take care of all of this. You could install the FT Activation server on this DC if you wanted but I personally prefer to keep it separate.

 

[johnd_125]

I got to where I could successfully ping both the IP and the computer name of the host from the VM. Using the IP as the server path allowed the FT activations to work. The computer name never did work, despite the \\ and the "27000@" from the AB KB.

Since I typically operate in an office where a DHCP IP is assigned and take the computer to the trenches where I generally will use a different, static IP, I want the activations to work regardless. While I did toy with a manually assigned IP on my office router with an alternate IP set to the same for the field, I'd like to make Nova5's suggestion below, work.

WHat I've done to make VMs read the host machine's activation server. Virtual network cards.

Setup a virtual network card on the host PC (Microsoft KM-TEST Loop Back Adapter) Set IP to something in the range of 172.16.0.0 – 172.31.255.255,
Do the same in your VM, just make the 4th octet one higher. Now in the VM program settings, bind those two cards together. You now have a virtual network between the two systems that won't fail. You now point the VMs license server at the Host's virtual network card IP address. it will then read the hosts licenses and interact with at as it would any network based license server. being a software based network, this will work in the middle of the desert with no network connections.

However, I haven't been successful yet. I've installed a loopback adapter on both the host and the VM, gone into the VM network settings and set up VMNet2 & 3. If I understand right I should be able to ping 10.10.10.20 and 10.10.10.21 from the host and VM, successfully? But, nope.

 

[johnd_125]

More...

 

[Nova5]

Host Only is the method you want to use for the link between VM and Host. its creates the virtual network that way. Bridged or other methods need the external network connected to actually work.

 

[johnd_125]

Forgive me for being hardheaded but I think I finally got it. Thank you, Nova5 and others for responding. I watched some videos on Youtube and other places that helped but also made it more complicated than necessary, perhaps.

I should point out I decided to go the loopback adapter route because it seems more bulletproof, less likely to get changed and doesn't depend on an external connection or device. I'm sure there are other ways to make it work, this is just the path I chose.

I'm going to explain in my own words what I did for the sake of other network challenged folks. The gaps in my description can be filled in by watching videos and info. on this forum and elsewhere...

1. I'm assuming you have a host computer with Rockwell Activation Manager installed. VMware is installed and you have a VM with your Rockwell software installed, including Rockwell Activation Manager.
2. In the Host Device Manager, install the legacy hardware "Microsoft KM-TEST Loop Back Adapter". In your network connections, find the Loopback adapter and assign a static IP address of 172.16.0.20.
3. In your VM Device Manager, install the same Loop Back Adapter. In network connections, find the Loopback adapter and assign it a static IP address of 172.16.0.21. Note that it is one address different than the host. You can use a variety of IP's on this but I think you want to use IP's that you would never use for anything else.
4. In VMWare, access the Virtual Network Editor. I saw VMNet0 (Bridged), VMNet1 (Host Only) and VMNet8(NAT). Click Change Settings, Add network, call it VMNet2 and select Host Only. Check Connect a Host... and Check Use Local DHCP... Enter 172.16.0.0 for Subnet IP and 255.255.255.0. On DHCP settings set Starting IP, 172.16.0.0 and Ending IP 172.16.0.255. Click OK and OK.
5. In your VM, go to Edit Settings on the Hardware Tab, click Add. Select Network Adapter. Select Host Only. Click OK.
6. When you have done all this, on your VM you should be able to ping the host IP of 172.16.0.20. For whatever reason I couldn't ping the guest from the host but thats not necessary for FT Activation.
7. After a successful ping you can go into your VM Rockwell Activation and Add Server with 172.16.0.20 as the path. Refresh Activations to confirm.


Just because I got it to work with my setup doesn't mean you won't have something else going on that interferes. Also I doubt I have it as streamlined or efficient as it can be. So if there are suggestions to improve this I am open to trying them and editing the above as necessary.

THANKS!

 

[andrewwei]

Is it a domain or a workgroup? Even if it's a Host and Guest VM you still must have something to do name resolutions if you want to use machine names to resolve with.

If it's a domain they both share (physical or Virtual) you should be good otherwise you will need to set up DNS, HOSTS file, or WINS.

An external device on the LAN such as a Pro or Home grade router could be set up to handle the DNS also.

I normally like to make a virtual DC in addition to a virtual FT Activation server to take care of all of this. You could install the FT Activation server on this DC if you wanted but I personally prefer to keep it separate.

He should read your suggestions.
His local machine could be on a domain, but VM is not , DC would not update anything to the VM. He might need the network admin to add his VM to the Active Directory(Add VM to the domain). Computer on the same network does not mean they are on the same domain.

 

[Nova5]

Forgive me for being hardheaded but I think I finally got it. Thank you, Nova5 and others for responding. I watched some videos on Youtube and other places that helped but also made it more complicated than necessary, perhaps.

I'm going to explain in my own words what I did for the sake of other network challenged folks. The gaps in my description can be filled in by watching videos and info. on this forum and elsewhere...

1. I'm assuming you have a host computer with Rockwell Activation Manager installed. VMware is installed and you have a VM with your Rockwell software installed, including Rockwell Activation Manager.
2. In the Host Device Manager, install the legacy hardware "Microsoft KM-TEST Loop Back Adapter". In your network connections, find the Loopback adapter and assign a static IP address of 172.16.0.20.
3. In your VM Device Manager, install the same Loop Back Adapter. In network connections, find the Loopback adapter and assign it a static IP address of 172.16.0.21. Note that it is one address different than the host. You can use a variety of IP's on this but I think you want to use IP's that you would never use for anything else.
4. In VMWare, access the Virtual Network Editor. I saw VMNet0 (Bridged), VMNet1 (Host Only) and VMNet8(NAT). Click Change Settings, Add network, call it VMNet2 and select Host Only. Check Connect a Host... and Check Use Local DHCP... Enter 172.16.0.0 for Subnet IP and 255.255.255.0. On DHCP settings set Starting IP, 172.16.0.0 and Ending IP 172.16.0.255. Click OK and OK.
5. In your VM, go to Edit Settings on the Hardware Tab, click Add. Select Network Adapter. Select Host Only. Click OK.
6. When you have done all this, on your VM you should be able to ping the host IP of 172.16.0.20. For whatever reason I couldn't ping the guest from the host but thats not necessary for FT Activation.
7. After a successful ping you can go into your VM Rockwell Activation and Add Server with 172.16.0.20 as the path. Refresh Activations to confirm.


Just because I got it to work with my setup doesn't mean you won't have something else going on that interferes. Also I doubt I have it as streamlined or efficient as it can be. So if there are suggestions to improve this I am open to trying them and editing the above as necessary.

THANKS!

Yep, you have it right. Its simple to set up. Now you don't have to dick around with multiple licenses, etc between the system, can have it work independent of the network connection. I chose the class B range because I have rarely seen it used anywhere, either people use class C 192.168.x.x, or Class A, 10.x.x.x. B is kinda a redheaded stepchild. I ended up doing this because a company I worked for used VMs for FTV. on the techs computers. But we always had to modify the Volume ID so it would work with the node locked license.. .everyone used the node locked license in the VM. Technically against license requirements BUT everyone's host machine had a legitimate license for the FTV software. I just made mine use that instead of the one in the VM.