Setting up Redundancy in Lookout

[reandy]

Setting up the Redundancy seems pretty straight forward from the Help files, and the Users Manual.

My question is what are the licensing requirements for putting this on 2 PC's?

I know that I will only be running 1 (one) sytem at a time, do I need a second license?

Rich Anderson

[Ryan.S]

Do you have any clients that connect to the server? If yes, you need another license installed on the redundancy machine for the client connection.

If you just use 2 servers and no clients. one license is enough and necessary. Because you need connection from the redundancy machine to the primary machine. A license needs to be installed on the primary machine.

[reandy]

I am currently using a Development/Runtime Server with Unlimited I/O and Unlimited Clients.

I am thinking that at the most, I would need is a Runtime Server with Unlimited I/O. (for the secondary)

This would monitor the primary and be ready to take over if the primary goes down.

If the Primary goes down, I am no longer using any of the licenses there (expecially the Client licenses)

And I feel that because I am not using any of the Client Licenses, that I should be able to use them now when the Secondary takes over (primary dead).

Thanks,

Rich

[Ryan.S]

Before you use the license, you need to activate it. But you cannot activate the license on two machines at one time. So, you cannot use the license on the secondary machine even if the primary one is dead.

Unless, after the primary one is dead, you deactivate the license on that and activate it on the secondary machine, it will work.

[reandy]

I guess I am not talking about what the 'imitations' of the software are, (limitations caused by the 'anti-piracy' install procedures)

If my first machine goes down, I am not using any of the licenses I paid for, why should I have to pay again?

You licensed me to use the software. We all know that software companies do not 'sell' their software. (If they did, and I bought it, I would 'own' it, and I could sell it all I wanted), thus the reason for 'licensing'. Ok, with that settled, how is National Instruments justified in charging me twice for software that I am only using once?

Please tell me your perspective on this issue, and leave the 'installation requirements caused by the licensing' out of your argument. Because, frankly, I do not believe that the scheme used for 'anti-piracy' should in anyway, inhibit my ability to use the licenses I paid for.

Like I posted above, I agree, that I would need an additional Runtime Server License for the "Secondary”. It will need to run a Lookout application that would monitor the "Primary". However, no clients will be connecting to it, while it is in this 'monitor' mode. It would only go "active" and talk to clients when the "Primary" is no longer running.

We are talking about a backup (redundancy) system, not running 2 completely independent systems.

 Rich

[Ryan.S]

The "anti-piracy" you said doesn't inhibit you to use the license you paid for. But, because the license cannot be imigrated from one machine to another automatically, you need to pay another license in order to make the redundant server run immediately and properly when the primary server is down.

If you have 1 primary server, 1 redundant server and 2 clients, you need a development server software, a runtime server, client license for 3 clients on primary server(extra one connection for the redundant server), client license for 2 clients on redundant server.

[reandy]

OK, I now understand why we seem to have a failure of communication. You are talking about what I need “in the real world” to make this work. I agree with all you have said. The way that Lookout is currently designed, I need to have an additional Runtime License, along with Client Licenses for my “Secondary” machine.

But, I am talking about how “things should be”.

You said it perfectly when you said: “the license cannot be immigrated from one machine to another automatically”.

In my opinion, that is exactly the problem. And in just 10 seconds, I have thought of 2 ways that this could be solved. I am sure that if NI thinks about this, they could come up with some better ways, after all, who am I?

To me, a redundant system is different than having 2 complete independent systems. (Which is what 2 complete licenses would allow me to do)