Autodesk Licensing Installer Helper tool guide

Autodesk Support

Oct 8, 2023

Products and versions covered

Installer Helper is a standalone tool used after the Autodesk licensing component is installed to:
  • List all the products registered with licensing components,
  • Update licensing details such as license method, server type and so forth, and
  • Change or reset a license server.

Installer Helper enables the CAD administrator to easily manage the settings for a large number of users. For example, the administrator can deploy a script or perform a manual operation to:

  • Reset the licensing method for a product so the Let's Get Started dialog box shows again for users,
  • Change or reset license server information when a user is moved to another server, and
  • List the products and configuration for a user's machine.

Install

Installer Helper files are included in the AdskLicensingInstaller and are installed when Autodesk Licensing (CLIC v2) is installed.

File Locations

PlatformLocationNotes
Windows%CommonProgramFiles(x86)%\Autodesk Shared\AdskLicensing\Current\helper

The version is tracked inside "version.ini" file in %CommonProgramFiles(x86)%\Autodesk Shared\AdskLicensing

Example:

[General]
version=9.0.1.1462
macOS/Library/Application Support/Autodesk/AdskLicensing/Current/helper 
Linux/opt/Autodesk/AdskLicensing/Current/helper${installed_version} will be the version number of the RPM that was installed.

Installer Helper Files

Windows            
  • AdskLicensingInstHelper.exe - main executable
  • FNP_Act_Installer.dll - FlexNet licensing service installer
  • adlmPIT_2.dll - PIT library for Install Helper
  • adlmutil.dll - used by adlmPIT_2.dll
macOS
  • AdskLicensingInstHelper - main executable
  • libadlmPIT_2.dylib - PIT library for Install Helper
  • libadlmutil.dylib - used by libadlmPIT_2.dylib
Linux
  • AdskLicensingInstHelper - main executable
  • ibadlmPIT_2.so, libadlmPIT_2.so.xx.0, libadlmPIT_2.so.xx.0.xx - PIT library for Install Helper
  • llibadlmutil.so, libadlmutil.so.xx.0, libadlmutil.so.xx.0.xx - used by libadlmPIT_2.so

Environment:

Autodesk 2020 and newer products.

Causes:

To change license type and other things.

Use Installer Helper

This section describes how to use Installer Helper to:

  • List registered features

  • Change registered features

List Registered Features

Use the list command to see the features currently registered for a product.

The options for license method are:

  • 0 = Unknown licensing method
  • 1 = Network licensing
  • 2 = Standalone licensing
  • 3 = Standalone licensing installed via deployment (MSSA)
  • 4 = User Licensing

The options for server type are:

  • 0 = Unknown server type
  • 1 = Single server
  • 2 = Redundant servers
  • 3 = Distributed servers
$ ./AdskLicensingInstHelper list
 
.. which produces results like below for every registered feature:
[
  {
    "feature_id": "ACD",
    "def_prod_key": "001L1",
    "def_prod_ver": "2020.0.0.F",
    "sel_prod_key": "001L1",
    "sel_prod_ver": "2020.0.0.F",
    "lic_method": 1,
    "supported_lic_methods": [
      2,
      1,
      4
    ],
    "lic_server_type": 1,
    "lic_servers": [
      "@1.1.1.1"
    ],
    "serial_number_sa": "000-00000000",
    "serial_number_nw": "000-00000000",
    "def_prod_code": "ACD",
    "sel_prod_code": "ACD"
  }
]

Note: The command output may not include line breakers and the output may be hard to read.  In this case, redirect the output to a .txt file (e.g. ./AdskLicensingInstHelper list > C:\Autodesk\list_output.txt) then open the text file in Notepad, copy & paste its content in json formatter (e.g. http://jsonprettyprint.com/), which will display it as above.


Change Registered Features

Use the change command  to change or reset feature information such as license method, server type and licensing servers' list with the following options:
 

> ./AdskLicensingInstHelper change --help
NAME:
   AdskLicensingInstHelper change - Change registered product
 
USAGE:
   AdskLicensingInstHelper change [command options]
   Legend:
     [R] - required
     [O] - optional
 
OPTIONS:
   --prod_key key, --pk key             [R] key of the product to change (e.g. "001L1")
   --prod_ver version, --pv version     [R] version of the product to change (e.g. "2020.0.0.F")
   --feature_id key, --fi key           [O] alternate key of the product to change (e.g. "ACD", for license method USER only)
   --lic_method value, --lm value       [O] new license method. Should be one of (case insensitive): USER, STANDALONE, NETWORK or empty "" to reset LGS
   --lic_server_type value, --lt value  [O] network license server type. Should be one of (case insensitive): SINGLE, REDUNDANT, DISTRIBUTED or empty "" to reset LGS. WARNING! For empty value lic_servers will be reset as well
   --lic_servers value, --ls value      [O] list of comma-separated network license server addresses or empty "" to reset. For example: @127.0.0.1,@192.168.1.1,@9.0.9.0

Example

Change License Method

If your Autodesk software opens, suggested workflow for resetting LGS is using in product the License Manager UI.  When the product trial license is expired, to initiate LGS Dialog, click on the "Already have a License" link at the bottom of the Expired Trial Dialog.

  1. Start your Autodesk software.
  2. At the upper-right corner of the screen, click on the drop-down triangle next to the username.
  3. Select Manage License...
  4. In the License Manger dialog, click Change License Type link.
  5. LGS Dialog windows opens.
  6. Choose your license type.

Use AdskLicensingInstHelper tool if above is not possible or changing a license type via a script.

To change licensing method from NETWORK to USER one can run:

> ./AdskLicensingInstHelper change -pk 001L1 -pv 2020.0.0.F -lm USER

Note: before running the command if you are logged in on an Autodesk cloud based services, you must sign out from the service and clear the login status by deleting the LoginState.xml file.

  • Windows: %localappdata%\Autodesk\Web Services\LoginState.xml
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application\ Support/Autodesk/Web\ Services/LoginState.xml
  • Linux: ~/.local/share/Autodesk/Web Services/LoginState.xml

Change a License Server

The following examples show how to change the license address for a server (AutoCAD 2020, key 001L1 and Flame 2020 key C0TL1 on macOS and Linux) from: 2080@10.12.15.111 To: 2080@20.23.24.222

On Windows
  1. Change the license address for your product with the following command:
"%CommonProgramFiles(x86)%\Autodesk Shared\AdskLicensing\Current\helper\AdskLicensingInstHelper.exe" change --prod_key 001L1 --prod_ver 2020.0.0.F  --lic_servers "2080@20.23.24.222"
  1. Inspect your registry entry key, ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE at HKCU\Software\FLEXlm License Manager\, and then:
    1. Delete it if it contains an entry for the NLM server address: i.e. "2080@10.12.15.111".
    2. Leave it as is if it contains the path to the license file. 
On macOS
  1. Change the license address for a particular product with the following command:
sudo /Library/Application\ Support/Autodesk/AdskLicensing/Current/helper/AdskLicensingInstHelper change --prod_key C0TL1 --prod_ver 2020.0.0.F --lic_servers "2080@20.23.24.222"
  1. Inspect .flexlmrc from home directory, and then:
    1. Delete the file if it contains an entry for NLM server address: i.e. "2080@10.12.15.111".
    2. Leave it as is if it contains the path to license file.
On Linux
  1. Change the license address for a product with the following command:
sudo /opt/Autodesk/AdskLicensing/*/helper/AdskLicensingInstHelper change --prod_key C0TL1 --prod_ver 2020.0.0.F --lic_servers "2080@20.23.24.222"
  1. Inspect .flexlmrc from home directory
    1. Delete the file if it contains an entry for NLM server address: i.e. "2080@10.12.15.111".
    2. Leave it as is if it contains the path to license file.

Reset LGS

Note: If you are logged in on an Autodesk cloud based services, you must sign out from the service and clear the login status by deleting the LoginState.xml file.

  • Windows: %localappdata%\Autodesk\Web Services\LoginState.xml
  • macOS: ~/Library/Application\ Support/Autodesk/Web\ Services/LoginState.xml
  • Linux: ~/.local/share/Autodesk/Web Services/LoginState.xml

The following example shows how to reset LGS for AutoCAD 2020 (001L1) on Windows and for Flame 2020 (C0TL1) on macOS and Linux.  Use the install helper "change" command, and set licensing method to an empty string. 

In general:
AdskLicensingInstHelper change --prod_key 001L1 --prod_ver 2020.0.0.F --lic_method ""

On Windows
"%CommonProgramFiles(x86)%\Autodesk Shared\AdskLicensing\Current\helper\AdskLicensingInstHelper.exe" change --prod_key 001L1 --prod_ver 2020.0.0.F --lic_method ""
On macOS
sudo /Library/Application\ Support/Autodesk/AdskLicensing/Current/helper/AdskLicensingInstHelper change --prod_key C0TL1  --prod_ver 2020.0.0.F --lic_method ""
On Linux
sudo /opt/Autodesk/AdskLicensing/*/helper/AdskLicensingInstHelper change --prod_key C0TL1 --prod_ver 2020.0.0.F --lic_method ""

Reset a License Server

The following example shows how to reset a license server for AutoCAD 2020, key 001L1 and for Flame 2020 key C0TL1 on macOS and Linux.

On Windows
  1. Change the license for a product with the following command:
"%CommonProgramFiles(x86)%\Autodesk Shared\AdskLicensing\Current\helper\AdskLicensingInstHelper.exe" change --prod_key 001L1 --prod_ver 2020.0.0.F --lic_server_type "" --lic_servers ""
  1. Delete the folder for 001L11 from C:\ProgramData\Autodesk\AdskLicensingService.
  2. Delete the registry key ADSKFLEX_LICENSE_FILE at HKCU\Software\FLEXlm License Manager\.
On macOS
  1. Change the license for a product with the following command:
sudo /Library/Application\ Support/Autodesk/AdskLicensing/Current/helper/AdskLicensingInstHelper change --prod_key C0TL1 --prod_ver 2020.0.0.F --lic_server_type "" --lic_servers ""
  1. Delete the folder for C0TL1 from /Library/Application Support/Autodesk/AdskLicensingService.
  2. Delete .flexlmrc from the home directory.
On Linux
  1. Change the license for a product with the following command:
sudo /opt/Autodesk/AdskLicensing/*/helper/AdskLicensingInstHelper change --prod_key C0TL1 --prod_ver 2018.0.0.F --lic_server_type "" --lic_servers ""
  1. Delete the folder for C0TL1 from /var/opt/Autodesk/AdskLicensingService.
  2. Delete .flexlmrc from the home directory

Windows Deployment Support

Typically, Windows products support deployment configuration and installation. Licensing products registered from a deployment are registered as Multi-seat StandAlone (MSSA) rather than standalone. macOS and Linux do not have deployment mode and therefore do not need this flag. If you are not using Licensing MSM, but using Installer Helper to register or deregister features, this command can be used during both registration and deregistration:

                 --from_deployment or -d
 

Products:

All Desktop Products;

Versions:

2020; 2021; 2022;

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