License Manager Guide

License manager installation and startup

ArcGIS License Manager 10.4.1 uses FlexNet Publisher license management software. Details on the version of FLEXnet Publisher used in each version of ArcGIS License Manager can be found in this Knowledge Base article. This version of the license manager will support all product releases listed within the Supported Software Products topic. Visit the Existing users page for information on migrating from version 9.x to 10.4.1.

For customers using ArcGIS License Manager to authorize ArcGIS Pro named user licenses via a Portal for ArcGIS installation, please refer to the Configure License Manager for use with Portal for ArcGIS topic for details on authorization and configuration. To install the License Manager software, follow the instructions below.

ArcGIS License Manager communicates through TCP/IP, which must be installed and functioning properly on your Windows license server. In addition, TCP/IP requires that either a network card, along with its drivers, or the MS Loopback Adapter be installed on your Windows machine. An Internet connection is also strongly recommended for the license authorization process. If you do not have an Internet connection on the license manager machine, you can select the email or website authorization option on the Authorization Method panel of the Software Authorization Wizard.

Upon purchasing your ArcGIS products, you will receive an email from Esri Customer Service listing the purchased products and associated authorization numbers and license counts. Follow the steps below to install, authorize, and start the license manager:

  1. Run the License Manager setup from your software download or ArcGIS installation media.
  2. Follow the instructions to install the license manager to the desired location. At the end of the installation, ArcGIS License Server Administrator appears.
  3. Complete the authorization process and start the license service. If you choose to do this step at a later time, on Windows, you can access License Server Administrator from Start > Programs > ArcGIS > License Manager > License Server Administrator. On Linux, you can run License Server Administrator from the installation location using the following command: <installation_path>/arcgis/license10.4/LSAdmin.
  4. Click Authorization in the table of contents, select a version from the Version drop-down list, and click the Authorize Now button to launch the Software Authorization Wizard.
  5. Follow the instructions on the dialog boxes to complete the authorization process. A provisioning file (*.prvs) generated on the My Esri portal can be used to speed up the authorization process. This file fills in all the necessary user and product authorization information in the wizard. More information on provisioning files can be found in the section Provisioning Files.
  6. Click Finish to close the wizard and return to License Server Administrator.

Authorizing licenses silently

Run the following command to use the License Manager and a provisioning file generated from My Esri to silently authorize ArcGIS 10.1-10.4.1 Desktop and Engine and ArcGIS Pro 1.2 and newer concurrent use licenses:

softwareauthorizationLS.exe -S -VER 10.4 -LIF <path to the *.prvs file>

A -verbose switch can be added to the above command to display the status of the authorization process on the command line.

On Linux, use the following syntax:

$ ./SoftwareAuthorizationLS -S -VER 10.4 -LIF <path to the *.prvs file>

Authorizing licenses offline

If the machine hosting your license manager does not have access to the Internet, you can complete the authorization process in an offline mode. After launching the Software Authorization Wizard as described in step 4 above, follow these instructions:

  1. On the second dialog box of the authorization wizard, select the option Authorize at Esri's website or by email to receive your authorization file.
  2. Follow the instructions on the rest of the dialog boxes and save the authorization request file when prompted at the end. By default, this will be saved as authorize.txt.
  3. Follow the instructions on the last dialog box to send or upload the file from a machine that has email and/or Internet access.
  4. Esri Customer Service will process the request and return the response file (*.resps) that contains your licenses.
  5. Save this file to your license manager and relaunch the Software Authorization Wizard from the License Server Administrator.
  6. On the first panel, select the third option I have received an authorization file from Esri and am now ready to finish the authorization process and browse to the response file to complete your authorization.

Upgrading licenses from 10.1 through 10.4 to 10.4.1

Concurrent use ArcGIS 10.4.1 Desktop and Engine use the same 10.1-10.4 licenses. If you have previously authorized 10.1 through 10.4 licenses on your License Manager and did not deauthorize your licenses before installing ArcGIS License Manager 10.4.1, you do not need to reauthorize your ArcGIS License Manager. Follow the instructions below for upgrading your software from 10.1-10.4 to 10.4.1.

Upgrading from 10.3 through 10.4 to 10.4.1 License Manager with named user licenses

Named user licenses for use with a Portal for ArcGIS instance remain the same at 10.4.1. If you perform an in-place upgrade of the ArcGIS License Manager software, there is no need to re-authorize your valid named user licenses or export the Portal JSON file to Portal for ArcGIS. The in-place upgrade instructions for ArcGIS License Manager software can found in the below section titled Upgrading License Manager software from 10.1 through 10.4 to 10.4.1.

Upgrading License Manager software from 10.1 through 10.4 to 10.4.1

ArcGIS 10.1-10.4 licenses will operate with ArcGIS 10.4.1, and no license upgrade is required. However, any client software operating at version 10.4.1 must use a 10.4.1 License Manager. To upgrade ArcGIS 10.1 through 10.4 License Manager software to ArcGIS 10.4.1 License Manager, follow these instructions:

  1. Open the License Server from Start > Programs > ArcGIS > License Manager > License Server Administrator. On Linux, you can run License Server Administrator (in the case of 10.4) from the installation location using the following command: <installation_path>/arcgis/license10.4/LSAdmin.
  2. Stop the License Service under Start/Stop License service and exit the License Server Administrator.
  3. Install the ArcGIS 10.4.1 License Manager. The installer will automatically uninstall your ArcGIS 10.1 through 10.4 License Manager and install ArcGIS 10.4.1 License Manager.
  4. Open the License Server from Start > Programs > ArcGIS > License Manager > License Server Administrator. On Linux, you can run License Server Administrator from the installation location using the following command: <installation_path>/arcgis/license10.4/LSAdmin.
  5. Start the License Service under Start/Stop License service and exit the License Server Administrator. ArcGIS 10.4.1 License Manager is now ready for use.

Upgrading older software and licenses from 10.0 to 10.1 or newer (including 10.4.1)

Automatic license upgrade functionality introduced at ArcGIS 10.1 remains at ArcGIS 10.4.1. This allows for a much easier license upgrade process from 10.0 licenses to 10.1-10.4.1 licenses. Instead of deauthorizing older licenses and authorizing the latest version, you can convert your existing 10.0 licenses to 10.1-10.4.1 using the one-step upgrade option.

  1. Uninstall the ArcGIS 10.0 License Manager without deauthorizing your existing licenses.
  2. Install the ArcGIS 10.1 or newer License Manager.
  3. Go to the Authorization folder, click Upgrade Now, and follow the instructions to complete the upgrade process.

Your license can also be upgraded by deauthorizing your existing 10.0 license and authorizing your new 10.1-10.4.1 licenses.

Contacting Esri Customer Service

If for any reason you are unable to locate your authorization information, you can contact Esri Customer Service and request that it be resent.

In the United States, you can contact Esri Customer Service by calling 888-377-4575, or visit the My Esri site.

Outside the United States, contact your local Esri distributor. For information regarding your local distributor, visit the following website.