Installation > Floating/Network License > Network Installation: Step-by-Step

Network Installation

Inform PSMotion that you want a Network / Floating License before you install MechDesigner.

Please read and understand all of the information in these instructions before you install a Network / Floating License.

Notes:

•Client computers (running MechDesigner) communicate with a small application called CMServer (operated as a Service), that you install on your server computer.

•CMServer communicates, over the internet, with CopyMinder to check your Product License Key status.

•MechDesigner also communicates with CMServer.

•There are read / write permissions and firewall exceptions that you must enable for MechDesigner and CMServer to run smoothly.

•See also the Detailed Installation Instructions

Network Installation Schematic

Schematic of a Network Installation

Network Installation Summary:

CLIENT Computer :

Download

1.Download the latest MechDesigner ZIP file from your PSMotion account (https://psmotion.com/user). The name of the ZIP file is 'MD-PRO64-XX-X-XXX.ZIP'.

2.Extract the EXE from the ZIP file.

Install *

1.Double-click the EXE file to start the installation wizard.

2.Do the usual installation steps: Next, Next Next, Install.

DO NOT LAUNCH MECHDESIGNER before you do the SERVER installation.

* The install path must have Read and Write access to your Server path.

In the instructions below, we call the install directory : installdir.

YOUR SERVER Computer

1.Create a directory on your company Server computer.

We call this directory in these instructions: CMServer.

•CMServer must have write access, after the Network Administrator has logged off, to the folder in which you find, after you run CMServer, the MechDesigner.cm file.

•CMServer must have internet access after the Network Administrator has logged off, after this installation is complete.

2.Copy Files

Cut and Paste these files from installdir on the Client computer to your Server computer:

•CMServer.exe

•MechDesigner.exe.cm

•MechDesigner.exe.cm.ini

3.Run CMServer to open the CMServer Configuration dialog

The CMServer Configuration dialog should have an entry in the products list: MD32_0_0 - MechDesigner.exe.cm.

There are two Start-up modes : Application and Service.

We strongly recommend you enable a Windows® Service.

4.Click the Start button in the CMServer configuration dialog.

CMServer performs a check - over the internet - with the CopyMinder* database servers to look for your License Key. If this is the first time you have run CMServer, CMServer fails to find your License Key.

5.In the pop-up, enter your MechDesigner License Key

It has the format MD_0_0–xxxx-xxxx-xx

A check is made again with the CopyMinder* database servers to find the License Key.

* See below for the IP addresses of the CopyMinder database servers.

IMPORTANT: We do not recommend a Manual Installation - unless your company policy does not allow a program to access the internet.

If there is a form that asks you to obtain an Activation/Installation Code for a Manual Installation, then you do not have the internet permissions for CMServer to access the CopyMinder database servers.

In nearly all cases: Do not do a Manual Installation. Do not request an Activation Code.

Do the following:

Make sure the CMServer path has internet access, and the firewall does not stop the access to the CopyMinder databases.

Note: CMServer must have internet access even after the Network Administrator has logged off, when, often, the path may reverts to other settings.

* CopyMinder database servers: put these IP addresses for on your Firewall white-list:

oPrimary1: 89.200.137.136

oPrimary2: 92.60.122.223

Do 3-5 again. CMServer should find the License Key automatically over the internet.

CLIENT Computer

Now, you can run on MechDesigner on a Client computer.

The first time you run MechDesigner on each client computer, you see a dialog with two or three options:

◉Configure as a standalone program

◉Configure as a trial

◉Configure as a network client

Choose Configure as a Network Client

When MechDesigner is run the first time: enter the IP address : Port of the CopyMinder Server Path (CMServer) on your server computer at your place of business . It should normally be in the box automatically.

This is an example IP address and Port format: 192.168.51.23:10589

The IP address & Port are:

<IP address of your Server running CMServer>:<CMServer listening port>.

The default listening port is 10589.

If your IP address & Port are not found automatically, then review your firewall settings.

You can manually enter with you keyboard your IP address & Port.

However, it is much better to automatically find the IP address & Port. In the future, CMServer makes checks. It is much better that these can be done automatically.

Troubleshooting - CopyMinder License Manager

Error 659:

This error is most frequently a result of entering a License Key on a Client Computer and not the Network Path.

For a network installation, when you run MechDesigner the first time on a Client Computer, you should select Configure as a network client and then enter the Network Path (IP Address : Port).

Error 926:

One of the internal modules that the protection check uses couldn't be loaded. The file is called MechDesigner.exe.cm.1 and is written out into the same directory as the working copy of the .cm file. It is in fact a DLL, although not named as such.

Possible reasons are lack of permissions on the directory where the .cm file is stored or a virus checker with "real time" protection holding the file open after it is written for scanning, preventing it from then being opened by the CopyMinder run-time code. In this case, the anti-virus software should be set to exclude the directory where the license files are stored.

Error 929:

The protected program was unable to connect to the CopyMinder Network Server

1.Make sure that CMServer is running on the server.

2.Make sure that firewalls are not blocking the connection between the Client Computer running MechDesigner software and the Server - especially AFTER the Network Administrator has logged off.

General Errors

Whenever you get an error related to CopyMinder, you can find the error number and its description in the CopyMinder Knowledge-base, using this link:

http://www.copyminder.com/kb

License manager says that licenses are all in use! But you think they are not all in use...

Wait a few minutes if you have just restarted MechDesigner after a crash.

This can happen if the software has not shutdown properly for some unknown reason. If possible, check each PC to ensure that the software is no longer running as a process using the Windows® Task Manager. If this is not the problem then you can release all licenses by restarting license manager.

To do this, stop the CMServer using windows services management.

Restart CMServer, and select Run as Administrator.