24.5 License Database Format

The license database includes license keys and optional license management information. On UNIX hosts, the license database is a file in /var/adm/atria/license.db. On Windows hosts, the license database is stored as the LicenseKeys value in the Windows Registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Atria\ClearCase\CurrentVersion.

NOTE: On UNIX systems, all lines in the license database file must be terminated with a <NL> character.

A license database contains several kinds of lines. A line can define a multiuser license, specify users' license priorities, or enable auditing of licensing activity.

License Set Definition Lines

A ClearCase, Attache, or ClearCase MultiSite license consists of a single line of text, which defines a certain number of licenses. This line must be entered exactly as provided in the license file.

Most licenses are locked to their particular license server host. You cannot move the license to any other host without invalidating the license. If the vendor field is TEMPORARY, you can move the license to any license server host.

The license file can contain any number of -license lines. All the lines are effectively combined into a single license; the maximum numbers accumulate to determine the total number of license slots. Alternatively, it may be better to split licenses among two or more license servers. This increases product availability: if one license server host goes down, the licenses on the other license server hosts can still be used.

User Priority Lines

The license file can contain any number of -user lines, each of which specifies one or more users (by name or by numeric ID). All these lines are effectively concatenated into a single license priority list. The first user on the list has the highest priority; each successive user has a lower priority. Users not listed can use the products, but they share the lowest priority.

Excluded User Lines

The license file can contain any number of -nuser lines, each of which specifies one or more users (by name or by numeric ID). The specified users cannot obtain a license and thus are completely forbidden from using the product.

-user and -nuser lines can be intermixed. If a user is named in both kinds of line, the first entry is used.

Audit-Enable Line

A line consisting of the single word -audit enables auditing of license activity. On UNIX, licensing audit messages are written in the file /var/adm/atria/log/albd_log. On Windows, these messages are written in the Windows event log. On either platform, the following license events are logged:

• A user is granted a new license.

• A user is denied a license because all licenses are in use.

• A user entered a clearlicense -release command (the success or failure of the command is also logged).

Time-Out Line

By default, a ClearCase license granted to a user expires in 60 minutes if the user does not enter any additional ClearCase commands. A -timeout line changes the expiration interval to the specified number of minutes. The minimum interval is 30 minutes; there is no maximum interval.

The time-out for Attache licenses is one week and cannot be changed.