Network Installation Wizard: Stand Alone Install

From reading the documentation on the Autocad 2004 CD, I am led to believe
that I can create an installation image for Stand Alone install of Autocad
for a network deployment (Network Installation Wizard). The one thing the
documentation does not seem to explain is: how different serial numbers are
specified for each install. If one has to make an image for each serial
number, this would defeat any time savings of network deployment.

I would appreciate any enlightenment.

Terry Scanlon

 

I thought network deployment was for network licenses only?
I could be wrong...

 

Page 6 of Network Adminsitrators Guide (pdf):


"In the Network Installation wizard you specify one of the following
installation types:
.. Network License Installation.....<snip>

.. Stand-Alone Installation...<snip>"

Later in the Guide, during creation of the Administrative Image
(pages21-25)..
the choice above is actually made in the wizard software.

I was just curious how multiple licenses may be distrubuted with this tool.
If this is not possible, why have a stand alone option in the Network
Installation Wizard?

 

I believe that sometimes it's possible to have multiple seats associated
with a single serial number (the same way it is for network licenses).
Check with your reseller.

--Cy--

 

I didn't realize that...
But I think Cy may be right. That is my understanding with our Microsoft
licenses, anyway. It doesn't really matter which product key I use, as long
as I have proof that I own as many licenses as I have copies installed. So,
probably with AutoCAD, too, you can use all the same license key, as long as
you know you're only installing as many stand-alones as you own.
(But always good to check with your reseller on this...they may even know
more info about the network installation for you)

 

IMHO this feature ist avaiable for installing clients which use only the
"License borrowing" feature from FLEXlm. There you must install a
"Single Seat License" wich has the same serialnumber like the Network
license.
If you've different serialnumbers I think you have bought single seats.
Ask your reseller but be aware that conversion of single seats into a
network license is not free of charge.
Regards

Andy

 

Andi,

Actually, this standalone feature was available for the network deployment
long before borrowing was available (I think it was an option even for
Elan). It's just for the convenience of admins who have to install the same
configuration over and over, and lets them customize their standard
configuration.

--Cy--

 

Acording to my reseller you can use one cd to install x number of seats of
Autocad as long as you have that many licences. We have 18 seats of ADT in
one department, I use one of the cd's to install all 18 seats so they all
have the same serial number installed but we have the license to cover them
all. It is my understanding that in the future Autodesk may only send one cd
and not one for each license.

 

Acording to my reseller you can use one cd to install x number of seats of

You can buy AutoCAD so that one serial number covers multiple seats
(without network licenses). Little known fact that I learned of
recently.


--
Darren J. Young
CAD/CAM Systems Developer

Cold Spring Granite Company
202 South Third Avenue
Cold Spring, Minnesota 56320

Email:
Phone: (320) 685-5045
Fax: (320) 685-5052

 

The network installation wizard does work with standalone, as long as your standalone has multiple seats. You'll just have to authorize CAD every time you run the admin image to install the standalone versions.

 

Hi Folks,

To clear up any confusion: there are three ways of installing and activating AutoCAD:

1. "Stand-alone" - you get one serial number per seat, you install on each individual PC, and each installation must be separately activated. You can use the same physical CD to do a number of installations (even if you get one cd per serial number), but each installation must be done using a separate serial number. An activation code from one machine will not work on any other machine.

2. "Multi-seat stand-alone" (MSSA) - you get any number of seats per single serial number, you create a network deployment (using the “Stand-alone†option in the Network Deployment Wizard) and then install to multiple PCs using this image on a server, and the activation of these multiple seats is carried out silently at each PC, if the PC is on-line. If not online, you can still get activation by email, etc. All registration information is filled in when you deploy the installation image to your server, and is copied to each seat that is deployed, and this allows each seat to activate without problems. It is also possible to install an MSSA by going to each PC, and installing using the same serial number on each, but care must be taken to ensure that the registration information that is entered when activating the seat is identical on all machines, or activations will fail. The registration information is tied to the single serial number that is issued for the multiple seats on MSSA.

3. “Network†– this is the true network deployment, where you get any number of seats per single serial number, but they are designated as a Network installation, and are licensed as such. You create a network deployment image (using the “Network†option in the Network Deployment Wizard), which is deployed to any number of PCs. To run the Network model, you also have to install additional software (Network License Manager, Network License Activation) on the network server to manage the licenses. You activate once on the network server and none of the seats installed on PCs needs to be activated – they draw their licenses from the network server.

I hope that this clears it up.

Jules Brenner
AutoCAD Product Management

 

Hi,

For additional details on each of these methods of installing and activating
AutoCAD, please visit the Autodesk Product Activation website at
http://www.autodesk.com/activation

The website contains descriptions and detailed information about Individual
Standalone Licenses, Multi-Seat Standalone Licenses, and Network Licenses.

Regards,
Greg Suppes
Autodesk

individual PC, and each installation must be separately activated. You can
use the same physical CD to do a number of installations (even if you get
one cd per serial number), but each installation must be done using a
separate serial number. An activation code from one machine will not work on
any other machine.

single serial number, you create a network deployment (using the
"Stand-alone" option in the Network Deployment Wizard) and then install to
multiple PCs using this image on a server, and the activation of these
multiple seats is carried out silently at each PC, if the PC is on-line. If
not online, you can still get activation by email, etc. All registration
information is filled in when you deploy the installation image to your
server, and is copied to each seat that is deployed, and this allows each
seat to activate without problems. It is also possible to install an MSSA by
going to each PC, and installing using the same serial number on each, but
care must be taken to ensure that the registration information that is
entered when activating the seat is identical on all machines, or
activations will fail. The registration information is tied to the single
serial number that is issued for the multiple seats on MSSA.

number of seats per single serial number, but they are designated as a
Network installation, and are licensed as such. You create a network
deployment image (using the "Network" option in the Network Deployment
Wizard), which is deployed to any number of PCs. To run the Network model,
you also have to install additional software (Network License Manager,
Network License Activation) on the network server to manage the licenses.
You activate once on the network server and none of the seats installed on
PCs needs to be activated - they draw their licenses from the network
server.

 

We decided to go with Muliseat Standalone installations, and NIW works great for that. But for some reason I could not get the copies to authorize themselves, like they are supposed to. Well, I did everything RIGHT, but no avail. It kept saying that error 90.202 and calling AUTODESK WAS NO HELP!!! they said we have no idea what that error means, then they transferred me to their TEch support which wanted to CHARGE me for the support, YAH RIGHT I paid $100,000 for our licenses and to use the program I have to pay more cause their Product activation people could not figure what was the problem. Well it took my reseller to do things at Autodesk END to get our copies registered with subscription (we had paid for it , adesk was just SLOW, once that happened (this is a week passed now) The activation moved forward a bit, now I kept getting error 18. OLD serial number is invalid. I tried all the serial numbers I had from the old version, NO LUCK. Calling adesk again NO HELP!!! they said well I can VERIFY the information, but I CANNOT GIVE YOU The information, I can understand protecting etc, but this was insane as I could not deploy my copies to our users, well then I called again to the customer care and I just told her that I have spent 100000 to upgrade and I cannot run the program,. the problem is at AUTODESK end and you are not providing me the information that I need to get the things activated. I told her ALL I want to know is EXACT spelling and letters used for the REGISTERED COPY (it was registered on their server for some reason) and PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE give me the OLD SERIAL NUMBER. she put me on hold , maybe asked someone for help , then came back, and gave me the info, The old serial number she gave me was a 112-xxx number which we never had, but once I entered that Puppy in there, all the machines started working like magic.

So if you DO go with MULTISEAT standalone, make sure that AUTODESK sets up the REGISTRATION CORRECTLY., they want to blame you for not matching the data in the reg correctly, but they do not want to divulge that information even after you verify the information in the registration.

well it took me almost 1-1/2 weeks to get things sorted out to be able to run the program. Maybe the reseller goofed up, but what ever the case was, the issue was at Autodesk end. To be fair on my rantings , they did activated copies when I called in and gave them the request code, and I hoped if one was activated this way, the others would follow automatically as the auth server would release the information , and I was told that I could get all my copies authorized by calling or emailing the auth codes, but doing that for 41 seats was not an option for me, especially when the problem was at AUTODESK end.