Simcenter Testing Solutions Installing Simcenter Testlab CAD Display for 2306.0001 and Later

Direct YouTube link: https://youtu.be/QqJ8u-SpwVg



Article Contents:
Overview
Installation Licensing Troubleshooting
Overview
As of version 2306.0001, the Simcenter Testlab CAD Display is a functionality for Simcenter Testlab Neo to be used with Virtual Instrumentation, Virtual Point Transformation, and Impact Acquisition to allow CAD models to be integrated with the acquisition and analysis process.  This functionality is both installed separately and licensed separately from Simcenter Testlab Neo.




Installation
CAD Display:
The installation package for the Simcenter Testlab CAD Display is located on the Support Center under Simcenter Testing Solutions, in the same location as the Simcenter Testlab installer for the corresponding version.  The direct links for versions 2306.0001 and 2306.0002 are below.
2306.0001: https://support.sw.siemens.com/en-US/product/215806642/download/PL20230710971912221
2306.0002: https://support.sw.siemens.com/en-US/product/215806642/download/PL20231124827830923

If you are not using a node-locked non-served license, install the Siemens License Server before proceeding with the installation.  If you do install the CAD Display before the Siemens License Server, you can still configure the license later.

Locate the Simcenter Testlab (version) CAD Display.iso installation package, and download it.



In the File Explorer, right-click on the downloaded installer and mount it to access the contents of the disc image (.iso) file; then, browse into the Installations folder, right-click on the CAD Display for Simcenter Testlab setup.exe file, and run it as administrator.







Then, enter your licensing configuration, depending on your license type.  For a floating license or a node-locked served license, check the “Use a license server” box and enter the information for the Siemens License Server hosting the CAD Display license, in the format of port@host, e.g. 27000@localhost.  The default port for the Siemens License Server is 27000.  For a node-locked non-served license, check the “Use a folder with license files” and browse to or type in the file path to the folder containing your license file.



Then, click Install to proceed with the installation.



Once the installation is complete, the following screen will appear.  Click Finish.




Siemens License Server:
This is required by floating licenses and node-locked served licenses.  Please note that the Siemens License Server is a different application than the RLM License Server.

The installation package for the Siemens License Server can be downloaded on the Support Center.  As of Jan. 19, 2024, the latest version is the Siemens License Server v2.4.0.0 (FlexNet 11.19.0.1), which can be downloaded at https://support.sw.siemens.com/en-US/product/1586485382/download/202310052.  To install the full Siemens License Server application, download the installer corresponding to your operating system.

The following is a walkthrough of installing the Siemens License Server on Windows.
First, follow the link above to locate the Siemens License Server download page of the Support Center, and download the SiemensLicenseServer_v2.4.0.0_Win64_x86-64.exe installer.



In the File Explorer, right-click on the downloaded installer and run it as administrator.



Select a language for the installation wizard.



Once the installation wizard loads, click Next to proceed.



If you already have your license file, browse to it here and then click Next; otherwise, click Skip.  If you skip this step, you can return to it later  by running the installer a second time.



If the following message appears after selecting your license file, then your license file is node-locked and not served; in this case, you should use the file directly to license the TL CAD Display instead of installing the Siemens License Server.



On the next page of the installer, ensure that the destination folder is one that you have access to; if not, select a different folder to install the Siemens License Server into.



Next, you can optionally connect the Siemens License Server to your Webkey.



To ensure that the licenses can be served properly, keep the checkbox checked to allow access through the local firewall.



Once the following screen appears, the Siemens License Server will have been installed.




Licensing
The CAD Display uses the TL-DTP-0080 license.  This license is not tokenable, but can be requested through a $0 quote from your Sales Representative.  This license is considered as an NX product, so it uses the Siemens License Server instead of the RLM License Server.

When you receive your license file, it may be in the form of a .txt file instead of a .lic file.  If so, change the file to a .lic extension for the license to be properly read.

License Types:
The CAD Display (TL-CAD-0080) is an NX FlexLM license that can come in three types: floating, node-locked served, and node-locked non-served.  If you already have your license file, you can identify its type by opening it in a text editor.

Floating License:
The license is managed by one server, which must have the Siemens License Server installed.
This license can be used by any computer that has access to the server.
This license requires the server’s HostName and Composite HostID (CID).

Node-Locked Served License:
This license is managed on the computer that uses it, which must have the Siemens License Server installed.
This license can only be used by the computer that it is tied to.
This license requires the computer’s HostName, Composite HostID (CID), and HostID (MAC address).

Node-Locked Non-Served License:
This license file is placed on the computer that uses it, and does not require the Siemens License Server.
This license can only be used by the computer that it is tied to.
This license requires the computer’s HostName and HostID (MAC address).

Host Information:
Depending on the type, the license will require different means of identifying the computer it is on.  The three pieces of information you may need to know are your HostName, HostID (MAC address), and Composite HostID (CID).  The below examples show how to locate the host information of a computer that has a HostName of myHostName, a HostID (MAC address) of abc123456789, and a Composite HostID (CID) of 987654321abc.

This information can be found using the “getcid” utility program installed with the Siemens License Server.  If the Siemens License Server is not installed (e.g. if using a node-locked non-served license), this utility can be downloaded separately on the Support Center from the …_hostid_utils.zip package located on the same page as the Siemens License Server installer.  The getcid utility displays the HostName, the Composite HostID (CID), and the Host ID (MAC address).



If you are using a node-locked non-served license, then the Siemens License Server does not need to be installed.  In this case, the host information for a Windows computer can be located by entering “ipconfig /all” in the Command Prompt, which will display the HostName and HostID (MAC address).




License Configuration:
Once the CAD Display has been installed, and (if not using a node-locked non-served license) the Siemens License Server has been installed, Simcenter Testlab Neo can be configured to use the CAD Display license by opening the License Configuration Tool, located in the Simcenter Testlab (version) Tools folder of the Start Menu.  If you do not see this field, make sure the CAD Display has been installed first.



Edit the second “License Server(s)” field to match your licensing setup.  For a node-locked non-served license, enter the license file path - it is looking for a folder that has the *.lic license in it.  For a floating or node-locked served license, enter the port and server in the format port@server.  The default port is 29000.

Troubleshooting
What type of license do I have?
You can open your license file in a text editor.  The format of the SERVER line, which appears immediately after the header, can be used to identify the license type.

• SERVER myServerName COMPOSITE=myCompositeID portNumber
  • Your license is served.  Check the subsequent FEATURE or INCREMENT lines:
    • Node-locked:  the entries contain a "HOSTID=" field.
    • Floating:  the entries do not contain a "HOSTID=" field.
• SERVER myServerName myHostID portNumber
  • Your license is node-locked and served, but is a temporary license file.  Please register your Composite HostID (CID) so that a permanent license can be generated.
• My license doesn’t start with a SERVER line.
  • Your license is node-locked and not served.

To illustrate this, below are some example license file headers for a computer with hostname = myServerName, HostID (MAC address) = abc123456789, and Composite HostID (CID) = 987654321abc.



The above license file’s SERVER line contains a COMPOSITE field.  Since its subsequent entries do not contain HOSTID fields, those entries are floating.



The above license file’s SERVER line contains a COMPOSITE field, while its entries contain HOSTID fields.  This means that those entries are node-locked and served.



The above license file does not have a SERVER line, so it is node-locked and not served.



The above license file’s SERVER line contains a MAC address instead of a Composite HostID, so it is node-locked and served, but is a temporary license file; the Composite HostID (CID) must be provided to obtain a permanent license file.


Why is my License Configuration Tool blank?
The CAD Display portion of the License Configuration Tool only appears if the CAD Display has been installed.  If this portion is missing, close the License Configuration Tool, install the CAD Display, and then open the License Configuration Tool again after the CAD Display has been installed.



How do I add my license to the Siemens License Server?
If you did not have your license file at the time the Siemens License Server was installed, or if you skipped the step to add a license file, you can run the Siemens License Server installation package a second time (still as administrator).  Select a language again; then the following screen will appear.



Check the box for “Add/Replace License File” and click Next.  This will return you to the license file selection screen, at which point you can browse to your license file.  Make sure that the file extension of the license file is .lic rather than .txt for the license to be properly read.

If you run into problems during this process, please contact Siemens Support Center by creating a Support Case, or by calling the appropriate phone number listed on the Siemens Support Center Website and have your Sold-To ready. For example, the phone number for North America is 1-800-955-0000.

Other Simcenter Testlab Installation Resources:

• Index of Simcenter Testing Knowledge Articles
• Simcenter Testlab 2306: Download and Install Instructions
• Which files should I download for Simcenter Testlab 2306.0001
• Which files should I download for Simcenter Testlab 2306.0002
• CAD-Centric FRF Testing and Virtual Point Transformation
• Virtual Prototype Assembly (VPA) Seminar