Customer Portal, FNE Cloud license server, process to see available licenses.

[ertugrul]

Having difficulty finding a way to see remaining available licenses.  

I can find out (in a long way) by going to:

Devices > Select the device

View > View Served Devices

Click on each Served Device > find out "Count"

accumulate the "Counts" and then check against "Qty mapped" for the Server .

I am assuming there is an easier way to do this. But I am new to Flexera and need help

Also how do you release a license that is checked out but forgotten to be released (by a Customer Portal admin)

[jberthold]

Hi @ertugrul ,

There are REST APIs available to query the status of either a Cloud or Local License server.  Please refer to the FlexNet Embedded License Server Producer Guide.  The /features endpoint will give you a list of all features along with how many are currently in use.   The /clients/{id} endpoint can be used to delete a served client.  This will free up the license currently in use by the device.

Best regards,

[ertugrul]

Sorry for being green on this I am just starting.

So I see the devices list as https://flexnnn-uat.flexnetoperations.com/flexnet/operations/fne/hosts/list

I tried the /features and /clilents/{id} endpoint but was not successful.
(tried https://flexnnn-uat.flexnetoperations.com/flexnet/operations/fne/features )
Let me know if this is available only at producer portal or if it is available at end user portal as well.

Also if you could send the URL for "FlexNet Embedded License Server Producer Guide” or a pdf it would help. I am searching for it and could not find it.


Cheers

[ejohnson1]

Hi @ertugrul ,

You seem close, yet might be missing steps 1 and 2 (detailed below).

Steps:

1. Add a User with Portal Admin User Role permissions to the entitled account with a CLS. 

2. Set a Password for CLS by Portal Admin User Role in Customer Portal

3) /authorize REST API

4) /features REST API

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

More detailed steps:

1. For the entitled account, please add a User with the "Portal Admin User Role" enabled.

2. Now with this User account above, log into the Customer Portal, locate your CLS device and from the "Action" menu, pull down and "Set Password".

From here, you can use the REST  APIs.

3. Authorize - https://flexXXXX.compliance.flexnetoperations.com/api/1.0/instances/XXXXXXXXXXXX/authorize using a body:

{
"user":"admin",
"password":"PasswordFromStep2Above"
}

where XXXXXXXXXXXX is your unique CLS ID

4. Features - https://flexxxxx.compliance.flexnetoperations.com/api/1.0/instances/XXXXXXXXXXXX/features

[ertugrul]

I created two users one as admin user at customer portal and second one as regular user. So I guess steps 1 and 2 you recommended is done.  Feature

I will try these two suggestions with some quick tools. But these are going to require code changes in the product to make these REST API calls. 

So there is no way to do these from the Customer Portal without REST API Calls?  

Thanks again this has been really helpful

[ejohnson1]

Hi @ertugrul ,

The REST APIs provide an efficient method to satisfy the use case scenario although requires implementation (via the REST APIs). The OOTB visual method is as you eloquently noted below.

++++++++++++++++++

Devices > Select the device

View > View Served Devices

Click on each Served Device > find out "Count"

accumulate the "Counts" and then check against "Qty mapped" for the Server .

++++++++++++++++++

If you or your integrator need assistance with the REST APIs, let us know. And, if this still hasn't helped with your question, please feel free to update.

Kind Regards,

Eric

[ertugrul]

For the second part of the question. If I need to return a license,
preferably from the Customer Portal at FlexNet Operations. (if not from producer portal)

I see the Devices from Devices > View Served Devices
but there there is no way to select a served device and return or remove it.

On View Server page there is "Remove Licenses" or "Return Server" selections under Action. But those return the available license to another server or transfer the license back ( my terminology probably not right) But this operation basically removes a license from the CLS.

My use case is as follows.
User Starts the application and checks out license (in our case they have ability to checkout up to a week) Then if they quit the application their feature license is not returned. If they go to vacation let's say. They have blocked a license from use. I am trying to find a way to return that license to available licenses pool.
Is there a way to do this from FlexNet Operations Portal? Or this also only available from REST API?

[ejohnson1]

Hi @ertugrul ,

Thanks for the reminder on the second part.

Yes, dropping or removing features from a client  requires the Producer to manage the desired policy instead of your customer via Customer Portal, which could lead to serious implications of license leakage (intended or unintended overuse).

The 2 API approaches are:

1. API via one of the native (C, .NET or JAVA) SDKs  via an API implementation, which is essentially sending an empty capability request (no AddDesiredFeatures) to CLS. This is the equivalent of a return.

2. API via REST. This option is  mainly for license administrators. Please see an information snippet about the role, ROLE_DROPCLIENT, which I've attached from the "License Server Administrative Guide".

The REST API is a DELETE operation 

https://flexXXXX.compliance.flexnetoperations.com/api/1.0/instances/XXXXXXXXXXXX/clients/{Id}

where Id at the end identifies the client from api/1.0/instances/XXXXXXXXXXXX/clients

[ertugrul]

Hi 

By the same token is there a way to get this another way like using  "lmutil lmstat [-c] <blah>  "

Or maybe do the API calls through curl. If so could you let me know the curl URL.

Cheers,