Topic ID 2344

How do I configure the Minitab License Manager to use an Options file?

Applies to:

Minitab® Statistical Software
Predictive Analytics Module for Minitab® Statistical Software
Solutions Modules for Minitab® Statistical Software
Minitab Workspace®

You should name the Options file as minitab.opt and save it in the Minitab License Manager installation directory, which has the default location of:

64-bit version: C:\Program Files\Minitab\License Manager
32-bit version: C:\Program Files (x86)\Minitab\License Manager

For more information about the Option file or parameter syntax, go to the FlexNet License Administration Guide.

In the following sections, product can be any of the following names.

Minitab
companion
workspace
predictiveanalytics
healthcare
supplychain
customercontactcenter
insurance
measurementsystemanalysis
powersamplesize
reliability
researchdevelopment

Ensure that your product matches the product name in the minitab.lic file and in the minitab.opt file, if the optional file is in use. For example, if your product is Minitab, the product name in the minitab.lic file should be Minitab as shown in bold below:

SERVER this_host 
VENDOR Minitab
USE_SERVER
INCREMENT Minitab minitab XX 31-jul-20XX 10 \

In This Topic

How do I reserve licenses so that they cannot be borrowed?
How can I set a limit on the amount of time that a user can borrow a license?
How can I recover a borrowed license if an operating system is unrecoverable or a laptop is stolen or inaccessible?
How do I specify users and groups with an Options file?
How do I reserve licenses for individual users or groups?
How do I limit concurrent sessions on separate computers?

How do I reserve licenses so that they cannot be borrowed?

If you have users who borrow licenses, you might want to reserve some of your licenses for standard network usage. To do this, use the BORROW_LOWWATER parameter in an Options file.

Open minitab.opt in Notepad.
Add the following line:
```
BORROW_LOWWATER product x
```
Restart the Minitab License Manager service.

How can I set a limit on the amount of time that a user can borrow a license?

If you have users who borrow licenses, you might want to set a maximum checkout time so that users do not borrow licenses for an indefinite period of time. To do this, use the MAX_BORROW_HOURS parameter in the Options file.

Open minitab.opt with Notepad.
Add the following line:
```
MAX_BORROW_HOURS product x
```
Restart the Minitab License Manager service.

How can I recover a borrowed license if an operating system is unrecoverable or a laptop is stolen or inaccessible?

Give the new computer the same name as the computer that borrowed the license.
Log back onto the new computer with the same Windows user account that was used to borrow the license.
Run the Minitab 22 or Minitab Workspace client software again.
- In Minitab 22, choose Help > About Minitab.
- In Minitab Workspace, choose Help.
Click Borrow License.
In Borrow Through, choose a return date on the calendar.
Click Borrow.

This procedure will synchronize the Minitab License Manager with the client software. When you return the license on the new computer, the license will become available for borrowing again.

How do I specify users and groups with an Options file?

You can use an Options file to specify users or groups of users to control access to Minitab applications. You can specify individual users by their Windows user account name. For example, if a user has a Windows network logon account name of DOMAIN\Username1, you would specify Username1 from the Options file to control and/or limit access to Minitab. You can also use the Options file to specify the same level of access or restrictions to groups of users. For example, if you want to restrict a specific department from accessing Minitab applications, create a group with their usernames, and then use the group to restrict access from within the Options file. To create a group from an Options file, use the following syntax:

GROUP groupname username1 username2

Note

Groups that you create in an Options file differ from Windows security groups that are created on a Windows server, which are used for file permissions.

How do I reserve licenses for individual users or groups?

You can use an Options file to reserve licenses for individual users or groups. Reserving a license allocates a set number of licenses for a user or a group of users. The reserved licenses are removed from the available license pool and cannot be checked out by any other user. To reserve licenses for a group of users, use the following syntax:

GROUP groupname username1 username2
RESERVE 2 product GROUP groupname

To reserve a license for a specific user, use the following syntax:

RESERVE 1 product USER username1

How do I limit concurrent sessions on separate computers?

You can use an Options file to limit the number of concurrent connections a user or a group of users can check out. This functionality limits a user to starting their Minitab product on one computer at a time. For example, if user1 starts Minitab on computer1 and then logs on to computer2, this user would be denied access to start Minitab on the second computer.

Note

The Minitab License Manager counts multiple instances of Minitab on the same computer by the same user as one checked out license. This is true even if you specify one concurrent connection for a user using this feature.

To limit concurrent connections for users or groups of users, use the following syntax:

GROUP groupname username1 username2
MAX 1 product GROUP groupname

For example, if you want to limit two departmental groups of three users to a maximum of two connections per department, use the following syntax:

GROUP corporategroup corpuser1 corpuser2 corpuser3
GROUP engineeringgroup enguser1 enguser2 corpuser3
MAX 2 product GROUP corporategroup
MAX 2 product GROUP engineeringgroup

For more information about the Options file, go to the FlexNet License Administration Guide.