License manager - auto download license?

[Patrick M]

I am managing systems for a large company with multiple license pools. Their primary license is a net key shared over the network; but they recently expanded to include a few soft keys that can be downloaded for remote/offline/etc. use

The issue is, once a computer had downloaded a soft key, that computer will default to automaticaly download, even after the license manager had uploaded that key. Wouldn't be a problem, but we don't have c/i tools on those soft licenses.

How do I keep the license manager from automatically downloading keys? when did this start?

Follow up; I have a personal issue with this as well, since I have 2 keys for my business, one for me and one for a fellow consultant. My key includes the cadimage package, hers does not. We keep swapping keys, without uploading/downloading. the auto download 'feature' is really screwing me and my clients over, and I need to find a way to road block that... only need to download a license when I need a license, not whenever AC decides to step in and "help out"

[Peter Kis]

When you purchase a software key with a license, it is assigned to the Graphisoft id company administrator by default. If you and your colleague use the same (administrator) credentials for program activation, Archicad will (randomly) download one of the available software keys from the license pool. To avoid this behavior, the Graphisoft ID administrator must assign the corresponding software key to one of the Graphisoft ID company members, who should use his own credentials for Archicad activation. In this way, the license is "named" or assigned and can be used exclusively by your colleague.
Background information: In Archicad 25, Graphisoft introduced program activation based on Graphisoft ID. Based on the GSID profile of the logged-in user, Archicad automatically downloads the software key with the license from the online license pool if no local or network license is found.

[Barry Kelly]

@Peter Kis ,

Could I ask for a little clarification here please?

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@Peter Kis wrote:

Background information: In Archicad 25, Graphisoft introduced program activation based on Graphisoft ID. Based on the GSID profile of the logged-in user, Archicad automatically downloads the software key with the license from the online license pool if no local or network license is found.

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So if a license as assigned to a particular user, does this mean the license will be automatically returned to the pool when Archicad is shut down?

So the user can simply log into another machine (say at home) and have the license automatically download again.

Or does the user have to manually return the license to the company pool?

And if the license is not assigned to a user and Archicad randomly downloads a license. is that license returned to the company pool when Archicad is closed ready for others to use it?

The reason I ask is we seem to get a few posts where people lose access to the software licenses.

I can understand if a machine fails and there was no time to return the license, or Archicad has not been shut down.

Or is it a case if a user manually requests a license, they must manually return it as well?

That is if they can manually request a license - I don't have software licenses so am unsure how they work exactly.

Or is it all automatic now with signing in with Graphisoft ID?

Barry.

[Peter Kis]

Only license activation is automated, license return should be done by the user either from Archicad (Help menu»Upload Software key) or with LMT. The process is independent of the actual license availability configuration (Admin only, Everyone, assigned to a specific user).

[Barry Kelly]

That is a shame.

it would be so much better if the license was released when Archicad is closed.

If it can be requested automatically, it would be great if it could be returned automatically.

Thanks for replying.

Barry.

[TracyGA]

I agree this is a major issue.  Is there a way to turn off this automatic license request feature? My coworker works from home one day a week.  Several times now he will upload his key at home and then when he gets to work there is no key available because his computer has somehow downloaded the key again without his request.  This automatic download without the option to remotely request an upload has caused him to have to go back home several times and work from there wasting time for him and our company.  We have actually called tech support on this and were told that automatic downloads are not possible, but after reading this it is obvious that isn't true.  Something needs to be changed ASAP because this is a serious waste of everyone's time and energy!

[Bryn Challis]

I've had exactly the same issue. Twice now, I've uploaded my license at home to the company license pool, then one of the machines in the office has automatically downloaded it so it's not available for me by the time I get there. There needs to be an easy way to turn this off, because it's been a huge time waster.

[Bryn Challis]

In fact the biggest time waster has been simply figuring out that this is what was going on in the first place. We were initially baffled by this disappearing license.

[TracyGA]

We have found that we need to make sure to quit Archicad and the License Manager after uploading the key so that it doesn't automatically download again.  It seems to work so far.