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Version: 10.2

Altair License Manager

Introduction​

Open iT supports Altair usage reporting. The following sections will guide you on the required configuration for license manager utility polling and log file parsing.

warning

Apply the configurations shown in the Open iT Core Client.

Configuring License Manager Utility Polling​

Open iT polls the license servers at regular intervals to get the current status of its license use and availability.

An Open iT Core Client is installed on your license server for this collection. The data collector/preprocessor gathers the current license usage information from the license manager every hour using a 5-minute sample interval, triggering the data collection process. It also processes the gathered license usage. Once the data is preprocessed, it is transmitted to the Core Server, according to the client's timezone, for further storage, completing the license usage data collection and processing.

License Manager Utility Polling Workflow

License Manager Utility Polling Workflow

This will produce the following aggregated data types used for historical reporting:

The following sections will guide you in setting up the necessary configuration to collect and send the required data to the server.

Requirements​

Getting the License Status Utility Binary Location​

This configuration requires the path to the license status utility binary, almutil, to obtain the license status information. Get this by following these steps:

Through the Interface​

  1. Open the Task Manager.
  2. Go to the Details tab.
  3. Locate almutil.
  4. Right-click and choose Open file location.
    The path of the binary will be displayed.

Through the Command Line​

  1. Open a command prompt with Administrator level privileges.

  2. Run the following command to locate the binary:

    Command Syntax
    where /r <installation_drive> almutil

    where <installation_drive> is the drive where the license manager is installed.

    Example
    where /r C:\ almutil

    The path of the binary will be displayed.

After verifying the path of the polling program, make sure that it is running.
Open a command prompt in the directory of the license server executable or the polling program and run the following command:

Command Syntax
almutil -licstat -port <port-number> -host $license-server- collapse
Example
almutil -licstat -port 6200 -host $license-server - collapse

Make sure no errors are encountered.

Configuring Data Collection​

These are the required steps to activate and configure collection of Altair usage data.

  1. Go to the Components directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\Configuration\Components, and back up the licpoll.xml configuration file.

  2. Open a command prompt with Administrator level privileges.

  3. Go to the bin directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin, run the command:

    Command Syntax
    cd $BIN_DIR
    Example
    cd C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin

  4. Once in the directory, activate the collection of Altair data, run the command:

    Command Syntax
    openit_confinit -c "licpoll.license-types.altair-sample.active=true"

  5. Set the license server name and port used by the Altair license server, run the command:

    Command Syntax
    openit_confinit -c "licpoll.license-types.altair-sample.license-server=<hostname:portnumber>"
    Example
    openit_confinit -c "licpoll.license-types.altair-sample.license-server=desktop123win:27000"

  6. Set the path to the binary used by the Altair license server, run the command:

    Command Syntax
    openit_confinit -c "licpoll.license-types.altair-sample.status-command=<binary_path>"

    where <binary_path> is the obtained path in Getting the License Status Utility Binary Path.

    Example
    openit_confinit -c "licpoll.license-types.altair-sample.status-command=C:\almutil\bin\almutil"

  7. Update the configuration file, run the command:

    Command Syntax
    openit_confbuilder --client

    Make sure no errors are encountered.

Advanced Configuration

Refer to the Altair Data Collection Configuration table to learn more about Altair configuration in licpoll.xml.

Object NameAccepted ValueDescription
activeBoolean (true or false)Setting this to true activates Altair usage data collection.
typeString (i.e., Altair)The license manager type.
intervalTimespan (e.g., P30S, P5M, P1H)The span of time between each polling round (it is recommended to set a value no less than P1M).
offsetTimespan (e.g., P30S, P5M, P1H)The span of time the aligned poll time decided by interval is shifted.
options-fileFileName (e.g., C:\Program Files\altair\altair-triad.cfg)The filename, including the path, to the Altair options file that contains the redundant server list. This file is provided by the vendor and is usually in the license manager installation directory.
product-nameString (e.g., server;daemon)This object is defined if a vendor license name other than the default Altair=%server%;altair will be used.
license-serverString (e.g., host123lin)The Altair license server name.
status-commandFileName (e.g., ${OpeniT. directories.bin}/ almutil)The binary used to obtain status from the license manager.
status-command.argumentsString (i.e., -licstat -port 6200 -host $license-server -collapse)The arguments used for the status command. The -collapse option provides a collapsed output for each feature so there is only one line for each user for each set of leveled checkouts, showing the actual amount of leveled usage.
Altair Data Collection Configuration

Verifying Data Collection​

After configuration, you can verify that the data is collected by following these steps:

  1. Open a command prompt with Administrator level privileges.

  2. Go to the bin directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin, run the command:

    Command Syntax
    cd $BIN_DIR
    Example
    cd C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin

  3. Run the command:

    Command Syntax
    openit_licpoll -# 1

  4. Verify that the temp directory, which is by default in C:\ProgramData\OpeniT\Data\temp, contains a LicPoll directory containing .data and status-*.log files.

note

Continue reading if you need to configure log file parsing. If not, here are some suggested readings.

Configuring Log File Parsing​

Open iT collects log files and converts them to Open iT format.

An Open iT Core Client is installed on your license server for this collection. The data collector monitors and gathers the license usage history logs from the license manager every midnight. Once the logs are collected, the data collection process triggers and the logs are passed to the data preprocessor. After the data is preprocessed, it is transferred to the Core Server for further storage, completing the history logs collection and processing.

Log File Parsing Workflow

Log File Parsing Workflow

This will produce the following aggregated data types used for historical reporting:

The following sections will guide you in setting up the necessary configuration to collect and send the required data to the server.

Requirements​

  • An Open iT Core Client connected to an Open iT Core Server or a coexistent Open iT Core setup
  • License server administrative rights
  • Full path to the debug log file

Configuring Log File Collection​

These are the required steps to configure collection of Altair log files.

  1. Go to the Components directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\Configuration\Components, and back up the logfilecollector-altair.xml file.

  2. Open a command prompt with Administrator level privileges.

  3. Go to the bin directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin, run the command:

    Command Syntax
    cd $BIN_DIR
    Example
    cd C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin

  4. Once in the directory, set the location of the Altair log files, run the command:

    Command Syntax
    openit_confinit -c "logfilecollector-altair.logfilecollector.source.dir=<altair_log_dir>"

    where <altair_log_dir> is the location of the Altair log files.

    Example
    openit_confinit -c "logfilecollector-altair.logfilecollector.source.dir=C:\Users\user1\Altair_Access\home\logs"
    Sample Log File Content
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] Altair License Server v5.0 build 156130A on pc73 (Linux_x64)
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] Copyright (C) 2002-2013 X-Formation. All rights reserved.
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] Copyright (C) 2013-2016 Altair Engineering, Inc. All rights reserved.
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] License server has pid 26158.
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] Serving licenses for vendor ALTAIR.
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] WARNING: It is not recommended to run license server as root.
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] 
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] License server using TCP IPv4 port 5555.
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] License server using TCP IPv6 port 5555.
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] License server using UDP IPv4 port 5555.
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] Reading licenses...
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] License file(s):
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] C:\Users\user1\altair\licensing13.0\altair_lic.dat
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] Log file path: /usr/local/altair/licensing13.0/logs/pc73.log
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] Log to stdout: No
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] Log format: Normal
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] Configuration file path: C:\Users\user1\altair\licensing13.0\altair-serv.cfg
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] Serving following features:
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] GlobalZoneAM (v13.0) (7481 license(s)) shared on: CUSTOM VIRTUAL license type: exclusive expires: 2019-03-31
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] GlobalZoneAP (v13.0) (7481 license(s)) shared on: CUSTOM VIRTUAL license type: exclusive expires: 2019-03-31
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] GlobalZoneEU (v13.0) (7481 license(s)) shared on: CUSTOM VIRTUAL license type: exclusive expires: 2019-03-31
    [2019-02-13 15:41:41] HWAIFPBS (v13.0) (2147483647 license(s)) shared on: CUSTOM VIRTUAL license type: exclusive expires: 2019-03-31

  5. Update the configuration file, run the command:

    Command Syntax
    openit_confbuilder --client

    Make sure no errors are encountered.

Advanced Configuration

Refer to the Altair Log File Collection Configuration table to learn more about Altair configuration in logfilecollector-altair.xml.

Object NameAccepted ValueDescription
source.dirDirName (e.g., C:\Users\user1\Altair_Access\home\logs)Location of the Altair log files.
source.patternString (i.e., *.log)The glob pattern identifying source files in the source directory.
source.seenString (collect, ignore, or tail)Seen files are the previously collected source files.
  • collect - Specify this option to collect from the start each time.
  • ignore - Specify this option to skip collecting from the same file again.
  • tail - Specify this option to continue collection from the end of the file last time (i.e., collect the ones added since last time).
source.cmplinesInteger (e.g., 6, 10, 20)This is required if the value of source.seen is tail. This is the number of lines compared to source files collected before to determine where to start the collection.

Note: If this number is too low, you can end up with an incorrect position, and duplicate data may be in the log files. Usually, it is better to have a few lines more than strictly necessary than even a single line too little.
target.dirDirName (i.e., ${OpeniT. directories.temp}/ LogFileCollector)This is the location of the directory containing the collected log data.
target.moduleString (i.e., license)The target type of module (in general).
target.datatypeString (i.e., altair)The specific type of target data.
target.intervalTimespan (e.g., P30S, P5M, P1D)The span of time between collector runs.
target.rotation-sizeInteger (e.g., 6, 10, 20)The log file rotates if it goes beyond the number (in mb) defined.
target.rotation-globString (e.g., *)The glob pattern to match before the log file rotates.
Altair Log File Collection Configuration

Activating Log Data Collection​

These are the required steps to activate collection of Altair log data.

  1. Open a command prompt with Administrator level privileges.

  2. Go to the bin directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin, run the command:

    Command Syntax
    cd $BIN_DIR
    Example
    cd C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin

  3. Once in the directory, activate the collection of Altair log data, run the command:

    Command Syntax
    openit_oconfinit -u "collect_license_altair-logs.root.scheduler.jobs.collect_altair_licenselogs.general.active=true"
Advanced Configuration

The collection runs every midnight by default. To configure the intervals, locate the instances attribute under collect_altair_licenselogs, preprocess_altair_licenselogs-events, or transfer_altair_licenselogs in the same file and configure the attributes.

Refer to the Altair Log Job Scheduler Instances Configuration table to learn the attributes used to configure Altair data collection and transfer.

Attribute NameAccepted ValueDescription
max-instancesUint (e.g., 5, 8, 9)The number of instances allowed to run at the same time.
max-handlingString (end-oldest, end-all-old, or end-new)The action done upon reaching the maximum number of instances:
  • end-oldest - Specify this option to stop/kill the oldest instance and start a new one.
  • end-all-old - Specify this option to stop/kill all running instances before starting the new one.
  • end-new - Specify this option to prevent a new instance from starting.
end-timeoutTimespan (e.g., P30S, P5M, P1H)The maximum waiting time before terminating a running instance.
quarantineTimespan (e.g., P30S, P5M, P1H)The waiting time before starting a new instance after a previous one.
Altair Log Job Scheduler Instances Configuration

Verifying Log Data Collection​

After configuration, you can verify that the data is collected and sent to the Core Server by following these steps:

  1. Open a command prompt with Administrator level privileges.

  2. Go to the bin directory, which is by default in C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin, run the command:

    Command Syntax
    cd $BIN_DIR
    Example
    cd C:\Program Files\OpeniT\Core\bin

  3. Run the command:

    Command Syntax
    openit_executor -r collect_license_altair-logs

  4. Verify that there are archiver*.in files created in the Core Server's archiver directory, which is by default in C:\ProgramData\OpeniT\Data\incoming\archiver.

Next Steps?​

Renaming Vendor License
Renaming Features
Create and Add Report
License Monitor