I remember configuring Autodesk Vault 2011 and thinking, wow, this will make a really good article; all the ins and out of the license procedure on FlexNet and Autodesk Licensing Manager (ADLM). Last night I realized that I did not write that article, because I was all too happy to jump right into Vault. Damn !!! So I had to relearn all the bits and pieces.
New License File
I figured I needed a new license file for the 2012 version of Vault, so I went online. The server there told me that I did not need a new license. So, I emailed Autodesk. I got the normal responses initially. After swapping a few emails back and forth, and sending a screen shot of two configuration screens, I was able to relate that I have 2 mac addresses on my local server, and use one by day, and the other by night.
They sent me a new license file, and these odd instruction. I say odd because I’ve never seen these before. Perhaps it’s part of the upgrade…. hmm. The following is an excerpt from the email:
1. Save the license file(s) on your license server. We recommend you save your license file(s) where you installed your Network License Manager. …
2. Name the license file anything you would like. The name must have a .lic extension.
3. Append the INCREMENT information to an existing Autodesk .lic file on your license server
That’s new; I’ve never appended anything to a license file, well at least not one that wasn’t being edited in hexadecimal. 
I followed the instructions and pointed the server to my shiny new license file. Nope… No friggin way.
So I checked and rechecked, but nothing seems wrong. So I re-read the email, and it occurred to me “what’s the point in appending info into a file if you’re not going to use it”. So I pointed the License manager back to the original file, the one that I appended. Badda-bing-badda-boom. Vault Professional 2012 is cooking.
Keep using the old license file
The moral to this story is that once Vault is using a license from FlexNet, you should not stop using that file.
When they send you a new file and tell you to append data from the new to the old, just copy and paste to the end of the data in the original license file. Tell FlexLM to re-read the license file, and away you go.
