Floating License Server

The ReqView Floating License Server is a web service providing floating licenses for ReqView products. It communicates with client applications using secure HTTPS connections, so it must be started with a TLS/SSL certificate and its private key.

The ReqView Floating License Server comes with a set of certificates so that it is easily started out of the box. However, you may wish to use existing certificates or generate your own. For more information on using existing certificates or generating your own, see TLS/SSL Certificates.

Note: The license server must run at the exact address and port for which the ReqView floating license was generated. The server’s TLS certificate must be issued for this address. Multiple DNS names and wildcards are not permitted.

Command Line Interface

Basic Usage and Arguments:

reqview_license_server [-h] [--host HOST [HOST ...]]
                       --port PORT
                       --certfile CERTFILE
                       [--adminpwfile ADMINPWFILE]

Example:

Start the ReqView Floating License Server on port 8000 with a TLS/SSL certificate stored in file server.pem:

$ reqview_license_server --port 8000 --certfile server.pem

Run as Windows Service

Run the ReqView Floating License Server as a Windows service using NSSM (the Non-S***ing Service Manager). At least Windows 8.1 or Windows Server 2012 are required.

Configuration

Run cmd.exe command prompt as Administrator and change the directory to a folder that will permanently contain the reqview_license_server.exe binary and the files needed by it.

The service is defined in the provided service.cmd script. Change it based on your needs, if necessary.

...
nssm install reqview-license-server "%exepath%"
nssm set reqview-license-server AppParameters --port 8000 --certfile server.pem --adminpwfile adminpw.txt
nssm set reqview-license-server DisplayName "%dispname%"
nssm set reqview-license-server Description "Provides floating licenses to ReqView clients."
nssm set reqview-license-server DependOnService Tcpip
nssm set reqview-license-server Start SERVICE_DELAYED_AUTO_START
nssm set reqview-license-server AppRestartDelay 900000
nssm set reqview-license-server AppThrottle 10000
nssm set reqview-license-server AppNoConsole 1
nssm set reqview-license-server AppStdout "%~dp0stdout.log"
nssm set reqview-license-server AppStderr "%~dp0stderr.log"
...

The arguments present on the second line will be used when the server is started or restarted, the service will not be able to start unless they are correct. Do not move or delete the directory or any files in it after the service is installed. The file nssm.exe must also be kept as it is the executable registered for the service.

Use the provided service.cmd script to set up and start the service:

> service.cmd

The program is allowed through the Windows Firewall by the netsh advfirewall command in the service.cmd script. You must allow the reqview_license_server.exe binary manually if you use any other firewall solution.

The service is started under the LocalSystem account by default (a predefined service account). To review or edit the service configuration using the NSSM GUI, run the nssm edit reqview-license-server command.

After the service is started, check the stderr.log file for errors. The service manager will keep restarting the server without success if invalid parameters or certificate files are provided, server database file cannot be created or a similar error occurs.

Service Management

The service starts automatically after system boot. Afterwards, you can manage the service (start, restart, stop, or query its status) using the following commands:

> nssm start reqview-license-server
> nssm restart reqview-license-server
> nssm stop reqview-license-server
> nssm status reqview-license-server

If necessary, stop the service and then uninstall it using the nssm remove reqview-license-server confirm command.

Run in Docker

Run the ReqView Floating License Server in a Docker container using Docker Compose.

Configuration

Make sure that Docker is configured to start on boot – see Docker post-installation steps for Linux. Run a console with sufficient privileges and change the directory to the location of the reqview_license_server binary, certificate, and license files needed by it. This directory will be mounted as a volume in the Docker container and must be writable for the server instance.

The service is defined in the provided docker-compose.yml file. Change it based on your needs, if necessary.

version: "2"
services:
  reqview-license-server:
    image: debian:bullseye-slim
    ports:
      - "8000:8000"
    restart: unless-stopped
    volumes:
      - .:/app
    working_dir: /app
    entrypoint: ["/app/reqview_license_server", "--port", "8000",
                 "--certfile", "/app/server.pem",
                 "--adminpwfile", "/app/adminpw.txt"]

Use the provided service.sh script to set up and start the service:

$ ./service.sh

After starting the service, execute docker-compose logs to see that the service is running correctly. Docker compose will keep restarting the server without success if invalid parameters or certificate files are provided, server database file cannot be created or a similar error occurs. Make sure that your firewall and antivirus software are not blocking access to the license server.

Service Management

$ docker-compose start
$ docker-compose restart
$ docker-compose stop
$ docker-compose logs

If necessary, you can stop and uninstall the service (i.e. stop and remove the docker container) using the docker-compose down command.

Import or Update License

Use the “Import or update a license” button at the bottom of the Administration web page described below after initial service setup or when you get an updated server license from us.

The client license doesn’t need to be replaced after updating the server license if the license ID and the server’s address haven’t changed. The clients will check out the new license automatically right after it’s updated.

Administration Web Page

With the service up and running, you can check the server status using the administration web page located at https://<license-server-url>/admin

Note: The <license-server-url> address must be the full address and match the address present in the server certificate exactly.

Note: Only Chrome, Edge and Firefox are supported when viewing the administration web page. Internet Explorer cannot display the page.

The administration web page is protected by a login form where the only correct username is "admin" and the password is taken from the file supplied by the --adminpwfile argument. The password is set to "admin" if no password file is provided.

The Licenses page shows the served licenses and current checkouts/borrows by ReqView users. If a ReqView user cannot check in a floating license (in exceptional circumstances), the license administrator can manually cancel the checkout/borrow by clicking the ❌ button. The number of cancellation requests in a given amount of time is limited.

The Log page shows all server events that have occurred during the last two weeks. The most recent event is listed at the top.

To refresh the website for updated information, press F5.

Update TLS/SSL Certificate

The following steps are necessary to update the TLS/SSL certificate after a renewal:

1. Run a console with sufficient privileges and change the directory to the location of the license server files
2. Replace the server.pem certificate file with the renewed one
3. Restart the service using the appropriate command
   • on Windows:

     > nssm restart reqview-license-server

   • with Docker:

     $ docker-compose restart

Update Server Binary

The following steps are necessary to update the license server binary to a newer version:

1. Run a console with sufficient privileges and change the directory to the location of the license server files
2. Stop the service using the appropriate command
   • on Windows:

     > nssm stop reqview-license-server

   • with Docker:

     $ docker-compose down

3. Replace the license server executable file reqview_license_server or reqview_license_server.exe with the new version
4. Start the service
   • on Windows:

     > nssm start reqview-license-server

   • with Docker:

     $ chmod +x reqview_license_server
     $ docker-compose pull && ./service.sh

Note: The above instructions might not be suitable if the service was configured differently than using the provided defaults, e.g. a custom Dockerfile might require rebuilding of your image.

Migrate to a Different Server

If the need arises, the license server can be migrated to a different server.

DNS records in your network will probably have to be updated if you wish to keep the same URL. If you intend to change the server’s URL, both server and client license files will need to be regenerated – please contact us.

To migrate, follow these steps:

1. Run a console with sufficient privileges and change the directory to the location of the license server files
2. Stop and uninstall the service using the appropriate command on the old server:
   • on Windows:

     > nssm stop reqview-license-server
     > nssm remove reqview-license-server confirm

   • with Docker:

     $ docker-compose down

3. Set up the service on the new machine – see instructions for Windows or Docker.

Query License Server Status

You can query the server status in the console using curl tool on the https://<license-server-url>/status URL:

$ curl -k https://reqviewlicense.intranet.mycompany.com:8000/status

which will produce the following output in JSON format:

{
  "my-reqview-floating-license": {
    "issued": 10,
    "in_use": 3
  }
}

You can easily implement a script processing the JSON output and run it periodically. For example, the following Python script status.py outputs a message stating the currently available number of licenses:

import sys
import json

try:
    data = json.load(sys.stdin)
except Exception:
    data = {}
issued = 0
in_use = 0
for lic in data.values():
    issued += lic['issued']
    in_use += lic['in_use']
print("Total %d issued, %d in use" % (issued, in_use))

You can run the status.py script and curl command in a pipe:

$ curl -s -k https://reqviewlicense.intranet.mycompany.com:8000/status | python status.py

which will print:

Total 10 issued, 3 in use