SUMMARY: RLM license servers can produce detailed report logs of the license activity of your products. By default, these log files are turned off. This article will explain the potential uses of these report log files, what they are and how to tell your RLM license server to start producing them.
User Benefits
Users of products that use RLM license servers for floating or concurrent licenses use report logs for:
- Proof of internal license compliance
- Allocating costs across departments who share licenses.
- Asset and maintenance cost optimization and budget planning
- Entering into and monitor usage-based software licensing agreements
ISV Benefits
Software vendors benefit from report logs too. They can be used to:
- Reconcile over-usage
- Build post-use billing models
- Produce audit reports to support future product pricing negotiations
How to turn on RLM Report Logs
There is nothing that the ISV needs to do. The user creates an “options file” for each RLM ISV for which he wants to produce a log file, and adds this line to the file: REPORTLOG +file_path
Also, on the ISV line of the license file, the options file name must be specified.
Format (pre-RLM v9.0): ISV isvname isvname.exe isvname.opt
or
Format (RLM v9.0+): ISV isvname options=isvname.opt
Other RLM Report Log Features
- Plain-text format is fully documented
- Applications can ensure that report logs are capturing usage
- ROTATE [daily | weekly | monthly | #days ], automatic log file rotation
- Feature names mapped to “product names”
- Authentication to ensure report data integrity
- Anonymized – ensures user privacy
- ISVs can write their own report log records
- 3rd party RLM reporting tools are available from Reprise Software partners
For more information about RLM report log and its format specification, please review the RLM End User Manual.
Is the following statement accurate?
“Also, on the ISV line of the license file, the options file name must be specified.”
The following is an excerpt from http://www.reprisesoftware.com/RLM_Enduser.html:
The ISV options file can be located in 3 ways:
1. You can specify the ISV options file location on the ISV Line in The License File.
2. If no specification is on the ISV line, rlm will look for .opt (where is the name of the ISV) in the location with the first license file.
3. If there is no options file in either of the first 2 locations, rlm will look for .opt in the working directory where you started the rlm server.
I guess it is because this article is nearly 5 years old. I’m just wondering, because I am not specifying the options file on my ISV line, but I have .opt located in the same directory as ALL of my license files and I don’t see the REPORTLOG file in my designated location.
You’re right, that statement is old. The License Admin manual is the reference for this (note that
RLM_Enduser.html is old, you can get the new License Administration manual on our website at
http://www.reprisesoftware.com/RLM_License_Administration.pdf
If your reportlog isn’t appearing, please contact the ISV who supplied your software and
they can help you.