SIMetrix/SIMPLIS and SIMetrix are sold with a number of different license options.

Licensing Options

Standalone License

Recommended for single users who have no need to share the software and who only intend to run it on one machine.

The stand alone license for products other than SIMetrix/SIMPLIS is not usually protected (no dongle or node lock) but the license is traceable to the original purchaser. The stand alone license agreement does not permit the product to be installed on more than one user's machine so a single license cannot be shared amongst multiple users. Stand alone versions of SIMetrix/SIMPLIS are "node-locked" that is it will only run on one specified machine. Node-locked licenses will also be issued for all products for some countries.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR LINUX USERS: Stand alone licenses only enable SIMetrix to be run on the primary display. If you wish to use a remote X-server using an application such as VNC, you must purchase a network license.

Local Area Network License

Recommended if SIMetrix/SIMPLIS or SIMetrix is to be shared by more than one network connected user at a local site.

Network licenses are designed for multiple users at the same site who wish to share one or more copies of SIMetrix/SIMPLIS or SIMetrix. The license agreement allows the product to be installed on any number of users' machines but access to the software is controlled by a license manager which we supply. The license manager (FLEXlm from Macrovision Inc.) must be installed on a single machine on your network. Usually it would be installed on a server machine but this is not essential. The license manager runs all the time and controls how many users can run the program simultaneously. So, when a user starts up SIMetrix, the license manager is interrogated to see if there are available licenses. If there are, the program is allowed to run normally. If there are not - because there are others already using the program - the program will still run but the simulator will be disabled.

To comply with the license terms, the user's machines must be located within 10 miles/16 km of the license server. The wide area license does not have this restriction. See below.

Server requirements: must run Windows NT4/2000/XP or later and use TCP/IP. Linux is also supported for SIMetrix only licenses (i.e. not SIMetrix/SIMPLIS). Other UNIX platforms are not supported.

Wide Area Network License

Same as a local area network license but with no restrictions on the relative locations of the server and client machines.

Portable License

Recommended if you wish to use each copy on more than one non-networked computer.

The license agreement for a portable license allows the software to be installed on any number of user's machines but use of the software is protected with a dongle. This license type is intended for users who wish to share copies of SIMetrix/SIMPLIS or SIMetrix on non-networked machines such as laptops. Also, a single user wishing to use SIMetrix/SIMPLIS or SIMetrix on multiple non-networked machines will require this type of license.

The dongles we usually supply are of the USB type and don't suffer from the traditional problems associated with parallel port devices. Note that Windows NT 4 does not support USB devices and that therefore USB based portable licensing is not available for this platform.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR LINUX USERS: Portable licenses only enable SIMetrix to be run on the primary display. If you wish to use a remote X-server using an application such as VNC, you must purchase a network license. Note that we can also supply a network license locked to a dongle. Contact sales for more information.