Installing License Key Server on Windows

Learn how to install the license server and license key files on Windows.

Before you begin

  • Read the System Requirements for License Key Server technical document to ensure that you understand the requirements.
  • Know how to download installation files from the IBM® Website.
  • Ensure that you have a current backup of your registry and system directories before you start the installation program.
  • Download the License Key Server from the IBM Website.
  • Work with a supported network configuration.
    • IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) or IBM floating licenses can be used over a wide area network if the floating licenses are in compliance with the geographical allowance of the License Agreement.
  • You must have Windows administrator privileges on the local computer. The Windows server must have a C:\ drive. The default TCP/IP port number is 27000.
Note: If you are upgrading the License Key Server from 8.1.6 or earlier to v 9.0, you might encounter a warning message similar to, "The IBM License Key Server package does not support one of more of the translations selected for the IBM Rational RLKS package group. For unsupported translations, the language used by the package is either the language used for the operating system or English". This warning message is caused by the difference in the way translations are installed in the new version release, and can be safely ignored. Support for the translated languages remain the same in v9.0.

About this task

Use IBM Installation Manager to install the License Key Server. See the IBM Installation Manager documentation.

You can install the License Key Server for an IPv4 or IPv6 network.

Important: You cannot install a new version of License Key Server if earlier versions of license key servers are running. Before you install a new version, you must stop all earlier versions of license key servers.
Note:
  • For IPv6, the IPv6 stack must be enabled on Windows before you install the License Key Server.

Procedure

To install the License Key Server:

  1. Download IBM_License_Key_Server_Windows.zip file against required operating system from Fix Central.
  2. Log in as a user with administrator rights on the local computer where the License Key Server will be installed.
  3. Extract the installation files for License Key Server. The extracted files are the repository for License Key Server. The installation files include Installation Manager. You do not need to download Installation Manager separately. 
  4. Go to the //LKS_MASTER_DISK/disk1 directory.
  5. Double-click launchpad.bat. The IBM Common Licensing splash screen opens.
  6. Refer to release information section for more details.
  7. Click Install IBM License Key Server to open the Installation Manager interface.
    If Installation Manager is not installed or the installed version of Installation Manager is an earlier version than the Installation Manager version included with License Key Server, you must install Installation Manager before you install License Key Server:
    1. Installation Manager opens to the Install Packages window. Only Installation Manager is listed. License Key Server is not listed.
    2. To install Installation Manager, follow the instructions in the Install wizard.
    3. When the installation finishes, click Restart Installation Manager.
  8. Click Install to install License Key Server.
  9. Select License Key Server and click Next.
  10. After the prerequisites are validated, click Next. To validate prerequisites again, click Recheck Status in the lower right corner.
  11. Accept the license agreement and click Next.
  12. For both the Shared Resources directory and Installation Manager directory locations, either accept the default value or enter a different directory location and click Next.
    Important: You cannot change the location of the Shared Resources directory after Installation Manager is installed.
    Default values:
    • Shared Resources directory: C:\Program Files\IBM\IMShared
    • Installation Manager directory: C:\Program Files\IBM\Installation Manager\eclipse
  13. Accept the default installation directory for the license server or enter a different installation directory.

    Default installation directory: C:\Program Files (86)\IBM\LKS

  14. In Packages, click Install to start the installation.
  15. Click Finish to close installation wizard.
  16. Import the license keys and start the server. The license server will not start until license keys are installed. See the Starting the Windows license server topic.

What to do next

You can install the Server Administration and Reporting Tool to administer license servers on Windows and UNIX operating systems. Use the reporting feature of the application to generate license usage reports for IBM products that are served by the License Key Server and IBM Engineering Lifecycle Management (ELM) license server.