Licensing
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SysCAD Software License
The two licensing options are:
- Machine based STAND-ALONE license or
- Shared multi-user NETWORK license.
The Crypkey licensing service is required on each PC in both cases.
Note: The folder that is used for licensing cannot be renamed or moved, as this will cause the license to be “lost”.
For general information on license options and functionality, see Licensing Options
Issue a Stand-alone License
The SysCAD License can be issued in two ways:
- Within SysCAD - when a license is issued from within SysCAD, its license information is stored in the SysCAD92\License folder.
- Using Licensing Utility - When a license is issued using the License utility, the license information can be stored in a user defined folder. (eg: “c:\program files\license”). This is useful if the user wants to add a layer of protection to the SysCAD license to prevent it from accidentally being deleted / overwritten / folder name changed / and so on. The license utility is also required when installing the network license.
License Authorisation From Within SysCAD
To Obtain a SysCAD license, this includes evaluation or permanent license, do the following:
- Download and Install SysCAD software, make sure the person installing SysCAD has local administration rights to the computer.
- Start up SysCAD, from menu command License, select License Authorisation
- From the License Authorisation Window, obtain the Site Code and email this to KWA Kenwalt, this Site Code is a unique code generated when License Authorisation is requested. This number should remain the same if started from the same location until the Site Key is updated.
- KWA Kenwalt will issue a corresponding Site Key based on the license agreement and email this back to the user.
- Once the user has this site key, open up License - License Authorisation and place it into the white box.
- Press Update.
- When this is completed successfully, SysCAD license files are stored in the folder where the license is located. By default, this is normally the \SysCAD92\License folder.
The license files created are hidden system files, (to view them, user must have view hidden & system files on):
- SysCAD.41s
- SysCAD.ent
- SysCAD.key
- SysCAD.rst
NOTE: SysCAD license can be LOST if these files are deleted, moved or renamed.
License Authorisation Using Licensing Utility
User can issue a license directly from the Licensing Utility file. The licensing utility file SysCAD.exe can be found in
- C:\SysCAD92\License\ OR
- C:\SysCAD92\Setup\LicensingUtility\
and is used for managing the SysCAD license. NOTE that this file is approximately 300KB, and is NOT to be confused with the SysCAD92.exe file located in the bin folder.
To issue a SysCAD license using the License Utility file,
- Create a folder for the license. See Set up an alternate license folder for more information.
- Double click on SysCAD.exe in the destinated folder to open the SysCAD License... dialog box.
- After the utility check the crypkey software is in operation, it will display a few buttons as shown in the following picture.
- click the License Authorisation button,
- Obtain and send the site code, to KWA Kenwalt, this Site Code is a unique code generated when License Authorisation is requested. This number should remain the same if started from the same location until the Site Key is updated.
- KWA Kenwalt will create a corresponding site key which will unlock the agreed functionality.
- Once the user received the Site Key from KWA Kenwalt, place the Site Key in the License Authorisation and press update. (Make sure the license Authorisation is started from the same location / method as when the code was obtained, otherwise it is possible the key would not match.)
Once the license is set up in this folder using the licensing utility, start SysCAD in the normal way (or run SysCAD92.exe from \SysCAD92\Bin folder), then from License - License Location; use Browse to set the location for the SysCAD license.
NOTE: The advantage of this method is multiple versions/users can be pointing to the one location for a SysCAD license. This is especially useful for network license users.
Set up an alternate license folder
The license can be located on any folder on the PC, but it is strongly recommended that you do not setup the license to be in the main programs folder (\syscad92\bin).
Typical steps for setting this up are:
- Create a folder (eg “…\SysCADLicense”) in a “safe” location that is unlikely to be moved or deleted.
- A number of files are required in this folder, most importantly the license utility program syscad.exe. The best option is to copy the entire contents from the licensing utility folder (\SysCAD92\Setup\LicensingUtility) to the folder that has been created.
- For a new installation, follow instruction given in License Authorisation Using Licensing Utility
- If you already have a SysCAD license, you will need to transfer the license from the original location to this new folder. The procedure to transfer a license is described in License Transfer.
Issue a Network License
If a SysCAD network license is going to be used, there needs to be a nominated PC for use as the SysCAD License Server. Note that this can be any PC on the network and does not need to be a Server. There are two options for setting up licensing on the selected SysCAD license server, the second option is recommended.
- Install the SysCAD software as described for a normal Stand-Alone PC.
- Install the Crypkey Service and use the SysCAD Licensing Utility for license management.
Setting up the network license folder:
The network license can be located on any folder on the license server. This folder needs to be shared on the network and full access rights need to be granted to all SysCAD users. Typical steps for setting this up are:
- Create a folder (eg "..\SysCADLicense") or if the full SysCAD was installed, you can use the default license folder.
- For a new folder, copy the licensing utility files to this folder. The best option is to copy the entire contents from the licensing utility folder (\SysCAD92\Setup\LicensingUtility) to the folder that has been created. The most important files are syscad.exe, crp32002.ngn, setupex.exe and cks.exe.
- If Crypkey Service is not installed, install it now by running setupex_force.cmd or setupex.exe. The Crypkey service is installed by running the "setupex.exe" program supplied. This requires administrator privileges to install correctly and must be installed from the server PC. Note that this is a silent install so there are no notification messages during or after the installation.
- This license folder needs to be shared to allow remote network access by other users. If desired, a meaningful share name may be created so that users can locate this shared folder easily.
- Important:Full permissions (read/write/modify/create/etc) for all SysCAD users or groups need to be granted for this shared folder. When adding new users, they need these access permissions to all the existing files in the license folder, especially the .ngn file and all the syscad.* files including the system hidden syscad.* files.
- Run syscad.exe. This will start the licensing utility. As this file syscad.exe is in the folder for the intended license, the license location is the current folder. Select the license authorisation button to obtain a site code.
- Contact Kenwalt and provide the site code so that the network license may be issued. Once the authourisation site key has been provided by Kenwalt, this needs to be entered and the network license is now ready for use.
- Select license information to confirm license has been issued and view details of the license options granted.
- Client users can now run SysCAD and “point” (using the license location option) at the shared network license folder to access the multiuser network licenses as described below in "Using SysCAD on network workstations".
Using SysCAD on network workstations:
- On each local PC (or laptop) that may use SysCAD, install a copy of SysCAD.
- The first time you start SysCAD it will operate in demonstration mode. Before trying to load any projects, select the license location menu option and use browse to “point” at the network location or share where the SysCAD network license is located. You will need to ensure that IT have given you full access to this shared network location.
- Once you have changed and accepted the new network license location, you will have access to one of the shared network licenses.
- If at the time you start SysCAD all the network licenses are held by other users, you will receive a message denying access to a license and a list of users currently using SysCAD licenses. Your copy will then revert to demonstration mode.
SysCAD License Location
At a site that has a number of network and stand-alone licenses with different options each at a different location, you may want to create a number of SysCAD short-cuts to use the different licenses. This is easier than changing the license location through the SysCAD menu each time you need to "point" at a different license location. This can be done by creating multiple SysCAD shortcuts on the desktop and using the command line option "/l:" (lower case L for Location) to set the license location.
An extra /n (lower case N for New) should also be included as this will force a new instance of SysCAD to be started. Required if you want to open two copies of SysCAD at once.
For example if you have a dynamic license located on the network at "N:\SysCADLicense\Dynamic" and a ProBal license located at "N:\SysCADLicense\ProBal", you would create two SysCAD sortcuts on the desktop. In the Properties window for the shortcut, on the "Shortcut" tab page for Target add the command line option /n /l:"location" (eg Target: c:\syscad91\bin\syscad91.exe /n /l:"N:\SysCADLicense\Dynamic"). It is also a good idea to change the description on the "General" tab page to "SysCAD 9.1 Dynamic" or similar. Then for a separate ProBal license you may have c:\syscad91\bin\syscad91.exe /n /l:"N:\SysCADLicense\ProBal" for the target and SysCAD 9.1 ProBal for the description. Then the user can use the two shortcuts to start SysCAD depending on the license required.
For normal use (License Location) menu option, where the license location override option is not used, SysCAD remembers the last license location which is stored in the file "SysCAD.Machine.ini" in the \SysCAD92\Basefiles folder.
Trouble shooting Network License Problems
General Notes on Network Licenses:
- Network licenses are issued on a first come first served basis.
- Licenses are released to the system when a user exits SysCAD.
- If a network connection is lost, or there is an abnormal SysCAD exit then the license is released to the network after a timeout period.
- If multiple copies of SysCAD are started on the same PC, each will use one of the available network user licenses.
Having Problems accessing Network Licenses:
- Check that licensing software (crypkey) is working correctly on the license server PC. Test this on the server by running the license utility syscad.exe and checking the messages and license. Note you must test this ON the server (not by running syscad.exe license utility from a network folder while you are on a client PC). Any crypkey licensing errors on the server need to be resolved before trying to use the network license. See Troubleshooting Crypkey for further information on checking Crypkey version or resolving Crypkey issues.
- Check that the user has full permissions (read/write/modify/create/etc) to the license folder AND the existing files in this folder.
- Check that licensing software (crypkey) is working correctly on the client PC. Test this by changing the license location to a local drive and checking the message window for licensing errors. Any crypkey licensing errors need to be resolved before trying to use the network license.
License Compatibility for SysCAD Versions
Sharing License between SysCAD 9.1 and SysCAD 9.2
SysCAD 9.1 and SysCAD 9.2 will share the same license.
For users that have both version of SysCAD,
- Identify and remember the location of the license (if in doubt, open the copy of SysCAD that has the correct license, select License - License location, and take note of the path of SysCAD location. The License - License Information will also display the path of the license file.)
- On the version of SysCAD (9.1 or 9.2) that is not "licensed" properly, select License - License Location, enter the path of the the SysCAD license obtain in step 1 or use Browse to located the correct file.
- SysCAD 9.0 DOES NOT share the same license, see the next heading for more information.
Upgrading SysCAD 9.0 License to SysCAD 9.1 License
The SysCAD 9.0 and 9.1 versions are installed separately and by default will have different license locations. SysCAD 9.1 uses an upgraded version of the Crypkey licensing software. You will NOT be able to use your SysCAD 9.0 (or earlier) license to run SysCAD 9.1 or later. Kenwalt will need to provide a replacement license.
The normal procedure is for Kenwalt to first issue an additional short term SysCAD 9.1 license so that you can evaluate the new version, upgrade and check your projects. During or after this time we will ask you to "kill" (delete) your existing 9.0 licenses and we will issue an equivalent replacement SysCAD 9.1 licenses. Please contact Kenwalt for further information on this process.
SysCAD 9.0 Build 115 and prior versions do NOT share the same license as SysCAD 9.1 so these older versions will not work with a SysCAD 9.1 license. If you do still need to run SysCAD 9.0 projects, please contact Kenwalt so that we can provide SysCAD 9.0 Build 116. This build will allow you to set the license location to point at the SysCAD 9.1 license and allow you to load and run SysCAD 9.0 projects.
License Transfer
License Transfer Between Two Computers
For example: Computer A and Computer B each have SysCAD (or SysCAD license utility) installed and a license transfer is required from Computer B (Licensed) to Computer A (Unlicensed).
Before you begin you will need to:
- ensure SysCAD (or SysCAD licensing utility) is correctly installed and running on the two computers. The same major version of SysCAD should be installed on the two computers (eg. both have SysCAD 9.2).
- on the unlicensed computer, there should be no errors with the licensing. In other words, it should be in "Demo" mode because there is not a valid license, and not because there was a licensing software error. If any crypkey licensing errors are reported, resolve these first.
- close any open projects in SysCAD.
- select what media you will use to transfer the license files. Options include USB drive, network folder, portable drive or floppy drive. For the selected media or drive create a new temporary folder (e.g. "License_Transfer") to be used for the license file transfer. You should ensure this folder is empty, which is why it is best to create a new folder each time you wish to transfer a license. Both computers with SysCAD installed will need full access to this folder.
The following three steps should be taken to transfer the license:
- Start SysCAD on Computer A (Unlicensed), select from menu, License | Register License Transfer, type in a path for the registration file. e.g: F:\LicTransfer or C:\Temp\LicTransfer\ or N:\TempFolder\. If successful, SysCAD will display on the message window that the Licence transfer has been registered. A registration file called SysCAD._eg will be created in the selected folder (check view options if you cannot see this file).
- Start SysCAD on Computer B (Licensed), select from menu, License | License Transfer out, you are then required to enter the path where the registration file (created from step 1) is located. You will need to select the correct folder where the file syscad._eg is placed, and would depend on if transfer is done by USB drive, network folder, floppy, etc.
- SysCAD will then search for the registration file and transfer out the licence. The registration file (syscad._eg) will be modified and two new files will be created by SysCAD once this is completed: syscad._ey and syscad._st (check view options if you cannot see these files). A message will also be displayed to confirm that the Licence has been transferred out. SysCAD on this Computer B will now be unlicensed.
- Switch back to Computer A, select from menu, License | License Transfer in, enter the path where the three License transfer files (modified/created in step2) can be located, and press OK to complete the license transfer. A message will be displayed to confirm that the Licence has been transferred in.
- If these three steps have been completed successfully, Computer A will be licensed and Computer B will be unlicensed. You would not transfer a license while a project is open.
Using email to transfer a SysCAD License between two computers:
Use the same three step procedure described above. However you can use a temporary local folder rather than a USB drive (or other selected media). Between each step, zip and send the entire contents of this folder by email. It is important that you include ALL of the files located in this temporary folder including Hidden Files and Protected Operating System files. To ensure these are visible, in windows explorer select Tools> Folder options> View Tab and follow these steps:
- Hidden Files and folders > select item Show Hidden Files and Folders
- Hidden Files and folders > Uncheck Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)
Troubleshooting License Transfer Error
Troubleshooting when transferring a SysCAD License between two computers:
While attempting the three step process employed to transfer a SysCAD license from one computer to another users may encounter difficulties if the process is interrupted or incorrectly completed. The following notes may help you to reset the transfer process allowing you to try again.
1. If your computer gives you the following error message:
- "Register Transfer failed! -3 : TARGET DIRECTORY ALREADY CONTAINS REGISTRATION FILE" OR
- Then you need to do the following:
- Go to the transfer folder (eg on your USB drive) and delete the files created by SysCAD (eg Syscad._eg)
2. If your computer gives you the following error message:
- "Register Transfer failed! -4 : SOURCE DIRECTORY ALREADY CONTAINS REGISTRATION FILE"
- Then you need to do the following:
- Go to the SysCAD92\license folder (or other folder if license is located elsewhere) and delete the file syscad.reg
- If you can't see the file syscad.reg then you need to do the following:
- Right click Start
- Select Explore
- Tools> Folder options>View Tab
- Then ensure you make following adjustments:
- Hidden Files and folders > select item Show Hidden Files and Folders
- Hidden Files and folders > Uncheck Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)
- Now you can try the license transfer process again. Once completed, you can restore your system settings in Windows explorer (ie undo the last two adjustments).
Crypkey Licensing Software Installation
SysCAD uses a software based licensing system developed by Crypkey. Conceptually this is a software equivalent of a dongle system. Crypkey is a system service and is installed at the same time SysCAD is installed. NOTE that Administration Rights to the computer is required when installing the Crypkey service. If for some reason Crypkey was not installed during SysCAD installation or Crypkey not working properly, please follow the instructions on the next few headings.
New Installation of Crypkey Licensing Software
If Crypkey was not installed as part of the installation, then run c:\SysCAD92\License\SetupEx.exe or c:\syscad92\setup\licensingUtility\SetupEx.exe
NOTES:
- This requires administrator privileges to install correctly.
- This is a silent install so there are no notification messages during or after the installation.
- This must be installed from a local drive on the PC (ie from a folder on the C drive, not from a CD, external drive or external PC).
- On a PC that already has an older version of SysCAD or Crypkey installed, it is recommended that you force a re-installation of the crypkey service as described in next item.
Re-installing the Crypkey Licensing Software
If crypkey is already installed, but not working properly it may be necessary to force an override installation to be sure that the latest version of the driver is installed. In addition, the correct version of the file crp32002.ngn should be located in the license folder. See Crypkey Troubleshooting for information on how to check for the correct crp32002.ngn file. The expected version of the Crypkey file cks.exe, which is used by the Crypkey installation process, should be dated 15 April 2009 or newer.
If an older version of Crypkey is installed, SysCAD will take longer to check the license and some licensing errors may occur especially for network licenses.
The easiest way to force a Crypkey instalation is to use the file setupex_force.cmd. This may be necessary if an older version of Crypkey had been installed. This simply calls SetupEx.exe with the command line option /F to force an override of the existing Crykey service installation.
Note that Local Administrator privileges are required to install Crypkey and a restart will likely be required.
Crypkey Service Status
In general, after the Crypkey service is installed, it is started automatically in the background to ensure a smooth operation. If operating correctly, it will require no further action from the users.
However, if for any reason Crypkey service is not started or operating correctly, it will affect the SysCAD License from working correctly. In this case, user should check the status of the Crypkey service to identify the problem and decide what the fix should be.
To check the Status Crypkey service:
- Restart the computer
- Open the Services Window (Control Panel – Administrative Tools – Services)
- Check the Status of the Crypkey License, it should be Status: Started and StartUpType: Automatic
- If for any reason the Status is NOT started, Restart the service.
- Make sure Crypkey service is Started prior to loading up SysCAD.
Troubleshooting Crypkey Licensing Software
If any Crypkey service error occurs, the problem has to be resolved before you can continue with entering or transferring licenses.
Checking that Crypkey is running correctly
The Crypkey Licensing software is installed as a system Service. If it is installed and operating correctly, the Crypkey Service should be started (automatically) before SysCAD is loaded. As SysCAD is loaded, it will proceed to check for a SysCAD license. If Crypkey is running correctly, then:
- If SysCAD is not licensed, it will default to Demo Mode and user should get a menu option License and be able to access License Authorisation to obtain a Site code for SysCAD Licensing request. Or the user can change the license folder or transfer a license.
- If SysCAD is licensed, then a message should appear in the message window displaying the license option available to the user.
Message displayed when Crypkey is NOT working when Starting SysCAD
If Crypkey Service is NOT operating properly, it may display (some of) the following message:
- Initialization Failure - 24 INITIALIZATION: DRIVER FAILED OR BUSY for C:\SysCAD92\License\SysCAD.exe
- License Failed to initialise, SysCAD set to demo mode.
- Get site code failed! Returned -1: CRYPKEY IS NOT INITIALISED
Check the following
- Check all the license error messages in the SysCAD message window when SysCAD is started. Note that there may be a number of messages, one of which may describe the cause of the error.
- Check the license location.
- Do you have the correct version of CRP32002.NGN? To check this, open the file "syscad.ckn" from the license folder in a text editor. Check the following items:
- For point "1. DATE:" you should have the current date and time (ie check that this file was generated correctly when the license is checked).
- For point "2. CK VERSION:" you should have "7.1 Build 7303" or newer. If this is older, you need to copy a more recent version of crp32002.ngn into the license folder and/or reinstall Crypkey.
- Is Crypkey running correctly or was Crypkey been installed correctly?
- You need local administrator rights to install the Crypkey Service. See Installing Crypkey Licensing Software.
- To check if the Crypkey Service is installed and started, you can check Services which is accessed by “Control Panel, Administrator Tools, Services”, see Crypkey Service Status for details.
- For a network license, do you have all the correct permissions when accessing the license on the network?
- One quick test is to see if you can create (and then delete) a folder or file in the license folder, if you can't then you don't have the appropriate user permissions.
- If you can create and modify a new file in the folder, but still cannot access the license, you may not have full permission to the existing files in the folder (SysCAD.exe and any hidden files). Check that you do have full permission to these files.
- If you have difficulties on a PC that has had SysCAD installed, you may need to re-install the latest Crypkey software. Use SetupEx_force.cmd in the licensing folder as described in Re-installing the Crypkey Licensing Software.






