Whittle licensing transition guide

Whittle version: 4.5

Date last modified: 03 July 2012

This document explains what to do to license Whittle 4.5, either if you have a single-user licence or a
network licence.

Overview
In Whittle 4.5, Gemcom have changed the licensing system.

Self-service licensing. If you have a single-user licence, you can download the licence from the
Gemcom licence server, at any time.
With a single-user licence, continue using your existing dongle, plugged into your computer.

NLM. Whittle 4.5 uses Gemcoms Network Licence Manager (NLM), instead of the Aladdin
Hardlock system, to manage network licences. Other Gemcom products such as Surpac and
GEMS also use NLM. With a common network licensing system, it is easier for Gemcom to
manage and support licences and dongles.
You need to have a SuperPro sentinel, rather than an Aladdin hardlock dongle to use NLM.
Gemcom will send you the dongle with Whittle 4.5.

Procedure single user, self-service licensing

When you have a single-user licence to use Whittle, this procedure provides the fastest way to get a
licence. You need:

the Whittle 4.5 installation DVD or installation file

an account at gemcomsupport.com (to download a licence using self-service licensing)

a Whittle dongle
If you have a Whittle dongle you have used for an earlier version of Whittle, you can continue using
that. If this is the first version of Whittle you have bought, Gemcom supplies you with a dongle with
the software.

1.

Install Whittle 4.5.

By doing a default installation, you also install the dongle driver.

2.
3.
4.

Plug in your dongle.

Start Whittle 4.5.
Click Ok on any messages that appear.
The License Selection form is displayed.

Tip: To open the License Selection form at a different time, select File > License Validation.
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Procedure single user, self-service licensing

5.

Select Local.
The current licensing system uses tokens that are at least 24 digits in length. If you do not already
have a Whittle 4.5 token, continue the steps in this procedure to download and install the token.

6.
7.

Note: If you already have a 24-digit token for Whittle 4.5, you do not need to download another
one. Click Ok, enter the token, click Validate, click Ok, and exit this procedure.
Select Request a license from a Gemcom Support portal.
With your dongle number displayed in Dongle to license, click Online.

8.

In the website, enter your credentials for Gemcom Support, and click Enter.
You are prompted to download the licence file (license.dat).

9.

Click Download.
Save License.dat to your Downloads folder, or to a different location on your desktop.

10.
11.

Select Import license, and click Browse.

Browse to License.dat, and click Ok.
The licence is loaded into Whittle, and your fx.ini file is updated with your licence details.

12.
13.
14.

Click Ok in the License Selection form.

The Token box displays the token stored in the license.dat file.
Click Validate.

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Procedure single user, by email

A check mark appears beside each of the modules that you are licensed to use.
15.
16.

Click Ok.
Whittle 4.5 is now licensed and ready for use.

Procedure single user, by email

As an alternative to getting a licence by self-service licensing, you can request a licence by email.
1.
2.

In the License Selection form, select Local, and Request a license from a Gemcom Support
portal.
Click By Email.

3.

Type the name of your organisation in the body of the message, and send the message.
Gemcom licensing staff will process your request and send you a license.dat file.

Procedure Network Licence Manager

Use this procedure to distribute network licences for Whittle across your local area network.
Note: Whittle 4.4 and earlier versions used the Aladdin HASP Monitor system to manage network
licences for Whittle. Whittle 4.5 uses Gemcoms Network Licence Manager (NLM) to manage
network licences instead. A common network licensing system for all Gemcom products is
easier for Gemcom to manage and support. It enables our customers to use a single dongle for
Whittle and other Gemcom products such as Surpac or GEMS.
You need:

the Whittle 4.5 installation DVD or the GemcomLicenceManager.msi file

a dongle
Gemcom supplies a SuperPro Sentinel dongle with the software.
If you do not have a dongle, or the one you have does not work with NLM, contact
loginsupport@gemcomsoftware.com.

a .udt file
The .udt file contains one or more token numbers. When you load the .udt file into NLM, you load
the token numbers, and therefore the licences. The following procedures show you how to
download a .udt file from Gemcom.

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Procedure Network Licence Manager

Install NLM and load licences

You do this procedure to set up the licence server. There is no need to do the following procedure more
than once.

1. Install NLM (GemcomLicenceManager.msi) on the computer you want to distribute licences.

2. Insert the SuperPro Sentinel dongle that Gemcom has supplied into a USB port.
3. Start NLM.

4. Select Administration > Request license from GemcomSupport.com.

5. Click Using the Internet.

6. In the website, enter your credentials for Gemcom Support, and click Enter.
You are prompted to download the licence file (a .udt file).

7. Click Download, and save the .udt file to a local folder.

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Procedure Network Licence Manager

8. In NLM, select File > Open, browse to the .udt file, and choose Open.
NLM displays a green check mark for each licence that it is distributing.

9. Select Service > Install and Service > Start.

Because the service is running, NLM is distributing licences on your network.

Tip: If you want to stop distributing licences, stop the service.

Switch from Aladdin Hardlock Network Server to NLM

If you are using network licences with Whittle 4.41 or an earlier version, and you want Whittle users to be
able to use Whittle 4.5 with network licences, do the following steps.
Gemcom supplies you with a SuperPro Sentinel dongle, and some temporary licences (as many as you
have purchased).
1.

Install and set up Gemcoms Network Licence Manager (NLM) as described in Install NLM and
Load Licences.
If you need help, contact loginsupport@gemcomsoftware.com .
When the NLM is set up, and the temporary licences are loaded, you can now run Whittle 4.5 on
other computers and use those licences.
You can continue running the earlier version of Whittle provided the Aladdin Hardlock Network
Server is still running, and has the Aladdin dongle plugged in. If you want to compare results or
features of the two versions of Whittle, you can do so.

2.

3.
4.

When you have finished comparing the two versions of Whittle:

a.
Stop using the earlier version of Whittle (Whittle 4.4.1 or earlier) and the Aladdin Hardlock
Network Server.
Note: Whittle 4.4.1 is not technically capable of using a network licence distributed by NLM.
b.
Return the Aladdin dongle, that was plugged into the Aladdin Hardlock Network Server
computer, to Gemcom.
c.
Use Whittle 4.5 and NLM exclusively.
Gemcom will make permanent licences for Whittle 4.5 available to you.
Download the .udt file and load it into NLM as described in Install NLM and Load Licences.
Computers on your network can now run Whittle 4.5 using a network licence distributed by NLM.

Set up Whittle to use a network licence

Whittle automatically uses a network licence if one is available on your local area network. If you are
connecting to the office using virtual private network (VPN) or Whittle does not automatically start using
the network licence, do the following procedure.
1.
2.
3.
4.

Start Whittle.
Select File > License Validation, choose Network, and click Ok.
In the License Server text box, type the name of the computer that is distributing the licences on
your network, and click Validate.
Click Ok.

Tip: To make Whittle use a specific licence server add lm <servername> to the Whittle desktop shortcut.

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Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

Who do I contact for help about licensing, dongles, or tokens?
If this document does not answer your query, contact loginsupport@gemcomsoftware.com.
How do I get my new token?

The fastest way to get a token is to use self-service licensing, that is the Request a licence from a
Gemcom Support portal check box in Whittle, or the Request license from GemcomSupport.com
command in NLM.
Can I run Licence Manager on a virtual machine and successfully distribute licences?
No, the sentinel must be physically plugged in to the licence server machine.
Can I update licences on Licence Manager remotely?
Yes. To do so, you log in to Licence Manager remotely, and update the tokens (which updates the
licences). However, you must have a sentinel physically plugged into the computer running Licence
Manager.
Where can I get more information about NLM?
In NetworkLicenceManager_UserGuide.pdf which is installed to C:\Program
Files\Gemcom\Whittle\<version>\documentation. This document explains how to use Network
Licence Manager. There is also help available on the Help menu of Network Licence Manager.
Do I need an fx.ini file any more?
Whittle no longer uses fx.ini to verify that you have a valid licence. Whittle does still use fx.ini to
store Whittle variables and preferences however.
Can I run multiple versions of Whittle?
If you have a single-user licence, yes. If you have a network licence, yes initially, but ultimately you
must use Whittle 4.5 alone. The reasons and issues are as follows.
Different copies of projects
If you want to open the same project in two versions of Whittle, it is a good idea to make a copy of
the project first and work on a different copy in each version. Some features that you can add to a
Whittle 4.5 project are new, and therefore not supported in Whittle 4.4.1 (for example, the Import
Surfaces node, Interim Pushbacks node, and mining dilution and recovery by rock type).
Single-user licences
If you have Whittle 4.4 or an earlier version, and Whittle 4.5, you can continue running both
versions using your existing dongle either an Aladdin Hardlock dongle, or a SuperPro Sentinel
dongle.
Network licences
If you have a computer running the Aladdin Hardlock Network Server (AHNS) that makes licences
available over the network, you must switch to NLM to continue using network licences. NLM can
issue licences for each of the Gemcom products, including Surpac and Whittle, and use a single
dongle that holds licences for all those products. It works with Whittle 4.5 but not with earlier
versions of Whittle. Gemcom issues you with temporary licences so that you can make an orderly
changeover from the old system to the new system. See Procedure Network Licence Manager
for the steps to follow.

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