Multi-user Portfolio, Server apps and licences

Manual: n/a
Client serial numbers may be single user or multi-user; the number of users is embedded in the licence. For instance, a 10-seat client licence with Server will allow 10 Portfolio clients with the same licence installed to operate and/or connect to servers concurrently. Client licences are compliance-checking on the network. This means that when you run a Portfolio client on a network, it checks around the network to see how many other copies of Portfolio with the same serial number are running. If a client is run and finds that the number of duplicate serial numbers already in use equals the license agreement, an alert box appears warning of this fact. Click "OK" to close the alert box and close the client. Another user must now close their Portfolio client (registered with the same licence number) before you can launch the copy that you want to use. Thus the client & licence can be installed more widely in an office, e.g. across a workgroup, but in the preceding scenario, the 11th user would need another user to close their client before being able to proceed.

From v5 - v8.1 client licences are x-platform and may be used on either OS without restriction. In v8.5+, there are separate Win & Mac licence codes - this is due to a need that Windows clients (only) have licenced software in them meaning Extensis need to account for Mac and Win licences separately. Those using Portfolio x-platform and upgrading to v8.5 should check with Extensis to ensure the appropriate Mac & Win licences are issued; worth getting that right as the client lacks the ability to de-serialise itself.

Server and SQLConnect licences are per physical installation and not tied to the number of users, as is the case with NetPublish Server (and the discontinued (v7) NP Unlimited licence). In Portfolio Server there is no 'client access licence' (CAL) approach as with SQL, for example. If you wanted to run Portfolio Server software on two different physical computers then you would need 2 Portfolio Server licences. SQLConnect licences are also per-install and must be on a server that already has Portfolio Server; i.e. there are 2 licences you need if using SQL - the Portfolio Server and SQLConnect. Note that clients can access more than one Portfolio or NP server if more than one is available.

With SQLConnect added there will be a need for the SQL DB admin to allow 1 client access licence (if on a CAL-based licence) per link from a Portfolio Server to SQLServer/Oracle, assuming CAL and not per-processor licencing is in force. Note the CALs are nothing to do with Extensis and will be purchased from your SQL software provider. However, it is important to consider Portfolio licences and CALs as a whole when trying to do costings, plan equipment configurations, etc.

Regarding SQL CALs, it is a bit of a grey area from the MS CAL perspective (likewise Oracle CALs). The Portfolio client can simultaneously open multiple ODBC client connections to a SQL database. Depending upon the SQL licensing that you have purchased from MS this may or may not require additional CALs. If your SQL license is based on number of connections then you need to purchase enough CALs to cover the peak number of simultaneous Portfolio ODBC connections. If your CALs are based on number of workstations/seats then you need one CAL for each Portfolio client regardless of the number of open ODBC connections. In general it is recommended that each Portfolio Client that will be using a SQL Hosted DB should be covered by a SQL CAL license from MS. If you want to find a cheaper alternative (fewer CALs) that you think is permitted by Microsoft's licensing by all means try it out! It is beyond this FAQ to cover all aspects of the MS Licensing model - it changes too frequently and varies from customer to customer. (If any one has further input on MS or Oracle licensing, CALs and SQLConnect, the FAQ would like to know)

Question: Multi-user Portfolio, Server apps and licences [FAQ00148.htm]
Last Update:- 21 January 2008

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