Flexi on a Local Network

[Steve C.]

Here is the quote from the Flexi user manual.....


USING A HARDWARE KEY OVER A LOCAL AREA NETWORK.
It is posible to run the software on a different computer that the one
the hardware key is inatalled on. However, you cannot run more than
one concurrent instance of the software using the same hardware key.

To rur the software ustin a hardware key installed on a different computer:

1. On the computer with the hardware key, make sure the software is not
running.

2. Run Production Manager on the computer with the hardware key.

3. On the computer you want to run the software on, make sure the
software is installed using the user number assigned to the hardware key.

When you run the software on the second computer, it will recognize the
hardware key form the first computer and run.


This seems too easy. Is anyone doing it? Does it work? Additional hardware keys cost 2 grand...Choke.

 

[signage]

I am doing this with LXI which is a private vendors issue of Flexi. It even works over a wireless network.

 

[bob]

I do this daily. I have two machines, one in the shop and one in the house, each with a Belkin wireless card set up on a peer-to-peer network. The machine in the shop has the hasp key but Flexi is installed on both machines. I don't do this as a stunt, this is how I work. No tricks, no stunts, just install Flexi first on the hasp key machine and then on the others.

I have more better stuff on the house machine which is the faster and hairier of the two and I absolutely positively will not venture on-line with the shop machine. That machine exists to run the plotter and the printer and contain files.

I do the vast majority of Flexi/Corel/Photo/Adobe/whatever work on the house machine and, since both machines have their C drives shared, whether a file is on one or the other doesn't matter. I do try to keep all the job files on the shop machine merely because it pleases me to do so.

I'm also running VNC so I can bring the desktop on one machine up on the other should need arise. A most handy package, especially if I forget to start Production Manager on the shop machine and I'm already back in the house. I just open the shop machine's desktop, start Production Manager there, and close the desktop. A great package free for the downloading.

 

[jayhawksigns]

Thats how I do it, you can also run the key on the computer running Flexi, but I wouldn't recommend it.

I have a problem with Flexi getting upset at times, and if it would randomly shut down while I was printing a job, guess what, job lost.

But for anyone running a printer, they honestly need to be running with that configuration.

 

[Steve C.]

We have two computers on a local network (not wireless). My wifes computer that is mainly for bookkeeping and most of our cut jobs from Corel via Signlab ES2. And my computer used for design and to opperate our Mutoh/Graphtec, Print/cut system. We just got a new computer which is intended to take over the Print/cut opperations.
I know nothing about networking, we had a guy come in to set it up. They do not share hard drives, only Shared Doc files. I have already installed Flexi on the new computer, but it is not networked yet. When I can get the guy back out to network it in, Will the new computer recognize the Hardware Key on my computer?

 

[bob]

We have two computers on a local network (not wireless). My wifes computer that is mainly for bookkeeping and most of our cut jobs from Corel via Signlab ES2. And my computer used for design and to opperate our Mutoh/Graphtec, Print/cut system. We just got a new computer which is intended to take over the Print/cut opperations.
I know nothing about networking, we had a guy come in to set it up. They do not share hard drives, only Shared Doc files. I have already installed Flexi on the new computer, but it is not networked yet. When I can get the guy back out to network it in, Will the new computer recognize the Hardware Key on my computer?

Yes, but the machine with the hasp key has to be running Production Manager. And Flexi will only allow one iteration of itself to be running at one time on the machines in the network.

You ought to share your C drives as well. Unless you're keeping secrets from each other there's no reason not to do so.

 

[signage]

If your new machine is running windows xp you need to download a drive for the keys to operate. At lease I had to on both my xp and xp pro machines.

 

[Steve C.]

bob, Does that mean I could not design in Flexi on my computer while printing or cutting on the new computer? I remember asking my network guy if we could share programs on the hard drive and He said Just Sharing files would be better, that sharing hard drives could cause problems.....???? Like I said I know nothing. But I'll ask him when he comes back again.

Brian, What driver did you download and from where?

 

[signage]

Aladdin is the major manufacturer of hasps (usb keys) here is a link to there web sight:
http://www.aladdin.com/support/hasp.asp
Also here is another link to these driver updates:
http://www.teklynx.com/support//faq/faq_123.html
Steve I do not remember the exact download I used, you could contact scanvec and they would tell you if you IT person doesn't know. Hope this helps

 

[jayhawksigns]

Steve heres my opinion on sharing files.

Don't share the whole drive, just share the folders that you job files are in, there isn't any reason for one computer to be able to see or access another computers windows directory for example.

And yes you can be designing in the core Flexi program, and have the Production Manager cut or printing at the same time. You will either have to send the job from Flexi, or open an appropriate file in Production Manager (i.e. tif, eps, psd) but you won't be able to do anything to the file, just open and print.

 

[Checkers]

Hey Gang,
Just an F.Y.I. since a lot of you are new here...

What you're talking about, in this public forum that is read by sing makers and sign software publishers, is software piracy and against the law.
If you read the terms of your license agreements, most, if not all, of them state that the software can be only be installed on and used on one computer at a time. Anything beyond that is illegal. So, be careful.
You have to be aware of sites like this...
http://www.bsa.org/usa/
While the chances of getting caught are fairly slim, a study stated that the main reason why companies get busted is becasue of a disgruntled employee or a competitor ratted them out.

Cheers,

Checkers

 

[jayhawksigns]

Checkers - Are you suggesting that what we are discussing is illegal??

 

[Checkers]

I honestly don't know the real answer becasue I don't have a copy of the full license agreement. But, from Steve's original comment you should be ok as long as you follow the terms of the agreement and don't try to run the software on more than one computer at a time.
Issues can arise when you try to run one copy of software on more than one computer at the same time. Or, bypass or make copies of dongles or electronic "keys". And, that's only "if" you get caught.
The reason why I mentioned anything is because the way most newer software accesses the internet and reports back to the software company on how you're using it. So, if you're installing a single copy of software on more than one computer and it's in violation of your agreement, you can get into trouble.

Checkers

 

[Steve C.]

I have just glanced over the License Agreement, and it does say that you may "transfer it to another computer as long as it is used on only one computer at a time". Since they do give instruction on how to network it, Seems to me that would be OK. Otherwise the instructions would include getting another hardware key.

 

[bob]

It's always amusing to encounter so much mis-information in one stack. This is the soil in which urban legends are grown.

1. Not only is it not against any law [specifically in the USA, I can't speak for other lands] to load and run Flexi on multiple machines, their very own user's manual gives you step by step instructions for doing exactly that.

In a larger sense in has long been held that in general you, not your machine, is the licensee and you can install any software you are licensed on any machine that strikes your fancy. Absent specific language to the contrary. There may or may not be an injunction prohibiting concurrent execution or specfic specification as to number of machines. Often the former, seldom the latter. In the case of Flexi they actually enforce their non-concurent use clause with a hasp key and do not specify any limit as to number of machines.

In general, you may do anything with your software that is not specifically precluded by your agreement with the licensor.

2. You should not need any special software on the machines not sporting the hasp key.

3. Sharing your C drive does not share your WINDOWS, WUTemp, or Program File directories. All else pretty much is data and considered to be fair game. But even if those directories were shared, they're your machines on your private network, is the level of paranioa such that you feel you have to protect against yourself? You can asuage your fears by sharing only specific directories.

4. I most certainly am not my brother's keeper. If I tell someone how to do something, that's all I'm doing. Be it turn water into wine or pick a lock. Whether or not it might be legal or illegal is of little interest. I realize that in a society jammed to the gunwales with uber-safe yuppiescum it's trendy to hold someone else responsible for any unpleasantness one might experience, the notion of being repsonsible for one's own condition might be a taste hard to grasp. Nonetheless, it is an inescapable iron-clad 24 karat fact. Every human being is responsible for its own condition. If you choose to operate outside, inside, above, below, in front of, behind, or off the port bow of the law, that's your choice, you and you alone are responsible for that choice. Spare me the entertaining list of 'what if' situations, they do not address the point.

 

[jayhawksigns]

Brian-

To let you know, running the Production Manager and the core Flexi program on seperate computers is what I consider an intergral part of the setup that Scanvec allows. Unless you were running a dual processor or dual core computer, ripping a file and trying to work on your next job on the same computer in my opinion is a nightmare.

I fully agree with what you were meaning, just in this situation it is something that the company expects you to do.

And a lot of software does access the internet anymore, which is why I use Zonealarm for my firewall.