License borrowing without network access

I'm running Matlab 2014b and I need to install Matlab and borrow one of our floating licenses onto a PC which is not allowed to connect to the internet or intranet.

As far as I can determine, in order to use the license borrowing feature, the PC initially has to be connected to the network. This is not an option for me.

Is there any way to transfer a borrowed license onto a PC without network access - like using a memory stick or similar?

Answer 1

[Ori]

Hi Morten.

I believe you have a contradiction in terms: A PC that is not allowed to access the license server can not run a floating license in the 1st place. I suggest acquiring a stand alone license for that machine, which will also be cheaper.

Best regards, Ori Kaplan

OpenLM Support Manager

[Walter Roberson]

@Tapio Kramer

commented:

delete this answer or link to a proper help page explaining license borrowing.

[Walter Roberson]

@Tapio Kramer

This was a volunteer contribution from OpenLM, not a Mathworks answer.

The help page explaining license borrowing, https://www.mathworks.com/help/install/license/borrow-licenses.html says clearly,

Borrow Product Licenses by Selecting Products

9. Disconnect your computer from the network.

which implies that to use the Borrow feature, the computer to have the borrowed license must be connected to the network -- able to reach the license server at the time of borrowing. However, the user posted,

"As far as I can determine, in order to use the license borrowing feature, the PC initially has to be connected to the network. This is not an option for me."

So the user specifically ruled out the possibility of an initial connection to the internet to get the license file.

There is no solution to this problem in the Mathworks documentation about borrowing licenses. Accordingly, the solution from @Ori will not be removed.

[Walter Roberson]

In order to fullfil the user's needs through license borrowing, there would need to be a way in which a license could be borrowed on behalf of a computer that is not connected to the license server, resulting in a license server file file that could be installed on the computer that needs the borrowed license.

I do not know at the moment whether the original user would be able to use some kind of USB keychain or some kind of DVD to transport the license file; they might plausibly need a license file printed out that they could type in by hand on the destination computer.

Picture, for example, a computer that was going to have to go into a secure network that had an "air gap" with a strict No External Network policy. For example it might be for use on controlling a electricty generating system, where the need to prevent cyberattackers could be quite strong.

[Harold Alexander]

I too need this capability. We are ordering a toolbox license for use on an isolated machine, but that's going to take considerable time. So the ability to borrow a floating license from our enterprise server would be a big help.

[Steven Lord]

You could consider requesting a trial of that toolbox license while you're waiting for the license you're ordering to be delivered, contacting the Sales department directly using this link if for whatever reason requesting it via that form doesn't work.