Some help with a legacy version of NX 1

[Franklin M.]

Before I get to my actual question I'm going to issue a disclaimer of sorts. Yes I know the product I'm going to inquire is old and the newer versions are much better. But it is what I have a license for and lacking $32,000 dollars at the moment will have to do for awhile yet. Now to the question.

I am licensed through NX6. I have "been gone" for awhile (eight years) and the system sat. I like would to move it to a 64 bit system (yes I have the software is both 32 and 64 bit versions). I was told that for a poultry one time flat fee of $1000 I can get the license moved to another box. With the caveat that the license manager would only run in Windows XP. It is very difficult to find hardware that will even load XP now. By accident I stumbled onto several old threads here that talked about versions as far back as NX4 running in Windows 7. Hardware is still available that will support Windows 7.

So was I told a white lie about the license manager, will my NX6 run in Windows 7? Any help, advice, opinions or verbal beatings you would care to inject are welcome and appreciated.

 

[Rob_N]

You can run the latest license server with NX6, the cut-off is NX4.
Use the info in your license file to create a Webkey and then access the GTAC file server.
Whatever you are licensed for will show up there

 

[Arkance/PhoeNX]

The license service for NX6 will run on Windows 7, it just wouldn't be supported to run on Windows 7 is my guess.

From what I can glean from what you've written, you're off maintenance with NX and you're using a license server.
Logging into GTAC or getting their assistance won't be possible.

So as a consequence, any change to the license file will incur a charge to swap to a newer computer.
I get involved with this sort of stuff for my customers all the time. Before you ask, I can only assist if you're in Australia or New Zealand.

My thinking is maybe a better way to go is to switch away from using a license server (having the composite ID) in your license file and use a SENL license instead.

SENL is StandalonE Node Locked. Instead of using a license server/service, NX looks directly at the license file and validates against the HOSTID coded into it.
You can use the MAC address of a network card or a Siemens supplied USB dongle for the HOSTID.

Since you're using NX6 and wish to go 64bit, I would recommend going out and purchasing a USB WiFi adapter. This will have a unique MAC address which you then get your license changed by the people you deal with.
The MAC address will be coded into the license file. When NX starts, if it sees that MAC address it will run, not MAC address, no run.
No license service is needed, so the limitation of XP vs 7 is not an issue.

You could use the Siemens USB dongle instead, but it will only work for the 32bit version of NX6. To use the 64bit version, the Siemens USB dongle isn't recognised, so the MAC address is the way to go.
Because the WiFi adapter is USB, it can be moved to any computer at any time, so all that is needed is the dongle (and driver installed), NX and a copy of the license file.

Hope that makes sense.

Anthony Galante
Senior Support Engineer


NX3 to NX11 with almost every MR (24versions)

 

[Toost]

Nice work Anthony !

/ Tomas

Regards
Tomas

 

[Franklin M.]

Thanks for the help. I'll do as you suggest, hopefully I'm able to get it done. You were correct on most of your insights. I didn't load NX6 when I was on maintenance, that was a big mistake. I'm using NX4, my customers are happy with my output but lurking between NX4 and NX6 is the change to non-cutting moves that was done in NX5. They cannot change as much as a feedrate without a possible alteration of the operation. Plus my hardware is slow and getting long in the tooth. Hopefully new or newer hardware will keep me going until I can get up to date. I've seen a little of NX10, nothing of NX11 but what I saw in NX10 whetted my appetite for the newer versions.

thanks again to all that posted.

 

[Toost]

The licensefile that you have is a NX6 ?
As Rob says, NX4 was the last in line to use a licensing service named ... ( i can't remember the name...)
then NX5 used the so called "common licensing service" ( I am using the word "service" since there are more details...)
And if you have the NX6 license file, which means you can legally run NX6, - you are missing the NX6 software ?
Finding an NX6 DVD should not be impossible.

Regards,
Tomas

Regards
Tomas

 

[Franklin M.]

Hello Tomas,

Yes I'm currently running NX4 with flexlm as the license manager. Yes I am a legal user with a sold to ID number which I don't want to post here. NX4 and earlier versions of flexlm are attached to the MAC address on the network card. With NX5 they went to something called a composite address that included your HD serial number and bunch of other stuff therein locking the license manager to a given piece of hardware. I have NX5 and NX6 licenses based on a composite address. The hardware the NX6 license is attached to is Pentium 4 single core. There are a number of reasons I want to move to NX6. Starting with hardware; my NX4 box is now the better part of 15 yrs old, the first version it loaded was NX1! Tomshareware gives a specmark of 353 to the processor, a slow current cpu is 1000-2000% faster. The network card in that box is on an ISA bus slot, the ISA bus slot went the way of Do Do, passenger pigeon and the dinosaur so I cannot move it to another box. I have the install discs with shinny red and white labels for NX1-5, starting with NX6 I had to down load from the CTAC server, my wonderful state decided if a CD was provided I (we) had to pay sales taxes on the maintenance (gotta' love California). I have NX6 install and MRs thru 6.0.3 and the doc's but never loaded it. I should refine that, I NX6 32 bit install. I'm trying to find the 64 bit versions. And yes I have the license files for all the versions, my licenses are for something that was called a "manufacturing bundle" when I bought it. I bought through Cypress, they no longer deal with small guys hence my contact with a reseller.

So to recap. I'm hoping to get NX6 up and running to get to better hardware and something closer to my customer's current versions (non-cutting changes being the biggy). This thread was started because I was proceeding on semi-false info from the reseller I'm working with, the short version of that being I'm stuck with NX4 and windows XP and whatever hardware that will run it. I was ignorant of the SENL license and thought that Flexlm was my only avenue. Thanks to this forum for the insight I now know different. I may be wrong but I sense you have some concern on legality of the product use. that is why this is lengthy. I share your concerns for some very real, close and personal reasons, I'll share those via email but not in a forum, I'll just say doing things legally is of the utmost importance to me.

thanks again for your comments and insights.

Regards, Franklin

 

[Toost]

No legal concerns at all, the reason i worded about that is , since you are all legal, we can speak openly about this and try to find some solution for you.
- there should be somebody who has the 64 bit software available.
I lost you on the network issue,
is it or not possible to keep that old computer running as a license server?


Regards,
Tomas


Regards
Tomas

 

[Franklin M.]

Tomas,

Yes the computer runs, I'm using it daily. And the composite license is tied to it. Hmmmm. Could save me a $1000 but portability word nice and maybe worth it? First things is to find the 64 bit software.

Thank you once again.

Franklin

 

[Franklin M.]

Tomas, Anthony,

As my attempts to secure the 64 bit versions of NX6 haven't been successful I have a new question. Is it worth loading the 32 bit version into the 64 bit Windows? Will it even load? Also, I queried a reseller about switching to the SENL license and have not yet received a reply, they don't seem eager to take my money. In the mean time until I find the 64 bit version my "upgrade" is on hold.

Thanks

Regards,

Franklin

 

[Arkance/PhoeNX]

@Franklin

Send me an email, firstname.lastname at phoenxplm dot com dot au (make of that what you will!).
I'll see if there's anything we can do to help.

Yes you can install the 32bit version on a 64bit system. It won't be able to address all the memory that the 64bit version will, but it will work.

Anthony Galante
Senior Support Engineer


NX3 to NX11 with almost every MR (24versions)

 

[Toost]

The NX6 i have installed is the 32bit, so is the DVD i have.
This laptop have never been running anything else than Win7 64 bit, so yes, it works fine.

/ Tomas

Regards
Tomas