Floating client access license management overview

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The products in this release support both authorized user and floating user client access licenses (CALs). Floating CALs are managed as a pool that can be shared by multiple users who can individually acquire a license when they need it, if one is available from the pool. For example, if two users only use an application occasionally, then those two users can share a floating client access license instead of purchasing two separate authorized user CALs.

Note: The floating licenses are specific to machine names and not host names. For example, if Machine A is the physical machine that hosts CLM, but serves CLM at https://[Virtual Host A]:9443/jts, you should request licenses for Machine A and not Virtual Host A.
Users can only receive a license if a license is available in the pool
A user who is assigned a floating CAL can only use the supported CAL functions if there is an available CAL in the pool. For example, if a server administrator purchases three floating Rational Team Concert - Developer CALs and assigns them to five users, then only three users can use the CALs at the same time. CAL usage starts when a user performs their first server operation that requires the CAL. A user holds the CAL until 2 hours (by default) after their last server operation or until the user explicitly logs out.
You can set up a Jazz® Team Server application as a dedicated floating CAL server
You can simplify floating CAL usage administration and tracking by using a single server to manage all floating CALs in a multiple Jazz Team Server environment. Select a server to manage the floating CALs, such as an existing server that runs as a Jazz Server and floating CAL server. After installing floating CALs on that server, you can configure other Jazz servers to point to the floating CAL server. Then, those Jazz servers can assign and use the floating CALs.

If you have multiple Jazz Team Servers, floating licenses can move freely between multiple Jazz Team Server applications that are requesting licenses from a single floating CAL server.

When to install a separate Jazz Team Server as a dedicated floating CAL server
To determine whether to install a dedicated license server or to re-use an existing Jazz server as a floating CAL server, consider the following:
  • If you use an existing Jazz Team Server application to manage the floating CALs for a collection of servers, then you do not need to install and manage new servers, but the administrators for that server can control the licenses.
  • If you install a new server to manage the floating CALs, you can improve security because you can minimize user and administrator access to the server.
  • If you are using IBM i, Linux for System z, or z/OS and you want to use token licensing, you will have to install a new Jazz Team Server application on a platform that supports the IBM License Key Server application.
Topology diagram for a dedicated floating CAL server
The following topology diagram shows a Jazz Team Server (with registered applications) and another Jazz Team Server that is configured to be a dedicated floating CAL server.Topology diagram of a Jazz Team Server application configured to be a dedicated floating license server

Considerations for multiple Jazz Team Server applications

Licenses enable capabilities for all applications that are registered with the same Jazz Team Server application. For example, if you check out a license that allows you to use the Change and Configuration Management (CCM) application, you will have the same capabilities in every CCM application that is registered with the Jazz Team Server; you won't need two licenses to access two CCM applications.

Although floating licenses can move freely between multiple Jazz Team Servers as they are requested, if you have multiple Jazz Team Server environments, you might need to check out multiple licenses to unlock capabilities on applications that are registered with different Jazz Team Server applications. For example, if you have one CCM application registered with a Jazz Team Server, and another CCM application that is registered with a different Jazz Team Server, to use both CCM applications at the same time you would need two licenses – one for each CCM application. Even if both Jazz Team Server applications use the same dedicated floating CAL server, if you simultaneously use two different applications that are registered with different Jazz Team Server instances, you will check out two licenses.

License management is handled by each Jazz Team Server
If you use a dedicated floating CAL server, you will have to assign licenses to users separately on each individual Jazz Team Server. Every Jazz Team Server application manages the user information and license assignments for all applications that are registered with that Jazz Team Server.