Understanding the different licensing options for FME Form is crucial to ensuring your team has the right tools for the job. As an FME expert, I often help organisations decide between a Fixed and a Floating licence. It's not a case of one being universally better; it's about matching the licence type to your team's workflow and infrastructure.
Fixed Licences: For the Dedicated User
A Fixed licence is tied to a single, specific computer. Once installed and activated, FME Form will only run on that machine. The licence file is locally stored, meaning the user does not need a network connection to run FME Workbench (unless you have remote data of course!).
Benefits of a Fixed Licence:
- Offline Work: This is the primary advantage. A user can work from anywhere, on a train, at a remote site, or simply at home without a VPN connection, and still have full access to FME Form.
- Simplicity: It's a straightforward, single-user setup with no need for a central licence server.
- Ideal for Dedicated Workstations: Perfect for a power user with a dedicated machine who rarely needs to work on another computer.
Drawbacks of a Fixed Licence:
- Lack of Flexibility: If the user wants to move to a different computer, the licence must be formally uninstalled from the first machine and a new licence file requested. This can be a time-consuming administrative process.
- Inefficient for Teams: You need a separate licence for every machine that needs FME, which can be less cost-effective than sharing a pool of licences.
Floating Licences: For Flexibility and Collaboration
A Floating licence is not tied to a specific machine. Instead, it is managed from a central licence server. When a user wants to run FME Form, their computer "checks out" a licence from the server. Once they close the application, the licence is returned to the pool for another user to check out.
Benefits of a Floating Licence:
- Cost-Effectiveness: A smaller number of licences can be shared by a larger number of users, as long as they are not all working simultaneously. This is ideal for organisations with multiple FME users who work on different projects at different times.
- Flexibility: Users can run FME from any computer on the network that has access to the licence server, eliminating the need for licence transfers.
- Temporary Licence "Borrowing": A key feature of floating licences is the ability to temporarily borrow a licence for a set period. This allows a user to "check out" a licence and work offline, for instance, for a few days of fieldwork.
Drawbacks of a Floating Licence:
- Requires a Network Connection: A user must be able to connect to the central licence server, either on the local network or via a stable VPN connection. Without this, FME Form will not launch.
- Administrative Overhead: Requires an administrator to set up and manage the licence server.
Advanced Control with a Floating Licence: The Options File
One of the most powerful features of a floating licence is the ability to create an options file. This is an optional text file that gives the licence administrator granular control over how the licences are used.
With an options file, you can:
- Control Access: Restrict the number of licences available to a specific user, group of users, or even a particular computer. This is useful for prioritising licences for key projects or teams.
- Reserve Licences: Ensure a specific user or machine always has access to a licence by reserving it for them.
- Deny Access: Explicitly deny certain users or machines from accessing the licence pool.
- Manage Loaned Licences: Control who can borrow a licence for offline use and for how long.
This level of control makes floating licences far more manageable and secure in a large-scale enterprise environment.
Which is the best choice for your organisation?
- Choose a Fixed licence if: You are a sole user, a contractor, or a professional who needs to work offline frequently and is always using the same machine.
- Choose a Floating licence if: You are part of a team, have a stable network or VPN infrastructure, and want to maximise the flexibility and efficiency of your FME licences. The ability to use an options file for administrative control makes this the superior choice for any team-based environment.
Want to test out the difference between a Fixed or Floating licence for yourself? Just get in touch and we can help you with that!
