How to Check AVL Excite Licenses Using FlexLM

AVL EXCITE is a software suite developed by AVL for the analysis of the structural and vibroacoustic dynamics of engines, transmissions, and powertrains. Used primarily in the automotive industry, EXCITE supports the simulation of complex mechanical phenomena, such as NVH, crankshaft kinematics, friction, and torsional vibrations.

EXCITE licenses are managed through the FlexNet Publisher (FlexLM) system, which allows licenses to be shared in floating mode. Careful monitoring of active licenses is essential to ensure their availability during critical development and testing phases.

1. Configuring lmutil for monitoring

To start monitoring EXCITE licenses, you need to use lmutil, an official Flexera tool that is compatible with both Windows and Linux. This allows you to query the FlexLM server to view license availability in real time.

Preliminary Steps

1. Download lmutil: Make sure the version matches that of the License Manager used by AVL.
2. Retrieve the connection information: the server name and port number are listed in the EXCITE license file. The standard format is porta@nomeserver.

2. Check the available licenses

The first step in monitoring EXCITE is to check the number of available licenses on the server:

lmutil lmstat -i -c porta@nomeserver

If you are using servers in an HA (triad) configuration, the command will be:

lmutil lmstat -i -c porta@server1;porta@server2;porta@server3

or, on Linux:

lmutil lmstat -i -c porta@server1,porta@server2,porta@server3

Sample Output

Feature           Version   #licenses  Expires        Vendor
excite            2024      20         31-dec-2025    AVLLMGR

This shows that there are 20 EXCITE licenses available, valid through December 31, 2025.

3. Monitor license usage

To identify users who are currently using EXCITE, you can use the following command:

lmutil lmstat -S excite -c porta@nomeserver

Sample output:

Users of excite:  (Total of 20 licenses issued; 6 licenses in use)
  "excite" v2024, vendor: AVLLMGR
  floating license
    user1@NVH-PC01 (v2024) (SERVER/27000 1345), start Mon 07/15 08:45
    user2@STRUCT-LAB (v2024) (SERVER/27000 1348), start Mon 07/15 09:00

4. Automate Monitoring with Observer

If EXCITE is used by multiple teams or in environments with high computational loads, running manual queries may not be feasible. Observer enables automatic and centralized monitoring of FlexLM licenses, including AVL EXCITE.

With Observer, you can:

• View EXCITE license usage in real time
• receive notifications about deadlines, overloads, or availability issues
• Generate reports on usage trends, peak analysis, and efficiency KPIs
• monitor other AVL software (e.g., Cruise M, Fire M) and CAE in a FlexLM environment

Observer collects data from the license server, stores it in a database, and presents it through configurable dashboards and reports, completely eliminating the need for scripts or manual terminal access.

AVL EXCITE is a strategic software solution for structural and vibroacoustic analysis in powertrain design. Ensuring the availability of licenses is essential for meeting delivery deadlines and maintaining operational continuity.

Request a free demo of Observer today and discover how to simplify the monitoring of your EXCITE licenses and all your CAE software.