How to Monitor Ansys Licenses with FlexLM

ANSYS is one of the most widely used engineering simulation (CAE) software packages, employed for structural, thermal, fluid dynamics, and electromagnetic analysis. Used in industries such as automotive, aerospace, energy, and advanced manufacturing, ANSYS is distributed via floating licenses through the FlexLM License Manager, which enables dynamic and centralized license management on corporate servers.

How can you manage ANSYS floating licenses?

ANSYS uses FlexLM to manage floating licenses. Usage is monitored by querying the license server, which can be done from a terminal on Windows or Linux.

First, you need to download the lmutil tool from the official Flexera website. The version of the tool must be the same as or later than the one currently in use on the license server.

Next, you need to know:

• The communication port specified in the file .lic
• The server name (without DNS suffixes, to avoid resolution errors)

If the server name is not resolved correctly, it is recommended that you configure the ` hosts ` file or the DNS resolver to avoid problems during the query.

How do I check the available ANSYS licenses?

To obtain a list of active licenses and their expiration dates, use the following command:

lmutil.exe lmstat -a -c porta@nomeserver

Example of triad architectures:

lmutil.exe lmstat -a -c porta@server1;porta@server2;porta@server3

On Linux:

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

Sample output:

Feature          Version   #licenses   Expires       Vendor
ansys            2023.2    20          31-dec-2025   ANSYSLMD
meba             2023.2    5           31-dec-2025   ANSYSLMD
cfx              2023.2    7           31-dec-2025   ANSYSLMD

How do I check ANSYS license usage?

To check which licenses are in use and which users are logged in, you can run the following command:

lmutil.exe lmstat -S -c porta@nomeserver

Sample output:

Users of ansys:  (Total of 20 licenses issued;  Total of 12 licenses in use)
  "ansys" v2023.2, vendor: ANSYSLMD
  floating license
    user1 clientA (v2023.2) (server-ansys/27000 3201), start Wed 08/05 08:15
    user2 clientB (v2023.2) (server-ansys/27000 3202), start Wed 08/05 08:20
    user3 clientC (v2023.2) (server-ansys/27000 3203), start Wed 08/05 08:22

Why use Observer to monitor ANSYS?

Monitoring ANSYS manually can be inefficient and prone to errors. Observer is the ideal solution for automating real-time monitoring of FlexLM licenses. With Observer, you can:

• View license status in real time without logging into the terminal
• Receive automatic notifications for license expiration or when licenses run out
• Conduct historical analyses of usage, peaks, and denials
• Generate reports and dashboards for auditing and optimization

Observer is fully compatible with ANSYS and allows you to optimize license usage in complex, distributed environments.

Contact us to request a free demo or to find out how Observer can help you manage your ANSYS licenses.