How to Monitor Polar Licenses with FlexLM

Polar is a software suite designed by Polar Instruments to support the design of high-performance PCBs and backplanes. Among the best-known modules are the Si9000e, Speedstack, and Atlas, which are used for impedance analysis, layer-stack documentation, and length measurements on circuits. The software is widely used in fields such as telecommunications, the automotive industry, and power electronics.

Polar uses the FlexNet Publisher (FlexLM) licensing system, which allows companies to distribute floating licenses among various users. Constant monitoring of licenses is essential to ensure the availability of resources during critical stages of the design process.

1. Configure monitoring with lmutil

To properly monitor Polar licenses, you must use the lmutil tool provided by Flexera, which is compatible with Windows and Linux environments. This tool allows you to query the license server and obtain real-time information.

Early Stages

1. Download lmutil from the Flexera website or from official sources. Verify that the version is compatible with the License Manager used for Polar.
2. Retrieve the connection information: You’ll find the server port and hostname in the license file. The format to use in commands is porta@nomeserver.

2. Check the available licenses

To find out how many Polar licenses are currently available, use the following command:

lmutil lmstat -i -c porta@nomeserver

In the case of a triad architecture (three FlexLM servers for high availability), 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
polar             2023      10         31-dec-2025    POLARLM

In this example, there are 10 Polar licenses available that are valid through December 31, 2025.

3. Check who is using the licenses

To identify users who are currently logged in and active on Polar licenses, run:

lmutil lmstat -S polar -c porta@nomeserver

Sample output:

Users of polar:  (Total of 10 licenses issued; 4 licenses in use)
  "polar" v2023, vendor: POLARLM
  floating license
    user1@PCB01 (v2023) (SERVER/27000 1111), start Mon 07/15 09:10
    user2@PCB02 (v2023) (SERVER/27000 1112), start Mon 07/15 09:20

4. Automate Monitoring with Observer

Manual querying is useful but has its limitations. If you manage a large number of licenses or have users spread across multiple departments, it’s best to use an automated monitoring tool such as Observer.

With Observer, you can:

• View Polar license usage in real time
• Receive automatic notifications about overloads or expirations
• Generate reports with KPIs, peaks, and monthly analyses
• manage other FlexLM software such as Ansys, MATLAB, Mentor, and Altium

Observer regularly queries the license server, collects data, stores it, and presents it in dashboards and PDF/Excel reports, eliminating manual tasks and reducing the risk of errors.

The availability of Polar licenses is crucial in electronic design cycles. Monitoring their use in a professional manner allows you to improve planning, optimize investments, and reduce project downtime.

Contact us for a free demo of Observer and find out how to improve Polar license management at your company.