About This Manual

This guide describes how to use the License Management Facility (LMF) to manage software licenses from Digital Equipment Corporation. System managers can use LMF to help them make sure that licenses are used as intended.

Audience

This guide is for system managers responsible for managing software licenses on Digital UNIX systems. The guide also provides information for anyone who uses licensed software on Digital UNIX systems.

LMF is designed to be used by companies other than Digital. Other companies can issue Product Authorization Keys (PAKs) or have Digital issue them on their behalf. Additionally, other companies can include license-checking functions in their software. For clarity, however, this manual addresses only software that is supplied and produced by Digital.

Organization

This guide is divided into two chapters, one appendix, and a glossary as follows:

Chapter 1 Introduces the tools and components associated with managing licenses on a Digital UNIX system. The chapter explains the types of licenses available and how products are affected by LMF. The chapter also describes Product Authorization Keys (PAKs) and the license checking that LMF and the products that support it perform.

Chapter 2 Describes the tasks you can perform using the lmf utility.

Appendix A Lists and explains the messages that you might encounter while you are using LMF.

Appendix B A glossary of important LMF terms.

The printed version of the Digital UNIX documentation set is color coded to help specific audiences quickly find the books that meet their needs. (You can order the printed documentation from Digital.) This color coding is reinforced with the use of an icon on the spines of books. The following list describes this convention:

Audience Icon Color Code

General users G Blue

System and network administrators S Red

Programmers P Purple

Device driver writers D Orange

Reference page users R Green

Some books in the documentation set help meet the needs of several audiences. For example, the information in some system books is also used by programmers. Keep this in mind when searching for information on specific topics.

The Documentation Overview, Glossary, and Master Index provides information on all of the books in the Digital UNIX documentation set.

Reader's Comments

Digital welcomes any comments and suggestions you have on this and other Digital UNIX manuals.

You can send your comments in the following ways:

Fax: 603-881-0120 Attn: UEG Publications, ZK03-3/Y32
Internet electronic mail: readers_comment@zk3.dec.com
A Reader's Comment form is located on line in the following location:
```
/usr/doc/readers_comment.txt
```
Mail:
Digital Equipment Corporation
UEG Publications Manager
ZK03-3/Y32
110 Spit Brook Road
Nashua, NH 03062-9987
A Reader's Comment form is located in the back of each printed manual. The form is postage paid if you mail it in the United States.

Please include the following information along with your comments:

The full title of the book and the order number. (The order number is printed on the title page of this book and on its back cover.)
The section numbers and page numbers of the information on which you are commenting.
The version of Digital UNIX that you are using.
If known, the type of processor that is running the Digital UNIX software.

The Digital UNIX Publications group cannot respond to system problems or technical support inquiries. Please address technical questions to your local system vendor or to the appropriate Digital technical support office. Information provided with the software media explains how to send problem reports to Digital.

Conventions

The following conventions are used in this manual:

%
$ A percent sign represents the C shell system prompt. A dollar sign represents the system prompt for the Bourne and Korn shells.

# A number sign represents the superuser prompt.

% cat Boldface type in interactive examples indicates typed user input.

file Italic (slanted) type indicates variable values, placeholders, and function argument names.

[ | ]
{ | } In syntax definitions, brackets indicate items that are optional and braces indicate items that are required. Vertical bars separating items inside brackets or braces indicate that you choose one item from among those listed.

. . . In syntax definitions, a horizontal ellipsis indicates that the preceding item can be repeated one or more times.

cat(1) A cross-reference to a reference page includes the appropriate section number in parentheses. For example, cat(1) indicates that you can find information on the cat command in Section 1 of the reference pages.

Chapter 1	Introduces the tools and components associated with managing licenses on a Digital UNIX system. The chapter explains the types of licenses available and how products are affected by LMF. The chapter also describes Product Authorization Keys (PAKs) and the license checking that LMF and the products that support it perform.
Chapter 2	Describes the tasks you can perform using the `lmf` utility.
Appendix A	Lists and explains the messages that you might encounter while you are using LMF.
Appendix B	A glossary of important LMF terms.

Audience	Icon	Color Code
General users	G	Blue
System and network administrators	S	Red
Programmers	P	Purple
Device driver writers	D	Orange
Reference page users	R	Green

`%` `$`	A percent sign represents the C shell system prompt. A dollar sign represents the system prompt for the Bourne and Korn shells.
`#`	A number sign represents the superuser prompt.
`%` `cat`	Boldface type in interactive examples indicates typed user input.
`file`	Italic (slanted) type indicates variable values, placeholders, and function argument names.
[ \| ] { \| }	In syntax definitions, brackets indicate items that are optional and braces indicate items that are required. Vertical bars separating items inside brackets or braces indicate that you choose one item from among those listed.
. . .	In syntax definitions, a horizontal ellipsis indicates that the preceding item can be repeated one or more times.
`cat`(1)	A cross-reference to a reference page includes the appropriate section number in parentheses. For example, `cat`(1) indicates that you can find information on the `cat` command in Section 1 of the reference pages.