A useful aid in getting up and running with a particular area of a software solution, is to consult a list of frequently asked questions. These might range from the general questions, such as "Where do I find this or that functionality?", to the more specific, such as "What versions of Altium Design software does the Infrastructure Server's PLS support?".
So go ahead and browse through the various FAQ listings. There just might be an answer to that question you need answering, and which can supply the helping hand to move through a 'road-block', and get you back into the productivity 'fast-lane'.
By no means exhaustive, this listing of FAQs associated to the Altium Infrastructure Server will continue to grow over time, but all the while helping to unlock your full design potential when using the software.
What is the Altium Infrastructure Server?
The Altium Infrastructure Server is an on-premise server that provides remote Altium product installation and license management.
What problems does the Altium Infrastructure Server solve?
The Altium Infrastructure Server addresses the following two key problems that a company faces when using Altium software:
-
Remote Deployment of Altium Design Solutions - companies with many engineers need the ability to easily manage, deploy, and update Altium software (including those that do not have access to the Internet).
-
License Management - companies often like to manage their own licensing, from a central server. The Altium Infrastructure Server provides a Private License Service that offers advanced license management features and reporting, delivering a streamlined solution to setting up a Private License Server that addresses limitations found in the previous standalone Private License Server software.
What are the key features of the Altium Infrastructure Server?
The key features of the Infrastructure Server are summarized below:
Installation
-
Network/remote deployment and management of Altium products, controlled by Windows Active Directory policies. Please refer to the Microsoft Group Policies for further details.
-
Ability to configure installation, including product extensions.
-
Support for MSI package files, allowing remote installation and update.
License Management
-
License roaming.
-
User groups with seat assignment.
-
LDAP synchronization of users.
-
Automatic leasing.
-
Advanced license reporting.
-
Data backup - license information, groups, license allocation, logs. etc.
Who is the Altium Infrastructure Server for?
The Altium Infrastructure Server is for companies that have 5 or more users and require remote software deployment and/or advanced private license server capabilities.
Is the Altium Infrastructure Server really free?
Yes, you read that correctly - the Altium Infrastructure Server truly is FREE.
The Altium Infrastructure Server currently requires a server (Altium Infrastructure Server) and connector (Altium Infrastructure Server CAL) license to operate. These licenses are included with the installation zip file, when acquired from the Downloads page of the Altium website.
Will my current PLS licenses work with the Altium Infrastructure Server?
Yes, but note that the Altium Infrastructure Server ONLY works with Altium Designer 16.0 or higher. This is the first version of Altium Designer that supports a HTTP-based license server.
Do I need the Altium Infrastructure Server if I already have an Altium on-premises Server?
No, the Altium Enterprise Server and older Altium server products already include all the features of the Altium Infrastructure Server - and far more!
Will the old PLS software still be available?
Yes, we will continue to provide access to the legacy PLS software. Its setup and use may be preferable for smaller organizations, and also for those that require License Server redundancy capabilities.
No further development will be done to the legacy PLS software.
Where do I get the Altium Infrastructure Server?
The Altium Infrastructure Server installation will be available from the Downloads page of the Altium website. The download zip file will include the installation executable and required server and connector licenses to operate.
