This page is the starting point for those who want to (a) download LSTC software products for the first time, or (b) upgrade their existing installations.
Table of Contents
- Software Products and Documentation
Contains a brief description of the main LSTC software products, with links to download pages for individual products. The individual download pages contain installation notes, and other information about supported platforms. - Product Licensing (Network and Node-Locked)
Contains a brief overview of licensing, including the difference between node-locked and network licenses. There are links to information about:- How to request a license from LSTC
- How to install or upgrade network/node-locked licenses
- Configuring LS-DYNA to Access Licenses
Describes how to configure LS-DYNA to access network and/or node-locked licenses.
1. Software Products and Documentation
LS-PrePost is an advanced pre and post-processor that is delivered free with LS-DYNA. The user interface is designed to be both efficient and intuitive.
These are the LSTC software products and documentation available for download from this site.
- LSTC Manuals : old and new manuals can be downloaded from this page.
- LS-DYNA for Unix/Linux/Solaris : a general purpose transient dynamic finite element program (follow this link to download LS-DYNA command-line executables for Linux/Unix/Solaris/Microsoft Windows)
- LSTC WinSuite : a complete solution for the Microsoft Windows platform
- LS-DYNA for Microsoft Windows : a general purpose transient dynamic finite element program (follow this link to download LS-DYNA command-line executables for Microsoft Windows)
- LSTC Barrier, Dummy, and Tire Models : barrier, dummy, and tire models provided at no charge to LS-DYNA customers
- LS-PrePost : an advanced interactive program for preparing input data for LS-DYNA and processing results from LS-DYNA analyses.
- LS-OPT : a standalone Design Optimization and Probabilistic Analysis package with an interface to LS-DYNA.
- LS-TaSC : (Topology and Shape Computation) a tool for the topology optimization of non-linear problems involving dynamic loads and contact conditions.
Each of these components must be downloaded and installed separately. LSTC provides highly-optimized versions of LS-DYNA, tuned for a large variety of hardware and operating systems. For this reason, many builds of LS-DYNA function correctly only for a narrow range of hardware and OS. So it is critically important that users download a build of LS-DYNA which most closely matches their own hardware/OS combination.
2. Product Licensing (Network and Node-Locked)
LS-DYNA is licensed according to how many cores on which the software may run at once. For example, an 8-core license allows any of the following scenarios (and more):
- The user runs one job in parallel on 8 cores;
- The user runs two jobs in parallel on 4 cores each;
- The user runs up to 8 jobs on a single core.
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Licensing schemes for LS-DYNA:
- Node-Locked License
Permits the use of LS-DYNA on a single machine only (or on a limited number of machines). - Network License
Permits the use of LS-DYNA on all supported platforms, up to a total number of licensed cores. The LSTC License Server must be run on a Unix, Linux, Solaris, or Microsoft Windows machine. All versions of LS-DYNA connect through the local network to the LSTC License Server in order to obtain permission to run. When the maximum number of licenses is exceeded, LS-DYNA is either placed in a queue to wait for the first available license, or LS-DYNA exits according to the user's preference.
LS-PrePost, LS-OPT, and LS-TaSC do not require runtime licenses for use by LSTC customers. All LSTC customers may download, install, and run these programs without charge. No license key is required. These products are actively developed and maintained by LSTC.
License HOWTO Documents
- Install a New Network License
Unix/Linux/Solaris / Microsoft Windows - Upgrade Network Licenses and/or License Manager Software
Unix/Linux/Solaris / Microsoft Windows. - Install a New Node-Locked License
Unix/Linux/Solaris - Upgrade A Node-Locked License:
Upgrading a node-locked license is as simple as replacing the existing license file LSTC_FILE. You must obtain the updated license file from LSTC. There is no separate document for this. If you cannot find this file, then consult Section 3 below for more information about how LS-DYNA finds LSTC_FILE.
3. Configuring LS-DYNA to Access Licenses
Accessing Network Licenses under Unix/Linux/Solaris
Environment Variable Settings
LS-DYNA can obtain a network license from an LSTC License Server using environment variables. Environment variables are specified in different ways, depending on the user logon shell:
To use a network license only, set the environment variable LSTC_LICENSE to 'network'
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You must also specify the host or IP address of the machine where the license server is running using the LSTC_LICENSE_SERVER environment variable. The proper setting of this variable depends on whether or not you are using the default port for the license server, and whether you are using a single license server, or a redundant triad server.
Single quotes are required for redundant servers in order to avoid misinterpretation of parentheses. There are other methods for specifying the license server, but setting these environment variables overrides all other methods.
LSTC_FILE License File Directives
LS-DYNA can read server information from a file named LSTC_FILE. The best way to do this is to create/edit a file named LSTC_FILE in the same directory as the LS-DYNA executable. Add these lines to LSTC_FILE
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DO NOT enclose host_or_ip with single quotes. As in the case of ENVIRONMENT VARIABLES (above), there are four possible ways to specify '#LICENSE_SERVER'. The '#' character must appear in the first column of the line, with no space between '#' and LICENSE_TYPE or LICENSE_SERVER. The effect of these lines is the same as setting the environment variables
Keep in mind that you can override any settings found in LSTC_FILE by directly setting the environment variables LSTC_LICENSE and LSTC_LICENSE_SERVER. This is useful to know in cases where LSTC_FILE contains incorrect information, but you cannot change the file because of permission issues.
WARNING: Some text editors do not automatically create files with complete lines. Use 'vi LSTC_FILE' to check this. If you see [noeol] at the bottom of the vi window, then there is no final end-of-line character in the file. If that happens, then type ':wq' in vi to write the file and quit. Vi will add the proper eol character.
NOTE: If LSTC_FILE is found in '/usr/local/lstc', then that file will be used instead, regardless of whether or not a file named LSTC_FILE is found with the LS-DYNA executable. We no longer recommend placing LSTC_FILE in '/usr/local/lstc'.
NOTE: If the LSTC_FILE environment variable is set to a file name, then $LSTC_FILE is used instead of any file named LSTC_FILE found with the LS-DYNA executable. We recommend that you not set the LSTC_FILE environment variable, unless absolutely necessary.
Setting the LSTC_FILE environment variable may be necessary if, for some reason, LSTC_FILE cannot be found when placed with the executable. Then you must set the LSTC_FILE environment variable to the absolute pathname of the file LSTC_FILE. This should not happen under ordinary circumstances.
Accessing Network Licenses under Microsoft Windows
- Open the LS-DYNA Manager Program
- Select Set LS-DYNA ENV. Variables from the Env Variables menu
- In the dialog that appears, select Network for the License Type
- Specify the name of the machine running the LSTC License Server (if the server is running on the local machine, enter localhost in the Network License Manager field)
The general format for the Network License Manager field varies according to the type of server configuration you have:
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SERVER TYPE | NETWORK LICENSE MANAGER SETTING |
---|---|
Single Server with Default Port | host_or_ip |
Single Server on Port 'port' | port@host_or_ip |
Redundant Server with Default Ports | (host_or_ip1 host_or_ip2 host_or_ip3) |
Redundant Server on Specified Ports | (port1@host_or_ip1 port2@host_or_ip2 port3@host_or_ip3) |
Accessing Node-Locked Licenses under Unix/Linux/Solaris
If LS-DYNA uses a node-locked license, then LS-DYNA must be able to locate the node-locked license file. LS-DYNA looks for a license file in the following locations, and in the specified order:
- A file specified by the LSTC_FILE environment variable.
- If $LSTC_FILE is not set, then LS-DYNA searches for /usr/local/lstc/LSTC_FILE.
- If $LSTC_FILE is not set, and if /usr/local/lstc/LSTC_FILE does not exist, then LS-DYNA searches for a file named LSTC_FILE in the directory with the running executable.