Install Four Js License Manager

To centralize licensing, install the Four Js License Manager. Four Js License Manager is a separate product, to be installed in a dedicated directory with its own configuration file.

The installation and licensing of Genero products requires you to read and accept the End User License Agreement, which can be found on the Four Js website at https://4js.com/end-user-license-agreements/.

Installation can vary depending on the host operating system. Ensure you follow the installation instructions for your host operating system.

System requirements

For details about system requirements, refer to the Supported platforms and databases document (available on the Download page of the Four Js Web site) or contact your support center.

FLM and Genero Report Writer compatibility

With Genero Report Writer 4.00 or greater, you must use Four Js License Manager (FLM) 6.00.

Upgrade the FLM without re-applying licenses

When you upgrade the Four Js license manager, you do not need to reinstall your existing licenses.

  1. Make a backup copy of your FLM configuration file, FLMDIR/etc/flmprofile.
  2. Stop the FLM service.
    1. Open a License Manager Workplace Window.
      • On Windows®, open the License Manager Workplace Window from the Start menu and select Run as administrator
      • On Linux®/UNIX®/macOS™, open a command prompt. "sudo" may be required.
    2. Type flmprg -s

      The FLM service is stopped.

  3. Install the new FLM package in the same directory as the existing installation.

    Take the option to overwrite the existing files.

  4. Replace the configuration file at $FLMDIR/etc/flmprofile with the backup copy created in Step 1.

    Overwrite the existing file.

  5. Remove all files and directories found in $FLMDIR/lock/.
  6. Start your new FLM: 
    flmprg -r
  7. Patch (upgrade) the license controller for your Genero Business Development Language (fglWrt) or Genero Report Writer (greWrt).
    For more details see the Patching a license controller page

Patching a license controller

To make an older version of the Genero Dynamic Virtual Machine (DVM) and/or the Genero Report Engine compliant with the Four Js License Manager, or to use subscription licensing, you need to update the license controller.

To update the license controller to the latest version, download the operating system-appropriate version for your product from the Four Js web site.

If a license controller version is not available for your operating system and/or for assistance with a downloaded version, contact your Four Js support center for help.

Warning: Files in use
When upgrading your FGL or GRE installation license controller, existing files must be overwritten by files in the upgrade download, to include:
  • in the case of FGL, fglWrt and its shared library libwrtl.*
  • in the case of GRE, greWrt and its shared library libwrtj.*
You must consider that files may be in use and be prepared to stop processes using licenses before applying the upgrade.
Table 1. Genero Products and License Controllers
Genero product Licence controller
Genero Enterprise Four Js License Controller for BDL (fglWrt)
Genero Report Engine Four Js License Controller for GRE (greWrt)
  1. If a license controller configuration file already exists at the default location, make a backup copy.
    Locate your product's license controller configuration file.
    Table 2. Genero products and license configuration files
    Genero product Default license controller configuration file
    Genero Business Development Language (BDL) $FGLDIR/etc/fgllicense
    Genero Report Engine (GRE) $GREDIR/etc/grelicense
    Tip:

    Default locations of the license controller configuration files are shown. You can set the location of these files by using the FGLLICENSE or GRELICENSE environment variables.

    It is recommended to save your existing configuration, as this file is overwritten when you install the patch. You can skip this step if you keep your license controller configuration file in a different directory to the product installation directory.
  2. Access the Four Js web site at https://4js.com.
  3. Select Download > Products.
    This brings you to the Products Download Area.
  4. In the License manager packages section, expand the entry for the license controller you need to download.
  5. Locate the license controller appropriate for your operating system and click on the link under Version to start the download.
  6. Stop all DVMs/GREs processes that are running.
    Ensure that processes using licenses are not running when you apply the upgrade. If files are in use, they may not be upgraded, and this will lead to licensing errors.
  7. When the download completes, extract the files in the archive to your Genero product installation directory.
    Extract the files using an archiving tool, such as tar or gzip.
    If prompted, overwrite the existing files.
    • On Linux/macOS, open a command prompt. "sudo" may be required. Type the commands to change to your Genero installation directory and extract the contents of the archive file there.
      cd $FGLDIR
tar xfz /home/user/Downloads/fjs-fglWrt-6.00.12-build202209270907-l64xl217.tgz
    • On Windows, open an Explorer window and navigate to your downloads directory. Right click on the downloaded zip file and select Extract All. Follow the instructions to browse to your Genero installation directory and click on Extract to extract the contents of the archive file.

    The license controller is now updated.

  8. If you backed up the license controller configuration file in Step 1, replace the configuration file with the backup copy created. If you need to configure the license controller configuration file with FLM server details and the product's license number, see Configure a Genero license controller.

License controller versions

When patching a license controller, what version information do you need to examine when considering compatibility with the Four Js License Manager (FLM) and with the Dynamic Virtual Machine (DVM)?

The license controller (fglWrt or greWrt) works with the DVM and the FLM; the DVM does not know about the FLM, and the FLM does not know about the DVM.

The license controller and the FLM

To examine whether a version of the license controller works with a version of Four Js License Manager, start with the axiom:

license controller (fglWrt or greWrt) version = FLM version

If your license controller and FLM do not share the same version number, know that a license controller may require a minimum FLM version. If the FLM version is below the minimum version required by the license controller, an error is returned.

Table 3 lists the minimum version of the FLM for specific BDL license controller versions.
Table 3. License controller for BDL (fglWrt) version and FLM
License Controller for BDL (fglWrt) FLM minimum version
6.00.08 6.00.08
6.00.09 6.00.08
6.00.10 6.00.10
Table 4 lists the minimum version of the FLM for specific GRE license controller versions:
Table 4. License controller for GRE (greWrt) and FLM
License Controller for GRE (greWrt) FLM minimum version
6.00.08 6.00.08
6.00.09 6.00.08
6.00.10 6.00.10
Conversely, the Four Js License Manager (FLM) may require a minimum version of the license controller. Table 5 lists the minimum version of the license controller for specific FLM versions.
Table 5. FLM version and License controller (fglWrt)
FLM License Controller for BDL (fglWrt) minimum version
6.00.08 6.00.08
6.00.10 6.00.10
When used for Genero 3.20 and 3.10 installations in compatibility mode, any license controller version is compatible with FLM 6.00.
Tip:

If you encounter an issue regarding the versions installed, download and install the latest FLM, then patch (update) the license controller on all Genero BDL (FGLGWS) installations.

The license controller and the DVM

While the license controller is expected to be compatible with all versions of the DVM, a DVM may require a minimum version of the license controller. Table 6 lists the minimum version of the license controller for a specific Genero release.
Table 6. Release version and License controller for BDL (fglWrt)
Release version License Controller for BDL (fglWrt) minimum version
Genero BDL 4.00.03 6.00.08
Genero Evaluation Program (GEP) 4.00.03 6.00.09

In the Genero BDL package (FGLGWS), the license controller bundled is always compatible with the DVM in the same bundle. Attempts to downgrade the license controller may fail; however, an upgrade of the license controller is always allowed.

Version number commands

The -V option returns the version number of a Genero component.
Table 7. Finding the version
To find the version for the ... Execute the command ...
license controller (fglWrt) fglWrt -V
license controller (greWrt) greWrt -V
Four Js License Manager (FLM) flmprg -V
DVM fglrun -V

Four Js License Manager packages

The Four Js License Manager (FLM) software is a self-extractable installation program.

On UNIX, the installation program is a shell script. On Windows, the installation file is an executable (exe) file.

A Four Js or Genero software package follows a specific naming convention:

fjs-product-version-build-osident.extension

where:

  • product is the product identifier ("flm" for Four Js License Manager).
  • version is the software release number.
  • build is the software build number.
  • osident is the operating system identifier.
  • extension is the file extension: sh or run on UNIX platforms, exe on Windows platforms, and dmg or run on macOS platforms.

Launching the installation

Four Js License Manager can be installed on Windows, UNIX, or macOS platforms.

Warning:

Be sure you are installing the correct binary files for your operating system. To do so, examine the installation package name, which includes the operating system brand name. For more information on the installation package name, refer to Four Js License Manager packages.

Install Four Js License Manager on UNIX platforms

The installation and licensing of Genero products requires you to read and accept the End User License Agreement, which can be found on the Four Js website at https://4js.com/end-user-license-agreements/.

To display the installation options, run the installation command with the help (-h) option:

./fjs-flm-6.xx.xx-buildYYYYMMDDhhmm-osident.run -h

For example:

./fjs-flm-6.00.12-build202209270907-l64xl217.run -h

  1. Choose a directory where Four Js License Manager will be installed, such as /opt/fourjs/flm.
  2. Log in as a user with permission to write to the chosen directory.
  3. Copy the self-extractable file into a temporary directory.
  4. Run the self-extractable shell script:
    ./fjs-flm-6.xx.xx-buildYYYYMMDDhhmm-osident.run
    Example:
    ./fjs-flm-6.00.12-build202209270907-l64xl217.run
  5. Follow the instructions displayed.

When installation is complete, see for configuration information and instructions.

Install Four Js License Manager on UNIX platforms in silent mode

Install Four Js License Manager silently on GNU/Linux and UNIX platforms.

To start the installation, type the following:

./fjs-flm-version-buildYYYYMMDDhhmm-osident.run -a -q -t install_dir

For example:

./fjs-flm-5.20.17-build202005061204-l64xl25.run -a -q -t $PWD/fjs-flm-5.20.17
Options

Table 8 shows the options relating to installation.

Table 8. UNIX install options
Install option Description
-a or --accept Bypass the display and the prompt for acceptance of the license agreement. Using the -a option indicates that you have read and accepted the End User License Agreement, located on the Four Js website at http://4js.com/end-user-license-agreements/.
-c or --check Check integrity of the archive and of bzip2/tar binaries embedded in this program.

-f backup|overwrite|remove or

--force backup|overwrite|remove

 Specify what happens if the installation directory already exists:
  • backup: Back up the installation directory.
  • overwrite: Overwrite installation file.
  • remove: Delete installation directory before installing.
-k or --keep Do not delete working directory when done.
-l or --list Print the list of files in the archive.
-h or --help Display help about all possible options.
-i or --install Install the product.
Important:

This option is not recommended. It is included only for backward compatibility.

-s license or

--show license

 Display the license of the product.
-n or --nocheck Escape the checksum test on the archive included in the installer.
-q or --quiet Silent mode with no UI. If -q is not specified, the interactive installer is used.
-r or --root Allow the 'root' user to install the package.
Important:

Installing as root is not recommended. It is recommended that you install while logged in as a non-root user.
-V or --version Show the version number.

-t install_dir or

--target install_dir

Install the product in the specified target directory. If this option is not specified, the default installation is used.

-w working_dir or

--work working_dir

Specify the working directory. By default, a temporary directory is created in $TMPDIR or /tmp.
-x or --extract Extract the contents of this program, but do not run fglgws-installer. This option implies --keep.

Install Four Js License Manager on Windows platforms

The installation and licensing of Genero products requires you to read and accept the End User License Agreement, which can be found on the Four Js website at https://4js.com/end-user-license-agreements/.

  1. Choose a directory where Four Js License Manager will be installed, such as c:\fjs\flm.
  2. Log in as a user with permission to write to the chosen directory.
  3. Copy the self-extractable file into a temporary directory.
    fjs-flm-6.xx.xx-buildYYYYMMDDhhmm-osident.exe

    Example:

    fjs-flm-6.00.12-build202209270907-w64v142.exe
  4. Doubleclick the file to launch it, or right-click on the filename and select Run as administrator.
  5. Follow the instructions displayed.
    As part of the wizard, you are asked whether to install as a service. If you elect to install as a service, it is installed and set to Manual start. To have the service restart automatically on reboot, you must edit the Startup Type and change to Automatic or Automatic Delayed.

When installation is complete, see for configuration information and instructions.

Install Four Js License Manager on Windows in silent mode

Install Four Js License Manager on Windows platforms using the MSI installer.

The installation and licensing of Genero products requires you to read and accept the End User License Agreement, which can be found on the Four Js website at https://4js.com/end-user-license-agreements/.

The msiexec utility provides the means to install, modify, and perform operations on Windows Installer from the command line. The /qn option allows you to install in silent mode. The msiexec utility expects an msi file. To be compliant with Microsoft® User Access Control (UAC) requirements, the msi file is embedded inside an exe file. To extract the msi file from the exe file, use the /x option:

fjs-product-version-build-osident.exe /x

For example:

fjs-flm-5.20.17-build202005061204-w64v141.exe /x

A msi file is created in the same directory and with the same name as the exe file.

Options

Table 9 shows the most common options for msiexec relating to installation and un-installation.

Table 9. msiexec install and uninstall options
msiexec option Description
/qn Silent mode with no UI. If /qn is not specified, the graphical installer is used.
/i package-name.msi Install the specified msi package.
/x package-name.msi Uninstall the specified msi package.
/log logfile Write processing info to the specified log file.
/l*vx logfile Provide verbose (detailed) logs in the specified log file.

Enter msiexec from the command prompt to view the complete list of available options.

Arguments

You can pass arguments to the msiexec installer on the command line.

Table 10. Arguments for the msiexec installer
Argument Description
PRODUCTDIR=your_flmdir_path The path where FLM will be installed. It is an alias of FLMDIR variable.
STARTMENUFOLDER=your_startmenufolder_path Customize the location for the shortcuts in the startmenu. For example, "fjs\flm".
FORCEREMOVEPRODUCTDIR=YES On uninstall, force the removal of the PRODUCTDIR directory, even if it is not empty. For any value other than YES, keep the files in the PRODUCTDIR location. Default value: "".
FORCEINNONEMPTY=YES Force the installation of a folder, even if it is not empty. For any value other than YES, do not allow installation into a non-empty folder. Default value: "".
SERVICECONFIG=[NotToInstall|ServiceInstall|ServiceStart] Specify whether the service is installed.
  • NotToInstall (default): Do not install the service.
  • ServiceInstall: Install the service.
  • ServiceStart: Install the service and start it.
Note:

Quotes are only required around the argument value when a space character is in the value string.

Installing the service (Windows only)

The installation wizard gives you the option of installing the Four Js License Manager as a service.

The installation and licensing of Genero products requires you to read and accept the End User License Agreement, which can be found on the Four Js website at https://4js.com/end-user-license-agreements/.

If you elected NOT to install as a service during the initial installation, you can execute the following command (from the License Manager Workplace Window) to install it as a service:
flmprg --service-install
If you attempt to start the service from the command line and the service is not yet installed, it will first install the service, and then start the service.
flmprg --service-start
Important:

On Windows you must run the command as administrator, it is not enough to simply have administrator permissions.

Install FLM on macOS

Before you begin

The installation and licensing of Genero products requires you to read and accept the End User License Agreement, which can be found on the Four Js website at https://4js.com/end-user-license-agreements/.

You need a macOS and an user account which has administrator access level.

Download the installation package for the macOS .

Genero packages for Apple® Mac® and the macOS operating system are provided as x86 packages, which are designed to run on Intel® processors. Rosetta enables a Mac with Apple silicon to use apps built for a Mac with an Intel processor. If you are using such a machine, you will be asked to install Rosetta the first time you install or open your Genero app. Rosetta works automatically in the background whenever you use an app that was built only for Mac computers with an Intel processor. It translates the app for use with Apple silicon. If Rosetta is already installed, you are not asked to install it again.

About this task

Follow these instructions to install the Four Js License Manager (FLM) on macOS.

  1. Determine the directory where you will install the product.
    The wizard will eventually suggest /opt/fourjs/flm. If you plan to use this default, ensure you have write permission to this directory.
  2. Log in as a user with permission to write to the directory in which you plan to install this product.
  3. Copy the self-extractable file into a temporary directory.
  4. From a command prompt, run the self-extractable shell script:
    sh fjs-flm-6.xx.xx-buildYYYYMMDDhhmm-osident.run

    Example:

    sh fjs-flm-6.00.12-build202209270907-m64x1014.run
  5. Follow the instructions displayed.
    Tip:

    After you have read the licensing agreement, press "q" to return to the instructions and prompts.

When installation is complete, see for configuration information and instructions.

Setting the environment

Before starting the Four Js License Manager, the FLMDIR and PATH environment variables must be set.

A script for setting the environment is created during the installation phase. Located in the Four Js License Manager installation directory (FLMDIR), this file is named envflm on UNIX platforms and envflm.bat on Windows platforms. By running this script file, the following actions are performed.

On UNIX (using sh as shell script):

FLMDIR=/opt/fourjs/flm 
export FLMDIR 
PATH=$PATH:$FLMDIR/bin 
export PATH

On Windows:

set FLMDIR=c:\fjs\flm 
set PATH=%PATH%;%FLMDIR%\bin

Starting Four Js License Manager

To start the License Manager service, execute the following command:

flmprg -r

On Linux/UNIX, the License Manager runs as a daemon. On Windows, it runs as a service.

Important:

On Linux/UNIX systems, for security reasons, it is strongly recommended that the daemon be run as a non-privileged user (not root). To avoid issues with directory permissions, it is recommended that the non-privileged user should also add the licenses.

You can also use the following command on Windows:
flmprg --service-start
Important:

On Windows you must run the command as administrator, it is not enough to simply have administrator permissions.

Stopping license manager

To stop the License Manager service, execute the following command:

flmprg -s

Alternatively, on Windows, you can also issue the following command:

flmprg --service-stop
Important:

On Windows you must run the command as administrator, it is not enough to simply have administrator permissions.