Licenses
OpendTect is released under a triple licensing scheme. The free part is open source; the commercial products are covered by the Pro License Agreement and the Academic License Agreement, and protected by the FlexNet license manager.
The free part (OpendTect and the free plugins) is released under the open-source GNU GPLv3 or higher license agreement.
The commercial software (OpendTect Pro and the commercial plugins) is released under the Pro License Agreement and an Academic License Agreement (universities only — see how to apply).
OpendTect Pro and all commercial plugins are protected by FlexNet license-managing software. License keys for OpendTect Pro are always time-limited to the duration of a subscription or maintenance period. Commercial plugins can be perpetual (subject to a license fee and annual maintenance fee) or temporary (per month or per year). The Geoscience Bundle — OpendTect Pro plus numerous dGB plugins — can also be rented per day.
For short-term node-locked license subscriptions, please contact us. License keys will be issued within one working day. For long-term subscriptions, network licenses, or perpetual licenses with maintenance, contact dGB at info@dgbes.com.
Pro License Agreement
OpendTect End User License Agreement (version January 1, 2026) — for OpendTect Pro and all commercial plugins.
Academic License Agreement
Support agreement for accredited universities. Only accredited faculty members from a university can apply. For more information please visit the Academic & Research page.
Licensing & Host IDs
OpendTect uses FlexNet to manage its licensing. There are two main types of license:
Node-locked. The license file is tied directly to a specific client machine (or selection of machines) through its HostID. Popular for laptops and single-user desktop setups. Installation is very simple. Not available for Academic Licenses. If RDP or other remote access methods are required, a floating license should be considered, even for single-user licenses. We do not issue node-locked licenses for Virtual Machines.
Floating. The license file is generated for, and tied to, a dedicated server via its HostID. The license manager on the server then issues licenses to client machines. Better suited for multiple users; installation can be more involved.
Virtual Environment Restrictions
Node-locked licenses shall not be issued for, or used in, virtualized environments. Node-locked licenses are restricted to physical hardware only. Use involving virtual environments or remote access technologies (including, but not limited to, RDP or comparable methods) requires a floating license. This applies to both single-user and multi-user scenarios.
Information needed to generate a license
- Server-based (floating) license: Server (Host) Name, Server (Host) ID, and number of simultaneous users.
- Node-locked license: Host ID.
Discovering the HostID
In OpendTect Pro (all platforms): Utilities > Installation > System Information…
For detailed information, see the HostID documentation or the FlexNet Licensing End User Guide .
FlexNet Licenses Explained
Suppose you have a 2-user license for a module. Normally this is a floating license: you can use the module from any machine, and two users can be busy with it at the same time.
Server side: the License Manager Daemon
To enforce the license, a piece of software must keep track of who is using the module. That is the License Manager Daemon (LMD). The LMD can run on any machine — good candidates are stable UNIX servers. When started, it reads a license file, for example:
SERVER licserv 000347e8b845 VENDOR dgbld /apps/opendtect/7.0.0/bin/lux64/lm.dgb/dgbld FEATURE dTect dgbld 2022.12 1-jan-2023 2 6592FDC619EA DUP_GROUP=D FEATURE dTectDS dgbld 2022.12 1-jan-2023 2 011D5153D870 DUP_GROUP=D
The first line says the LMD must run on machine licserv with FlexNet ID 000347e8b845. The FEATURE lines define what is licensed (here, valid for software released up to December 2022, until 1 January 2023, for two users).
Client side: your program
On the client, the program looks at the same license file, sees it needs to contact licserv, and asks for permission. The LMD tracks the number of users; if a license is granted the program continues, otherwise an error is shown.
Non-floating licenses
A node-locked license can be issued when the software will only be used on a specific machine — no license manager daemon is needed, and any number of users can use the module on that machine. The unlimited demo license is a special case, granting access for any number of users on any machine for a short period.
Host identification
- Windows. A FlexNet utility delivers the hostname and Host ID in a simple file that can be e-mailed. From the Start menu: OpendTect > License Manager Tools, select the "System Settings" tab, then click "Save HOSTID Info to a File".
- Linux. The hostname is obtained with hostname. The Host ID can always be obtained with the lmhostid tool delivered with OpendTect (Utilities > Batch Programs).
If you need the Host ID before OpendTect is installed:
- Windows. Open a command prompt and run ipconfig /all > c:\Temp\ipcfg.txt. Send the file or look for the "Physical address".
- Linux. Run ifconfig or ip a in a terminal. Look for HWAddr or ether — you want the MAC address (six groups of two hex numbers, e.g. 00:1C:C0:38:22:F1), normally for eth0 or eno1.
The IP address of a machine is never a valid Host ID — we need the MAC address of the main network card.
Summary
The FlexNet license system is based on internet technology, so you can run the software on any machine and operating system and obtain licenses from any other machine, regardless of OS or physical location. A Linux license server in Houston can serve Windows and Linux machines in Houston, Caracas and Paris. The only restriction is the number of simultaneous users — which is what you pay for.
FlexNet Installation Guide
General
The FlexNet licensing system allows a variety of licensing options. The most important license types are:
- Demo licenses
- Node-locked licenses
- Floating licenses
Demo and node-locked licenses are the easiest to install but harder to maintain — demo because they expire after a short period, node-locked because they only allow usage on computers explicitly named in the license file. Node-locked lines contain HOSTID=:
FEATURE dTect dgbld 7.0000 1-jan-2024 uncounted 023E2CE466C7 \ HOSTID="00146c37f273 00167600d558"
Floating licenses are managed by a license server and start with a SERVER line:
SERVER houserv001 00146d37ec2a
For more details, see the OpendTect Administrator's Manual:
Host identification
For licensing to work, the server (or, for node-locked licenses, the working computer) must be uniquely identified — usually via the network card's MAC address. The FlexNet Host ID is never the IP address.
Installation on Linux
First, make sure your system complies with the system requirements. System administrators familiar with FlexNet can grab the binaries directly from the FlexNet Vendor Packages page.
Installation on Linux is done on the command line. During installation, OpendTect generates scripts to install the license and start the license server. Install the license file with install.xxx.license (e.g. install.dgb.license) in the root of your installation directory. For floating licenses, start the LMD with start.xxx.lmgrd; output goes to license.xxx.log.
If a license fails to be granted, check:
- The OpendTect log file (Utilities > Show log file)
- The license.xxx.log file
- The plugin management window (Utilities > Plugins)
To stop the daemon when upgrading the license: start.xxx.lmgrd stop. Then run install.xxx.license and start.xxx.lmgrd as you would for a new license. Windows clients usually have their own copy of the license file — don't forget to replace those too.
Installation on Windows
Installation on Windows is more involved than on Linux, especially for server-based licenses running the LMD as a Windows service. Where possible, we recommend using a Linux server for licensing.
To check whether you have a server-based license, open the file in Notepad. A line like SERVER the_host 00828d72b0 indicates a floating license.
Place the license file in a stable, safe location (not the installation directory) — for example \Licenses, with a filename containing the vendor name. Avoid spaces and special characters. When you receive a new license file, replace the contents of the old one keeping the same filename; for floating licenses use "ReRead License File" in the License Manager Tools.
On first usage of a plugin a popup will ask for the license file. If that succeeds you are done. Otherwise, use "License Manager Tools" from the OpendTect Windows Start menu. In the Utilities tab, click "List all vendor paths" to verify FlexNet is pointing at the right file for the right vendor. Vendor names: dGB = dgbld and ARK CLS = arkclsld. Use the Override button if the path is wrong.
For floating licenses, the FlexNet vendor service must be running on the server. In License Manager Tools select "Configuration using services", go to "Config services", enter a service name (e.g. opendtect_lic) and point it at the right lmgrd.exe:
- dGB: bin\win64\lm.dgb
- ARK CLS: arkcls\bin\Windows\5.1\i686
The debug log file is traditionally the license file name with a .log extension. Press "Save service" and start the server from the Start/Stop/Reread tab.
If licensing fails, check:
- The OpendTect console messages
- The debug log file (when running as a service)
- The plugin management window (Utilities > Plugins)
The license files
The OS on the license server is independent of the OS on the clients — a Linux server can serve Windows clients and vice versa. The client OpendTect must be able to read the local license file (network share or a copy on each computer) and contact the SERVER host.
If the server hostname in the SERVER line is unknown to the client, edit the client's copy of the license file to use a resolvable name. You cannot change the Host ID — that will invalidate the licenses.
Upgrading a license file
- Replace all license files with the new version — server file and any local copies.
- Restart the server (for floating licenses) — either via "reread" or by stopping and starting. On Linux, add stop to the daemon start script.
FlexNet may "helpfully" remember old license file locations and use them instead of the new one. Remove or rename old license files to avoid this.
Firewall issues
If a firewall blocks communication between client and server, you can specify the FlexNet port on the SERVER line:
SERVER houserv001 00146d37ec2a 54321
This forces FlexNet to use port 54321 instead of the default 27000+. The change must be made on both the server's and the clients' license files.
Questions about licensing?
Contact dGB for long-term subscriptions, network licenses, or perpetual licenses with maintenance.
Contact dGB