TUFLOW Licensing

Introduction

A TUFLOW licence is required to run TUFLOW, except when using third party software such as a GIS to prepare input data or view results, or when running TUFLOW demo, tutorial or example models in licence free mode.

Lock Types

TUFLOW Products are licenced via locks, available in two forms; WIBU USB-2 Dongles (hardware lock) and WIBU Software Licences (software lock). A third form, WIBU Cloud locks, have been available since 2023.

Current Licence Lock Options:

Refer to WIBU Lock Guidance for further information on the following licence hosting options:

• WIBU Hardware Lock: WIBU hardware locks are physical dongles (USB-2) that contain TUFLOW licences. Licences are coded onto the dongle and can be moved between computers. WIBU hardware locks are recognised by the 2006-06-BD release onwards.
• WIBU Software Lock: WIBU software locks are coded onto the computer's or server's motherboard, it cannot be transferred to a different host. WIBU software locks are recognised by the 2016-03-AF release onwards.
• WIBU Cloud Licence: WIBU cloud licences are available for Network licences, and a hosting on the WIBU cloud server. An internet connection is required to access a cloud licence. WIBU Cloud licences are recognised by the 2016-03-AF release onwards.

Legacy Licence Lock Options

• Softlok Dongle: As of August 2010 Softlok USB dongles are no longer issued due to the dongle provider not supporting 64-bit. Maintained Softlok dongles may be exchanged for a WIBU dongle for a nominal fee, please contact sales@tuflow.com. For the 2009-07, 2008-08, 2007-07 and 2006-06 releases, the “DB” builds or later will need to be used to recognise a WIBU Codemeter dongle. Refer to Softlok Guidance for further information.

Licence Types

TUFLOW simulations can be executed using a variety of licence types:

• Licence Free Mode: A licence free mode has been built in TUFLOW. For information outlining the limits associated with the licence free mode, see TUFLOW Free DEMO Version Guide
• Local Licence: TUFLOW simulations can only be run on the computer hosting the Lock. For installation guidance, see Local Licence Installation Guide
• Network Licence: The Lock can be hosted on any computer or server. Other computers 'check out' licences from the host computer via a company’s network. There are no regional restrictions associated with Network licences. For installation guidance, see Network Licence Installation Guide.
  
• Cloud Licence: The Lock is hosted on a central WIBU cloud server. Other computers 'check out' licences from the host server over an internet connection. There are no regional restrictions associated with Cloud licences. For installation guidance, see Cloud Licence Installation Guide. Note that a cloud licence can either be provided as a Local Cloud Licence, so that TUFLOW simulations can only be run on the computer that have the cloud licence installed, or as a Network Cloud Licence, for the same benefits that a Network Licence provides, but with the added administrative overhead as well.
  

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Do I require a TUFLOW licence to create TUFLOW inputs and view results from a TUFLOW simulation?

No, a TUFLOW licence is only needed to run a TUFLOW .exe file (excluding tutorial, demo and example models or small models eligible for free mode). Running a TUFLOW .exe is required to:

• Process control files (.tcf, etc), check the data inputs and to construct the model using the GIS layers and other inputs. As part of this process any ERROR, WARNING or CHECK messages are issued to help resolve input data conflicts. Check files and GIS layers representing the final model construct are also produced to quality control the model’s inputs.
• To carry out the hydraulic computations provided Step 1 above produces no ERROR messages.

No licence is needed for all other tasks, including:

• Creation and editing of all input files and GIS layers.
• Running GIS plugins such as the QGIS TUFLOW Viewer.
• Running utilities (e.g. asc_to_asc.exe).
• Reviewing check files/layers in GIS.
• Viewing results (e.g. using TUFLOW Viewer in QGIS).

All TUFLOW inputs and outputs use free open formats that are readable and editable by third party software, for example QGIS and Notepad++:

• Download Notepad++ to create and review tabular data: Notepad++ installation and tips.
• Download QGIS: QGIS installation and tips.
• Install the TUFLOW Plugin: TUFLOW QGIS plugin installation and tips.
• Use TUFLOW Viewer to review XMDF results: TUFLOW Viewer.
  

Why is a pre 2010 version of TUFLOW not working?

In 2010 Softlok dongles were replaced by WIBU dongles. TUFLOW versions earlier than 2010 might be searching for a Softlok licence, however it is likely you have a WIBU licence. The "DB" builds of TUFLOW were created so earlier versions of TUFLOW recognise the new WIBU licences. Please download a "DB" version from the TUFLOW website.

How many simulations can be run at the same time?

The number of licences reflect how many TUFLOW simulations can be run in parallel at any given time. For example, a Local 4 can run 4 simulations at the same time on the one computer. A Network 5 allows up to 5 simulations at any one time across an organisation’s network. If all licences are in use when a TUFLOW simulation starts, the simulation enters a holding pattern until a free licence is available.

What is the best licence for me?

Hardware vs. Software

The advantage of a hardware lock is that it is portable and not tied to a specific computer. You can unplug it and plug it into another computer. A software lock is tied to a specific computer and cannot be moved once bound to that computer. This also means that if the computer changes substantially, the lock may become invalid and may need replacement.

This is especially relevant if you install the lock on a virtual machine (VM), since migrating the VM or rebuilding it can cause the lock to become invalid. Specifically, if you run a VM in the cloud as a licence server, you need to keep in mind that stopping and starting the VM is safe. But only retaining the physical storage and basing a new VM on it will invalidate the licence.

The advantage of a software lock is that it can be installed on a computer that you don't have physical access to, and doesn't require a free USB port. This makes software locks well-suited to installation on VMs, or remote computers.

Local vs. Network

The advantage of a local lock is that you only need CodeMeter installed on the computer that will be running your TUFLOW software, and the required configuration will be minimal. No network access beyond this computer is required. The lock is either installed directly on this local CodeMeter, as a software lock, or CodeMeter will pick up an inserted hardware lock automatically.

The advantage of a network lock is that you can manage all your locks in a single place (called the CodeMeter Network Server), and that licences can very easily be accessed from multiple computers on your network. However, this does mean that each additional computer that needs to be able to run TUFLOW will also need CodeMeter installed. These extra instances of CodeMeter need to be configured to find the Network Server. And these computers need to be able to access the Network Server over port 22350, which may require some cooperation of your IT staff to configure.

Cloud vs. non-Cloud

The advantage of a cloud licence is that you can install it on as many machines as you like, and reuse it on future machines, for as long as the licence is valid. This gives you a similar advantage to using a Network Licence, without the complexity of network connectivity. Another benefit of this is that you can put the licence on computers that are not connected to your local network, which would make using a Network Licence on a Network Server on your network impossible, while Local Software Licences would not be reusable.

A disadvantage of a cloud licence can be the requirement that the computer it is installed on has https (web) internet access to `wibu.cloud`. Using a Local Cloud Licence also means that you need to distribute your licence to many locations, which may be a security concern.

Since Cloud Licences can be provided as either Local Cloud or Network Cloud licences, you can have the benefits of both combined: a Cloud Network Licence would allow you to licence computers not connected to your local network, while not requiring https access to wibu.cloud for each machine running TUFLOW. Instead you can organise network connections from the computers running TUFLOW to the Cloud Network Licence server, while the entire network can be independent of your local network. This makes the Cloud Licence ideal for use in situations where you want to create your own cloud infrastructure for running TUFLOW.

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