The difference between the “licensed user" count and the "maximum number of users" connecting to the database (-n), often arises. This Article attempts to clarify the difference for the Concurrent License Model. Particulars of individual Application Partner license agreements however should be further discussed with their Progress Account Manager.
The most common assumption made is:
"If the database has 100 licensed user restriction, then only up to 100 connections can be made to the database (remote clients, local clients, including progress/processes (APW, BIW, AIW, Watchdog etc...)."
That assumption is not correct, however. Instead:
The Licensed user count is not a restriction and in no way directly limits the value set for Maximum Number of Users -n (maxusers) for the database startup parameter on Enterprise Licenses.
In a nutshell:
- The licensed user count is shown for individual licenses installed in the progress.cfg file located in the root Progress install directory (DLC).
- The maximum, minimum and average number of connections can be calculated from the .lic file.
- The maximum number of connections is the same as the -n database startup parameter.
- The number of concurrent connections can be calculated with Virtual System Tables or PROMON views
- But the Total number of concurrent users (not connections) is registered in the .cfg file and cannot be calculated at any given time, except by auditing log files, while the total number of concurrent connections can.
For illustration purposes the following explanation can be used to help understand the difference between the licensed user count and the number of connections that can be made to the database (-n).
The correct number of licensed users depends on the license model contracted. It varies depending on the version and whether the current contract has been previously migrated from a different license model or not. Please contact your Customer Service Representative or send an email to com-global@progress.com if further detail are needed.
In Concurrent User License Model:
- The licensed user count must be at least equal to the total number of simultaneous display devices running a Progress product or accessing a Progress Database/Dataserver schema holder or the peak number of batch/background jobs connected concurrently to the Progress Product – whichever is highest. A display device may access the database directly as a self-service client or on a host/terminal connection, via client-server connection or via the Progress AppServer. (Version 9.x only).
- For V10 and 11, As per the EULA “A Concurrent Device may be a Client Device, a Non-Human Operated Device or a Process.”
- All products must be licensed for the peak number of users and background jobs that are concurrently connecting and using the product.
- An individual that is accessing and connecting to the database from the same display devices (terminal and/or machine), this counts as one licensed user on the Concurrent User License Model, even though this individual may have many separate sessions connecting to the database.
- Each time the individual connects to the database, irrespective of how the user may be connecting to the database, this will count -1 for each connection off the maximum number of users connecting to the database (-n).
- If a user is connecting to multiple databases using the same user id and password (from the same display device) then the connection still acts as one license user connecting to multiple databases.
In other words: starting a second session on the same PC would decrease the -n count by one on the database, but not the license count.
This is further explained in detail by way of example in Article
Maximum Connections vs Licensed users for WorkGroup Database .
To find the total number of users connected to the database either PROMON or VST table queries can be employed.
For example, the following ABL code will be a count of all TCP/IP (client/server) connections:
DEFINE VARIABLE icount AS INTEGER INITIAL 0 NO-UNDO.
FOR EACH _Servers WHERE _Server-Num <> 0:
icount = icount + _Server-CurrUsers.
END.
DISPLAY icount.
The code example above will not count how many concurrent users are currently connected to a given database, since this cannot be calculated, it's the concurrent connections to remote servers that are returned by the query.
The
_Connect VST is more appropriate if there are also shared-memory connections involved, where for example:
- _Connect-Name could be used to check against a list of allowed users or
- _Connect-Type could be used to filter the local [SELF] and remote [REMC] to limit the number of user connections.
When customers make use of multiple Progress Applications, then License Counts need to be purchased for each application for both the client license used and database / servers. However if these Applications are all running on the same machine, these licenses do not necessarily need to be all installed. This would depend on the shared resource architecture of the individual Application. The licensed counts however, need to be on record.
Caveats:
- All information above is subject to change as new terminology is introduced within the market and/or PSC.
- For further information specific to individual licensing needs, please contact your Progress Account Manager.
