Managing the policy system
The policy system enables you to specify rules for how the licenses are assigned, up to the limits of the license. This can prevent individual users obtaining too many licenses, which might then exclude other users.
Location and name
The policy file is usually put in the same directory as the license file and has the same name as the license file, but with a .Policy suffix. For example:
License.UIN
License.UIN.Policy
Policy rules apply to users and hosts individually or as groups.
Creating policy groups
You can combine users and hosts into groups. Specify the groups in the [Policy Groups] section of the policy file.
Syntax
DEFINE USER_GROUP[name] = username[, username] ...
DEFINE HOST_GROUP[name] = hostname[, hostname] ...
Example
[Policy Groups]
DEFINE USER_GROUP[A] = Alice
DEFINE USER_GROUP[B] = Bob, Julie
DEFINE USER_GROUP[C] = USER_GROUP[A], USER_GROUP[B], Fred
DEFINE HOST_GROUP[Managers]=alice-pc, bob-pc, julie-pc
You can reference groups that were specified earlier in the list by using the group name. Policy groups must be specified before you can use them in the policy rules.
Creating policy rules
The rules specify the license limits to apply to a licensed module or category for the users and hosts that match the rule. Specify the policy rules in the [Policy Rules] section of the policy file.
Syntax
user_or_host MODULE[name] SOFT_LIMIT=limit
user_or_host CATEGORY[name] SOFT_LIMIT=limit
user_or_host MODULE [name] HARD_LIMIT=limit
user_or_host CATEGORY[name] HARD_LIMIT=limit
where user_or_host is one of these:
▪an individual user or host name
▪a user or host group
▪ALL_USERS or ALL_HOSTS
The MODULE name or CATEGORY name is specified in the license. For example, Floating User.
The SOFT_LIMIT can be changed by another SOFT_LIMIT that appears later in the policy file. You can increase or decrease the limit.
The HARD_LIMIT can be changed by another HARD_LIMIT later in the policy file, but you can only decrease the limit, not increase it.
The limit is the number of licenses for the user or host that matches the rule. To specify unlimited licenses up to the maximum allowed by in the license, use -1.
The rules are applied in the order they appear in the policy file. If you put an ALL_USERS rule at the top that specifies default restrictions, you can override this rule later for specific users.
Example 1
[Policy Rules]
ALL_USERS CATEGORY[Floating User] SOFT_LIMIT=2
A maximum of two Floating User licenses each for all users.
Example 2
[Policy Groups]
DEFINE USER_GROUP[Managers] = Alice, Bob
[Policy Rules]
ALL_USERS CATEGORY[Floating User] SOFT_LIMIT=2
USER_GROUP[Managers] CATEGORY[Floating User] SOFT_LIMIT=10
A maximum of two Floating User licenses each for all users, but Alice and Bob have 10 each because they are in the Managers group.
Example 3
[Policy Groups]
DEFINE USER_GROUP[Managers] = Alice, Bob
DEFINE USER_GROUP[Externals] = Bob, Jane
[Policy Rules]
ALL_USERS CATEGORY[Floating User] SOFT_LIMIT=2
USER_GROUP[Externals] CATEGORY[Floating User] HARD_LIMIT=5
USER_GROUP[Managers] CATEGORY[Floating User] SOFT_LIMIT=10
USER[Bob] CATEGORY[Floating User] HARD_LIMIT=50
Bob is a member of the Managers and Externals user groups. For the Externals user group, there is a HARD_LIMIT of five Floating User licenses each. Even though all four rules apply to Bob, he gets only five Floating User licenses because he is a member of the Externals user group. You can only decrease a HARD_LIMIT; you can not decrease it.
See also