LAN License Server LLS

A network-based licensing service that manages and distributes basehead floating licenses to clients on a local area network. Designed for facilities — like trailer houses — where client workstations are kept off the public internet.

The LLS runs as a service or as a simple console app on PC, Linux, and macOS. Clients on every platform connect without issue.

Internet on the server is optional. With internet, the server pings baseheadinc.com once every 10 minutes to pull license updates and process Work-From-Home checkouts/returns. Without internet, LLS still serves its license pool to clients on the LAN — the cloud-sync features are simply skipped. Clients only ever need to reach the server.

Key features

• Centralized floating-license pool. The server maintains a pool of available licenses and tracks usage in real time. Admins can see what’s available, what’s in use, and which clients are connected.
• Client authentication. Clients connect to the LLS using a specified IP address and port. The server authenticates each client and tracks the available and in-use license count (QTY).
• Automatic reconnection & offline support. If the connection drops, the client retries automatically. During a prolonged outage, the client falls back to a temporary certificate-based license (Offline.cert) for at least 8 hours of continued use.
• Status feedback. The client UI shows connection status and license availability — no need to dig into the Licenses panel unless you’re troubleshooting a failed connection.
• Checkout (hybrid mode). Admins can check out CloudBased licenses from the pool QTY for Work-From-Home users and return them later. Manage this on the License Pool page in your account dashboard.

Typical workflow

1. Connect. The client enters the server’s hostname or IP and port, then connects on the Licenses → Server tab inside basehead.
2. Authenticate. The server authenticates the client and issues a license.
3. Use. The client runs basehead under the issued license. The server tracks usage and pool availability.
4. Disconnect & recover. If the connection drops, the client retries. If the server stays unreachable, the client falls back to a temporary offline license to avoid downtime.
5. Administer. Admins manage users, update credentials, and monitor license usage from the server interface.

Benefits

• Works for facilities (like trailer houses) where client workstations are forbidden from the public internet — only the server needs outbound access.
• Centralized license management reduces administrative overhead.
• Resilient against network outages via the temporary offline license.

Once connected, the Server tab shows license info, connected clients, and the available / in-use QTY.

Server-side setup

Contact us to get the LLS Runtime Installer if you want to try it out or migrate to it. The LLS runs as a service, but you can stop the service and run the console app variant instead. On first launch you’ll see something like this:

Write down the hostname or IP address shown — you’ll need it on every client. (Hostnames work too — handy when an admin replaces the server hardware and the IP changes.)

DeviceSerial.txt

A DeviceSerial.txt file is created on the server inside ~Documents/basehead — used for license activation.

Or copy the code from a client

You can also Copy the server’s DeviceSerial code directly from the Server login page on any client connecting to it.

Activate the LLS license

When we notify you that your licenses are ready, an (empty) container will appear on the My Licenses page, ready for activation. Paste in the DeviceSerial and press Activate.

Your clipboard should contain a string that looks like this:

After a successful activation, the LAN.key file downloads automatically to your Downloads folder.

After pressing OK, the license refreshes and the View Pool button appears — it takes you to the License Pool page.

Install the LAN.key file

Copy the downloaded LAN.key file into the basehead Licenses folder on the LLS machine, then restart the LLS. You should see it load the license and report the available floating-license count:

• Windows: ProgramData\basehead\Licenses
• macOS / Linux: ~Documents/basehead/Licenses

The LLS is now ready to accept connections from clients.

Client-side setup

On each client, open the Licensing panel inside basehead and switch to the Server tab. Enter the IP address where the LLS is running and press Connect.

Leave the port set to 9000.

Linux install

To install the LLS as a Linux service (auto-starts on boot):

To stop the service:

To restart the service:

To view the last 50 lines of the LLS log:

Getting set up

The LLS is included with existing basehead licenses — there’s no extra purchase. Contact us when you’re ready and we’ll send the installer and convert your existing licenses so they work with the LLS.