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
- Connect. The client enters the server’s hostname or IP and port, then connects on the Licenses → Server tab inside basehead.
- Authenticate. The server authenticates the client and issues a license.
- Use. The client runs basehead under the issued license. The server tracks usage and pool availability.
- 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.
- 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.
Server-side setup
Contact us to get the LLS Runtime Installer if you want to try it out or migrate to it. Install and start it — it runs as a service (or a console-app variant) and serves clients on port 9000. Note the server’s hostname or IP… you’ll need it on every client. The WebAdmin header shows it, and it’s printed when the LLS starts. (Hostnames work too — handy when the server hardware or IP changes.)
Activate the license
The WebAdmin → Activation tab has everything in one place — the Device Serial Code with one-click copy, a drop box for the .key file, and the step-by-step instructions. In short: copy the serial, paste it into your My Licenses page to activate the empty LAN license container, download the resulting .key, and drop it back onto the Activation tab. The server loads it on the spot and the Overview page turns green with your floating-license count.
.key drop box, and instructions, all in one place.Important: set the server’s power settings so the network ports never go to sleep — clients will lose their license if the server’s NIC powers down.
The LLS is now ready to accept connections from clients.
More in the WebAdmin. Beyond activation, the WebAdmin at http://<server-ip>:9099/ watches seats and clients, tails the log, and (with the Teams add-on) hosts databases — all without sitting at the server. On by default… just open 9099 alongside port 9000.
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.
Once connected, a WebAdmin button on this Server page opens the server’s WebAdmin in your browser (shown only when that LLS has it enabled).
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:
The installer also opens port 9000 for client communication.
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.
Console-app fallback
No WebAdmin handy? You can still do it all from the console app by hand. On first launch it prints the server’s address:
To activate: copy the Device Serial Code from ~Documents/basehead/DeviceSerial.txt (or the console window), activate the empty container on your My Licenses page, then drop the downloaded LAN.key into the Licenses folder and restart the LLS — Windows ProgramData\basehead\Licenses, macOS / Linux ~Documents/basehead/Licenses. The console loads the license and prints the floating-license count:
