>My experience with ICLAS suggest that this is not related to Novell; it is
>a "feature" of ICLAS. If a student reboots or just turns off the computer
>instead of doing a "graceful" exit, it leaves the license open or used. We
>had some trouble with students rebooting from basic programs and then not
>being able to get to them the next period. The only way I've found of
>fixing the problem is to reboot the server which effectively resets all the
>licenses.
The above statement is partly true. Iclas keeps some sort of
bindery info that sometimes does not get updated. There is a
document that should be available from your local IBM Technical
person that outlines an upgrade from novell 2.x to 3.x that should
help in the migration efforts. There is a diskette available as
well for the migration. Now when a student reboots or just turns
off the computer without logging off of the network within an
application, then the students connection information is still
valid. Instead of rebooting your server, you could use fconsole
(File Server Console) and remove the connection. This will free
up not only the netware connection info, but also give back the
license count info for a program.
>Another "feature" has to do with the 100 user ICLAS. When we had two labs
>attached to a single server, we still had to load two copies of Word
>Perfect with a 50 user limit on each. We labeled one for lab #1 and another
>for lab #2. ICLAS just doesn't like managing more than 50 users on a single
>piece of software at a time.
Unfortunately, the above statement is not true. Iclas will handle
100-user license limits. In fact if you purchase the Iclas 50-more
package, then Iclas will handle 150-user license limits. What you
generally find is that most network packages you buy gives you a 50-
conncurrent user license. If you have a 100-user version of Iclas
and 100 user license limit of WP, then you should not have to have
2 copies loaded into 2 different directories. I have worked with
schools that have site-license agreements of some software and I
have always used the Iclas maximum limit. If you are using Iclas
version 1.41 or above then there should be no problem.
Also, you could have loaded WP once, then just modified the Iclas
Item file (*.itm) and give it a different program id, but referencing
the program in the same directory. I have done, this when 2 50-user
licenses have been purchased to run on an Iclas systems.
> I consider these features because they always happen - can't be a bug if it
> always happens. I talked to an IBM tech on the helpline and this is the
> only work-around he could suggest. Still, I like ICLAS - if I have to use
> DOS machines.
This doesn't always happen. I don't dispute anything that the
helpline person told you, but I am in the field and have used and
done the above.
John H. Bennett III - IBM K-12 Education
MRJB@VNET.IBM.COM