Our license to OPL studio allows students to install and run OPL studio on their own PCs. Though in order for OPL to actually run, it needs access to our license server. This document describes the steps needed to install OPL studio and to run OPL studio.

Access to license server

In order for OPL studio to verify correctly against our license server, your PC has to be on our internal network. Either physically or virtually.

Physical access

Physical access to our network in only available through the cabled network throughout the department. You cannot access the physical network from outside the department or on the wireless.

Virtual access

Virtual means that your PC appears to be physically on our internal network, even though it might not be in reality. This is achieved through a so called virtual private network (VPN), which basically encrypts all your network traffic and re-routes it through the department. For the outside world it looks like your computer is actually at the department (even though you might be sitting with your PC at home). For the department system our PC looks like it is physically on the internal network and your PC even thinks it is sitting on the inside of our network.

Installation

Since you will presumably be installing OPL studio on a laptop or home PC, we will describe the entire installation in terms of access via VPN.

Installing VPN

Please read VPN installation and download guide.

Tip: It is very important, when you install VPN, that you switch off all anti-virus, all firewalls, all anti-spyware software on your PC, otherwise VPN might not be able to install, and a crashed VPN installation can be quite difficult to uninstall.

When VPN is installed, please activate it, you should see a small locked pad-lock in the lower right corner off the screen (Win XP). Now you are virtually on the inside of the department network.

Enable access to our SAMBA file server

Please read the Windows SAMBA access guide. The description is only available from within the department network (hence the need for VPN).

Install OPL studio

First do a SAMBA mount for \\carnen\pcsoft, i.e. open this computer, go to tools, choose map network drive, specify \\carnen\pcsoft, specify your IMF user name and password when prompted for it. Now pcsoft should be associated with a windows drive name, say, the Z-drive.

Open pcsoft if it isn't open already. Go to ilog/opl4.2/PCWIN/, run opl42_install.exe

Next go to ilog/ilm/PCWIN and run ilm270-windows-setup.exe

Next we need to copy the license file (which also specifies where to look for the license server). Go to ilog/ilm and copy the file access.ilm. Paste the file into the C:\ILOG\ILM folder created by the installation. It is very important that the license file is not altered in any way.

This completes the installation. OPL Studio should now be able to run on your PC.

When using OPL Studio

Because OPL studio needs to verify it self against the license server, you will need Internet access in order for OPL Studio to run. No network access, no OPL. You also need to be running the IMF VPN because the verification has to take place on the inside of our network, so no VPN, no OPL.

Note that the license server might be unresponsive, in that case send an email to the department staff and ask them to check the OPL license server.

Note that the license file may need to be renewed from time to time.