In industries such as automotive, aerospace, and equipment manufacturing, Siemens NX (formerly UG) is a widely used integrated CAD/CAE/CAM platform. As the number of R&D personnel grows and multiple projects advance in parallel, the scale of NX deployment continues to expand. While this brings improvements in design efficiency, it also exposes a common challenge:
“How should licenses be allocated reasonably?”
Floating licenses are essentially a shared resource. In theory, the fewest resources can support the largest number of users. In practice, however, poor scheduling and disorganized usage often lead to:
- Users complaining that they “cannot get a license”;
- IT departments passively “buying more licenses”;
- Expensive licensed modules sitting idle for long periods;
- Conflicts between projects due to resource contention.
How to achieve fair, efficient, and controllable license allocation under limited resources is the core issue in NX software management.
1. Overview of the NX Licensing System: Modular + Floating Licenses
Siemens NX uses a FlexNet-based licensing model, where licenses are combined by functional modules (Features). Typical categories include:
| License Type | Example Modules | Function Description |
|---|---|---|
| NX Core | NX100, NX101 | Basic modeling, sketching, assembly |
| NX Advanced | NX102, NX103 | Advanced modeling, assembly features, PMI |
| NX Mach 3, Mach 4 | NX301~NX304 | Standard product packages integrating multiple modules |
| NX CAM | CAMBASE, CAMMILL, etc. | Manufacturing modules supporting 2.5-axis and 5-axis programming |
| NX Simulation | ADVANCED SIM, STRUC SIM | Structural simulation and solving functions |
When each client runs NX, it requests licenses for multiple modules from the License Server, for example:
- NX Core (required) + Advanced Assembly + Drafting;
- If CAM, simulation, or other modules are used at the same time, the corresponding feature licenses are also requested.
Since licensed modules are expensive (some modules cost tens of thousands of RMB each), reasonable allocation is especially critical.
2. Common Pain Points in License Allocation
1. Severe license contention during peak hours
- Peak usage usually occurs at 9:00 AM and 2:00 PM, when multiple users may be unable to launch NX at the same time;
- The floating license pool is often insufficient, resulting in frequent “all licenses are in use” messages.
2. Disordered module usage and license waste
- Some users select all modules by default, even though they only use basic functions;
- High-cost simulation/CAM modules are occupied by non-target users, causing resource waste.
3. Project teams competing for resources
- There is no resource isolation between departments, so access often becomes “first come, first served”;
- High-priority projects cannot be guaranteed license availability, affecting delivery schedules.
4. Lack of usage monitoring makes capacity planning difficult
- IT departments cannot clearly see who is using what or how frequently;
- It is difficult to distinguish between “licenses must be expanded” and “usage efficiency is low.”
3. How to Allocate NX Floating Licenses Reasonably?
The following are five major management strategies based on enterprise best practices with the Nodexel system:
1. Refined license bundle strategy
- Define license packages based on job roles (such as design roles, simulation roles, and machining roles);
- Restrict the module scope available to different roles to prevent accidental occupation of advanced functions;
- It is recommended to regularly confirm license requirement lists together with department managers.
2. User/project group quota mechanism
- Set license quotas (soft limits) by project group;
- Once the quota is reached, users can enter a waiting queue or request approval for additional resources;
- Project owners can manage the priority of license usage among team members themselves.
3. Set license usage priorities and scheduling rules
- Key roles in high-priority projects or critical milestones can be given preemption priority;
- Ordinary projects can use “first come, first served” or time-slot throttling strategies;
- Policy automation can be achieved through a scheduling platform such as the Nodexel license optimization platform.
4. Configure automatic release mechanisms (Idle Timeout)
- Monitor NX sessions that remain inactive for a long time (for example, more than 30 minutes);
- The system automatically releases module licenses to avoid users occupying resources while “logged in but not using” them;
- Supports both front-end reminders and back-end release mechanisms to improve user experience and resource utilization.
5. Deploy visual monitoring and historical reports
- View license pool usage in real time (by module, user, and time period);
- Support exporting weekly and monthly usage statistics;
- Use the data to evaluate whether expansion or reduction is needed and achieve precise budgeting.
4. The Value Brought by the Nodexel License Optimization Platform
As usage scales up, relying solely on the License Server can no longer meet advanced needs such as “fair scheduling, priority strategies, and behavior control.” Therefore, more and more companies are deploying license optimization systems to help achieve:
| Function | Value |
|---|---|
| User behavior tracking | Know who is using what, for how long, and whether they are active |
| Module-level release control | Automatically release specific modules and save expensive licenses |
| Project-based license grouping | Prevent departments from competing for resources |
| Reporting and statistical analysis | Accurately assess utilization and support procurement decisions |
| Rule-based scheduling | Set permission strategies for different users or projects |
Practice has proven that without increasing the number of licenses, average concurrent usage efficiency can improve by 30% to 50%.
5. Conclusion
NX is a powerful integrated platform, but its modular licensing structure is complex and expensive. In environments with multiple users, projects, and departments operating in parallel, a lack of proper management can easily lead to resource contention, license waste, and internal conflict.
By using Nodexel to establish grouping strategies, usage quotas, intelligent release, and behavior statistics, enterprises can build an efficient, fair, and sustainable simulation and design environment under limited license resources.
Reasonable allocation of floating licenses is not just about saving costs—it is the starting point for maximizing return on investment.
本文作者为Nodexel，转载请注明。