This FAQ describes hardware key (dongle) discontinuations in recent releases of Mentor Standard Licensing (MSL) and the process to follow for hardware key replacements.
- As of the MSL v2013_2 release, only the Aladdin USB FlexID 9- key is supported.
- As of the MSL v2012_1 release, the following hardware keys (dongles) are no longer supported:
Rainbow Sentinel CPLUS
PADS SSI/Pink Key
FLEXID 6-/7- (depending on platform - see table)
Dallas FLEXID 8- (depending on platform - see table)
v2012_1 Supported OS | CPLUS | Pink Key | FLEXID | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6- | 7- | 8- | 9- | |||
| Windows XP SP 3 32-bit | no | no | Yes | Yes | no | Yes |
| Windows XP Pro x64 | no | no | no | no | no | Yes |
Windows Vista (Business, Enterprise, Ultimate) 32-bit | no | no | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Vista 64 SP2 (Business, Enterprise, Ultimate) | no | no | no | no | no | Yes |
Windows 7 (Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate) 32-bit | no | no | no | no | no | Yes |
| Windows 7 64 (Professional, Enterprise, Ultimate) | no | no | no | no | no | Yes |
Windows Server 2003 32-bit | no | no | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Windows Server 2003 64-bit | no | no | no | no | no | Yes |
| Windows Server 2008 SP2 32-bit | no | no | Yes | Yes | no | Yes |
| Windows Server 2008 SP2 64-bit | no | no | no | no | no | Yes |
Windows Server 2008 R2 64-bit | no | no | no | no | no | Yes |
Q: Which product releases are affected by this change?
A: Releases shipping with v2013_2 will be added as they're scheduled.
A: Currently, the following releases are shipping with MSL v2012_1:
- Expedition Enterprise Flow EE 7.9.4
- Board Station XE Flow 7.9.4
- PADS Flow PADS9.5
Please visit SupportNet to see the latest product downloads.
Q: Is my hardware key one that needs to be replaced?
A: You can visually confirm that your dongle needs to be replaced using A Field Guide to Mentor Graphics Hardware Keys.
Q: Which hardware key replaces my current one?
A: Your current hardware key will be replaced with the Aladdin USB FlexID 9- key.
Q: Will my existing license file still work?
A: No. After your hardware key is replaced, you will receive a new license file tied to your new key.
Q: How do I start the replacement process?
A: To start your replacement process:
- Go to SupportNet and log in.
- Click on the “Service Request” tab.
- Select radio button for “Other Request Type” & choose “H/W Key Replacement ” from the menu.
- Click “Next Step”.
- Enter a “Short Description” of: Request to replace my current discontinued key with a USB key or Ethernet address XXXXXXXXXXX. Your Ethernet address is a 12 digit hexadecimal number; for example: 00C0A8F1798F. If you don't know how to find your Ethernet address, please read Determining the Hostid for Licensing.
- Enclose your current authorization codes (license file) by clicking the “Browse” button to find the file, then the “Upload” button to attach it to your Service Request.
- Click “Submit”.
- Within 48 business hours, we will send you a temporary 30 day authorization code.
- During the 30 day period return your hardware key following the instructions we will send you with the temporary authorization code.
- Once we receive your returned hardware key, we will issue new authorizations codes for up to 15 months for the current software releases on a new USB hardware key.
- We will send you the new USB hardware key.
Q: How long will the replacement process take?
A: The length of the replacement process depends largely on the time it takes to receive your old hardware key. We strive to send new keys and license files within 48 hours.
Q: Will I be unable to use my application during that time?
A: The replacement process is designed to minimize downtime. Generally, your downtime will amount to the time it takes to load the new hardware key driver driver and install the new license file. We have resources here on the Licensing and Installation community that will help you complete that process.
Q: I run both current and older versions of the application. Will I be able to use the new hardware key with all the versions of the software I'm running?
A: It depends. Support for the Aladdin USB FLEXID 9- has been available for ten years. Applications that shipped since that time most likely support the Aladdin USB FLEXID 9-. You can consult the release notes and product documentation for the release in question to determine which IDs are supported.
Q: What are the next steps after I've received my new hardware key and license file?
A: You'll need to follow the procedure for Downloading and Installing the Mentor Licensing Software (video), followed by Using the Mentor Install Program (MIP) to Update Your Hardware Key Driver (Video) and Installing a Mobile Compute License (video)
Q: What if my hardware key is my server ID?
A: After you complete the replacement process, follow the procedure forDownloading and Installing the Mentor Licensing Software (video) and Using the Mentor Install Program (MIP) to Update Your Hardware Key Driver (Video)followed by the procedure for Updating Your Licensing Manager (Server) on Windows (Video).