Licensing

Licensing Options

This page covers the three license types — node-locked, USB dongle, and network/floating — and how each is enforced on a computer. For an overview of pricing options (tokens, annual term, and perpetual licensing), see our Pricing Options page.

DST offers three license types for its products. There are some differences between commercial and educational licensing and even between some of the commercial products; these are summarized further down the page.

Node-locked

The software is licensed to a single, specifically identified computer and can only run on that computer. During activation a unique fingerprint of the machine is sent to DST and a license is issued that works only with that fingerprint.

If the software needs to be moved, the license can be revoked and reactivated on a different computer.

Typically the lowest-cost option.

USB Dongle

The license is bound to a hardware USB key (a “dongle”). The software may be installed on any number of computers, but will only run on the one that currently has the dongle plugged in.

More flexible than node-locked — and priced accordingly.

Network / Floating

One or more licenses live on a central license server. Each client checks out a license at launch and returns it when the software is closed, making the license available for the next user.

Maximum flexibility — typically the highest-cost option.

Commercial Products

DST’s commercial products — SimWise 4D, SimWise Motion, SimWise FEA, the SimWise for Alibre variants, Dynamic Designer Motion (Solid Edge and Inventor), and Working Model 2D — offer all three license types, with the following exception:

• Working Model 2D is available with dongle and network/floating licenses only (no node-locked).

Educational Products

DST’s educational products also offer all three license types, with small differences relative to the commercial products:

• All single-user copies are available with node-locked or dongle licensing, but not with network licensing.
• Multi-user packages can be configured with node-locked or network licensing at no additional cost — the option must be selected at the time of purchase.

For more detail on educational licensing, see our Licensing Options PDF.

Summary Table

The table below summarizes which license types are available for each product.