Frequently Asked Questions
IT: hardware requirements, installation and license management
Where can I find detailed installation instructions?
The software download area within MyPSE includes detailed installation instructions for PSE software and license management tools. The How-to Videos section includes video tutorials for software installation, license management and common issues with each. Both MyPSE and How-to Videos are available for free to anyone (including students) from a customer organisation though registration is required.
What kind of computer do I need to run gPROMS ModelBuilder?
Most engineering computer labs already have suitable hardware to run gPROMS® effectively. Your specific requirements may depend on many things, such as the model size you expect to handle and the density of the matrix within the model. Within PSE, we typically use 8 GB of RAM, Intel® Core™ i7 CPU at 2.8 GHz and solve models with several hundred thousand equations. Models with over a million equations may require more than 25 GB RAM. Multi-core processing can improve the speed of the graphical user interface, but the numerical solution is single-threaded. There is no need for many cores.
What kind of computer do I need to run the license server?
PSE uses FLEXlm license management software. This software has very minimal system requirements, even for large pools of licenses. Many engineering computer labs already employ FLEXlm for use with other engineering applications. You may download and install the FLEXlm utility without an active gPROMS license. Consider the following in choosing your license server host:
- The license server must be accessible from all intended client machines. VPN use is permissible.
- Changing the network card of your server may change the license host ID. This will invalidate any existing license files created for that host. You will need to contact PSE to request new license files to match the new host ID and to verify deletion of the prior license.
What information must I send to get a license issued?
A license is identified by the host name and physical address of the license server machine. Assuming the license agreement and commercial issues are in order, you will need to send the host name and host ID (MAC address / physical address of the Ethernet Adapter Local Area Connection). In Windows, you can retrieve this information by opening a command prompt and typing in ipconfig /all. Alternatively, you can install the FLEXlm utility, go to the ‘System Settings’ tab, then retrieve the ‘Computer/Hostname’ and the ‘Ethernet address.’ On Linux, use the command /sbin/ifconfig. The interface to look for is typically named ‘eth0.’
What platforms can gPROMS run on?
gPROMS runs on both Windows and Linux. Licenses may be used in mixed platform networks, including both Windows and Linux machines.
Does gPROMS have a 64-bit version?
Yes, there are both 32-bit and 64-bit versions for Windows. The Linux version is 64-bit only.
Does gPROMS support High Performance Computing (HPC)?
Yes.
What if I have a firewall?
The license server relies on a range of ports to be open. On Windows with the standard built-in firewall, the ports are opened by default by the installer we provide. If you are using a third-party firewall or Linux, please ensure that the two executables lmrgd.exe and PSELMD.exe in the installation directory of the license server have full inbound and outbound permissions, both on tcp and udp. If unsure, please contact your system administrator on how to accomplish this.
Can the license server be the same machine as the client?
Yes.
What do I do if I have two license files?
In LMTools, on the ‘Configuration’ tab, point the “Path to the license file” to a directory rather than a file. LMTools will use all files in the directory. This is the default configuration.
Can I get a node-locked license?
Yes. The node-locked license will only run on a specific machine. The license server may be a different machine.
Licensing: products, process and terms & conditions
What products are available and what do they do?
Please see our available products page for more information. If you are interested in a product that is not listed, please contact our Academic Advisor to discuss your interest.
What organisations can receive academic licenses?
gPROMS academic licenses are provided only to bona fide academic institutions (typically universities and technical colleges) for use in academic research and teaching under strict terms and conditions.
What can an academic license be used for?
The software packages obtained under these licenses are the full versions and have no special technical limitations. However, usage is contractually restricted to teaching and research purposes only. The software should only be used when the full data and results are to be placed in the public domain.
Can a research license be used for a research project funded by an industrial sponsor?
Perhaps. Please contact our Academic Advisor to discuss your situation. PSE will be happy to advise you on the most appropriate course of action if your intended usage of gPROMS does not fall within the usual guidelines, for example, if some of your work is funded by an industrial sponsor and some results will remain confidential. PSE reserves the right to cancel licenses without notice if they are being used for commercially-funded research without prior arrangement.
What can a teaching license be used for?
Teaching licenses can ONLY be used for teaching classes for undergraduates or graduate students. Teaching licenses must be located on a different license server than research licenses or measures must be in place to prevent misuse of teaching licenses for research or other purposes.
Who can apply for an academic license?
Academic license agreements must be signed by a permanent member of the academic staff of the university department to which the license is granted. Anyone may complete the price request form, but we do request a faculty reference in the form.
How many licenses do I need?
Within TCP/IP network environments, gPROMS is licensed using a floating licence model. This allows you a number of simultaneous runs/users of gPROMS on workstations within your local network, up to the maximum number of users stated in the licence. Research groups typically do not need one license for each group member. In a teaching environment, license needs will vary according to the structure of the course. Please contact our Academic Advisor to discuss.
How much does it cost?
Please complete the pricing request form for a quote.
What does the price include?
- Appropriate license keys for your license server
- Access to all software updates released during the term of the license
- One administrator’s account on the PSE support web page, enabling software download for gPROMS software and documentation for all supported platforms
- One licensed user’s account on the support web page, enabling access to restricted information on the software
- Access to the How-to Videos section for any user including students
- Access to the Technical Webinar series for any user including students
- Academic discounts on the cost of selected gPROMS training courses
- Technical software support. Note that the academic license agreement does not oblige PSE to provide support on modelling issues. This may be provided at our discretion.
What is the application procedure?
Please complete the pricing request form. Our Academic Advisor will then respond to continue the application procedure.
What kind of licenses do I get, local or network?
The licenses are called network or “floating” licenses, which means that anybody who can access the license server can request a license. The number of licenses determine maximum number of concurrent users for each licensed software component.
How long is the license valid?
The standard licensing period is three (3) years for research licenses. Teaching licenses are typically one (1) year. The license can be used for any version of gPROMS ModelBuilder, but only the last and second to last versions are supported by PSE. If you would prefer a different license term, please contact our Academic Advisor.
Can I get a perpetual license?
No.
Can I get a trial license?
No, please refer to our archived webinars or attend one of our hands-on workshops to get an idea of the software capabilities. Prices for universities have been kept very low to allow easy access to the software.
How do I pay?
We will invoice you for the cost. Please do not send any payment before receiving the invoice. The invoice should be paid by cheque, bank draft, or direct bank transfer. All the necessary bank details will be on the invoice. Unfortunately we are currently only able to accept payment by credit card if details are sent by fax. Please do not send card details by email. Credit card transactions will incur a 5% handling fee. All institutions are required to provide their Value-Added Tax (VAT) Registration No. (or equivalent) when they make an application.
How do I obtain additional licenses?
Please complete the pricing request form or contact our Academic Advisor. If you are interested in matching the license term to the remainder of your existing licenses, please include this in the Comment section of the form.
How do I renew expired licenses?
Please complete the pricing request form. Include the expired license information in the Comment section of the form.
Software user support and training
What kind of support do I get?
The standard license includes technical support for software issues (e.g. installation, crashes, license issues). All users (including students) have access to our extensive How-to Videos section. How-to Videos are two to three minute videos that answer frequently asked questions, explain important features, and reveal lesser known tips and tricks for getting the most out of the time you invest in process modelling.
What if I want more support?
In-depth modelling support can be purchased at commercial prices. Please contact our Academic Advisor for more information.
What kind of training is included?
The license does not include training. Any user with an institutional email address (including students) may participate in our free Technical Webinar series as well as our extensive How-to Videos section. For training in our offices, academics get a 35% discount on the course fee. Please refer to our training schedule for locations and dates. We can also give on-site training courses for large groups. Please contact our Academic Advisor if you are interested in hosting an on-site training course. We also periodically offer hands-on workshops at partner institutions. Please refer to our Partnership for Advanced Process Modelling page for more information.
Other questions
Should I reference gPROMS in my paper?
gPROMS must be cited in any paper where it has been used to generate results, quantitative or qualitative.
How do I reference gPROMS or other PSE products in my paper?
PSE’s preferred reference is:
“Process Systems Enterprise, gPROMS, www.psenterprise.com/products/gproms, 1997-2020”
For other PSE products please replace the name gPROMS with the relevant product name and link.
What is the MBI Prize? In acknowledgement of the role of gPROMS modelling in academic research, PSE offers annual prizes for the best papers describing the use of gPROMS family products in an innovative way or in a novel area of application or technology. Please refer to the MBI Prize site for further information.
How do I submit my paper to be eligible for the MBI Prize?
Please refer to the MBI Prize site for information on eligibility and submissions.
How much money can I win?
Please refer to the MBI Prize site for information on awards and recognition.
