How do I install Prism, InStat, or StatMate on a network? (Windows platform)

** Note: We no longer sell network licenses for any GraphPad products. This information is for legacy licenses.

This page explains how to install a network license of GraphPad programs. If you are trying to update to a newer release, see these instructions instead. 

Overview

Installing a Windows Network License onto a server

1. Install your GraphPad program onto one computer on your network (we call this computer the server, but it can be any computer with a shared drive). Run the install program and choose a hard drive and folder. You must have admin rights to install software. Do not write-protect this folder yet. An alternative would be to install Prism onto your own hard drive, and then copy the Prism folder onto the server.
2. Launch the program. The first time it runs, it will ask you for your serial number and network code, which you’ll find on your Registration Confirmation. This installation is for your entire network, so when the program asks for the user’s name and institution, enter your department or institution name rather an individual name. During its first launch, the program must be able to write into the program folder.
3. Share the Prism, InStat, or StatMate program folder. To do this, invoke the Properties dialog and choose "Share this folder" in the "Sharing" tab. Set the network permissions for the program folder, by clicking on the Permissions button in the "Sharing" tab and choose the appropriate checkboxes in the "Permissions for ..." dialog.
4. The first time it runs on a network, Prism and Statmate (but not InStat) create a folder named "licenses" within the program folder. All users must be able to write into the licenses folder, so do not write-protect the licenses folder at any time. If you have NTFS file system, make sure that in the Security tab of the GraphPad program folder Properties, as well as "licenses" folder, you allow users and groups of users as appropriate.

Write-protecting the program folders

You may wish to write protect the Prism or StatMate program folder. Windows doesn't always allow a folder to have greater permissions than its parent folder. There are two ways to solve this issue.

One approach (if the drive uses NTFS file system)  is to configure Windows so it allows a folder to have different permissions than its parent. 

The other approach is to move the Licenses folder before write-protecting the Prism or StatMate folder. InStat puts the license files right in the program folder, so this folder cannot be write protected and it is not possible to relocate the InStat licenses folder.

To move the licenses folder for Prism or StatMate, follow these steps:

1. Move the licenses folder to a location outside the Prism or StatMate folder.
2. Configure the properties of this new licenses folder to be shared and to allow "full access" from other computers. Windows doesn't allow a folder to have more rights than the folder it is within, so the folder containing the licenses folder (and the folder containing that folder...) must also allow 'full access'. If you don't want everyone on the network to access the program, create a security group, and give only that group access to the program folder.
   
3. Create a file named "licenses.txt" inside the Prism or StatMate program folder, and write into that file the name of the disk and folder of the licenses folder. This must refer to the server's hard drive. If that drive is mapped to a drive letter on your computer, enter something like K:\LicenseInfo\GraphPad. Otherwise, use a computer name and network name of the shared "licenses" folder, with syntax like \\[network_computer_name]\[network_name_of_licenses_folder]. For example, \\JoesDell\PrismLicenses.
4. Write-protect the Prism or StatMate program folder. In other words, set its permission to 'read only'.
   

GraphPad programs monitor the number of people using the program at any given time. If someone tries to launch the program, but all licenses are in use, the program won't start. Whenever this happens, the program (except Instat) adds a line to the file named "lockout.txt" with the date and time. Monitor this file to see if additional licenses are needed.

Running a GraphPad program from each individual computer

Nothing needs to be installed on each computer you will run the program on. You simply launch the application from its network location. It is convenient to  create shortcuts that launch the .exe file (prism.exe, instat.exe, or statmate.exe). We suggest placing shortcuts for all GraphPad programs into a folder called "GraphPad Software" in the Programs folder.

You do not have to have admin rights to launch Prism from a workstation. With earlier releases of Prism (5.00 and 5.01), it helped a lot to have admin rights the first time you used Prism on any computer. With the current release (or any release 5.02 or later), this is not necessary. 

It is possible to limit use of Prism to a named group of users.

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