Problem: "FlexNet Licensing Service 64" is used for licensing in both Tableau Desktop 2023.2 & Tableau Prep Builder 2023.2. Using this recipe, you can extrapolate the "FlexNet 64 Licensing service 64" into its own package for use as a dependency, allowing you to deploy both apps in different packages without intermittent licensing issues/errors from both packages if they both contain the service in the package.
This recipe is relevant to this other recipe - FlexApp packaging Tableau Desktop 2023.2 - However, in this recipe, we will make the FlexNet Licensing Service 64 a separate package, that will be used as a dependency for Tableau Desktop 2023.2 and Tableau Prep Builder 2023.2, so that if you wish, you can deploy both packages at once to a single user/desktop, or deploy single packages (One or both) without running into conflicts with the shared "FlexNet Licensing Service 64" service.
1. You will need the FlexNet "anchorservice" components from the "FlexNet Publisher" product, so you will need to either contact your software vendor and ask if they have the FlexNet binaries. If they cannot provide them, it can be purchased from Revenera.com resellers, you can contact them here for information about the "Flexnet Publisher Toolkit": https://www.revenera.com/software-monetization/products/software-licensing. If you have a MyESI Account (AutoDesk etc.) you might be able to obtain it here: https://myesi.esi-group.com/downloads/licensing/flexnet-v11.18.2-windows-x64-64-bit - Note: Since the FlexNet Publisher Toolkit is proprietary software, Liquidware cannot provide it to customers.
1. Copy the installer x64 zip file to the FPC desktop and extract it. Start a CMD.exe as Administrator, Cd to the user's desktop containing the installer folder, and CD into the x64 directory.
2. Have a 6.8.5 FlexApp Packaging Console setup and running on a clean image. Log in. Start a new capture in "High-Compatibility Mode". Go back to the CMD.exe prompt, and type or paste, and hit Enter:
installanchorservice.exe "FlexNet Licensing Service 64" "FlexNet Licensing Service 64"
This will install the "FlexNet Licensing Service 64" service we will need for Tableau into a basic package by itself to C:\Program Files\Common Files\Macrovision.
3. Once that is done, just save the Package.
4. Take a new clean image on the FPC and install the service the same exact way DIRECTLY on the FPC.
5. Take another snapshot, and name it "FLEXNET INSTALLED" or something you can remember.
6. Now that it is installed on the base image, Capture either Tableau Desktop or Prep Builder on the FPC. The key here is that packages will not contain the FlexNet service, since it already exists it on the base image/snapshot, it will be skipped on installation.
7. Once you have captured the Tableau Application(s) using this recipe with the Flexnet on the base image/snapshot, you can then make the "FlexNet64" package a dependency for each of the Tableau applications captured.
8. Activate one of the Tableau Applications. (In this example, we will use Desktop)
9. Click on the drop-down menu, and click "Edit dependencies of the package":
10. On the Left-hand side, choose the FlexNet License Service package, and click on the little arrow to add it to the dependency list for that package.
11. Click OK & Save the package.
12. Now, when you deploy in the DIA configuration, you MUST include both packages in the ProfileUnity DIA module for the application(s) to work. For example, if you are deploying both Tableau Desktop and Prep Builder as separate packages using this model, only include ONE configuration entry for the FlexNet service package.
13. Deploy & Test your Tableau packages in your VDI.
References: FlexApp packaging Tableau Desktop 2023.2
Product: FlexApp
Product Version: 6.8.5
Expires: 365 days from publishing.
Updated: October 2, 2023