When you have a FlexNet licensing-enabled application deployed in a desktop image on a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) server and multiple clients in the same network need to access the application, a floating license might be the best solution for licensing the application.

A floating license enables anyone (that is, any client) on the network to use the application, up to the limit specified in the license file or fulfilment record (a process known also as concurrent usage or network licensing). Additionally, floating licenses have no hostids on the individual FEATURE lines.

This means that in the license file when there are feature lines, for the floating license model the features can not be node-locked to a machine individually.

However, these licenses require that a license server—that is, a license server manager and a vendor daemon—to be running to count the concurrent usage of licenses. This license can be on an external device in the network or on a virtual machine in the VDI environment (if that virtual machine has a unique MAC address in the VDI environment).

Any client within the network who has access to the license server will be able to use the application in a VDI environment.

Also, note that if a virtual machine in a VDI environment has a unique MAC address, the virtual machine can also be configured as a license server.