# Getting Started

## Activation, installation and setup

**What steps are required to enable floating licenses?**

**Admin level**:

1. Activate your license server license and your IDA instance at [My Hex-Rays Portal](https://my.hex-rays.com/). Download your license files locally, as well as the server installer -> check [Licensing Guide](https://docs.hex-rays.com/getting-started/licensing)
2. Install and set up your license server -> see [Admin Guide](https://docs.hex-rays.com/extensions/floating-license/admin/license-server).
3. Install IDA Pro on your workstations -> read how to [install IDA](https://docs.hex-rays.com/getting-started/install-ida)
4. Provide your users with a license server hostname

**User level**:

1. Run IDA on your machine and [check out one of the available license](#how-to-check-out-a-license) to start working

## How to check out a license?

1. Connect to the network where your license server is available and run IDA.
2. Navigate to **Help -> License manager**.
3. In the License manager dialog, select the option **Use floating license server** and then type the license server hostname provided by your administrator. Click **Connect** (1).

![Check out a license](https://920252027-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FXnMt6HMopakRTMzxxSKh%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-843b9e301b0e23b9da0fbd065568b469d077a4c6%2Fcheck-out-license.png?alt=media)

4. Check out one of the licenses: select a license visible under the available licenses list and click **OK** (2). You can continue working with IDA now.
5. When you exit IDA, the license will be automatically checked in (returned to the server) and becomes free to use for another user/session.

## Offline usage and license borrowing

Floating licenses can function in air-gapped environments, as long as the license server is placed inside that isolated network.\
This setup is ideal for users working on-site in a specific physical location. For offsite use, you must borrow a license in advance to access it offline or in a different, remote location.

### How to borrow a license?

Borrow a license to temporarily "check it out" and use IDA without connection to the license server for a fixed period of time.

If your selected IDA license has multiple seats available, borrowing the license temporarily check-out only one of the available seats.

1. Connect workstation to the network with your license server. Run IDA and go to **Help -> License manager**.
2. In the License manager dialog, right click on the selected license to open a context menu and click **Borrow license...**.

![Borrow a license](https://920252027-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FXnMt6HMopakRTMzxxSKh%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-53b0a4656771275a939de36bf09630403c602d98%2Fborrow-license.png?alt=media)

3. In the **Borrow or return a license** dialog, specify the borrow period end date and click **OK**.

![Specify the end period](https://920252027-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FXnMt6HMopakRTMzxxSKh%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-528dd8f208cb169d3bf4fa2d789912244884747f%2Fend-period.png?alt=media)\\

4. You should see the confirmation dialog that the license was successfully borrowed, as well as info in the Output window.

![Confirmation dialog](https://920252027-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FXnMt6HMopakRTMzxxSKh%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-227e0e678203923633b8cd2086d490c223ff7fe6%2Fsuccessfully-borrowed.png?alt=media)\\

5. Right now, you can disconnect with the server and work offline.

Once borrowed, the license remain checked out. That means it stays unavailable for others until the end of the borrow period or explicit manual return.

### Returning a borrowed license early

Normally, there is no need to return the borrowed license explicitly as it will be returned to the server pool automatically at the end of the borrow period.\
However, you can return a borrowed license earlier than its declared end date to free it up for other users.

1. Reconnect to the network with your license server.
2. Go to **Help -> License manager**.
3. In the License manager dialog, right-click on the selected license to open a context menu and click **Return license**.

![Return a license](https://920252027-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2FXnMt6HMopakRTMzxxSKh%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-0da855a522fea1449e3f6e584e325c6c903433a4%2Freturn-license.png?alt=media)

4. In the Output window, you should see the notification about successfully returned IDA license.

You can seamlessly continue your work after returning a borrowed license, as it will automatically be checked out for online use from the server in the background.

**Key notes**:

* Borrowing reduces the number of available floating license seats.
* After the borrowing period ends, the license automatically returns to the server.
* Be mindful of the borrowing duration, as it locks that license/seat for the entire period, even if you no longer need it.
* You can return the license manually before the fixed period but only while connected to the network with the license server.

## FAQ

### How can I know who's occupying the seats?

If all seats are occupied, regular users cannot directly see who is using them. To get details about active users, your administrator can use the `lsadm` tool shipped with the server.