What Is MathLM?
MathLM administers licenses for organizations running multiple instances of
Mathematica with a network license. Network licenses have two very important advantages:
- Network licenses provide a cost-effective way of making Mathematica available to multiple client machines in a networked environment. Instead of a separate license for each machine, a network license allows a specified number of copies of Mathematica to run concurrently on the network.
- Network licenses provide a convenient way to make parallel computations that use sub-kernels in a networked environment. Instead of a separate license for each machine hosting one or more of the sub-kernel processes, a network license allows them to run concurrently on the network from a controlling Mathematica.
MathLM is installed on a single machine, known as the license server. Once
MathLM is running, it acts as a gatekeeper for new
Mathematica sessions.
MathLM sets up the appropriate number of process slots for each class of computer covered by your network license agreement.
MathLM monitors the number of copies of
Mathematica in use and issues licenses to clients until all available licenses are in use.
The number of concurrent processes that may run over the entire network is located on your electronic or printed license certificate. You can increase the number of processes allowed with a license upgrade from Wolfram Research. See the Wolfram
Mathematica Increment Request Form on the web at
wolfram.com/products/mathematica/processes for more information on increasing your process increments.
Mathematica consists of two components, the kernel and the front end. The
Mathematica kernel performs computations. The
Mathematica front end is the graphical notebook interface. For parallel computation,
Mathematica uses sub-kernels which are kernels that run in parallel; each sub-kernel might use a sub-front end if this was needed.
MathLM keeps track of kernel and front end processes separately, as well as distinguishing between master and sub-processes.
- The number n of processes printed on your network license certificate generally gives you n front end process slots and 4 n kernel process slots per increment. See the Increment Request form on the web at wolfram.com/products/mathematica/processes for more information on increasing your process increments.
A client
Mathematica process must request a license from
MathLM before it starts taking user input or performing calculations. In order for clients to run
Mathematica,
MathLM must be running on the license server at all times. If the client machine making the request is not of a type covered by the license, or if all the process slots are already in use, the client
Mathematica process cannot be started.
