BricsCAD Licensing and Deployment: Network Licenses, Silent Install, and Activation Troubleshooting

BricsCAD Licensing and Deployment: Network Licenses, Silent Install, and Activation Troubleshooting

Deploying BricsCAD to dozens or hundreds of workstations requires careful planning around licensing models, installation methods, and activation workflows. Unlike AutoCAD's Autodesk Account portal, BricsCAD uses a simpler but different licensing system that can trip up administrators familiar with Autodesk's workflow. This guide covers every aspect of enterprise BricsCAD deployment.

Licensing Models Overview

BricsCAD offers three licensing models:

1. Perpetual License

• One-time purchase, owned permanently
• Includes 12 months of upgrades and support
• After 12 months, you can continue using the current version indefinitely
• Optional renewal (VUP — Version Upgrade Program) for continued upgrades

2. Subscription License

• Annual or monthly payment
• Always runs the latest version
• Includes support for the subscription period
• License is tied to a Bricsys account, not a dongle

3. Network License

• Floating licenses served from a central license server
• Supports license borrowing for offline use
• License server runs on Windows or Linux
• Uses a license file (.lic) generated by Bricsys

Network License Server Setup

The BricsCAD network license server is a lightweight service that distributes licenses to client machines on demand.

Installing the License Server

1. Download the Bricsys Network License Manager from the Bricsys portal
2. Install on a server machine that is always powered on and accessible to all clients
3. During installation, specify:
   • Port number (default: 27000)
   • License file path (where the .lic file will be stored)
4. After installation, copy your .lic file (obtained from Bricsys support or the portal) to the license file path
5. Start the service — it runs as a Windows service automatically

Firewall Configuration

Open the following ports on the license server's firewall:

• TCP 27000 (or your custom port) — license query traffic
• UDP 27000 — license discovery traffic

If clients cannot reach the server, verify with telnet <server-ip> 27000 from a client machine.

Client Configuration

On each BricsCAD workstation:

1. During first launch, select "Network License"
2. Enter the server hostname or IP address
3. Enter the port number (default 27000)
4. Click "Connect" — BricsCAD validates the connection and retrieves an available license

For silent deployment, set the registry key:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Bricsys\BricsCAD\V24\licensing
"Server" = "your-server-name"
"Port" = "27000"
"Type" = "network"

Silent Installation via MSI

BricsCAD provides MSI packages for enterprise deployment via Group Policy, SCCM, or PDQ Deploy.

Basic Silent Install

msiexec /i BricsCAD-V24.2.06-x64.msi /quiet /norestart INSTALLDIR="C:\Program Files\Bricsys\BricsCAD V24"

Silent Install with License Pre-Configuration

msiexec /i BricsCAD-V24.2.06-x64.msi /quiet /norestart ^
  INSTALLDIR="C:\Program Files\Bricsys\BricsCAD V24" ^
  LICENSE_TYPE="network" ^
  LICENSE_SERVER="lic-server.yourdomain.com" ^
  LICENSE_PORT="27000"

MSI Properties Reference

| Property | Description | Default | |----------|-------------|---------| | INSTALLDIR | Install path | C:\Program Files\Bricsys\BricsCAD V24 | | LICENSE_TYPE | perpetual, subscription, or network | None (prompts on first launch) | | LICENSE_SERVER | Network license server hostname | None | | LICENSE_PORT | Network license server port | 27000 | | ADDLOCAL | Features to install (comma-separated) | ALL | | REMOVE | Features to exclude | None | | DESKTOP_SHORTCUT | Create desktop shortcut | 1 | | START_MENU | Create Start Menu entries | 1 | | FILE_ASSOCIATION | Associate .dwg files | 1 |

Feature Selection

To install BricsCAD Pro without the BIM module:

msiexec /i BricsCAD-V24.2.06-x64.msi /quiet ADDLOCAL="Core,Pro,Mechanical" REMOVE="BIM"

License Borrowing for Offline Work

Network license users can borrow a license for offline use (e.g., field work, travel):

1. In BricsCAD, go to Help > License Manager
2. Click "Borrow License"
3. Select the borrowing duration (1-30 days)
4. Click "Borrow" — the license is reserved for that workstation

During the borrow period, one fewer license is available on the server. The borrowed license automatically returns on the expiry date, or can be returned early via License Manager > Return Borrowed License.

Common Activation Errors

Error: "No license available"

Cause: All network licenses are in use. Fix: Check the license server admin panel to see who is using licenses. If a user has BricsCAD open but is not actively using it, the license is still held. Consider reducing your team's concurrent usage or purchasing additional seats.

Error: "Cannot connect to license server"

Cause: Network connectivity or firewall issue. Fix:

1. Verify the server is running: check Windows Services for "Bricsys License Manager"
2. Test connectivity: telnet <server-ip> 27000
3. Check firewall rules on both server and client
4. Verify DNS resolution: ping <server-hostname> from the client

Error: "License file expired"

Cause: The .lic file on the server has passed its expiry date. Fix: Log into the Bricsys portal, download the renewed .lic file, replace the old file on the server, and restart the license service.

Error: "Borrowed license has expired"

Cause: The offline borrowing period has ended. Fix: Connect to the network and restart BricsCAD. If you need more time, borrow again. If the workstation cannot connect to the server, the license will auto-return on the server side after the borrow period + 1 day grace period.

Deployment Best Practices

1. Use a test group — deploy to 3-5 power users before rolling out company-wide
2. Standardize via profiles — create a .arg profile file with company standards (layers, dim styles, plot styles) and deploy alongside the MSI
3. Pre-configure support paths — set SRCHPATH, TEMPLATEPATH, and PLOTSTYLEPATH in the profile to point to network shares
4. Deploy LISP routines centrally — place on a network share and load via startup.lsp
5. Schedule license server maintenance — restart the license service monthly to clear stale connections
6. Monitor license usage — use the license server's built-in reporting to track concurrent usage and plan seat purchases

Network License Server Setup Details

Setting up the BricsCAD network license server requires attention to several technical details. The Bricsys Network License Manager uses the Reprise License Manager (RLM) framework, which requires three open ports: 5053 for license broadcast, 5054 for the web admin interface, and a dynamically assigned port for the ISV server. The dynamic port can be fixed by editing the Bricsys.lic file on the server — this is recommended for environments with strict firewall rules. The license server can run on Windows or Linux but not macOS. Client computers can be any platform. For activation, the server must have internet access to validate the license with Bricsys' activation servers. For offline activation, generate a license request file and email it to Bricsys support. The RLM web interface at http://server:5054 shows license status, active users, and usage history. Monitor this regularly to ensure licenses are being released properly — stuck licenses are a common issue that requires restarting the RLM service. For redundancy, Bricsys supports license server failover with a backup server.

Conclusion

BricsCAD's licensing and deployment model is simpler than Autodesk's, but it still requires careful configuration for enterprise environments. The MSI-based silent install, network license server, and license borrowing system cover the majority of deployment scenarios. By pre-configuring licenses in the MSI properties and deploying standardized profiles, you can roll out BricsCAD to hundreds of workstations with minimal manual intervention.