Adobe License Manager

Information for customers who are using ALM and have selected the "In-House" hosting model

End users with properly installed copies of Acrobat 8 for Windows do not need to have their software reinstalled or adjusted in any way. The e-license they downloaded during initial setup of the software remains resident on their computer perpetually and does not expire. Likewise, the Adobe License Server Tools software installed on your in-house server will continue to operate.

For new orders, the option to set up e-licenses for a particular hosting pool will be terminated on April 9, 2007, which means that after such date you will not be able to charge your in-house pool with new e-licenses. For future purchases, you should use the latest, ALM-disabled media, which does not include e-licensing.

To ensure you are using the latest installation software, check the ESD (Electronic Software Delivery) file you downloaded or the Adobe Acrobat 8.0 distribution CD media.

If you used ESD, check the name of the file downloaded. The following table contains a list, ordered by language and product, of the file name for the most up-to-date software. If your file name is different, you are using older media.

If you have the Acrobat 8.0 distribution CD, check the part number printed on the face of the CD. The following table provides a list, ordered by language, of the part number of the most up-to-date software. If your part number is different, you are using older media.

If you have the previous version of the CD, you can either download the new ESD file from the Adobe Licensing Website (if you are a CLP customer) or contact customer service for assistance.

FAQ

Q: What happens to computers that already have Acrobat 8.0 with a successfully downloaded e-license?

A: Acrobat will continue to operate normally as the downloaded e-license is stored on the hard drive perpetually.

Q: If a machine is re-imaged or the hard disk is reformatted, what happens to the e-license?

A: The e-license will be lost along with all the data on the hard drive. You should reinstall Acrobat 8.0 with the updated, ALM-disabled media.

Q: What happens if one of my users returns their e-license to the pool? Do we have to redeploy Acrobat 8 again with ALM-disabled media?

A: If the user has access to your in-house license server, the e-license return will be successful and, indeed, an attempt to redeploy with the same, ALM-enabled software will succeed. Since you will no longer be able to use the license server to track deployments, however, Adobe recommends using the ALM-disabled version of the installation software.

Q: What happens if I use old, ALM-enabled installation software?

A: If you use the old installation software, Acrobat 8 for Windows will ask the user to download an e-license the first time the application is launched. If the user’s computer is able to connect to your in-house license server then or at any time within 30 days of the first launch, the application will successfully download an e-license. As of April 9, 2007, you will be unable to process and charge your license server with new e-licenses; as a result, once your pool becomes depleted, your license server will start to deny download requests. Adobe recommends you obtain and start to use the new media in order to avoid future inconvenience.

Q: Do users need access to the Internet or corporate network?

A: As long as you obtain an ALM-disabled installation software as explained above, no e-license is required, and therefore no connection to either Internet or corporate network is required.

Q: Should I continue to set up and download e-licenses from the Licensing Website?

A: No. Now that ALM has been disabled, installations that use the most recent installation software will not require an e-license; you no longer need to maintain or run your internal e-license server. ALM capabilities will be terminated on April 9, 2007, to allow a transitional period for those who need it.