Name: Achieving True User-Centric License Visibility with OpenLM Directory Synchronization
Start: 2026-02-25T10:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-02-25T17:00:00+00:00
Location: OpenLM

Optimize your design workflows: Intelligent license management for PTC Creo

PTC Creo is a comprehensive suite of computer-aided design (CAD) software used extensively in product design, simulation, and manufacturing.

Its modular nature—spanning parametric modeling (Creo Parametric), simulation (Creo Simulate), and advanced extensions—makes it a cornerstone for engineering teams but complicates license administration.

OpenLM is your strategic partner, delivering the visibility and automated control needed to manage PTC’s FlexNet-based licensing, ensuring your engineers have access to critical design tools without overspending.

What is PTC Creo: Introducing PTC Creo License Manager

PTC Creo License Manager is a server-based system, built on FlexNet Publisher (FlexLM) technology, that controls access to the Creo CAD suite. It manages a centralized pool of floating licenses, dynamically allocating “seats” to users when they launch the software and returning them to the pool when they close it. This ensures organizations maximize license utilization across their network while strictly enforcing compliance with their purchased concurrent user limits.

PTC Creo licensing schemas: All you need to know

As a premier CAD solution, PTC Creo utilizes the FlexNet Publisher (FlexLM) licensing manager to handle its concurrent (floating) licenses.

While flexible, this model introduces significant challenges regarding availability and user behavior.

License camping: Because Creo licenses are high-demand resources, engineers often leave the application open overnight or during meetings to “save their spot,” preventing others from working.

Frequent denials: In active design environments, competition for floating seats leads to “denial of service” events, where engineers are locked out of the software, directly impacting project timelines.

Modular complexity: You aren’t just managing “Creo”; you are managing base seats plus specific, expensive extensions (e.g., simulation, piping, cabling) that need precise tracking.

Detailed reporting: OpenLM connects directly to the FlexNet manager and Broker to report on usage by the second, distinguishing between true active work and idle consumption.

OpenLM's solution for PTC Creo optimization

OpenLM provides a robust, automated solution tailored for the high-concurrency, high-cost nature of PTC Creo floating licenses.

With OpenLM, you can move from “blindly buying more seats” to efficiently harvesting the licenses you already own.

OpenLM capability	Value for PTC Creo licenses
Real-time usage monitoring	Gain immediate visibility into which specific engineer is holding a Creo Parametric or Simulate license. Identify exactly who is working and who is merely idling, allowing for instant resource allocation adjustments.
Active license harvesting (Save & Close)	Combat “license camping” effectively. OpenLM can detect when a Creo session has been idle for a set period, safely save the engineer’s work, and close the application to return the license to the pool for others to use.
Denial event tracking	Capture and analyze every instance where a user was denied a license. This data is critical for distinguishing between a temporary bottleneck and a genuine need for additional seats, preventing unnecessary purchases.
Extension usage analysis	Track usage not just for the base product but for specific, expensive extensions. Ensure that premium modules are being used by the right people, rather than checking out a full suite when only a viewer or base license is needed.

OpenLM advantages for PTC Creo usage monitoring

The OpenLM Platform is engineered to handle the complexities of the FlexNet ecosystem that powers PTC Creo.

Deep FlexNet Integration: By utilizing the OpenLM Broker, we read local log files directly, capturing data that remote polling often misses—specifically accurate denial logs and complex license borrowing events.

Proactive harvesting: Our “Save & Close” functionality is particularly valuable for CAD tools like Creo, where losing unsaved work is not an option. We protect the data while freeing the license.

Unified Engineering View: Centralize your Creo management alongside other engineering tools (like MATLAB, Ansys, or Catia), giving IT Directors a single pane of glass for all CAD/CAE assets.

Delivering impact at every scale