Licensing elements

The License Server comprises several licensing elements:

• Citrix vendor daemon
• Options configuration file
• Citrix Licensing Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) and Call Home
• License request process

This diagram shows the Citrix product using TCP/IP to connect to the License Server.

Citrix vendor daemon

The Citrix vendor daemon (CITRIX), a process that runs on the License Server, grants licenses. The Citrix vendor daemon tracks the number of licenses that are checked out and which product has them. Citrix products communicate with the Citrix vendor daemon using TCP/IP. By default, the Citrix vendor daemon uses TCP/IP port 7279.

Options file

The options file (Citrix.opt) is a License Server configuration file. The Citrix vendor daemon reads this file every time it restarts or receives a command to reread the file. This configuration file defines licensing behavior-the number of licenses a product server can use, the location of the System Logs, logging levels, and other user-defined customizations. The Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) and Call Home configurations are stored in this file.

Important

Flexera offers ways to edit the options file to control, reserve, or limit licensing usage. The Flexera methods are not compatible with Citrix licenses. Therefore, we do not support those editing options.

Citrix licensing Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP) and Call Home

The Citrix Licensing CEIP and Call Home usage and analytics programs are voluntary data collection programs designed to improve your product experience. After installing the License Server, you can participate in the programs anonymously or choose to be identified. Internet access is required. For information about configuring a proxy server, see Configure a proxy server for use with Citrix Licensing Manager, Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP), and Call Home in the Get started article.

CEIP is enabled by default during License Server installation. You can change your participation in the program at any time by using the Citrix Licensing Manager.

Important

The Citrix Service Provider program requires CEIP and Call Home. If you have Citrix Service Provider licenses installed, you can change the settings, but you cannot disable CEIP or Call Home. When the License Server detects Citrix Service Provider licenses, it enforces daily uploads.

When installing licensing on the command line, use CEIPOPTIN to specify whether, or how, to opt in to CEIP or Call Home Optional parameter. The default is CEIP.

Diagnostic - Call Home Anonymous - CEIP None

For more command-line installation information, see the “Use the command line to install licensing” section under Install licensing components for Windows.

Citrix Licensing Customer Experience Improvement Program (CEIP)

CEIP is voluntary. When you opt in, the CEIP services running in Citrix products gather anonymous configuration and usage data from your deployment. The services automatically send the data to Citrix once a day, based on the service start time. CEIP collects these classes of data:

• Configuration data
• Performance and reliability data

How your privacy is protected:

• Citrix does not collect any personally identifiable data.
• Random identifier is created at install time, which tracks data transfers over time.
• Citrix does not record information such as IP addresses, server names, or domain names.
• All data is sent using HTTPS directly to Citrix servers - no third-party data hosting services.
• All data is secured on Citrix servers and is accessible only by authorized individuals.

Citrix Call Home

Call Home is voluntary. When you opt in, Call Home performs a periodic collection of system and product configuration, performance, errors, and more. The data identifies you as a customer. This information is transmitted to Citrix Insight Services once a day, based on the service start time. Citrix support and product teams use the information to resolve issues proactively.

License request process

When a product requests a license from the License Server, the Citrix vendor daemon determines whether a license is available for the request.

The license request process has two phases: the product startup phase and the user connection phase.

Product Start-Up Phase:

• When a Citrix product starts, it retrieves the License Server location from its data store.
• The product connects to the Citrix vendor daemon.
• The product checks out a startup license.

User connection phase:

• A user connects to a computer running the Citrix product.
• The product requests a license from the License Server.
• The Citrix vendor daemon checks to see if any licenses are available and grants or denies the product’s request.
• The license module in the product grants or denies the use of the product based on the response from the Citrix vendor daemon.