Licensing FAQ

Refer to these Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) to better understand how the Vault licensing model works, and how it impacts usage and purchasing decisions.

For additional details and information on licensing changes to all Autodesk products, refer to the general installation, activation, and license FAQ article at Autodesk Installation Overview and FAQ.

With the shift of licensing to the client from the server, will I still be able to use a license server for multi-user licenses?

Yes - existing software on a maintenance plan, and the new multi-user subscription licenses will leverage a network license component to manage concurrent user license access.

Is the license server still accessed by the Autodesk Vault File Server (AVFS) the user logs into?

No - unlike previous versions of Vault, each client configured to use network licensing will now connect to the licensing server directly, similar to other networked Autodesk desktop products. This makes it simpler to track license usage, however you will need to ensure all users can communicate with your license server if it is on a separate machine to AVFS.

Will forward compatibility still work with Vault 2016 clients?

Yes - users with the Vault 2016 client and add-ins can connect to the Vault Server and/or Autodesk Vault File Server (AVFS). These servers will need to be configured to communicate to the network license server to pull the Vault license on the client’s behalf.

Do I need to be connected to the internet to use Vault?

This depends on the type of subscription you have.

Single user subscribers require an internet for both initial download and activation. You are required to connect to the Internet and sign in with an Autodesk Account email address and password upon first launch of subscription software and, in order to keep subscription software active, you must also connect to the internet at least once every 30 days after initial activation.

Note: All users receive a reminder 7 days prior to having to reconnect.

Maintenance Plan and Multi-user access subscribers however are activated via a network license server and do not have an Internet requirement. An Internet connection may be required to download software installation files.

Will I be able to increase my existing Vault license count once Autodesk introduces a subscription only model?

Yes - additional Vault multi-user subscription or single-user subscription licenses can be purchased as per your business requirements and added to your existing license count.

Am I able to mix multi-user, single user subscription and perpetual license types together, for example, to address all my licensing needs?

Yes - licenses can be combined to increment total license counts as desired.

Can I run Vault as a single user subscription type?

Yes - As of August 1, 2016, for Vault 2017 and later, you may purchase single user subscription licenses of Vault Professional and Vault Workgroup.

Are all Vault clients supported as single user subscription?

No - Vault 2016 cannot be run under single-subscriber licensing, as well as the Vault Office Thin and Thick clients, which are available as multiple-user subscriptions only.

What happens if my multi-user or single user subscription entitlement ends?

Please note that all vaulted data continues to be owned by your company regardless of your subscription status. At the end of your subscription, you may access your data in the following ways:

• If you have mistakenly allowed your subscription contract to lapse (please note we do provide several modes of notification regarding any license expiration) and you would like to continue using Vault, simply renew your subscription and continue using Vault after your client has access to a valid license.
• If you have decided you no longer wish to use Vault, you may access data via a utility such as Vault Mirror, which allows you to extract the latest read only versions of files to windows folders, or you may choose to leverage a migration tool to extract Vault database and filestore details and import them into another system.
• If you wish to stop using Vault but require access to your files with the historical detail, you need to maintain a sufficient number of subscriptions to enable user access.

Is borrowing of Vault licenses possible?

Yes - Borrowing of Vault licenses is possible with Vault 2022, however, in certain situations this may result in unexpected errors. If that occurs or if you want to block user(s) from borrowing Vault licenses altogether, refer to the INCLUDE_BORROW section (under Options File Syntax) of the LicenseAdministration.pdf that can be found under the install directory for Network License Manager. The sample syntax for the options file for blocking users from borrowing Vault licenses may look like this: INCLUDE_BORROW 86646VLTM_2018_0F USER noname​​.

What credentials should be used for automated system processes? For example, the Vault Job Processor.

For each job processor running on a machine that is not being used by an authorized user, assign a unique Autodesk ID and email address to that job processor. The actual name and email address to be used is entirely at your discretion, however, the credentials that could be used for each Job Processor could be as follows:
• First Name: Job
• Last Name: Processor
• Email Address: An email address monitored by the software coordinator

If multiple Job Processors are being used, you would need to use different Autodesk IDs and unique email addresses for each one.

How will the Thin Client for Vault Office (and later versions) work with single-user licenses?

The Thin Client for Vault Office 2020 (and later) does not support single-user licenses.

Autodesk recommends using the Vault mobile app for single-user/standalone Vault Office licenses. The mobile app provides robust features for accessing files on iOS or Android devices.