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Performing Special Tasks

Published Date

Updating the Products

Hotfix Update Information

Hotfixes are made available periodically after a main release ships. These typically contain bug fixes and minor performance or functional enhancements based on the current main release.

The Cadence software update process works on an “as-requested” model. You must subscribe in order to be alerted about an update. Under this process, you will receive an email when selected product updates are available. These emails will contain a link to an online order form. When you are ready to receive and install the release, complete and submit your order.

You must have a current maintenance agreement to be eligible for software updates

Backup Hotfix

You can enable backup option while installing HotFix. This option needs to be enabled for every installation. If you enable this option for an installation, then you can uninstall the complete installation or rollback the last HotFix that was installed. Rollback is possible for the last two installed HotFixes in sequence, provided backup is enabled for both the installations. For example, you installed three hotfixes with backup enabled: hotfix1, hotfix2, and hotfix3. You can only rollback hotfix3 and hotfix2, and not hotfix1.

Note that if you did not select backup in the current installation, rollback will not be available even if the last installation was with backup enabled. For example, you installed hotfix1 with backup on and then installed hotfix2 with backup off. Later on, if you install hotfix3 with backup on, you can only rollback hotfix3.

You can use Programs and Features of the Windows Control Panel to uninstall. In Programs and Features, select the Cadence Allegro X and OrCAD X release and click Uninstall.

The uninstall process lets you select between HotFIx and full release uninstall.
To install HotFix in silent mode with backup on:

Installation might take more time if backup is on.
  1. In the INI file to set the IsrBackup variable to Y. The following sample file has the variable set to Y.
    [State]
    TargetDir=C:\Cadence\SPB_24.1
    IsrBackup=Y
  2. At the command prompt, give the following command:
    <hotfix_path>\SPB221_ISR.exe !quiet=C:\Silent_ISR.ini
    Where, C:\Silent_ISR.ini is the INI file with IsrBackup set to Y.

To install HotFix in silent mode with backup off:

  1. In the INI file, set the IsrBackup variable to N as shown in the sample file:
    [State]
    TargetDir=C:\Cadence\SPB_24.1
    IsrBackup=N
  2. At the command prompt, give the following command:
    <hotfix_path>\SPB221_ISR.exe !quiet=C:\Silent_ISR.ini
    Where, C:\Silent_ISR.ini is the INI file with IsrBackup set to N.

Switching Versions

You can use Cadence Switch Release to switch between the different Cadence installations earlier than 24.1 in your system. To start this program choose Cadence – Cadence Switch Release from the Start menu.

Once you install 24.1, you should only use the latest version of the Cadence Switch Release program to change releases.

Uninstalling Software

If you perform a series of installations, uninstallations, and reinstallations, you run the risk of corrupting the CDS_LIC_FILE environment variable on the file server or on the remote client computer. If this variable is corrupted, you may be unable to run any products that are still installed. For example, if you had a previous Cadence release installed, then installed and uninstalled a new release, you may be unable to run any products from the previous Cadence release. Once the CDS_LIC_FILE environment variable is corrupted, the only remedy is to manually edit the environment variable and reset its value to reflect the license server information, in the form of <port_number>@<host_name>. For example, the value of the CDS_LIC_FILE environment variable for a single license server might be:


CDS_LIC_FILE = 5280@pc1
and for redundant license servers, it might be:
CDS_LIC_FILE = 5280@pc1;5280@pc2;5280@pc3

Uninstalling the License Manager

To Uninstall the License Manager

  1. Open Programs and Features from Control Panel of Windows.
  2. Navigate to the Cadence License Manager and click Uninstall.

Troubleshooting Installation

The Cadence Allegro and OrCAD installer creates a log file that you can use to troubleshoot installation problems. The log file allows you to identify the steps executed during installation, the user inputs, error conditions that lead to termination of installation, environment variables before and after installation, and third party software installed before and after installation.


The log file is saved in the install directory with the name InstLog<date>_<time>.txt. The file is organized into different sections that helps in finding information quickly.

Server Model License Expiration Notification

The lmCheckExpiration.exe utility checks all licenses in the specified license file. You can schedule the utility to run periodically on your system using a job scheduler to notify you when licenses are close to expiring.
The utility has the following syntax:
lmCheckExpiration.exe
[-c license_file] [-d days_to_expire] [-m email_address] [features]
Where:


Parameter

Description

-c license_file

Use the specified license file. You can specify a path to the license file, or port@host, or both as a concatenated, colon-separated list.
The default is to look for and check the CDS_LIC_FILE, the clients file, or the LM_LICENSE_FILE, in that order.

-d days_to_expire

Include only those licenses expiring within the specified number of days.
The default is to return only those licenses expiring today.

-m email_address

Send the expiration report to the specified address. The report is also written to the command prompt.

features

Specify a list of features (products) to check. If you do not specify any features, the default is to return information for all licenses served by the license server(s).

The utility returns 0 for success, 1 if it cannot connect to any of the license servers, and 2 for an invalid argument.

If a license is going to expire within the specified number of days, the utility writes a warning message, and optionally sends mail to a specified user. The message includes the license name, version, expiration date, and the number of days before expiration.

You can download the licensing utilities from the Windows tab of the Cadence Downloads page at http://downloads.cadence.com. To access the Cadence downloads link, you must have an active Cadence license.

If you have any questions or comments about the OrCAD X platform, click on the link below.

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