518. Foretify Manager license checkout for support role

The Foretify Manager license checkout feature introduces a new role, FMANAGER_SUPPORT, designed for application engineers who assist customers with FManager tasks and debugging. This feature enables engineers to check out licenses from a dedicated Foretellix license pool, instead of consuming the developer licenses from the customer's license pool.

518.1 Key benefits

Customer facing: Addressing customer concerns about license consumption by Foretellix engineers.
Role-based access: Provides a dedicated support role with appropriate privileges to use FManager.
Flexibility: Allows configuration of an alternate license server for support-specific licenses.

518.2 How it works

The FMANAGER_SUPPORT role mirrors the privileges of the existing FMANAGER_USER role, but integrates with an alternate license server managing the Foretellix license pool. Customer administrators can assign this role to users, and the system ensures that license checkout for these users are routed to the specified alternate server via an environment variable.

518.3 Feature details

518.3.1 New role `FMANAGER_SUPPORT`

Purpose: A role for application engineers performing support and debugging tasks in FManager.
Privileges: Identical to the FMANAGER_USER role, including access to FManager features and functionality.
Assignment: Configured by the customer administrator during user setup for FManager authentication.

518.3.2 Alternate license server configuration

Purpose: Directs FMANAGER_SUPPORT users to check out licenses from the Foretellix license pool instead of the user license pool.
Setup:
- The customer administrator configures an alternate license server that hosts the Foretellix license pool.
- Users specify the alternate license server using the environment variable FTX_FMANAGER_SUPPORT_LIC_FILE.

518.3.3 Environment variable `FTX_FMANAGER_SUPPORT_LIC_FILE`

Format: port@host (for example, 27000@licserver.foretellix.com)
Purpose: Points to the alternate license server for FMANAGER_SUPPORT users.
Behavior:
- If the variable is defined, FMANAGER_SUPPORT users can check out licenses from the specified server.
- If the variable is undefined during login by an FMANAGER_SUPPORT user, login will fail with license issue notification.

518.4 Setting up the license checkout feature

Assign the FMANAGER_SUPPORT role to a user in the user managenement system used by FManager for authentication (e.g., LDAP, OKTA, Active Directory).
Configure the alternate license server.

a. Set up a license server for the Foretellix license pool (for example, 27000@licserver.foretellix.com).

b. Verify that the server is accessible and has available licenses.
To define the FTX_FMANAGER_SUPPORT_LIC_FILE environment variable, on the user’s system or in the deployment environment where the FManager server is launched, run:
```
export FTX_FMANAGER_SUPPORT_LIC_FILE="<alternate_licence_server>"
```
For example: export FTX_FMANAGER_SUPPORT_LIC_FILE="27000@licserver.foretellix.com"
Confirm the variable is active by running:
```
echo $FTX_FMANAGER_SUPPORT_LIC_FILE
```

518.5 Using FMANAGER_SUPPORT to debug for customers

Log in as a user with the FMANAGER_SUPPORT role.
Launch FManager and authenticate with the user credentials.

The system will check out a license from the configured alternate license server.
You can now work in FManager without impacting the customer's user license pool.

518.6 Troubleshooting the license checkout feature

The FManager server logs include detailed debug messages for the license checkout process.

The following are potential issues and how to resolve them.

Login fails with license error
- Ensure that FTX_FMANAGER_SUPPORT_LIC_FILE is defined and points to a valid server.
- Verify that the alternate license server is online and has available licenses.
Incorrect role behavior
- Confirm that the user has been assigned the FMANAGER_SUPPORT role in the admin settings.