In the ever-evolving world of digital innovation, companies across industries strive to streamline their software licensing strategies for enhanced efficiency, cost savings, and seamless user experiences. Our partner, Dassault Systèmes, a leader in 3D design, engineering, and Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solutions, recognized this need and responded by introducing a transformative approach—its Unified License Model (ULM).
What is Dassault Systèmes’ Unified License Model?
The Unified License Model is Dassault’s answer to simplifying software access across its entire suite of applications. Traditionally, companies using Dassault’s software had to manage multiple licenses for each product, which was a time-consuming and complex process. With ULM, Dassault consolidates these separate licenses into a unified model, offering a flexible, scalable way for organizations to deploy and use their applications.
Rather than purchasing individual licenses for specific software, customers now have access to a pool of licenses they can distribute across their teams according to their immediate needs. This shift is part of Dassault’s larger strategy to facilitate digital transformation by enabling companies to maximize software usage without the constraints of traditional licensing.
A Move Toward the Future of Software Licensing
The Unified License Model is a forward-thinking step, addressing the complexities of modern digital transformation efforts. As businesses shift toward more fluid and interconnected workflows, ULM aligns with their goals of simplifying IT management, optimizing software spending, and enhancing agility.
This new model is not just about reducing costs or simplifying processes; it is about empowering organizations to be more responsive, adaptable, and innovative. In an era where the speed of innovation can make or break companies, ULM gives businesses the tools they need to stay ahead of the curve.
A key part of this model is the distinction between Simulation Unit Notes (SUN) and Standard Reservation Units (SRU) and and their respective on-cloud (OC) counterparts, all of which cater to different deployment environments.
If you’re managing Dassault Systèmes’ software in your organization, understanding the differences between these licensing schemes is vital for making informed decisions about licensing, budgeting, and deployment strategy, but we’ll get into that later.
Key Benefits of the Unified License Model
1. Simplified Licensing Management
ULM eliminates the need to track and manage multiple licenses for different applications. Instead, users and IT managers deal with a single pool of licenses. This not only simplifies administrative efforts but also reduces the risk of over-licensing (paying for more licenses than needed) or under-licensing (facing shortages when more users need access).
2. Cost Efficiency
By unifying licenses, ULM provides businesses with a more flexible and scalable pricing model. Companies no longer need to commit to purchasing separate licenses for each piece of software, potentially saving significant costs. Instead, they can allocate licenses dynamically based on current demand, ensuring that they pay only for what they use.
3. Flexibility in Software Usage
The dynamic nature of ULM allows companies to easily adjust the allocation of software to teams or projects based on changing requirements. If a team suddenly requires access to a specific software tool, ULM enables the quick distribution of licenses without the need to purchase more or reconfigure existing licenses.
4. Scalability
As organizations grow, so does their demand for software. ULM offers the ability to scale license usage in response to organizational needs, ensuring that businesses can expand their software use in line with their growth trajectory. This scalability is key for companies dealing with fluctuating project sizes or unpredictable workloads.
5. Cloud Integration
Dassault Systèmes has been investing heavily in its cloud offerings, particularly with its 3DEXPERIENCE platform. ULM integrates seamlessly with this platform, allowing businesses to take advantage of cloud-based applications and services without the complexity of managing multiple on-premise or hybrid environments. The unified license approach ensures that users can access both cloud and on-premise applications under one model, improving overall user experience and productivity.
SIMULIA Tools Available Within Dassault Systèmes’ Unified License Model
Dassault Systèmes’ SIMULIA brand offers a suite of simulation tools that help businesses across industries optimize their engineering processes through advanced computational models.
Under the Unified License Model, SIMULIA’s suite of simulation tools can be accessed through a centralized licensing pool, offering users a seamless way to switch between different software capabilities without the administrative complexity of managing separate licenses for each tool. Let’s explore the main SIMULIA tools available under this licensing framework and how they fit into your simulation needs.
Abaqus – For structural FEA
fe-safe – For fatigue and durability analysis
Tosca – For topology and other non-parametric optimization
Isight – For parametric optimization
3DEXPERIENCE Structures – Also for structural FEA
PowerFLOW – For Lattice-Boltzmann CFD
XFlow – For Lattice-Boltzmann CFD (with a specialty in gear lubrication)
3DEXPERIENCE Fluids – For Navier-Stokes CFD
CST Studio Suite – For LF and HF Electromagnetics
3DEXPERIENCE Emag – For Electromagnetics
Simpack – For multibody dynamics
3DEXPERIENCE Optimization Tools – For process automation and design optimization
The table below provides a quick overview of the number of SRUs required to run parallel computing in many of the physics defined above:
ULM License Model Deep Dive
OK, so now that we know that all of our most important physics can be licensed from one place, how exactly does this licensing work? It can be a little complicated on first glance, but it’s really quite intuitive and very flexible. The key questions you must ask yourself are:
- Do I want my licensing hosted on my own network, or would it make more sense to my organization for that to be in the cloud?
- Do I want to license the software on a consistent basis with unlimited usage (SRU/SRU-OC) or a pay-as-you-go (SUN/SUN-OC) basis?
On-Premise Licensing – SUNs and SRUs
What Is A SUN
SUN stands for Simulation Usage Notes and represents a licensing model that tracks simulation usage in the on-premise deployment of various simulation technologies. Think of this like an old pay-as-you-go phone card, where you use up the credits and then have to refill them when they’re all spent. These usage notes track how many solver resources you are consuming when performing simulations, based on the computational resources (CPU or GPU) and the duration of the simulation.
Key Features of SUN:
- Granular Licensing: SUN units are consumed based on factors such as the number of cores, the duration of the simulation, and the complexity of the simulation task. This model provides a more detailed and flexible way to track simulation usage.
- For On-Premise Deployments: SUN is specifically used in on-premise installations, where simulations are run on local or company-owned hardware.
- Simulation Resource Consumption: SUN tracks resource usage for various simulation tasks across a range of tools within the SIMULIA suite, like Abaqus, XFlow, PowerFLOW, and others.
What Is An SRU?
The SRU is a licensing metric used within Dassault Systèmes’ on-premise environment. It reflects a consistent number of licenses available for users to reserve from a pool that is pre-purchased. This metric is particularly relevant for companies that primarily use Dassault’s software in an on-premise or hybrid environment. The SRU model is a flexible approach that allows for software usage to scale dynamically, making it easier for companies to manage costs and allocate licenses as needed across their organization.
Key Features of SRU:
- On-Premise Focus: SRU licenses are designed primarily for on-premise environments where users access Dassault Systèmes’ applications from within their own network.
- Flexibility: Organizations can reserve software licenses as needed, from a pre-defined pool, based on demand across various teams and departments.
- Centralized License Management: With SRU, companies can centrally manage their on-premise software licenses, offering control over who has access and optimizing usage based on internal requirements.
- Cost-Effective for Large Deployments: SRU licenses can be a cost-effective solution for enterprises that already have robust infrastructure and predominantly use Dassault Systèmes’ solutions on-premise.
How SUN/SRU Works For Standalone Products
For traditional, standalone installations of SIMULIA tools like Abaqus or fe-safe, SUN/SRU act as a flexible licensing system, where each license corresponds to a certain number of credits/tokens. The consumption depends on several factors:
- Type of Simulation: Simple static simulations use fewer credits/tokens compared to complex multi-physics or dynamic analyses.
- Number of Cores: More credits/tokens are consumed when running simulations on multiple CPU or GPU cores.
Each standalone product has a predetermined cost associated with its different modules and solver types. For example, running an Abaqus Standard FEA analysis will consume a different amount of credits/tokens than a PowerFLOW aerodynamic simulation.
Companies can allocate these resources dynamically across different products, which means the same pool can be used for different types of simulations as needed.
How SUN/SRU Works On The 3DEXPERIENCE Platform
When using SIMULIA on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, SUN/SRU consumption follows a similar model but with additional cloud-based collaboration and integration advantages. The platform allows users to manage simulation projects within a shared, collaborative environment, making on premise usage even more dynamic and scalable.
- Role-Based Access: SUN/SRU are consumed not just based on the simulation complexity but also on the user roles assigned within the platform. For example, someone with a more basic simulation role will consume more for running high-end analysis.
- Collaborative Workflows: SUN/SRUs are spent across integrated workflows involving other roles like design, validation, and testing, increasing the efficiency of license consumption.
In the 3DEXPERIENCE environment, the ULM on premise is often shared across a larger user base, optimizing license usage for large, multi-disciplinary teams working on integrated projects.
On-Cloud Licensing
What Is A SUN-OC?
SUN-OC is the cloud-based equivalent of SUN and operates within the 3DEXPERIENCE on Cloud environment. Just like SUN, it tracks the consumption of simulation resources, but in this case, computations can be run either on available customer hardware or on Dassault Systèmes’ cloud infrastructure with the flick of a switch.
Key Features of SUN-OC:
- Cloud-Based Licensing: SUN-OC works similarly to SUN but applies to cloud-based simulations. It allows users to take advantage of Dassault Systèmes’ cloud resources rather than relying on on-premise hardware.
- Elastic Cloud Resources: In the cloud, resources are allocated dynamically based on the demand, which means SUN-OC provides a scalable and flexible way to handle large or complex simulations without worrying about local hardware constraints.
- Pay-as-You-Go: With SUN-OC, you pay for cloud-based simulation usage as you go, which can be more cost-efficient for organizations that only require high computational power intermittently or for occasional high-demand simulations.
What Is An SRU-OC?
The SRU-OC is designed specifically for cloud-based environments. As Dassault Systèmes increasingly integrates cloud solutions via its 3DEXPERIENCE platform, SRU-OC licenses offer a consistent and flexible way to access software tools hosted in the cloud. This licensing model is tailored for businesses leveraging cloud technology for scalability, mobility, and collaboration, without the need for large, on-premise infrastructures. As with SUN-OC, the user can toggle between solving with their own hardware or on the cloud.
Key Features of SRU-OC:
- Cloud-First Approach: SRU-OC licenses are specifically for users accessing Dassault Systèmes’ cloud-based applications and services through the 3DEXPERIENCE platform.
- Access Anytime, Anywhere: Since SRU-OC licenses are cloud-based, they provide users the flexibility to access software tools from any location with an internet connection, which is ideal for distributed teams or remote work scenarios.
- Seamless Updates and Maintenance: Cloud-based solutions benefit from automatic updates and maintenance, minimizing downtime and IT involvement. The SRU-OC model ensures that the latest features and security patches are always available without manual intervention.
How SUN-OC/SRU-OC Works For Standalone Products:
If a company chooses to use cloud-based simulation for standalone SIMULIA products, OC credit/token licensing is applied. The same metrics – simulation complexity, core count, and duration – determine OC consumption, but with the added benefit of:
- Cloud Scalability: No need for on-premise hardware. Cloud resources dynamically scale based on the simulation requirements.
- Flexibility: Customers can choose to run simulations on local hardware or on-cloud based on resource availability and job size.
- Faster Execution: With OC, users can access additional cloud computing power, reducing simulation times, especially for complex models.
How SUN-OC/SRU-OC Works On The 3DEXPERIENCE Platform:
On the 3DEXPERIENCE platform, OC credit/tokens becomes even more powerful tools. In cloud-based simulations, the platform can automatically allocate resources based on real-time demand, ensuring that each simulation has optimal resources while the option to execute on local hardware is also available if resources allow:
- Dynamic Cloud Resources: As multiple teams collaborate on different aspects of a project, OC licensing ensures that resources are provisioned as needed, making the cloud an elastic simulation environment.
- No Local Constraints: Teams can access powerful cloud resources from anywhere in the world, collaborating in real-time while performing large-scale simulations.
Just like on premise licensing, on-cloud licensing is shared across the entire organization and can be applied to various roles and projects, ensuring flexibility and cost efficiency.
Comparing On Premise (SUN/SRU) vs On-Cloud (SUN-OC/SRU-OC)
There are a number of key considerations that you should be making as you hone in on your simulation licensing model including deployment strategy, cost, access requirements and scalability. Here’s a closer look at the main differences between SRU and SRU-OC, which should help you decide which model best suits your organization’s needs:
Final Thoughts
This has been a very comprehensive explanation of the Dassault Systèmes’ Unified License Model with SUN, SRU, SUN-OC and SRU-OC, all of which allow for scalable, flexible access to the SIMULIA suite, whether used as standalone software or on the 3DEXPERIENCE platform. SRUs manage on-premise resources, while SRU-OC leverages the power of cloud-based simulation, giving organizations the flexibility to optimize license consumption based on project needs. Whether working with Abaqus for FEA, PowerFLOW for CFD, or CST Studio Suite for Emag, ULM ensures that companies can efficiently share licenses across teams, minimize costs, and scale simulations to meet the demands of their projects.
Hopefully this all makes sense, but if you’re interested in learning more about this new way to license Dassault’s SIMULIA products, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our expert team today!
