The Zoo
The Zoo is free software from
Robert McNeel & Associates that enables Rhino and Flamingo to be networked.
To allow more efficient use of Rhino and
Flamingo licenses and script the installation process, network administrators
have the option of installing each Rhino and Flamingo as a workgroup node.
Workgroup nodes obtain license keys at run time from the Zoo, unlike standalone
Rhino and Flamingo, which requires that a license key be entered on each system.
When a Rhino or Flamingo workgroup node starts, a request for a license key is
sent to the Zoo. If the number of available keys has not been exceeded, the Zoo
assigns a key to the workstation, and the number of available licenses is
reduced by one. When a node shuts down, the license is added back to the
available license pool.
The Zoo will run on any system in a network workgroup. All of the nodes must be
in the same workgroup. The Zoo uses an interprocess communications mechanism
that is used by several Windows networking services. Thus, the Zoo should
operate reliably in both Microsoft Workgroup and Domain networking environments.
For details on setting up a workgroup, contact your network administrator.
The Zoo can be downloaded free
of charge from www.mcneel.com
Features include:
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No special versions of Rhino or
Flamingo are needed.
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No special hardware is needed.
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Commercial versions of Rhino or
Flamingo will work either as a standalone license or as a network node. This is
an installation option.
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Standalone Rhino licenses can
easily be converted to network nodes and back.
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All the nodes will keep working
even if the network connection or server is down, but no new ones can start up
without access to the Zoo.
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The Zoo will run on any system in
the workgroup.
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Very little administration is
required. The license keys are typed into the Zoo instead of on individual
systems.
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A workgroup can have a mix of
nodes and standalone licenses.
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Rhino licenses can be checked out
so laptop users can disconnect from the network. The license can be checked in
again when the laptop is reconnected to the network.
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