Overview:

The Zoo lets you share Rhino, Flamingo, Penguin, Brazil, and Bongo licenses (CD-Keys) among users on the same network workgroup. When these products are installed as the workgroup nodes instead of stand-alone, it works like this:

• When a workgroup node starts, it requests a license from the Zoo.
• An unused license is assigned to the node.
• When a node shuts down, the license is returned to the Zoo's license pool.

Features:

• Free - The Zoo is a free download.
• No extra costs - Special versions of Rhino, Flamingo, Penguin, Brazil, or Bongo are not needed.
• No special hardware is needed - The Zoo will run on any system in the same network workgroup.
• Simple setup - Install the Zoo on any system in the workgroup and type the license keys into the Zoo instead of the individual systems.
• Check out - License keys can be checked out so laptop users can disconnect from the network. The key can be checked in again when the laptop is reconnected to the network.
• Robust - Workgroup nodes will keep working even if the network connection or server is down, but workgroup nodes cannot start up without access to the Zoo.
• Routable - The Zoo works on both single-segments networks, or networks where systems are separated by routers.
• Multiple server - You can have more than one Zoo server running at a time, with each serving different clients.
• Mixed environment - A mixture of Workgroup Nodes and Standalone Nodes on the same Windows Domain or Workgroup is supported.
• A service - If you reboot the system with the Zoo, the Zoo will automatically start up.

Installation:

• Download the Zoo free of charge.
• Install the Zoo on any computer in your network workgroup.
• Install Rhino, Flamingo, Penguin, Brazil, and Bongo on any or all of the computers in your network as workgroup nodes.
• Note: For routed networks, see the Zoo Help for details.

Configuration:

• The Zoo is designed to work right out of the box - there is no configuring necessary other than adding your Rhino, Brazil, Bongo, Flamingo and Penguin licenses (CD-Keys), and then configuring these products to run as Workgroup Nodes.
  • From the Zoo Edit menu, select Add and type the CD-Keys.
    License key numbers (CD-Keys) are located inside the back cover of the application User's Guide or in the front of the CD case. (Tip: Put all your CD keys into a text file with one on each line. Use File>Import to import them into the Zoo.)
  • Or, check in existing stand-alone licenses from Rhino's Tools menu, select License Manager->Check-in license.
• See the Zoo Help for additional details.

Limitations:

• Domain/Workgroup solution - The Zoo and all computers running the nodes must be in the same Windows Domain or Workgroup.
• Firewall open - If the computer running a node or the Zoo is using a firewall, be sure that UDP Ports 137, 138 and TCP port 139 are open. These are the same ports used by Windows File and Print Sharing.
• Rhino 2.0 or 3.0 Educational Lab License - The Zoo does not work with Rhino 2.0 or 3.0 educational lab license.
• Flamingo 1.1, Bongo 1.0, and Penguin 1.0 Educational Lab Licenses do not work.
• Rhino 2.0 or 3.0 on Asia Windows - The Zoo does not work with Rhino 2.0 or 3.0 on Asian operating systems.

Troubleshooting:

Visit this wiki page for troubleshooting tips.