If I put in a r2020b license file on the license server, will installed r2019b clients still work?

Our org has several installations of r2019b already. We are getting new latops and wanting to put MATLAB r2020b on the new machines. I got an updated license file to put on the license server, which lists r2020b, but not r2019b like in the old license file. If I put the new license file in place, will the r2019b installations stop working?

[Pedro Marques]

I have a org license and I can install it in any version of MATLAB.

In fact I also have MATLAB 2019B and 2020b installed with the same license and it works just fine.

Answer 1

[Arpit Bhatia]

Yes, the older installations of MATLAB r2019b will continue to function as license files are backwards compatible.

You may refer to the following MATLAB Answers post for more details: https://www.mathworks.com/matlabcentral/answers/91515-are-license-files-and-file-installation-keys-backwards-compatible#:~:text=All%20MATLAB%20license%20types%20permit,to%20R11%20for%20most%20licenses.&text=For%20network%20licenses%2C%20license%20files,installation%20keys%20are%20backwards%20compatible.

[Walter Roberson]

You can get complications if you have one license file serving multiple releases in the case that you did not upgrade all of the licenses. For example if you have 3 licenses for R2019b and 3 licenses for R2020b and they are not the same licenses, then depending how you set up the access controls, in some cases an R2019b client could grab one of the R2020b licenses, locking out an R2020b client (because newer releases cannot use older licenses.)

Do deal with the situation, you have to put access permissions on so that the people who are only authorized for the old licenses are not able to access the newer license.

This kind of situation arises when the license management is done by IT on behalf of a number of groups and some of the groups are willing to pay for upgrades and other groups are not willing to pay. The infighting that can happen... :( :(