License files

This workflow is for software license administrators or software users who are authorizing ArcGIS Pro licenses with a license file. This topic describes the workflow for authorizing a Single Use license, but it is essentially the same for a Concurrent Use license.

What is a license file?

A license file (previously called a provisioning file) is a plain text file that automatically supplies required information—such as product name, authorization number, and user contact information—to the Software Authorization Wizard. This is convenient when multiple licenses are being authorized because it isn't necessary for each user to enter the information manually. A license file is especially useful for an organization with many Single Use licenses. In this case, a single license file can be used to authorize the software on multiple machines.

Single Use license files have the extension .prvc (denoting a client license file). Concurrent Use license files have the extension .prvs (denoting a server license file).

Note:

License files for Named User licenses that use Portal for ArcGIS 10.7 or later as the licensing portal are JSON files with the extension .json. Named User licenses managed through ArcGIS Online do not require a license file.

Create a license file

After converting Named User licenses to Single Use or converting Named User licenses to Concurrent Use, a software license administrator can create a license file.

1. Sign in to My Esri with your Esri account credentials.
2. At the top of the page, click the My Organizations tab.
3. Under the My Organizations tab, click the Licensing tab.
4. To the side of the screen, under License Esri Products, click the Start button.
5. In Step 1: Select Product and Licenses, specify the product, version, and license type for which you want to create the license file.

   Note:

   If you have ArcGIS Pro as part of ArcGIS Desktop, choose ArcGIS Pro for Desktop as your product. If you have ArcGIS Pro as part of ArcGIS Enterprise, choose ArcGIS Enterprise. If you have ArcGIS Pro as part of a GIS Professional User Type subscription, choose ArcGIS Pro (for Portal use).

6. Under Licenses, specify whether you want to include the core product and extensions, the core product only, or extensions only.
7. Under File Type, accept the default License File option.

   

8. Click Next.
9. In Step 2: Select Products, in the Select column, check the check box for the appropriate license level.

   In this example, the license file is being created for ArcGIS Pro Advanced licenses.

   

   Note:

   If the license file is for Concurrent Use licenses, you have the option to specify the number of licenses that will be allocated in the license file.

10. Click Next.
11. In Step 3: Select Extensions, optionally use the Select column to select one or more extensions.

    Note:

    If you chose Core Products Only in Step 1, this step is skipped. Instead, what is documented as Step 4 in these instructions appears as Step 3, and so on.

12. Click Next.
13. In Step 4: End User Information, fill in the required fields of contact information.

    Tip:

    Use the Populate user fields from my profile and Populate organization fields from my organization buttons to complete the fields automatically.

14. Click Next.
15. In Step 5: Review License File, confirm that the information is correct.

    In the table under Products, the quantity is 1. This means that one authorization number will be generated in the license file. This number can be used to authorize all available ArcGIS Pro Advanced licenses (30 in this example).

    

16. Under Delivery Method, specify whether you want to download the license file or receive it by email.

    In this example, the file will be downloaded.

17. Optionally, add a note to your license file.
18. Click Create File.

    A message confirms that the licenses were successfully created. The license file, with a name such as ArcGISProAdvanced_SingleUse_XXXXXX.prvc, is downloaded to your default download folder.

    You can now use the license file to authorize ArcGIS Pro. You may want to move it to a network location where it is accessible to other users.

Use a license file

Begin the authorization process as described in Authorize and start ArcGIS Pro with a Single Use license or Authorize ArcGIS Pro with a Concurrent Use license. In the Software Authorization Wizard, on the Authorization Options page, the default option is to authorize the software using the internet. If you have a license file, choose the option to use an authorization file, as described in the following steps.

Alternatively, you can browse to the location of your license file, right-click the file, and click Open. This opens the Software Authorization Wizard directly to the Authorization Options page.

1. In the Software Authorization Wizard, on the Authorization Options page, click I have received an authorization file and am now ready to finish the authorizaton process.
2. Click Browse and browse to the location of the license file. On the Open Authorization File dialog box, click the license file to select it and click Open.

   The license file appears in the text box on the Authorization Options page.

   

3. Click Next.
4. On the Authorization Method page, choose the authorization method you want to use and click Next.

   Note:

   The recommended method is to authorize with Esri using the internet. If an internet connection is not available, see Authorization files.

5. On the Authorization Information page, the required information is supplied by the license file. Click Next.
6. On the Authorization Information (continued) page, fill in the required information and click Next.
7. On the Software Authorization Number page, the authorization number is supplied by the license file. Click Next.
8. On the Authorize Software Extensions page, accept the default option not to authorize extensions and click Next.

   Note:

   If your license file includes authorizations for extensions, the option to authorize extensions will be selected and authorization numbers will appear next to the extensions.

   When the process finishes, a message on the Software Authorization Wizard confirms that your software has been authorized and is ready for use.

9. Click Finish.
10. On the ArcGIS Pro Licensing dialog box, click OK.