We want to deploy a Visual COBOL application on a network server and be able to have users running workstations on the network be able to run the application without the need for the COBOL 2010 Runtime product to be installed locally on each workstation. In Net Express this could be done by setting the environment variable ASLMFNET on each workstation to point to the location of the license database file on the server computer.

For managed code .NET applications the COBOL 2010 Runtime product needs to be installed on each workstation.

For unmanaged native Windows applications you can set this up as follows:

1. Install your application on the desired server computer.
    For this example we will say that it is installed on:
    -  //ServerA/appfolder
    It must be accessible by the workstations that will be running the application.

2. Install the COBOL 2010 Runtime product on the same server.
    By default this will be installed in C:\Program Files\Micro Focus\COBOL 2010 Runtime.
    It must be accessible by the workstations that will be running the application.

3. Start the License Manager Administrator from Start menu-->Micro Focus License Manager-->License Manager System.

4. Follow the License Manager documentation to enter your authorization code on the Authorize tab.
    You must have enough licenses to cover each of the workstations that will be accessing your application.
    Close the License Manager when finished.

5. On this server where License Manager is installed, copy the file ces.ini to your application folder \\ServerA\appfolder.
    On Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 computers this will be in:
     -  C:\ProgramData\Micro Focus
    On Windows XP computers this will be in:
    - C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Micro Focus

6. Open up ces.ini in \\ServerA\appfolder in a text editor such as Notepad and modify the IP address on the "lshost" entry line (127.0.0.1 by default)
    so that it contains the IP address or name of the server computer on which License Manager is running.
    -  lshost         =  ServerA
    Save the file.

7. On each workstation that will be running the application you need to set the following three environment variables:
    -  set the environment variable MFCES_INIT_LOCATION to point to the ces.ini file on the server. You can use a mapped drive or UNC name.
        -  SET MFCES_INIT_LOCATION=\\ServerA\appfolder\ces.ini
    -  set the environment variable COBDIR to point to the install folder of the COBOL 2010 Runtime product:
        -  SET COBDIR=\\ServerA\Program Files\Micro Focus\COBOL 2010 Runtime
    -  set the environment variable PATH to include the application folder and the COBOL 2010 Runtime\BIN folder:
       -  SET PATH=\\ServerA\appfolder;\\ServerA\Program Files\Micro Focus\COBOL 2010 Runtime\BIN;%PATH%

The application can then run on a workstation where the COBOL 2010 Runtime product is not installed.

This only applies to unmanaged code native Windows applications.