Abaqus

Instructional license
1. 1. Download instructions and license server is below
Research license
1. 1. Contact Ramin Bostanabad in MAE for the license information.

Abaqus - Teaching License

This version is for instructional use only.
- DO NOT USE THIS VERSION FOR FUNDED RESEARCH
- Dassault has been effective at finding license compliance issues, don't do it.
Contact Ramin Bostanabad for the research license for funded research projects.

Limitations of the Abaqus teaching license:

Abaqus models up to 250,000 nodes
No user subroutines
Max of 4 CPU cores for parallel processing

For installation issues and questions, contact Lisa Preble, labs@eng.uci.edu

Abaqus - Help

Simulia Learning Community

Visit the Simulia Learning Community for support, learning, and tutorials

Abaqus Download

Download both items

1) Installation instructions and license server info

2) Abaqus full installation files for all OS

How to unpack the installation files

The .tar download includes installation files for all OS's.

This video shows how to unpack the .tar files.

Abaqus Prerequisites

Prerequisites

Uninstall or pause third-party anti-virus software such as Avast, Norton, etc.
1. 1. For the HSSOE computer labs, I use the built-in Windows Defender because it doesn't cause issues with Engineering software installations.
  2. If you use Windows Defender, then don't pause or stop this software.
2. Connect to campus VPN

Abaqus installation

Installation

Connect to campus VPN or else installation won't work.
1. You need to connect to campus VPN during installation and whenever you use the software so that it can get a license.
Download each installation folder. You'll see folders 1-5.
Unpack all of the downloads using 7zip
1. 1. Select all of the .tar files, right-click, then select “7-Zip - Extract Here”
The installer will be in folder “1”, setup.exe.
Find setup.exe in folder "1". Right-click on it and select "Run as administrator"

4. You should see the welcome screen. Click Next.

5. Make sure there are no spaces in the installation path. Click Next.

6. Select the following products for installation

Abaqus/Standard Solver
Abaqus/Explicit Solver
Abaqus CAE
Abaqus Samples

7. License server configuration

FOR RESEARCH LICENSES
- Select "SKIP"
- After installation follow these instructions
For Student licenses:
- Select SIMULIA FLEXnet

8. Input license server

27010@license-svr.eng.uci.edu
You must be connected to UCI's VPN
If you see an error message check the license server name and also verify you're connected to VPN
If you still can't get a license, it's likely your anti-virus software is causing a conflict.
You can configure license server connection after installation if you cannot figure out the issue.

9. If your computer sees a license, it will continue to the next screen. Make sure there are no spaces in the installation path.

10. Make sure there are no spaces in the working directory path.

11. Again, make sure there are no spaces in the path.

I use "apps" directory in the labs, but you don't need to do that on your laptop.

12. Confirm the products that will install.

- - Look at the products and path names and make sure it all looks okay

13. You'll see installation progress. It'll take several minutes.

13. You'll see first confirmation, but it's not done yet.

14. Check all the boxes whenever you see this box. It'll come up 2 or 3 times.

15. Verification will come up. If there's problems with installation you can look at the logs listed here.

- After you click continue, installation will continue

16. Installation is now complete. Click Close and restart your computer.

Abaqus on the HPC

Abaqus is installed on the campus HPC

Getting started with Abaqus on the HPC

STEP 1

You'll need to create an environment file which contains license information.

Filename: abaqus_v6.env
Path: Place file in your home directory.
- The key setting is academic=RESEARCH (not TEACHING, which restricts solver jobs).
- Comment out the license server and server type

#----------------------------------

academic=RESEARCH

#license_server_type=FLEXNET

#abaquslm_license_file="27000@<LICENSE SERVER NAME>"

#----------------------------------

STEP 2

Obtain license files from Ramin

- There will be two license files
  1. <customer number>.lic
  2. DSLicSrv.txt

STEP 3

Place license files here:
UNIX computers: /var/DassaultSystemes/Licenses
Note: As of July 2, this has not been tested. Contact helpdesk@eng.uci.edu for support.

Abaqus research license - move license to Abaqus cloud service

As of July 1, 2026 we've been asked to transition Abaqus licenses to their Dassault license service.

Here are instructions on how to transition your research license:

(Note: the Teaching license will remain on the license server listed above.)

Obtain license files from Professor Ramin Bostanabad.
1. There will be two license files
  1. <customer number>.lic
  2. DSLicSrv.txt
Save the both license files to the license directory on your computer.
1. Windows: C:\ProgramData\DassaultSystemes\Licenses folder.
  1. You'll need to create the "Licenses" folder if it doesn't exist
2. UNIX computers: /var/DassaultSystemes/Licenses
Optional: Set the DSLS_AUTH_PATHNAME environment variable.
1. Consider doing this if you're having trouble getting a license.
2. You can also set the following environment variable DSLS_AUTH_PATHNAME using a full pathname (UNC supported), if you decide to store the file in a different directory from the default one.
3. Example (for a shared license file): DSLS_AUTH_PATHNAME=G:\Shared\MyAuth.LIC
4. Example (to specify your local license file): DSLS_AUTH_PATHNAME= C:\ProgramData\DassaultSystemes\Licenses\<customer-number>.LIC
  1. If you do not set the DSLS_AUTH_PATHNAME variable, only the most recent file (among several authentication files in the default location) is used. : Make sure you only have one authentication file in the default location.
Optional:
1. Clients will need to create firewall exceptions for the license server at port 443 for the following servers:
  1. r1132104311430-usw1-licensing.3dexperience.3ds.com
  2. r1132104311430-usw1-licensing-1.3dexperience.3ds.com
  3. r1132104311430-usw1-licensing-2.3dexperience.3ds.com
If this is an existing installation, you need to edit SMA\site\EstablishedProductsConfig.ini.
1. In the 2025 version, you'll find EstablishedProductsConfig.ini here: C:\Apps\SIMULIA\EstProducts\2025\win_b64\SMA\site
  1. Open EstablishedProductsConfig.ini.
  2. Find the [EstablishedProducts] section and comment out the FlexNet lines by adding a #.
  3. Will look similar to below:
    
    [EstablishedProducts]
    # LICENSE_SERVER_TYPE=flex
    # FLEX_LICENSE_CONFIG=port@server

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