UC Irvine Office of Information Technology
AntSoftLicense Commander
⚛ UC Irvine OIT · Software licensing

Getting started with MNova

Install MNova, find your computer's Host ID, send it to us, and activate your NMR license.

Windows macOS Linux Server-based license
Mike CabanManager, OIT Help Desk

Last revised:

These steps are for people who have already ordered MNova. Haven't ordered yet? Place your order in the AntSoft software catalog first.

How MNova licensing works

A quick overview so the steps make sense.

MNova (MNova, by Mestrelab) uses a network license server here at UCI. Your license is tied to your specific computer through a Host ID, a unique identifier for that machine. Once we add your Host ID to the license server, your computer is granted access and you can activate and use MNova.

So the flow is: install MNova → find your Host ID → send it to us → we authorize your machine → you install the license file and go.

Step 1Download & install

  1. Download the latest version of MNova 16 from the Mestrelab download page.
  2. Follow the official installation guide to install it on your computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux).
  3. Stop at Step 3 (“Licensing”) of that guide. That's where you'll find your Host ID, which you need for the next step.

Step 2Find your Host ID

Your Host ID is a unique identifier for your computer that lets the license server recognize your machine.

  1. Follow Mestrelab's short guide, how to get your Host ID, to locate it in MNova.
  2. Copy it down. You'll paste it on the next step. It usually looks like a string of letters and numbers.
Ordered MNova for more than one computer? Each machine has its own Host ID. Grab the Host ID from every computer that needs MNova, then submit them all together on the next step.

Step 3Send us your Host ID

Once you have your Host ID, send it to us so we can authorize your machine on the license server. The easiest way is our secure page: sign in with your UCI account, paste your Host ID, and submit.

🖥️ Submit your Host ID →
Sign in with your UCI account. It's tied to your order, so you can come back and update it anytime.
What happens next. Your Host ID goes to our NMR license administrators. They add your machine to the license server and email you your license file. If you have questions, you can just reply to that email.

Step 4Activate the license

Once you've received your license file from the NMR license administrators.

  1. Grab the latest license file from our SharePoint site (or use the one emailed to you).
  2. Install the file within MNova (see Step 6 of the installation guide).
  3. Restart the software. You're licensed and ready to go.

Staying licensed

Your license is good for one year, and needs to “check in” every 90 days. To stay valid, MNova must contact the UCI license server at least once every 90 days. It does this automatically whenever your computer has the right connection:
Where you areWhat to do
On campusConnect to the campus network (UCI Wi-Fi or Ethernet).
Off campusConnect to the campus VPN.

The license server is contacted automatically whenever one of these connections is active. Just open MNova on the network (or VPN) every so often and you're set.

Need help?

Questions about installing or activating MNova? Email oit-licenses@uci.edu and the OIT licensing team will help. For license-server or Host ID questions specific to the NMR facility, the administrators at nmr@uci.edu can assist.