6. Connext Express

This section applies to Connext Express license-managed (“lm”) bundles, which are limited, free versions of Connext.

6.1. Connext Express Basics

Connext Express includes the same features as Connext, but limits the size of the system. For example, Connext Express rejects discovery of DomainParticipants, DataWriters, or DataReaders outside certain limits. In other words, you do not receive the full benefits of a commercial Connext Professional license. (See https://www.rti.com/products/connext-express. See also Connext Express Limits.) Please contact your local RTI representative or email express@rti.com for a license that removes these restrictions.

6.2. Connext Express Limits

You will see different messages and behavior in Connext Express depending on whether you are starting or running your application.

Note

Your specific system limits may vary. The messages below are examples; actual limits are dictated by your activation key.

6.2.1. Application Creation

While using Connext Express, you will see a message like the following when your application makes a call to create a DomainParticipant:

LOCAL [...] DDS_DomainParticipantFactory_create_participant_disabledI:{LICENSE} |
RTI Connext DDS issued to Real-Time Innovations, Inc.
Your Connext license limits your system to:
  Discovering a maximum of: 6 DomainParticipants, 12 DataReaders, 12 DataWriters.
Please contact express@rti.com for a license that removes these restrictions.

6.2.2. Application Runtime

During runtime, you will receive messages like the following when limits are reached in Connext Express.

When a DomainParticipant discovers another DomainParticipant outside the limit:

WARNING [...] PRESParticipant_logRejectedRemoteParticipantException:{LICENSE} |
RTI Connext DDS: Rejected DomainParticipant:
  Participant name: "", address: "udpv4://10.0.0.1:32416", GUID: 0x0101F563,0xC9D752A9,0xED042195:0x000001C
  Reason: Exceeds the license limit of 6 DomainParticipants.
  Please contact express@rti.com for a license that removes these restrictions.

When a DataWriter discovers a DataReader outside the limit:

WARNING [...] PRESPsService_checkRemoteEndpointExpressLimits:{LICENSE} |
RTI Connext DDS: Rejected DataReader:
  DataReader name: "", topic: "Example Topic", GUID: 0x0101B08D,0x83F991C3,0xFC5A5EB8:0x80000604
  Reason: Exceeds the license limit of 12 DataReaders.
  Please contact express@rti.com for a license that removes these restrictions.

When a DataReader discovers a DataWriter outside the limit:

WARNING [...] PRESPsService_checkRemoteEndpointExpressLimits:{LICENSE} |
RTI Connext DDS: Rejected DataWriter:
  DataWriter name: "", topic: "Example Topic", GUID: 0x01019B9D,0x0C70A141,0x743514D3:0x80014A03
  Reason: Exceeds the license limit of 12 DataWriters.
  Please contact express@rti.com for a license that removes these restrictions.

DomainParticipants may discover new DomainParticipants as existing DomainParticipants leave the system. For example, Participant A discovers Participant B, but rejects Participant C due to Connext Express limits. Later, if Participant B leaves the system, Participant A could re-discover and accept Participant C. This will happen when the periodic participant announcement from Participant C reaches Participant A. The period depends on the discovery configuration.

DataWriters and DataReaders have no mechanism to retry discovery automatically. The rejected DataWriter or DataReader will not communicate until an event such as a QoS change triggers another discovery attempt.

Attention

Your system will not operate predictably if it exceeds the limits once they are enforced.

6.2.3. Exceptions to Limits

The DDS entities (DomainParticipants, DataWriters, DataReaders) of the following RTI products do not count against the Connext Express limits. For example, if your Connext Express license allows 6 DomainParticipants, you can discover 6 DomainParticipants from your application and any number of DomainParticipants from the products below:

RTI DDS Ping
RTI DDS Spy
RTI Admin Console
RTI Monitor
RTI Observability Collector Service

These products are excluded from the limits to allow system monitoring and debugging without affecting your application’s allowed number of DomainParticipants, DataWriters, or DataReaders.