Academic Computing & Media Services

UCSD Matlab Agreement

MATLAB is a high-performance language for technical computing. It integrates computation, visualization, and programming in an easy-to-use environment where problems and solutions are expressed in familiar mathematical notation.

Who qualifies

This software can only be used by UCSD students, faculty and staff under the conditions stated in the MathWorks Software License (pdf), which includes the following limitations:

Each program is licensed for Academic Internal Operations only, as defined below ...

Academic Internal Operations. The installation and use of the Programs by Licensed Users .... for the purpose of

(i) in the case of employees (faculty and academic staff), performing software administration, teaching, and non- commercial academic research in their ordinary course as Licensee's employees; and

(ii) in the case of enrolled students, meeting classroom requirements of courses and study offered by the Licensee.

Any other use is expressly prohibited.

Availability

Some Matlab products are not currently available through Software Distribution.

There are two types of licenses available to UCSD departments. The first type is a UCSD Matlab network concurrent license. The second type is a UCSD Matlab group license. Individual licenses are not available.

UCSD Matlab Network Concurrent License program

The UCSD Matlab network concurrent license program uses a network license server. Computers must be on the network and must be registered in the campus UCSD.EDU domain to participate.

When the UCSD Matlab network concurrent license program adds a toolbox, multiple licenses are purchased for a pool that is shared by all participants in the program. The usual number of licenses acquired for toolboxes is 50. We've relaxed this recently so that departments can acquire a new toolbox with fewer seats understanding that:
- all campus users have the same access to toolboxes - no reserving or limiting who can use them
- we will increase the number of seats for a toolbox only when we renew the site license agreement - in August, typically

Our policy on adding toolboxes: A department, or group of departments, must come up with the initial purchase amount. If that happens, the Matlab consortium will pick up the renewal costs for subsequent years and spread the cost among the entire group of subscribers.

The UCSD Matlab network concurrent license program covers workstation versions of the software running on UNIX (Solaris, Mac OS X, Linux etc), and Windows systems, including MATLAB, SIMULINK and the following toolboxes: (as of 4/2006)

UCSD Matlab Group License program

This program provides Matlab and toolbox licenses for specific participating computers while offering group maintenance discounts. It was started at SIO to meet the special needs of researchers running Matlab where no network connections are available.

It covers (1 or 2 processor) workstation versions of Matlab products running on Unix (Solaris, Mac OS X, Linux) and Windows systems. The current list of Matlab products in this group - and their corresponding annual maintenance costs - follows:

The per-seat rates for buy-in vary by both the number of seats and types of products purchased, e.g. as of 1/2008:

where...

• Suite = MATLAB, Simulink and Symbolic Math toolbox
• Tier-1 = Various embedded target toolboxes, Extended Symbolic Math Toolbox, Matlab Builders, Matlab Compiler, Matlab Web Server, Model-Based Calibration Toolbox, Real-Time Windows Target, Real-Time Workshop, Real-Time Workshop Embedded Coder, SimBiology, SimDriveline, SimEvents, SimMechanics, SimPowerSystems, Stateflow, xPC Target, xPC Target Embedded Option
• Toolboxes = All the other Matlab toolboxes

ACMS tries to coordinate a group buy each spring to coincide with the renewal of ongoing maintenance. Ad hoc group purchases in the quantities above can be added during the year by individual departments.

Costs
What is provided
When the agreement starts & stops
Licenses

Our UCSD Matlab Group License program annual maintenance term runs from 1-May through 30-April. The cost to add products to this program are based on The Mathworks' current Academic Pricing for Group licenses, plus tax and a $20 transaction fee.

You may purchase Group licenses as needed during the year and add them to the group license pool (which may reduce subsequent years' maintenance costs). Licenses added to this pool remain there, licensed to UCSD. Participation in the group license will continue until you tell us otherwise by opting out of the program.

Our UCSD Matlab Network Concurrent License program annual term runs from 1-August through 31-July.
Each department or machine running the UCSD Matlab Network Concurrent License software must obtain an annual license at the following rates:

Departmental License - Multiple systems with unlimited users:
$1500 per department per year

Single Machine Unlimited Users:
$500 per system per year

For the purposes of these licenses, a department is defined as an academic department, an administrative unit, an ORU, a program or project, etc., as listed in the current UCSD Telephone directory.

Note: a "parent" department with "child" ORUs, e.g. Physics and INLS, can choose to treat the department and ORUs as a single entity for Matlab licensing purposes.

This choice carries two caveats: First, any department must be able to handle all of its systems' licensing needs using ACMS' central campus network license servers. If subnets, firewalls, or other physical constraints prevent this, then the isolated systems may be excluded from using the site license.

Second, if consolidating Matlab "units" across the campus results in fewer users contributing to the cost of our UCSD Matlab Network Concurrent License program license, we may have to adjust the above listed rates upwards. Both common sense and experience tell us that this can cause costs to spiral beyond what campus users will support.

Mathworks uses a network licensing scheme which restricts the number of concurrent users able to use Matlab (500) Simulink (50) and each toolkit (50 or 100 users, for many - see above). The UCSD/Mathworks agreement does not restrict users per machine or department beyond these concurrent user limits. Pricing includes all of the software listed above and it is not feasible for us to provide unbundled pricing for individual items.

To answer a couple of recurring questions

There is no problem with UCSD staff using the Matlab software in support of UCSD faculty research

There is no problem with UCSD faculty, students or staff using Matlab in support of NIH or NASA funded research here

If you are interested in additional toolboxes beyond the ones currently in the network agreement, your department can pay to add them to the site license. This involves a one-time cost to your department, the amount of which depends on the number of potential concurrent users allowed. For example, the current cost to add 50 users of a typical toolbox is $1500 or $4500 for the first year.

In future years those seats for that toolbox would be included in the program base cost and available to all departments. (Additional seats for any existing toolbox must be paid for the same way as the initial seats - a one-time cost to the requesting department(s).)

Several departments may split the cost of an acquisition. Polling the current matlab-users@ucsd.edu list may provide cost sharing between departments sufficient to cover the one-time fee.

Some have asked about using Matlab when connected to the UCSD network via the UCSD VPN or UCSD dialup. This works as a way to keep Matlab working when at conferences etc. as both these are part of the UCSD network.

Students

ACMS Software distribution does not distribute this software to students, but departments may do so. All copies installed MUST comply with the restrictions on use and distribution.

Some have asked if Student Matlab is available, or if it can be used on university owned computers, or for other than registered students' own personal use. (Student Matlab is available from the UCSD bookstore for about $100 a copy). Student Matlab may NOT be used on university owned computers.

About MATLAB & Simulink Student Version from the Mathworks FAQ:

Question: Are there any restrictions on using this product?
Answer: Yes. The following restrictions apply:

• The product must be used on a student's own computer.
• The product is solely for use in connection with courses offered at degree-granting institutions, either by students working toward a degree, or by continuing education students.
• The right to use the student products for any other purposes, including commercial purposes, is expressly prohibited.
• Student licenses are nontransferable.

Updates

Software updates can be obtained from ACMS as long as the license fee is paid for the current year.

Media

This software is normally distributed over the network or on CD. Arrangements can also be made to check out a CD set for short term borrow. Departments at the departmental license level may be able to get one of a small number of CD kits for very long term loan. This would be in place of borrowing the CD kit for installs in their department.

Support

ACMS will provide the license keys to customers of this service. ACMS can only provide very limited technical support on these products. Participants can contact Mathworks for technical support via telephone and e-mail.

Contacts

Software Distribution:
ACMS Software Distribution
swdist@ucsd.edu
(858) 534-9676

Technical Support:
Jim Rapp
jrapp@ucsd.edu
(858) 534-4060

matlab-users@ucsd.edu
UCSD Matlab users' mailing list

Mathworks contact information:
Phone: (508) 647-7000
FAX: (508) 647-7001

support@mathworks.com
Technical questions on MathWorks products

doc@mathworks.com
Documentation error reports

info@mathworks.com
Sales, pricing, and general information

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