======LAN Zoo - Features Overview======
> **Product:** //[[zoo:home|Zoo]]//
> **Summary:** //A overview of the features of the LAN Zoo.//

=====Overview=====
The LAN Zoo lets you share Rhino, Flamingo, Penguin, Brazil, and Bongo licenses (CD-keys) among users on the same network workgroup. When these products are installed as the workgroup nodes instead of a stand-alone product, it works like this: 

  * When a workgroup node starts, it requests a license from the LAN Zoo.
  * An unused license is assigned to the node. 
  * When a node shuts down, the license is returned to the LAN Zoo's license pool. 


=====Features=====
  * **The LAN Zoo is free!**
  * **No extra costs.** Special versions of Rhino, Flamingo, Penguin, Brazil, or Bongo are not needed. 
  * **No special hardware needed.** The LAN Zoo will run on any Windows-based system. 
  * **No special software needed.** The LAN Zoo will run on any Windows system that supports Microsoft .NET Framework 4.8, including Windows Vista and newer.
  * **Simple setup.** Install the LAN Zoo on any Windows-based system, and enter the license keys into the LAN Zoo instead of the individual systems. 
  * **Checkout.** Commercial and Educational Lab License keys can be checked out so laptop users can disconnect from the network. Educational lab licenses are limited to a 30-day checkout. When the laptop is reconnected to the network, the key can be checked in again. Note: Single user Educational licenses are not supported in the LAN Zoo.
  * **Robust.** Network nodes will keep working even if the network connection or server is down.
  * **Routable.** The Zoo works on both single-segments networks and networks where systems are separated by routers. 
  * **Runs as a service.** If you reboot the system with the LAN Zoo, the Zoo automatically starts up. 

=====More information=====
  * **Standard Internet protocol support.** Clients communicate with LAN Zoo using **HTTP (Port 80)** protocol. This makes it much easier for system administrators to route Zoo requests on complex networks or over the Internet.
  * **HTTP Port 80 communication is required** (to and from the Zoo server and clients) and this port is **not** configurable in the LAN Zoo.
  * **Firewall friendly.** LAN Zoo requires the client to periodically check with the server, but never initiates connections back to the client. Administrators do not need to open firewall ports on client machines.
  * **Limited license checkout.** The prior LAN Zoo version allowed license checkout to support laptop users for business travel, but there was no limit to the checkout duration. LAN Zoo now lets the administrator specify the license checkout duration.
  * **Third-party plug-in support.** LAN Zoo allows third party plug-in developers to add support for their products to the LAN Zoo.