AspenTech License Use Status (ATLUS)
Python desktop tool that monitors shared engineering software licenses in real time, improving transparency and optimizing global license utilization.
Type: Desktop Monitoring Application – License Visibility & Workflow Optimization
Industry: Petrochemical / Engineering Software Infrastructure
Overview
ATLUS (AspenTech License Use Status) is a Python-based desktop application developed to improve visibility into shared engineering software license usage across a global petrochemical organization.
The company maintained a shared token pool for AspenTech tools (Aspen Plus, Aspen HYSYS, etc.). When all tokens were in use, additional engineers could not open the software — creating workflow bottlenecks and frustration.
The core issue was not just license scarcity — it was lack of transparency.
The Challenge
- Limited number of floating license tokens
- No clear visibility into who was consuming them
- Engineers blocked from working when tokens were exhausted
- Inefficient communication across global teams
Users frequently encountered unavailable licenses but had no way to identify who was using them or when they might become available.
The Solution
I developed ATLUS, a lightweight Python desktop application that:
- Queries the company license server every two minutes
- Retrieves current token allocation data
- Summarizes “who is using what” in real time
- Writes structured status output to a shared location
The output file was then ingested into Power BI, enabling global, easy-to-access dashboards for all engineers.
Key Contributions
- Built automated polling of license server data
- Transformed raw license output into structured, readable summaries
- Integrated with Power BI for global visibility
- Designed a simple but effective architecture for near-real-time updates
Impact
- Improved transparency across engineering teams
- Reduced frustration around unavailable licenses
- Enabled direct peer-to-peer coordination
- Optimized license utilization without increasing license costs
- Strengthened cross-team communication
This project demonstrates how small, focused automation tools can significantly improve operational efficiency — not by adding more resources, but by increasing visibility and coordination within existing systems.