Is free version of CA Gen 8.6 still available?

[Don Phillips]

Found the downloads in page 5 of the Library.


If yes, what is the link now to download?

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Thanks, Don
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[Kim Peelman]

Yes, Don, there is a free version of CA Gen 8.6 Available. There is an issue with the link, so we're working to repackage and publish again. I'll put the new link here once it's ready (probably today).

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Kim Peelman
Product Owner, CA Gen
Broadcom
Plano,TX
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[Lynn Williams]

Hi Kim/Don,
Although the old Free Version access link (https://communities.ca.com/community/ca-gen-edge/ca-gen-download) is no longer valid, the 2 zip files for the Free Version (CAGen86Free_1of2.zip and CAGen86Free_2of2.zip) are still in the CA Gen Community Library.
The first file can be accessed from here where there is also a valid link to the 2nd file.
https://community.broadcom.com/mainframesoftware/communities/community-home/librarydocuments/viewdocument?DocumentKey=960cee68-61b3-464e-9678-7012e1ee5355&CommunityKey=4182c217-4789-4997-8f22-87de25983f6e&tab=librarydocuments

Hope that helps

Regards,

Lynn

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Lynn Williams
Senior Principal Support Engineer
Broadcom
Australia
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[Kim Peelman]

Here is a link to a folder with the free version of CA Gen 8.6: CLICK HERE

The free version of CA Gen 8.6 is meant to be used in a single-user (as opposed to a team) environment. This version of the product includes all of the Windows developer tools with the following caveats:

• The Windows Client Server Encyclopedia is not included in the installation package
• The Windows CSE clients are not included in the installation package
• Models that have been previously uploaded to an encyclopedia cannot be opened with this version of the tool
• This version of the tool does not allow models to be uploaded or downloaded from any encyclopedia.

The free version of CA Gen includes all the capabilities of the licensed version including the following capabilities:

•  CA Gen developer and construction Toolset
• Generation targets (C, Java, and .NET as well as COM, Java, and .NET proxies) and their associated runtimes
• COBOL can be generated but there is no runtime environment provided
• UNIX/Linux can be selected as target platforms but there is no runtime environment provided
• All supported databases
• Gen Studio, the Diagram Trace Utility, the Build Tool, and the Windows Transaction Enabler

The installation of the free version of CA Gen does not install the Client Server Encyclopedia (CSE) nor the CSE clients.

Support for the free version of CA Gen comes solely from the CA Gen EDGE community; no support is provided for this product from CA. Updates to the product are made only whenever a new incremental release or version of the GA product is made available. 

The models created with the free version of CA Gen can be opened with the licensed version of the product and uploaded to licensed encyclopedias. After a model has been uploaded, it cannot be opened with the free version of the product. 

Use Cases:

• Allow Training of New Developers.  The CA Gen Edge Community suggested providing a free version that developers new to CA Gen could download and then follow the CA Gen Tutorial to learn CA Gen.  This provides companies that want to train new CA Gen developers a way to do it without having to buy additional licenses.  The CA Gen Tutorial is on the CA Gen DocOps site at: Tutorial - CA Gen - 8.6 - CA Technologies Documentation 
• Allow Customers and Partners to create Training Labs.  Free CA Gen can be installed on work stations in Training Labs where partners can create custom training based on the Free version.  Students taking the training can then install the free version and be able to use it to extended their training.
• Allow Customers to try new features without impacting current version.  Several customers are on CA Gen Release 8.5 and do not want to change the installation they use for testing to CA Gen to Release 8.6 just to check out new features.  Free CA Gen is provided so that you can install CA Gen without the need for a license on temporary virtual images or even personal PCs for CA Gen Admins to check out the new features. 
• Analyst Recognition.  In the software industries Analyst such as Gartner, IDC, and Forrester are very important resources for both CA Technologies and our customers.  Free versions of Model Based Development tools are now a basic requirement for the market and several of the Analyst's require a Free version to be included in an evaluation report. 

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Kim Peelman
Product Owner, CA Gen
Broadcom
Plano,TX
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[Don Phillips]

​Thanks. This link works better than using the downloads on page 5 of the library.

[Kim Peelman]

I'm glad that new link was helpful. 

Have a great day!

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Kim Peelman
Product Owner, CA Gen
Broadcom
Plano,TX
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[Kim Peelman]

We have decided to no longer offer a free version of Gen 8.6. The free version was originally created with an expectation that it would never need to be updated. However, that has become unrealistic. As we add value to Gen, the free version loses value when it is not kept current. Paired with our responsibility to apply security maintenance and 3rd party product upgrades, we have decided to take down the free version of Gen 8.6. The links in the comments above will no longer work. 

For alternative options, please contact our Gen Product Manager, Su Brude: [e-mail]. We can discuss offering temporary licenses at no additional cost to support your various use cases with the full power of Gen rather than the diluted "free" version.

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Kim Peelman
Product Owner, CA Gen
Broadcom
Plano,TX
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[Tarek Kamal]

Hi Kim;
All Low Code platforms provide a free version of the software  
I don't think this is a good decision 
the free version is important for a new company and students to learn and test the tool 

Try to make the tool more open in the market 

In addition, for the licenses version please consolidate all the new PTFs in the new release at least for the Windows version (8.63)