License Requirements for Simulink Variant Manager

R2026b
Since R2026b

In R2026b, the Simulink® Variant Manager™ product replaces the Variant Manager for Simulink support package.

You do not need a Simulink Variant Manager license to load, simulate, or test a model that has an associated Simulink.VariantConfigurations object. A license is required to create variant configurations, simulate or test a model with a specified variant configuration, reduce models, or analyze configurations.

This topic identifies which operations on models with variant configurations require a Simulink Variant Manager license and which do not.

Workflows That Do Not Require a License

You do not need a Simulink Variant Manager license to perform these operations on models that have an associated Simulink.VariantConfigurations object.

Load and View Variant Configuration Data

You can load models, MAT files, and data dictionaries that contain a Simulink.VariantConfigurations object without a Simulink Variant Manager license.

Without a Simulink Variant Manager license, the Simulink.VariantConfigurations object dialog box opens in read-only mode when you open it from the base workspace or a data dictionary.

Simulink.VariantConfigurations dialog box shows a read-only view

See Variant Configurations Object.

Simulate Models Without Specifying a Variant Configuration

You can simulate a model that has an associated Simulink.VariantConfigurations object without specifying a variant configuration. Simulations run using the sim, parsim, or batchsim function do not require a Simulink Variant Manager license.

modelName = "slexVariantManagement";
openExample(modelName);
simOut = sim(modelName);

See Run Simulations for Variant Models Using Variant Configurations.

Simulate Models with Variant Constraints

When you simulate a model that has variant constraints defined in an associated Simulink.VariantConfigurations object, Simulink validates the constraints regardless of whether you have a Simulink Variant Manager license.

See Constraints on Variant Configurations.

Run Simulink Design Verifier Analyses with Variant Constraints

Simulink Design Verifier™ applies variant constraints during analyses such as test generation. This behavior does not require a Simulink Variant Manager license.

See Parameter Configuration for Variant Blocks (Simulink Design Verifier).

Analyze All Startup Variants with Simulink Design Verifier

The Analyze all Startup Variants option in Simulink Design Verifier analyzes models containing variant blocks with a startup activation time. This analysis does not require a Simulink Variant Manager license.

See Design Verifier Pane: Parameters and Variants (Simulink Design Verifier).

Workflows That Require a License

These operations require a Simulink Variant Manager license. If no license is available, the operation produces an error or disables the corresponding UI option.

Simulate Models with Variant Configurations

Running a simulation by specifying a variant configuration using the setVariantConfiguration function on a Simulink.SimulationInput object requires a Simulink Variant Manager license.

modelName="slexVariantManagement";
openExample(modelName);
simInp = Simulink.SimulationInput(modelName);
simInp = setVariantConfiguration(simInp,'LinInterExpWithNoise');
simOut = sim(simInp,"ShowProgress","on");

Without a license, this code produces an error.

See Run Simulations for Variant Models Using Variant Configurations and setVariantConfiguration.

Using variant configurations in Simulink Test™ workflows requires a Simulink Variant Manager license. This requirement applies to both creating and running test cases that specify variant configurations.

Without a Simulink Variant Manager license:

  • In the Simulink Test Manager, the Variant Configuration drop-down list in the Parameter Overrides section is disabled.

  • Programmatic APIs that set variant configurations on test cases produce errors.

See Run Tests for Variant Models Using Variant Configurations.

Import ARXML with PredefinedVariant Using AUTOSAR Blockset

Importing an ARXML file that contains PredefinedVariant elements using the createComponentAsModel function with the PredefinedVariant name-value argument requires a Simulink Variant Manager license. This workflow creates a Simulink.VariantConfigurations object with variant configurations derived from the ARXML definitions.

See Control AUTOSAR Variants with Predefined Value Combinations (AUTOSAR Blockset).

Use Variant Manager Capabilities

Using Variant Manager to create or modify variant configurations, reduce models, analyze configurations, or perform other authoring and management operations requires a Simulink Variant Manager license. This applies to both the Variant Manager UI and programmatic functions.

See Simulink Variant Manager.

Summary of Licensing Requirements

This table summarizes the licensing requirements for operations involving models with variant configurations.

OperationLicense Required?Behavior Without License
Load model or data file with Simulink.VariantConfigurations objectNoModel loads normally.
View Simulink.VariantConfigurations in dialog boxNoOpens in read-only mode.
Simulate model without specifying a variant configurationNoSimulation runs using variant control values from the workspace.
Simulate model with variant constraintsNoSimulink validates constraints during simulation.
Simulink Design Verifier analysis with variant constraintsNoThe tool applies constraints during analysis.
Simulink Design Verifier: Analyze all startup variantsNoAnalysis runs for all startup variant blocks.
Simulate model with variant configuration YesProgrammatic error.
Simulink Test: Create or run test cases with variant configurationsYesUI drop-down list disabled. Programmatic API error.
AUTOSAR Blockset: Import ARXML with PredefinedVariantYesError.
Use Variant Manager capabilities (create, modify, activate, reduce, analyze) through the UI or programmatic APIsYesError.

See Also

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Functions

Topics