After Effects cs5.5 aerender.exe Serial Number Problems

Question

We upgraded our company from cs2 to cs5.5 Windows 7 OS.
We are trying to get our renderfarm machines to install render-only versions of the after effects render engine. We've have got it to install.. but when we send the command line renders we get the error:
"Unable to obtain a license. Please run the full application to correct the problem or get a more detailed message."
When we run the full app, it tells us to register with our serial number.
The problem is we only have a certain amount of serials for our workstation computers, and don't want to use up all the activations on the render-only units.
I attempted to call phone-support over the last few days, and the only answer that comes back is that you DO NOT have to enter the serial number.. although my error message tells me otherwise.
HELP!
Thanks,
Brad

Answer 1

Todd, I'm pleased you're all taking a look at the situation.
My memory certainly is not perfect, and I wouldn't expect yours to be; but here's a cut and paste from pg. 625 of the CS3 user guide:
"You can render one or more compositions from a project using multiple computers over a network in a fraction of the time that a single compute rwould require. Network rendering involves copying the project and source files to a networked folder, and then rendering the project.If you have a full licensed copy of After Effects, you can set it up to work with render-only versions of After Effects called render engines. Your license entitles you to install as many copies of the render engine as you want on your network, as long as one activated copy of After Effects is installed on that network."
-Jeff