In above example standard licensing diagram we have two programs (Program 1, 2), two clients (Client 1, 2) and three orders (Order 1, 2, 3) defined in activation center. Client 1 has two orders (Order 1 for Program 1 and Order 2 for Program 2) and Client 2 has single Order (Order 3 for Program 2). Two licenses are granted for Order 1 and single license is granted for Order 2 and Order 3.
Above web licensing example diagram shows two different programs (Program 1, 2) in ACEN. Two licenses are granted per serial number for Program 1 and single license is granted per each serial number for Program 2 in above example. Serial numbers are generated in PC Guard and distributed to end users after purchase. No client nor order entries are required in web licensing model. End users are identified with serial number.
Supported protection scenarios
Serial numbers
Number of granted web licenses per serial number is defined in ACEN Program settings (valid values: 1-100, default value: 1). By default, single license is granted per single serial number. Multiple licenses can be granted per single serial number.
Custom features
By default, custom features stored inside serial number will be used for generation of activation code. If no feature is set in serial number, default program features will be used.
Demo mode
Demo mode can be combined with all protection scenarios. Application will initially work in demo mode and will not require activation until demo period is over.
Custom counters
Default ACEN Program custom counters will be used for generation of new activation codes.
License removal
License removal feature is available only in case limited license feature is disabled. If license removal is enabled, web license can be removed by end user by selecting "Remove license" radio button on activation dialog and by clicking on "Continue >>" button. License will be removed from both local machine and from activation center. If computer is offline at the time of license removal only local license will be removed. License in ACEN will stay active in this case. Next time it is run, protected application will automatically try to activate (reactivate) license on that computer.
Limited license
Limited license should be enabled in both Activation center program settings and limited license remote protection settings in PC Guard with same initial limited license settings.
By default, expiration date for each web license will be based on default validity period, fixed date limitation and day of the month limited license settings in Activation center.
When reactivating or transferring (standard model only) web license, expiration date, custom features and custom counters from original web license will be used for new web license instead of default program settings. Expiration date, custom features and custom counters of original web license can also be changed in Activation center by administrator user at any time. Next time web license is reactivated, transferred or validated by license validation task, updated data will be used for new web license.
ACEN web licensing model can be implemented in two ways:
PC Guard 06.00.0300 and later versions include out of the box support for web licensing model.
No additional programming is required on your side.
Our protection code which is embedded into protected application during protection process will automatically control all required licensing tasks.
The whole setup is also highly customizable and will cover almost all licensing scenarios.
Implement out of the box web licensing in three easy steps:
STEP 1: Set Program data and enable web licensing in Activation center (ACEN).
STEP 2: Set same project settings including ACEN server and ACEN web licensings project settings in PC Guard.
STEP 3: Protect application!
If you want to handle all licensing tasks directly from your code you need to use advanced protection interface functions and ACEN web service for handling licenses in ACEN.
This requires additional programming on your side but allows maximum flexibility. ACEN includes required web service documentation and sample desktop application which implements ACEN web service handling to get you started.
The following options should be set in PC Guard's project settings:
- Enable demo mode together with date or exec limitation.
- Set "Protected application will handle expired demo option" option.
- Set "Protected application will handle license management" option to manage license removal, update or license transfer from your code.
- Set "Protected application will handle expired license" option to manage expired limited license from your code.
Activation of web licenses
Internet connection is required so that communication can be established between protected application and Activation center web service. In out of the box implementation of web licensing model all communication is managed by our protection code which is embedded into protected application during protection process.
When run, protected application will display default activation dialog and prompt for valid serial number. Unlock application radio button will be automatically selected. At this point, end user would enter valid serial number and after clicking on "Continue >>" button protection code would connect to Activation center in order to obtain valid license for remote computer. If serial number is valid and there is free license slot assigned to it (multiple licenses can be granted per single serial number) Activation center will return valid activation code to protected application and protection code will generate valid license for protected application on remote computer.
Activation task will fail if remote computer is not connected to the Internet or in case valid license cannot be obtained from ACEN. Use "If activation fails" action option to define behavior of protected application in case activation task fails.
In out of the box implementation of web licensing model activation process can be automated with command line interface for protected application by providing valid serial number with -PCG_CL_SN option and instructing protected application to auto activate itself with -PCG_CL_AUTO_ACTIVATE option. In this case default activation dialog will not be displayed on startup at all.
Example: c:\protectedapp.exe -PCG_CL_AUTO_ACTIVATE -PCG_CL_SN 1234-1234-12-1234-1234
Post activation tasks
Out of the box implementation of ACEN web licensing includes two post activation tasks you can enable for application protected with ACEN web licensing model.
License alive (active) report task
If enabled, protected application will connect to activation center based on selected timing ("on each run", "once a day", "once a week" and "once a month") and report that license on remote computer is active and in use.
If protection code is not able to connect to activation center one of the "If report fails" actions will be invoked. The following "If report fails" actions are currently available: "do nothing", "show error", "show error and exit", "exit", "reset license & exit" and "reset license, show error & exit". Action threshold can be set for this task and it represents number of consecutive failed tasks before selected action is taken.
Please see license alive report settings for detailed information about available setting.
License validation task
ACEN administrator user can remove license from activation center or change custom features, custom counters or expiration date for limited license. License validation task will check if license is changed or removed from ACEN server.
If this task is enabled, protected application will connect to activation center based on selected timing ("on each run", "once a day", "once a week" and "once a month") in order to check if issued license is still available in activation center.
If protection code is not able to connect to activation center one of the "If validation fails" actions will be invoked. The following actions are currently available: "do nothing", "show error", "show error and exit", "exit", "reset license & exit" and "reset license, show error & exit". Action threshold can be set for this task and it represents number of consecutive failed tasks before selected action is taken.
In case protection code was able to connect to activation center and if license is still present, valid and not modified nothing will happen. Protection code will just pass control to protected application.
If license is removed (deactivated) from ACEN custom "If license is removed" action will be invoked. The following "If license is removed" actions are currently available: "reset license, show error & exit", "reset license, ban computer, show error & exit", "reset license & exit" and "reset license, ban computer & exit". Choose appropriate actions accordingly to your protection requirements.
ACEN administrator users can change note, expiration date (limited license), custom features and custom counters for existing web license. If web license was changed since the last check by ACEN administrator user, custom "If license is changed" action will be invoked. The following "If license is changed" actions are currently available: "update license & show message" and "update license".
Please see license validation task settings for detailed information about setting up this task.
