The features of licenses with the new Universal
Firm Code cover everything that software
vendors can already do today: A license can be
given a set expiry date, a flexible usage period,
or a maintenance interval; it can contain
additional data, or it can come with a usage
counter. All of this and much more is possible
today and will continue to be possible with
the Universal Firm Code. There is now also
the opportunity to nest product items in each
other (see the article on page 10).
Local Multiple Licenses
One change affects the way multiple licenses
are handled. Universal Firm Codes allow a set
of licenses to be flagged as “local use only”.
For instance, four licenses can be created that
are only available for local use (e.g. reflecting
the number of copies of an application that
can be run concurrently). This ends the old
convention of treating a license number of 0
as a local license.
To prevent general hacks for software-based
licenses, CmActLicenses use an additional
key for encrypting different licenses (different
product codes). This key (the Product Item
Secret Key - PISK) is calculated by the Firm
Security Box (FSB) when the license is
created. The same principle now also works in
hardware scenarios to maintain the high level
of security of CmDongles even in mixed use
with CmActLicenses. There is also the option
for software vendors to change the Firm Key in
their FSB to stop Wibu-Systems from creating
licenses with the same key; this option is now
also available for CmActLicenses.
the new Universal Firm Code and the old
Firm Codes (>100,000). Everything remains
downward compatible. The multiple variants
of AxProtector used to protect your software
can also handle multiple Firm Codes and the
latest release is ready for working with the
new Universal Firm Codes.
Requirements
The new method of license creation via
certificates needs substantial changes in the
CodeMeter License Server and in all other
components. Using Universal Firm Codes
therefore needs CodeMeter 6.0 or later.
The new technique is also the reason why
Universal Firm Codes are only supported
by the new generation of CmDongles with
3-xxxxxxxx serial numbers. Previous models
simply lack the space in the firmware to store
the new processes. Beginning with firmware
version 2.06, CmDongles 3-xxxxxxx can
handle Universal Firm Codes. The firmware
update will be rolled out in Q1/2016 alongside
CodeMeter 6.10.
Available from January 2015 for CmActLicenses and from
April 2016 for CmDongles. If you would like to upgrade
to the new Universal Firm Code, please contact your local
sales representative. Details are available on the back
page of the magazine.
CodeMeter 6.10 will, of course, work just as
well with the old CmActLicense (>5,000,000),
just as CmDongle 3-xxxxxxx can contain both
CmDongles
(> 100,000)
CmActLicenses
(> 5,000,000)
Universal Licenses
(> 6,000,000)
Text
ü
ü
ü
License Quantity
ü
ü
ü
Activation Time
ü
ü
ü
Expiration Time
ü
ü
ü
Usage Period
ü
ü
ü
Unit Counter
ü
ü
ü
Feature Map
ü
ü
ü
Maintenance Period
>= Firmware 1.18
>= Firmware 1.18
ü
Linger Time
>= Runtime 4.40
>= Runtime 4.40
ü
Minimum Runtime Version
>= Runtime 5.20
>= Runtime 5.20
ü
User Data
ü
ü
ü
Protected Data
ü
ü
ü
Extended Protected Data
ü
ü
ü
License Information
ü
ü
ü
Hidden Data
ü
ü
ü
Secret Data
ü
ü
ü
Product Item Option
Module Items
ü
7