L I C E N S I N G
Automatic License Updates
CodeMeter License Central allows you to deliver and update licenses in many different ways. Two new features introduced in
version 3.20 complete this picture: Licenses created or delivered by mistake can be withdrawn from the user immediately – safely
and securely. Changes to licenses can also be enforced with a new function that replaces licenses permanently with new ones.
We have all been there: Stuck in the slowest
checkout lane. A young mother in front with
a toddler at her side, screaming for that
candy bar. And the elderly lady at the counter
forgot her purse. Everything grinds to a halt.
“Supervisor to checkout 3”. If only we had
picked lane 2…
This is a common situation not only at
supermarket checkouts, but also in license
management. One wrong click, and we picked
the expensive network license instead of the
cheaper single-user license in the heat of the
moment. The incorrect transaction is confirmed
without checking and then we realize what just
happened. What now? The transaction can be
cancelled, but that means entering all details
again. We might also be unaware of the incident
before the user activates the incorrect license.
Maybe the user ordered and received a version
he wants to return within the standard allowab-
le grace period. Or the sales team promised an
update that does not actually exist. How can
we get the license back?
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If not activated yet, the licenses marked in this
way will be withdrawn immediately, or at the
next possible opportunity if they are already
activated. After withdrawal, they will no longer
be available.
How does this work? For CodeMeter License
Central, a license can go through several
specific states:
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Not yet collected
Collected (without receipt)
Confirmed collected
Returned (without receipt)
Confirmed returned
This is where the license has come full circle:
A license that has been returned (with receipt)
is the same as a license that has not yet been
collected.
system first checks whether the license can be
withdrawn without infringing the settings of
other licenses. For instance, if a basic license
is to be withdrawn, an add-on license should
not have been activated in the first place – the
update conditions require a valid basic license.
In cases like these, the license withdrawal is
not accepted, and the software vendor is sent
an error message.
Upon passing this check, the license is
earmarked for withdrawal and listed with the
auto-updates.
Whatever happens, that license will be with-
drawn as soon as the CmContainer is reprogram-
med – irrespective of whether an auto-update is
executed or another license is activated or deac-
tivated. The technology under the hood has been
streamlined to allow all actions to be completed
in a single process, using this sequence:
Withdraw If the license is there in CodeMeter License
Central (i.e. not collected or confirmed
returned) it will immediately be removed from
the ticket and will no longer show up in license
queries. It will only be visible in the history logs
of the order and the CmContainer. The new CodeMeter License Central 3.20
includes the “Withdraw” function that allows
you to flag individual licenses for withdrawal. ■ ■
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In the other three cases, the license is still with
the user. When a withdrawal is ordered, the The manual actions are initiated by the users
themselves; the rest are initiated by the soft-
Withdrawn licenses
Manually selected licenses for deactivation
Assigned licenses
Licenses to replace
Manually selected licenses for activation