L I C E N S I N G
Licensing with the Cloud in Mind
Predictive maintenance and Condition Monitoring have become hot topics in industry. It means collecting and processing data
from as many devices as possible to make statistical predictions and plan maintenance, repairs, and replacements long before
worst comes to worst. But what does it entail, and how can predictive maintenance providers make a profit with their services?
Collecting Data
In order to reliably predict wear and tear and
anticipate possible failures, the system needs to
collect and process masses of data. This is usually
done via the cloud, to which all connected devices
send their log files. The developers of predictive
maintenance solutions use this data to create
predictive algorithms, not unlike meteorologists
for weather forecasts: Historical data is used
for projections about future events. Neither
predictive maintenance systems nor weather
forecasters are 100% accurate, but they can
tell you with some certainty whether you need
to bring a – metaphorical or real – umbrella.
With some certainty, it will not snow in
Arizona during the summer. It might in Nepal.
Location, then, is one of the many factors that
make for accurate predictions.
Collecting and processing data requires much
labor and resources, but it also adds real value
for the user: More than enough reason for
selling such services.
Licenses on the Ground
The devices can include industrial controllers in
many possible scenarios. Imagine a mining ope-
ration: The devices are rarely online, meaning
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that data could be shared only in sporadic
bursts or by physical, offline means. Licensing
such hardware is a technical and logistical
challenge: The cloud might not be an option
a mile underground.
CodeMeter already has the perfect solution for
these cases: A CmDongle is connected to the
device, or a software CmActLicense is bound
to it. The actual licenses can be distributed
via the cloud by means of CodeMeter License
Central and brought onto the CmDongle or
CmActLicense when the hardware comes
online again. For even more offline scenarios,
you could physically transport a license file to
the device.
Licenses in the Cloud
This type of licensing is the perfect choice for
actual devices, but it is less suitable for the
mentioned predictive maintenance solution.
Its software stays in the cloud, and the license
cannot be bound to a specific computer on
the ground. You also can not plug a dongle
into the cloud. Of course, you could operate
physical license servers in a data center and
make them available for a cloud solution, but
this creates new questions in terms of costs