KEYnote 41 English - Spring 2021 | Page 15

assistant . The sheer effort involved does not seem commensurate with the idea of a short , temporary phase of parallel operations .

The Solution : Custom Licensing Adapter

Custom Licensing Adapter ( CLA ) is an extension of CodeMeter License Central , designed specifically for this challenge . It lets CodeMeter License Central be the one , shared license admin solution and the “ arbiter of truth ” in the foreground , while it takes care of the legacy licenses in the background .

One of the great advantages of the CLA is that it allows standard workflows to be used with all licenses , and all it needs is for the ERP system ( e . g . SAP ) to be properly integrated with CodeMeter License Central . No changes are needed on the side of the software that is already in the users ’ hands , since the CLA is there to create legacy licenses . The move to CodeMeter License Central can be made with full transparency and no effort for the end users ; alternatively , a license portal can be set up for users to view their licenses .

The Standard Workflow The standard workflow of CodeMeter License Central is excellent for legacy licenses .

The ERP system would send a request to CodeMeter License Central , where a ticket is created and sent back . This ticket entitles the user to obtain their license ; by contrast with the regular CodeMeter license , no CodeMeter context file is used in this case , but the binding property of the legacy license instead . Its actual form is irrelevant , as anything that can be turned into a generic byte buffer or file is fit for the purpose . The process again forks off when the license is created : The CLA accesses a part of the legacy system in the background , records , and sends back the data it needs .

CmContainer Type and Mapping To create a legacy license in the format that the legacy software expects , CodeMeter License Central creates a special type of CmContainer , configured for the product items in question . The required license information is mapped in them to the licensing options and data used under the new CodeMeter system , so that CodeMeter License Central can then create the right licenses via the usual back-office processes . This means that the same process is used for software newly licensed with CodeMeter and software still tied to a legacy licensing system .

Licenses Going Out … For the end users , the great benefit lies in the simple fact that they can get all their licenses by the same route .

When the licenses are shipped via WebDepot / Gateways or some proprietary solution , the special legacy CmContainer would not communicate directly with CodeMeter License Central , but with the CLA interfaces , which take care of all of the relevant operations in CodeMeter License Central and make sure that all licenses are recorded correctly and are up to date , while also creating a license that has the right format for the legacy software .

… and Coming Back If the legacy system was able to deactivate licenses , this can also be done via the CLA . In this case , the CLA would be contacted with the instruction to delete the license in question . It is even possible to send back a formal receipt for this action into the licensing system .

Modular Structure To enable all these functions in the simplest manner possible , the CLA uses a modular structure .

Core The core module oversees the provision of the right interfaces and the handling of all the communication with CodeMeter License Central . This makes sure that e . g . each license can only be sent a single time to a user and that all other processes , such as moving licenses or recovering lost licenses , are also handled correctly .

The module also stores all the data it needs to do its job in an internal database , so that e . g . a license key can be accessed again without having to call back the client ’ s systems .

Common This module contains all of the internal facilities for mapping the CodeMeter licensing options and data to the legacy format of the existing software .

Customer This is where the actual custom legacy license is created in the required format , either directly in this module or via a third-party service for producing the required licensing data .

Conclusion The CLA is a perfect addition for CodeMeter License Central ’ s processes that enables software developers to create CodeMeter integrated licenses in the right format for the licensing system of their legacy software . For more information , please contact our Professional Services Team .

15