L I C E N S I N G
Urgent – Emergency
Since 2006 , Wibu-Systems has provided you with CodeMeter License Central , a tool that allows you to generate , deliver , and manage licenses . Just a year after its launch , it was clear that Wibu-Systems should offer a turnkey solution as Software-as-a-Service in the cloud in addition to the option to install CodeMeter License Central on your own . This marked the birth of our Wibu Operating Services Team , WOPS for short .
The first data center was the company ‘ s own server room – already equipped with temperature control , redundant RAID storage , and an alternative Internet connection . After a few years , mainly due to capacity reasons , the move to an external data center was made . The highest attention was paid to data security and redundancy . Last year , what can be described as a worst-case scenario occurred : Despite supposed redundancy in storage , connection , etc ., there was a failure with a significant duration .
This article takes this as an occasion to summarize which business continuity options are already available today and which further measures have been and will be taken by Wibu- Systems . Here , we consider the use cases of provisioning new users with licenses , planning existing users to migrate existing licenses to another system , and of course , the case of existing licenses failing and keeping a production system running .
Security Built-In One of the great strengths of CodeMeter is the fact that CodeMeter Protection Suite encrypts your software to be protected , using a key that is securely stored in the license . This creates an extremely strong bond between the license and your protected software , which also means that your software cannot start without the matching license . To increase security against attacks like memory dumping , parts of your software are encrypted in memory and dynamically decrypted on demand . Thus , the license is not only necessary at the start of the application but also at intervals dependent on user interaction .
Warning Instead of Error A strategy that is not recommended from a security perspective is to let the software run without a license and only display warning messages about the missing licenses . This might be a viable solution for a few markets and customer groups , but it reduces licensing to a voluntary self-check . From my own over 20 years of experience in supporting customers with the integration of CodeMeter , I can tell you that this has only happened once with me .
In this case , CodeMeter Protection Suite cannot be used , or is used in the so-called No-License Mode . The software is encrypted with a key that is not located in the license but obfuscated within the software . The software then always starts , even if no license is present . The license is queried via CodeMeter Core API , and if it is not present or has expired , red warning lights are turned on at the machine .
This option ensures that the software runs in all the above-mentioned use cases , but at the cost of security .
Check Only at Start For the use case where a license fails during operation , I am occasionally asked by customers whether it is possible to only check the license at the start of the software , especially in connection with CodeMeter Protection Suite . The answer is Yes : There are options where all necessary cryptographic data is read at the start and kept in a cache . Naturally , this extremely reduces protection against memory dumping , as everything needed is present in memory .
I also personally find the use case questionable since restarting the software is no longer possible . The bogeyman in this case , “ A person mistakes a CmStick for a memory stick , takes it with them , and the plant comes to a standstill “, might have been present when memory sticks were still expensive luxury items , but today it has faded more than just a bit . I have only experienced a “ break “ of a CmActLicense during operation when virtual machines were moved in High Availability environments . And this requirement can be met through special settings of the binding .
All in all , the “ Check Only at Start “ option is possible , but it only helps in a very limited scenario and is disproportionate to the reduction in security .
Offline Emergency License In all more secure solutions , the user needs a license . The simplest solution is the offline emergency license delivered with your software . This is a CmActLicense that is not bound to any specific hardware . It can therefore be used on any computer . You determine how long the licenses contained in the CmActLicense are valid for your software and that this CmActLicense file can only be used once per computer .
With the file ‘ s import on a computer , this Cm- ActLicense is anchored to the system . Even after deleting the file , CodeMeter Runtime recognizes that this file has already been used and prevents a new import . The licenses are provided with a Usage Period of x days . When the li-
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