cense is first used by your software , the Usage Period starts . After x days , the licenses expire and can no longer be used .
Mostly , these offline emergency licenses are modeled with the full range of software functions , and in some cases , even future functions are already unlocked . In case of need , you can create new license files that the user can use again .
Security-wise , this is a trade-off between security and availability . A potential attacker can obtain a time-limited license and thus has more attack surface than if they had no license at all . However , the license itself is limited , can be immediately blocked if attacks are detected , and during operation , CodeMeter Protection Suite can use all functions for dynamic decryption of your software .
However , I strongly advise against use in virtual environments , as one can always set up a new virtual machine and reset the game at any time .
Emergency Dongle One of my preferred solutions is the emergency dongle . Comparable to the offline emergency license , it usually contains all licenses or a Product Code that unlocks all features . Optionally , these licenses are provided with a Usage Period or a Unit Counter . A Usage Period works , as described for the offline emergency licenses , for x days from the first use . After x days , the licenses expire . As a publisher , you can reset these licenses to ensure your user ‘ s continued fail-safety after using the emergency dongle .
A Unit Counter can be counted down at an interval you define when using the software , similar to minutes when making phone calls . For example , if you count in 10-minute intervals , then a Unit Counter of 144 ( 24 hours times 6 per hour ) means that the software runs for a full day or twice for half a day each or any arbitrary division . In this case , the emergency dongle can be used multiple times and , for example , can be tested by the customer upon handover .
From a security perspective , the emergency dongle is the ultimate solution . It is also easy to handle . It covers the use case where the customer already possesses the emergency dongle . For new customers just starting , there is a time delay until the emergency dongle arrives at the customer ‘ s site .
Emergency Cloud Container Analogous to the emergency dongle , you can set up an emergency cloud container . Your user receives a credential file , which contains the ac- cess data to the emergency cloud container . In an emergency , they import this credential file on their system , and a virtual dongle with the emergency licenses is immediately available to them .
Security-wise , CmCloudContainers are on par with CmDongles as emergency containers . They require a permanent online connection but can be delivered immediately . Thus , they are also optimally usable for new customers . Moreover , you can tailor the licenses specifically to the customer and reset the licenses directly after use . For simplicity ‘ s sake , I would implement the processes similarly to the emergency dongle and envisage a mix of CmCloudContainers ( for new customers ) and CmDongles ( for offline cases ).
Online Emergency License Analogous to CmDongles or CmCloudContainers , you can also use CmActLicenses as emergency containers . Unlike the two pre-programmed containers , a CmActLicense is created on demand via CodeMeter License Central . You can decide whether to use a global license for all functions or a license specifically tailored to the customer .
To be independent of potential failures of the production line of CodeMeter License Central , CodeMeter License Central for emergency licenses is operated completely autonomously in another data center . This second data center is offered by Wibu-Systems ; you can also operate this line of CodeMeter License Central yourself .
The only needed connection between the production line of CodeMeter License Central and the emergency instance is an automation rule that creates a corresponding emergency license on the emergency system for new licenses or new customers on the production system . The rule set for this synchronization can be adapted to your requirements . Additionally , you can manually generate emergency licenses in this instance and provide them to new customers if the production system is not available at that time .
In regards to security , this solution offers the same security level as a standard CmActLicense . It covers all use cases , both new customers and relocations as well as license failures . Monitoring tools can monitor consumption and automatically or according to workflow refill used emergency licenses .
Reactivation A special solution for lost or broken licenses is the reactivation in CodeMeter License Central . You define to what extent the user can create a copy of a license on a new device . You can mon- itor how often customers use them and intervene if there is suspicion of misuse .
The previous – replaced – license is marked in CodeMeter License Central and withdrawn or blocked at the next opportunity . For this purpose , it may be helpful if you initiate automatic updates of the licenses within your software .
In security terms , this solution offers the same security as the CmContainer used for licensing . Unlike the temporary emergency licenses described above , this is an immediate and sustainable solution to a license failure , provided that the production line of CodeMeter License Central is available at that time .
Increased Redundancy in WOPS Starting in 2024 , the hosting by our Wibu Operating Services Team ( WOPS ) offers even higher redundancy for two of the four editions . In addition to the local redundancies of computer , storage , and connection , the data of CodeMeter License Central will be mirrored in a second separate data center . Depending on the edition , the switchover in an emergency is done immediately and automatically ( High Availability System ) or manually if needed ( High Performance Edition ).
Various Paths The connection to your CodeMeter License Central operated by WOPS depends not only on the availability of our system but also on the path to it . For example , nameservers play an important role in guiding the surfer on the Internet to the right address when entering lc . codemeter . com . A nameserver is not under the responsibility of Wibu-Systems but is a general address book on the Internet from various providers .
To also offer redundancy here , all systems are available under both lc . codemeter . com and lc . licensecentral . de . The two addresses are registered with different providers , so maximum redundancy is given here as well .
Additionally , lc2 . codemeter . com and lc2 . licensecentral . de provide two further alternative entry points to our hosting . These are alternative routes to different access points .
Conclusion Redundancy and business continuity have been a major focus at Wibu-Systems since we started offering hosting services more than 15 years ago and are continuously improved , for example , through the additional data center and data mirroring starting in 2024 . Choose the best option for you and your use cases from the available options .
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