5
License Activation
5.1 Programming a CmStick
For programming a CmStick you require a FSB which holds your FIRM CODE (see 3.2 The CodeMeter Concept).
You program a CmStick in the following ways:
directly (the CmStick is programmed by the developer)
by data transfer (the CmStick is already with the user and is remotely re-programmed)
In the case of direct programming, the FSB is connected to the local PC or to a network license server. Then
access control on a network server assigns the local PC privileges to access the FSB.
Figure 8: Programming a locally connected CmStick
As Figure 8 shows with the FIRM CODE in the FSB you are allowed to program a license entry in an empty
CmStick. Of course the CmStick to be programmed may already hold other license entries. In this case, it does
not matter whether these are the developer’s own license entries (with the same FIRM CODE) or license entries
from other developers.
In the case of programming by file transfer, a context file is created. Again, it does not matter whether the
CmStick is empty, or has existing license entries. The context file contains the serial number of the CmStick, and
the content of the developer’s unique FIRM ITEM and represents the license container summing up all of the
developer’s unique license entries.
When the developer creates an update file using the FSB; this update file can be used only once on the
designated CmStick by the user. After successfully restoring the update file, a counter in the FIRM ITEM is
incremented. By incrementing the counter, the update file becomes invalid for a further restoration. This is
particularly relevant in case where the update file holds programming commands which create a license item,
which increment a UNIT COUNTER by a number of units, or forward an expiration date by a number of days.
Locally connected CmSticks can be reprogrammed either manually with the manual exchange of update files or
via TCP/IP with an automatically created update file.
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